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People Who Married In Their Early 20s Explain Whether They Regret Their Decision Or Not

People Who Married In Their Early 20s Explain Whether They Regret Their Decision Or Not
Image by nihan gĂĽzel daĹźtan from Pixabay

There are so many cultural narratives about "being in your 20s."


We're supposed to explore, travel, educate ourselves, meet people, try new things and "get life experience," whatever that means.

But in the same breathe, people tell us we're not kids anymore, so we need to grow up, find a decent job, focus on career development, handle personal finances wisely, and consider the long view.

All the different advice is enough to make the head spin.

So it's no surprise that marrying early is a rather loaded concept. Choosing to tie the knot before 25 is a big commitment made a young age, there is no doubt about it.

A recent Reddit thread illustrated that while the decision is definitely not for everyone, it worked for plenty of folks out there.

sonOfTheSun28 asked, "People that married early (between 20-25), how has it impacted your life, do you regret it or was it the best decision you ever made?"

All Worked Out 

"I was 25, she was 23. It's been 10 years that we formed a couple, and 6 years married. She's currently on the PC, and I'm watching over our 7 months old baby."

"Pretty good decision to marry her."

-- OnTheList-YouTube

"Diplomacy"

"Got married at age 18. Still married to the same man at age 70. 51 years of diplomacy đź’•" -- Dobba1969

"I can't wait to get here. My husband and I got married at 19/20, we are now both 27 and going strong. Been together since we were 15." -- bindsaybindsay

The Right Choice 

"No regrets. Been married since I was 24, I'm 50 now. Best. Woman. Ever. IMO." -- keltoy1549

"Early? I was 25 and thought it was kinda' late."

3 plus decades later, still laughing and enjoying married life. Here's some unsolicited advice; find someone who not only laughs at your jokes, but makes you laugh just as much. And have as many kids as you can afford, because they give you pure joy." -- originalmango

A Seamless Flow 

"My husband and I got married when we were both 23. We had already been living together for years, had combined finances, etc. so we had basically been married beforehand anyway."

"We went to the courthouse and got married by a justice of the peace. Then we went back to our apartment and back to our lives."

"Literally nothing changed lol. We're still very happy and own a home now with 2 dogs, so I'd say it worked out for us so far. Our 4th wedding anniversary will be in January."

-- glowbaby

Other Factors Besides Age 

"I have one friend who married his high school sweetheart when they were 18. They have 3 children and seem very happy and content. He is always talking about how much he loves his wife."

"I have another friend who married his college girlfriend once he graduated and hit 21. They moved to California and only lasted 2 years before he found out she was cheating on him. He has said numerous times that it was one of the biggest mistakes he has ever made."

"I guess it all depends on you, and the other person..."

-- Stevie-Avail

A Tumultuous Decade 

"We were 23 and 24 when we married, we had been together for 3 years then. That was 12 years ago, currently we are sipping coffee together while he plays a game and I browse reddit. He is hands down the best decision of my life."

"That being said, it wasn't easy especially in the beginning. It's been a lot of hard work and raw emotion getting to where we are today. We agree that that age range is a bit young and somewhat foolish to decide to marry, though sometimes it works."

"There's so much growth that takes place between 20-30, we were fortunate to grow together instead of apart."

-- SlackAsh

The Other Side 

"It was stupid. Wish I hadn't. I regret it to this day."

"Wrecked my life - she's got psychological problems and decided to ditch me a couple of months after marriage."

-- DavidHaller41

Inarguable Outcomes 

"I got married at twenty five. It lasted ten years or so. I can't regret it, because it produced the best daughter a guy could ever want."

"That alone makes me a man wealthy beyond measure."

-- stupidlyugly

Constantly Evolving 

"I was 24 so at the top end of your spectrum but yes, in all honesty, I regret it."

"I am a completely different person now with new ideas, new goals, new views on marriage itself. I didn't give myself enough time to 'find myself' even though I had lived on my own for 6 years at the time."

"I wish I had waited until at least 30 or never gotten married at all. This is stuff my husband knows, we've talked about it a lot. It's not about him at all, it's about how I've changed."

"He hasn't changed along with me - I mean, he has changed of course (been married 17 years), but not in the same ways I have. That isn't a criticism of him at all, just the way it is."

-- DTownForever

Living Alone is Pretty Wonderful 

"We got married when we were 18. It's been 20 years, and we've had a few rough patches, but I only have one regret. I'm almost 40, and I've never lived alone."

"I feel like we both missed out on an important part of growing up by not having that experience."

-- froggiehud

Be Ready 

"I was 22, but my husband was 28. He's definitely one of the good ones. It's been 10 years, and he's still my best friend."

"However, I wouldn't recommend getting married young, or at all, if you aren't committed to communicating through the hard times and fighting for your marriage, because the hard times will come."

-- sunspotshavefaded

Lukewarm 

"Started dating at 19, married at 24, divorced at 39."

"I don't know. Both she and I are in much better places now. I'd say it was a learning experience; but it was also an experience experience..."

"I don't regret my relationship with her. I regret how much we both let it drag on during some really passionless and tense years at the end. The last 7 years of our marriage we were basically room-mates."

-- boxed_monkey

No Rush 

"It was the worst decision I ever made, and I do regret it. We got divorced. Just don't be in such a rush. You can always get married a little later!" -- queennbee

"I just don't plan on getting married at all. I believe in committed relationships, but people can change and/or situations can change. 1 year down the line, 10 years, etc. and the end will usually suck, but complicating it even more with divorce proceedings just seems like a good thing to avoid." -- QuasarsRcool

Thrilled as Ever 

"Best decision of my life. I was 21. She was 20. We're mid 50s now and still happily together. 3 kids, 5 grandkids, and we're blessed with (or fortunate to have) enough health to enjoy them all."

"The way I see it, I married someone way too good for me, but she doesn't seem to realize it. Shhhh! Please don't tell her! I've got a great thing going here!"

-- blibbidyblam

20/20 Hindsight 

"I was 17 and he was 20 when we got married. I had always been sheltered by my parents so didn't know how to make such life choice. I definitely married the wrong person. I thought I loved him but didn't really know what love was or what to expect."

"We were married for 4 years when I called it off. I just couldn't take anymore of his controlling crap. I married my parents so to speak."

-- Think-Anywhere-7751

External Factors 

"I was with my husband at age 16, we got married at 20. We split up when I was 30. I don't regret it, we had a good 10 years of love that were actually nearly perfect."

"But then he got into heroin. That sucks the soul out of people. Say no to drugs, everyone."

-- PeachPitiless

Something More Important Than Timing 

"Best. Second best was to not have kids."

"But it wasn't the "early" part that was or is important."

"The important question is 'is this the right person to spend the rest of your life with?'"

"If you have any reservations, it's not the right time. For you."

-- michaelh98

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When discussing love and relationships, the motto is usually less is more.

But what if there is more of one partner?

Being involved with identical twins can be quite the experience.

Can you really tell them apart?

Is everything identical?

If you're attracted to one, aren't you automatically attracted to the other?

So many questions.

Now we need some answers.

Redditor nicknamesofdaveryder wanted to hear about love and the twin experience, so they asked:

"Redditors who married someone with an identical twin sibling, why are you glad you're not with the other twin instead?"

I've never met a lot of twins, let alone gotten involved with a pair.

I have questions.

Hopefully I get some answers.

Saved

Comedy Central Wink GIF by Drunk HistoryGiphy

"My late husband's twin was a non-functioning alcoholic and my husband wasn’t. My husband says joining the navy was what saved him from going down that road."

iteachag5

Falling Asleep

"Story time! I am an identical twin (we still look so much alike!) and one night I spent the night at her house. She and I fell asleep in the same bed because we were up late talking, etc. Her husband slept on the couch. The next morning my twin went to take a shower and her husband laid down on the bed with me (thinking it was her of course). I jokingly said 'Hey sailor, looking for a little variety?' He shot off the bed and said 'If I was looking for variety, do you think I'd choose you??'"

tanyagal2

The Good Guy And The Other One

"I didn't marry him but I dated an identical twin. His twin's girlfriend and I used to joke around that she got the evil twin. He was just a selfish, messed-up person. One of the benefits of breaking up with my boyfriend was no longer having his twin in my life. Plus, his ex gf and I are still great friends! The good guy was just the lesser evil. She wanted to get as far away from that family as I did. The best thing to come out of those relationships was our friendship."

super-ro

Love Wins

"My dad's an identical twin. People have a hard time distinguishing them, but to my mom and me, they look like two completely different people because of the way they walk/talk/etc. Obviously, my mom only fell in love with this one person. When you love someone it's actually pretty easy to tell identical twins apart."

michaelsgavin

Issues

Threaten Ashley Olsen GIFGiphy

"The other twin has the same personality as I do. We argue readily and are super competitive with each other. We butt heads on a lot of issues."

why_not_send_a_nude

Personality clashes aren't just a twin thing.

It's a human thing.

We can't help ourselves.

Different People

Triplets GIF by RuPaul's Drag RaceGiphy

"I work with a guy who married an identical triplet, one of the triplets also works with us. I asked him one day if it was weird working with someone who looked just like his wife. He got a little pissed and basically said they are all very different people and he doesn't see much of his wife in her."

LeafMeAlone_99

He's Evil

"We’re not married but known each other since we were 12 and have been together 3 and a half years. His twin is a massive di**head who tried to break us up multiple times, was madly in love with me in his own words, and after 2 years of pursuing me declared I was a terrible person and put him through hell. Because I didn’t break up with his TWIN BROTHER to date him."

xMollyP

Life Choices

"My husband and his twin brother look very different to me, although they are identical and get mistaken for one another all the time. They couldn’t be more different in terms of personality. They have different values and life goals, hobbies, one is introverted and the other is extroverted. If they were two people who didn’t look alike, I would automatically not be attracted to my brother-in-law simply because we are not remotely compatible personality-wise."

"Also they have very different styles. I do not find the way my husband’s twin dresses/grooms his hair attractive. It’s so wild to me when people can’t tell them apart because they couldn’t be more different in my eyes."

lanieeeeeeee

Opposites

"Well, my wife and I have been together for 30 years. She has a 'mirror' twin. Even now, if you don’t know them well or interact frequently you will not be able to tell them apart. They are complete opposites. I married the extrovert, she has never met a stranger, will try anything at least once, and can find a positive aspect in almost everything she encounters, they are also best friends, my wife drags her sister along all the time."

"Once she’s out she enjoys our activities. I love my SIL, all three of them, but so glad I married the one like me. The mirror part even goes for looks, when I see my wife’s reflection I see my SIL, it’s weird sometimes. Also, attitude and personality are everything, I have never been 'attracted' to her twin."

redbonecouchhound

The Look

Sexy Damon Wayans Jr GIF by Global TVGiphy

"I used to date an identical twin. Although I found his brother objectively handsome, I wasn't attracted to him at all. It was cool to directly experience how attraction goes far beyond just the looks."

Liatessa

I've never been intrigued by twins, and now I never will be.

confused man in blue t-shirt

Sander Sammy on Unsplash

My Father was considered a genius.

At 16 he graduated high school as Valedictorian, joined the United States Navy as soon as he turned 17 then was promptly recruited by Admiral Hyman Rickover's team converting the Navy from diesel to nuclear power.

He served as a nuclear and electrical engineer on naval vessels after the conversion project ended, then as a reactor inspector for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after retiring from the Navy.

He also needed a full time babysitter in order to survive. Things like paying bills, buying groceries, feeding himself all escaped him. He lacked any semblance of common sense.

Really smart people doing very unsmart things isn't uncommon.

And sometimes a person is labeled a genius who's really an idiot with good brand marketing.

Keep reading...Show less

Corporations don't get big overnight.

A lot of tough decisions, big wins, and sometimes even bigger losses, go into their growth.

But sometimes companies make mistakes that the public simply cannot let slide, and it can be hard to imagine how the company could stay afloat after the backlash.

Redditor Astro_Shogun asked:

"What decision by a company received the most amount of backlash from the public?"

Dang It, Photobucket

"When Photobucket decided to take the whole internet hostage by asking for 400 dollars a year for what was previously a free image storage solution. The move broke years of forum posting and erased a significant portion of the web collective knowledge."

- denpo

"Yup. And now they're holding almost all of my son's childhood photos (some of which I managed to save in other places) hostage."

- KnockMeYourLobes

"Browse any forum thread from the early 2000s and practically all the images are gone because everyone used Photobucket back then. It will be the same way with Reddit whenever Imgur goes under."

- NothingOld7527

So Salesy

"JCPenny doing away with sales and trying to present itself as a more upscale store. Sales immediately plummeted, and they reversed course quickly."

- flyingcircusdog

Cheap Jewelry

"Gerald Ratner said the reason his jewelry company could sell stuff so cheap was because the products were crap. It destroyed the company overnight."

- simplemtbman

Front Wheel Drive

"Ford, in the '80s, tried to replace the aging Fox body Mustang with a front-wheel drive, Mazda-based car. This was pre-internet, but car people got UPSET and deluged Ford with a letter expressing their anger."

"Ford backtracked, kept the Fox body around, and released the vehicle that was going to be the new Mustang as the Probe. It lasted two generations, but the Mustang soldiers on."

- StillN0tATony

Online Only

"Microsoft got roasted when they announced Kinect and always-online were required for the Xbox One. Took all the momentum they had from the 360 era and put them miles behind Sony."

- Jerry_Williams89

Childhood: Destroyed

"Sonic having human teeth."

- LightDash

"I just immediately pictured teeth in a Sonic milkshake and had a horrified reaction before my brain caught up to you meaning the character."

- Rolizas

Questionable Upgrades

"Very recently, T-Mobile. A company that 10 years ago called itself the Uncarrier by making a series of pro-consumer changes to its plans and the previous CEO built almost a sort of cult of fans of the company. Then T-Mobile acquired Sprint and got a new CEO."

"A couple of weeks ago, T-Mobile internal documentation revealed it was going to automatically upgrade customers on old grandfathered plans up to new plans, which were more expensive. Customers would have to call in to opt out of the change. 'They weren’t raising customers’ rates, they were moving them to better plans.'"

"Well, major tech news got ahold of that, and then even some local news stations, and T-Mobile quietly 'clarified' a week later via internal communications that only one percent of their customers would be affected."

- artimaticus8

Coming Together in Hate

"Anyone remember the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad when she solved police brutality?"

- vernon3

"Those moments are precious. There are a few things these days that bring everyone on the Internet together. That was one of those things. We all hated the Pepsi ad that solved police brutality."

"That ad had it all. Pandering, ignorance, arrogance, and talking down to their audience."

- notwoutmyprob

"And a Kardashian."

- Kitchen_action

With Every Purchase

"I couple of years back a local Detroit area car dealership decided the best way to celebrate MLK day was to give away free car alarms with every purchase."

"Nobody liked that."

- graveybrains

A Sale Gone Too Well

"Hoover UK offering two free flights to America if you spend ÂŁ100 on their products. They anticipated that people would spend a lot more than the minimum required which would cover the approximately ÂŁ600 value of the tickets."

"When the company was deluged with purchases around the ÂŁ100 mark, they reneged on the offer, which prompted a very expensive lawsuit. The fallout was so bad that the UK division of the firm was sold to a rival company."

- Live-Dance-2641

New Drink, Who Dis?

"New Coke."

- PeggyWithPhatA**

"After the relations disaster, the public clamored for the decision to be reversed, and Coca-Cola released 'Coke Classic.'"

"Coke Classic soon had an even higher market share than Coke did before the public relations fiasco, and a new theory made the rounds: that Coca-Cola deliberately made these decisions, simply to gain publicity, and increase market share."

"The reaction from Coca-Cola’s executives was, 'We aren’t that smart, and we aren’t that stupid.'"

- Malthus1

A Tweet Turned Sexist

"Burger King stating that 'Women Belong in the Kitchen.' What they were TRYING to say was that they wanted more diversity. People didn't see it that way, and in the end, they had to issue an apology."

- zerbey

The Downfall of an Incredible Publication

"Here’s one there should be a public outcry about."

"Disney bought National Geographic and controls everything it does. This is the last year the iconic magazine will be available. I’m incensed."

- redheadMInerd2

(The writer of this article is equally incensed.)

Predicting the Future

"I feel like whatever YouTube is cooking up lately will be the next one."

- Just_Aioli_1233

"Tech companies sure know how to kill off highly popular and profitable apps, super quick. It’s interesting to watch it happen in real-time. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, all losing tons of followers and destroying their own stock."

- Eleanor_of_Accutane

It's easy to see how all of these mistakes resulted in huge backlash, sometimes at the total expense and downfall of the business.

But some of these mistakes were made by companies that are still huge today, and to a certain extent, that's kind of surprising.