People Explain Which Lessons They've Learned The Hard Way
Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash

I think as humans we can't help but make life hard.

There are lessons and signs and ways that show us an easier route, but we have to learn the hard way.

Why is that?

Maybe it's just life.

Learning the hard way makes the lesson more rewarding, or some such nonsense.

I'll take easy from now on please.


Redditor Xpertshinobi334wanted to hear about the times many of us made life more difficult.

They asked:

"What did you learn the hard way?"

I stay up too late. Every night. It's a bad cycle. It makes the days so hard. You?

Cruel

"Some people will happily use you, and feel no sense of sorrow."

Euphoric_nite

offended danny devito GIFGiphy

Cray

"Everyone is the hero of their own story, even to the point of being delusional. I learned that the hard way. Sometimes they have a completely fictional narrative in their heads. They may also have no concept of you at all, main character syndrome. Ppl be cray-cray."

MysteryWrecked

It's a mutual thing...

"The difference between liking someone a lot and loving them romantically."

Daidy_Blue

"Personal opinion. It's a mutual thing. Both people in a relationship should want to listen to their partner because inevitably issues will arise and disagreements will occur. If it's only one sided in the sense that compromise can't be made, maybe its not love, only one person liking their spouse more than they like them.""

"At the same time a relationship 1 year in vs a relationship 5 years in is vastly different. I'm sure there are plenty of relationships where one spouse does everything they can to improve without reciprocation. There are always the what if variables which makes the entire idea of relationships a huge mind f**k."

fateless115

You First

"You cannot rely on others for self love... no matter how much you try to argue it.'

Alphablaze98


"On a similar note, I always found 'you have to love yourself first' bullsh*t advice but after I fell ill with burnout I did find meaning in it. Although I say 'You have to love yourself first to accept that others can love you.'"

DaPino

"Well I'm screwed because I hate everything about who I am and I do not want others to love me because I know who I am and they deserve better."

753951321654987

War Ready

"Not letting my guard down around family."

Ok-Personality-6635

War Face GIFGiphy

How have we survived this long? We're a mess.

SOS

"To ask for help when you start to struggle. Ignoring your problems doesn't make them go away, only increases the long term damage they can do."

ofsquire

Cat GIFGiphy

Tossed Aside

"You can devote yourself to a job, give it your all, do every extra shift, task and be known for having a good worth ethic. Sacrifice your mental and physical health to make others happy. But the day something happens to you, they will toss you and replace you in a heartbeat."

catsandalcohol13

"It takes 20 years to build a good reputation but only one smirk to ruin it. I was that that good at a job, after 5 years, that I was the one that management got to show all the new hires around. One Monday morning I showed a new girl around and then she went to management and said I made a move on her (I didn't). By Friday I was fired and she was promoted to my job."

Captain_Coco_Koala

They Don't Know

"That my parents are not always right. I know it sounds dumb but seriously I used to think that all I gotta do is follow what my parents want me to do until that got me into the darkest phase of my life it took me 3 years to get my life back together and now I have realized the hard way that even your parents aren't always correct. Their one wrong decision sabotaged me too intensely but things are finally coming back to normal."

Blaze_989

Victims

"Not everyone will own up to their mistakes and will still blame you and manipulate you despite the fact that they're in the wrong."

sashaa-xx

"The funny thing is that some of these people also view themselves as people with integrity. Blows my mind tbh. There’s nothing wrong with admitting your mistakes, doesn’t make you less of a human either."

Ok_Giraffe_1488

No Secrets

"When a guy says they are not interested in a long term relationship, you will not secretly get them to love you and change their mind. Either be ok with a casual thing or move on to someone with similar goals."

ksgar77

dating date GIF by The HillsGiphy

Let' s make life a little easier. Just be kind. Especially to yourself.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.