People Share The Best Examples Of 'The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions' They've Ever Seen
Even those who mean well must deal with the consequences of their actions, which is to say that just because you intend to behave well doesn't mean you'll necessarily follow through with those intentions intact... or that others who take up your work or legacy will follow through either.
After Redditor PugMagic12 asked the online community, "What is the best example of 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions' that you've ever seen?" people weighed in. The examples, as you can imagine, were fascinating.
"If certain reports..."
If certain reports about him wanting to end slavery are true, then Eli Whitney inventing the cotton gin. Going by this theory, Whitney hoped that, since the gin drastically reduced the amount of labor needed to process cotton, then people would use slave labor less. Instead, though, cotton producers simply used more slaves to make even more money (thus, in turn, assisting in the establishment of "King Cotton").
"A tactician he was not."
Dr. Richard Gatling.
He thought that, by inventing a weapon that could fire more rounds than a platoon of soldiers in one minute, it would help reduce the amount of soldiers on the battlefield, thus reducing casualties.
A tactician he was not.
"My favorite one..."
My favorite one was the British in India trying to cut down the number of cobras. They put out a bounty on cobras. Then industrious locals seeing an opportunity to fleece the gringos started breeding cobras for the sole purpose to sell to the British for the bounty. The British officials got wise to what was happening and canceled the bounty program whereupon the locals simply released all of the cobras, exacerbating the problem.
"Anyway..."
In Canada we had this COVID-19 relief program called CERB. It gives you 2000$ a month if you meet certain requirements. One of the requirements is you must make under 1k during the 1 month period.
Anyway I had a job at school that pays my full tuition directly as a "scholarship", so it doesn't count as income, and get paid 300$ a month which does count as income. With my other job I make 500$ a month so I would still qualify for CERB. However my boss at my non-school job handed out bonuses for working during covid and mine totaled 300$. I had already applied for CERB so I had to pay back the money I had just recieved.
Basically instead of making just under 3k that month (almost all of which was going to paying my loans), I was only making 1.1k. RIP.
Happened at my dad's work in the early 2000's. Apparently somebody had dropped a USB flash drive on the front walkway. Some kind-hearted soul decided to make an effort to find out who it belonged to, and started their clue hunt by plugging in the flash drive.
To his work PC.
That was connected to the entire world-wide network.
Of their multi-billion dollar government IT corporation.
That was the moment a lot of people got a 3-day weekend, and an unfortunate handful got a 0-day weekend.
"They just made the problems..."
Student loans. The federal government made them easier to get which led to more people getting them and getting them in larger quantities which led to tuition rates rising and the current daycare system for 18-22 year olds that we have now. They just made the problems so much worse than if they had done nothing.
"I grew up in a poor family..."
I grew up in a poor family with a lot of veterans in it. I was always a nerd, so even though I hadn't applied myself much in high school, I could ace an entrance exam and so was planning on going to college.
Turns out, we weren't quite poor enough to qualify for enough assistance for me to go to any decent 4 year school, so I farted around for a few years, working a few random jobs and trying to find a trade that I could settle into, but with no real luck.
Eventually, I did what I could to get college money: I enlisted in the Army. Signed up for an 8 year term (well, I was supposed to do the last 3 years in the reserves, unless I got stop-lossed). I picked a certain MOS that happened to be a combat role, because we weren't at war or close to it, it had some really good college money for the enlistment bonus and the just under two years of training seemed like just the thing to prove to myself that I was as tough as I thought I was.
I shipped out for OSUT in 1999. I finished all my training and got my first active duty post in August 2001.
"Doomed to divide them."
The creation of the internet.
Intended to bring people together.
Doomed to divide them.
"Go figure."
The transport of prisoners to Australia.
To provide a private industry thr government started paying for captains to transport prisoners and were paid per head before leaving. However, to maximize profits they just....didn't...give prisoners provisions. They had something ike an 80% death rate.
Long story short, they started paying the ships for each living prisoner that made it to Australia and survival rates went north of 90%.
Go figure.
"Ten years down the road..."
I would say about half of the successful revolutions in all history.
Starts out with young idealists fighting an unjust system to build up a new utopia for all people.
Ten years down the road you have concentration camps, famine and a paranoid dictator photoshopping his old compatriots out of the group picture.
"My ex friend..."
My ex friend told me she was unable to have lunch because of back to back lectures and so I bought her some butter chicken with rice and gave it to her during class. She proceeded to open the Styrofoam container and criticise the food i bought in view of the entire class. We were sitting at the front row. She haven't even tasted it and just looked at it for a few seconds.
The same friend, said she wasn't able to have breakfast and was hungry and wanted something to eat so I, being the forgiving idiot I was, got her a raisin cookie from subway. I gave it to her and she went to her lecture, after a while, i received a few texts from her saying how she wants to puke with the puke emoji. I thought the cookie has gone bad but no "I hate raisin" was her response. She sent "i wanna puke" a few more times.
There is alot more ungrateful s*** she did to me in spite of me never asking her to repay me or claim any favours from her. There's also the time when she tries to drag my entire family into s*** just to save her own ass and a few attempts at trying to use me as a scapegoat for her own issues.
"He didn't invent..."
The guillotine.
Executions weren't always quick in the past. If you were a commoner you were hanged. If you were lucky, that was a quick death. if you were unlucky, it could take several minutes.
If you were nobility, you were executed by beheading with a sword or an axe. Again, if you were lucky, it was quick. But if you were unlucky it could take 2 or 3 swings before you were put out of your suffering. The condemned person's family often paid the executioner to make sure his weapon was sharp before the execution so that their loved one didn't suffer. At one execution that was witnessed, the executioner was drunk and it took multiple swings to finally kill the condemned, with them screaming the entire time.
So a guy named Joseph-Ignace Guillotin decided to do something about it. He proposed a device that would make executions as quick and painless as possible, and it was to be used in all future executions for nobility and commoner alike.
He didn't invent the machine himself, others did, but it was built because of his proposal.
So, guillotine was introduced in France. The first public execution using the guillotine occurred in 1792.
The French Revolution, and the Reign of Terror, began in 1793. Between June 1793 and July 1794, seventeen thousand people were executed by guillotine.
"I've been manipulated..."
People who say the words "I was only doing doing what's best for you" without actually meaning it. If you genuinely want what's best for someone, you would never make them feel discouraged even if you know what they want might not end well. If it's brings harm to them or others, then yes you should try to look reason with them. But if it's not, and they're just trying to find or pursue what makes them happy, let them. People need to grow and learn on their own, that means making mistakes, being hurt, and learning from the bad. You can't always shelter someone from the pain and dark of what life entails. If you truly care for someone, you're there for them during the aftermath, supporting them, not abandon them because you told them so already.
I've been manipulated by those words so many time, being fooled and was only being controlled in reality. If someone really wants what's best for you, they'd listen to your reasons, not just their own.
"Vaping..."
Vaping was invented as a way to help smokers quit smoking, but instead, non-smokers picked up vaping and are addicted to the nicotine in vapes. Ironically, these vapers are actually spending far more money on vaping than smokers spend on tobacco!
"After decades of repression..."
The Swedish drug policy. After decades of repression we are now the country in Europe with the highest drug related deaths.
"I rent my condo out..."
I rent my condo out to students attending school in the area. I try my best to be a good landlord. I had this one girl from Europe and and her parents fly into the city to help her move in. I allowed them to move their luggage and furniture in early. I would help her build the furniture while she and her parents explored the city. Things were fine, and when I noticed December's rent not showing up in my account, I chalked it up to the Christmas season so I'd let it slide a few more days.
Turned out she abandoned the unit, and her dad tried to sue me to get their last month's rent cheque back.
I don't go out of my way for my tenants anymore.
"Obama's response..."
Obama's response to Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
"Eventually..."
The Keurig guy just wanted to make good, convenient coffee. Eventually it hit him that his cups weren't biodegradable, the company that now makes K-cups hasn't listened to his ideas to make a biodegradable cup, and the little unrottable, unrecyclable plastic cups are selling to the tune of billions of dollars per year. He's not happy with the environmental impact he's personally had and has left his invention behind to work on clean energy.
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People Explain Which Things They Wish They Started Doing Earlier In Life
Image by Jose Antonio Alba from Pixabay |
Time flies... before you know it, it's gone. Suppose there are things you really want to do: Getting into certain habits is a lot easier to do when you're younger. It's a lot easier to go to the gym and exercise on a regular basis, for example, when you're in 20s than when you're in your 30s, 40s, or 50s.
But there's nothing wrong with starting now––you'll notice the benefits eventually.
After Redditor Tr0az asked the online community, "What do you wish you started doing from a young age?" people shared their stories.
"I should have saved more..."
<p>Saving money, and spending responsibly. I should have saved more when I lived at home and had no commitments.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi25sgj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">seanosaurusrex4</a></p>"The kind of thing..."
<p>Being kinder. I'm talking habitual kindness. The kind of thing where you do it so much you get a reputation for it and it comes more naturally than being disinterested/a d!ck.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2ex3j?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">rizlagreen345</a></p>"It's weird because..."
<p>Making friends.</p><p>I can talk to large congregations with ease, participate in debates and discussions and <em>shine.</em></p><p><em>I, however, do not have friends.</em></p><p>It's weird because you'd expect me to have great social skills and all. I have no idea how to make small talk, or just talk to anyone normally. I can't understand what their responses are and make an appropriate response to it. I can talk about Math, Harry Potter, Earthsea, Stalin, Yuval Noah Harari and a lot more. I can't talk <em>with</em> people. I don't feel lonely, but my parents are upset and I wish for their sake, I'd learn to appear more normal.</p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2e7iq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">methametrics</a></p>"Within a month..."
<p>Taking medication for my OCD.</p><p>I started on medication when I was 12, which sounds relatively young, but I wish my parents had out me on medication sooner. I missed out on most of my childhood. I had so much psychotherapy as a child, which did basically nothing. Within a month on medication, I had essentially no symptoms. I suffered for years when a pill a day could have alleviated it.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2hn0d?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Hexomin</a></p>"I tried learning..."
<p><span>Studying music. I tried learning how to read music as a teen (privately, not school) and hated every second of it. Kodály can kiss my arse with his idiotic overcomplicated system. Notes have fixed names! Use those!</span></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2u37m?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">AkebiJehubiMethusie​</a></p>"I was politely asked..."
<p>Yoga! I was politely asked to leave my youth gymnastics club as a little kid because I didn't have the attention span but I wish I'd carried on with some form of bendy, stretchy exercise. I get by alright as I'm only 29, but I think if I'd done yoga I'd feel a lot fitter and more youthful.</p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2dlfg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">broomheezy</a></p>"There is nothing in this world..."
<p>Learn about investments. Not just financial investments, but personal commitments as well. There is nothing in this world worth having that will come to you without some time and money invested.</p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2dlfg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">broomheezy</a></p>"Being open-minded..."
<p>Being open-minded about food. I was a very picky eater and now I'm mad at myself for missing out on so many delicious foods for so long.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi56ywh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">CraziiSpice</a></p>"In general..."
<p>In general, I wished that I had developed the idea that discipline is important for everything early on. A new language, an instrument, your studies. It does not matter. By sticking to it you will get better. And if you stick to it long enough, you will get some nice skills later on.</p><p>Nothing is stopping me to start these things now, tho. I am really excited for this year.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2yf9g?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">thatkafkaguy</a></p>"I'm tall..."
<p>Ballet. I'm tall and naturally graceful and I always always wanted to do it. Being one of four children of blue-collar parents it just wasn't in the cards for me. I tried a 100 level course in college and loved it but I was so far behind I get really self-conscious and dropped it.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kq74es/what_do_you_wish_you_started_doing_from_a_young/gi2jt38?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ChosenPrawn</a></p>There are basic life lessons that are life-saving and cost-effective that we are all intimidated by but, in actuality, they take all of a few minutes to acquire. We all condition ourselves to believe that certain skills in life are just too complex for regular joes to master. The truth is... you do not need an Ivy League degree to learn how to clean out the water heater, clip your pet's nails, or change out a toilet. Who knew? So many of us have been forced to acquire new skills while we've been trapped at home and we're going to be better off for it.
Redditor u/goodspeed19 wanted to know what lessons we should all be learning while stuck in quarantine that will make us more useful in the future by asking..... What's a skill you can learn in 30 minutes to one hour that is extremely useful/cool?Car Basics....
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTcyMy9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDA1MjAyMH0.Ee1LFmYCQrOmsekQzVMFQn2s17LhjV9jPV16JwVbrLk/img.gif?width=980" id="8460e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f5bc8fbebee4fa7b1e03920f40d9b975" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="480" />Work Reaction GIF by EnBWGiphy<p>Changing the oil on a car. Changing a tire. Most of your basic car maintenance stuff that once learned will save you some money, and that you can fix in less time than it'd take to bring your car to a mechanic.</p>Blade
<p>Knife sharpening, it'll stop you from cutting yourself to the bone by stopping your knife from slipping. Then use the other half of the hour to learn proper knife skills. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/gio15kz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cornflakesforfools</a><span></span></p><p>It's really amazing how much safer a sharp knife is. It "bites" whatever you're cutting immediately and stays on course almost like it has a mind of its own. As long as your fingers aren't in its path when you begin the slice, you're basically more likely to die of a brain aneurysm than cut yourself. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/gip1ex0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">JeromesDream</a></p>Picker
<p>Lockpicking simple 3 pin locks. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/ginzwxh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IrishUpstart</a></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/ginzwxh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a><span></span>Yes. It's freaking hilarious that people on here can't figure this out on their own.</p><p>Think about leaving your bike out with a lock on it vs without. Much more likely to come back to no bike if you don't put a lock. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/gipsioy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Kaibakura</a></p>The Rescue
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTcyNC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjE0NjM2M30.fhdGuypcdIJPpij02d4kQDnts0JTHI5ahQAWoiqbYtk/img.gif?width=980" id="132d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cb77fa529d02c6061111afa3faaa5c21" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="346" data-height="195" />cat save GIFGiphy<p>CPR, easy to learn and you could save a life someday ! (just don't do it like Michael and Dwight please). </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/giobnet?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KaoraZ</a><span></span></p>Man Down
<p>I learnt how to fall in my first judo class. It is really a life saver. My teacher grandpa was a judo 8-dan master, and while he was an 87 year old dude, he fell during a walk. I know it won't be a big deal to you, but at that age, falling is a real threat. He managed to do a Zempo Kaiten Ukemi, which is kind of landing on your shoulder first and rolling through your back and getting up striking the floor to use momentum to stand up, its purpose its to soften and dissipate the fall damage. He got up like nothing happened, but all the bystanders were losing it to an old man doing a front roll in the street. He was unharmed thanks to judo. Learning how to fall can save your life. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/giq62rh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tocuto</a><span></span></p>by the book....
<p>Read the Boy Scout handbook.</p><p>It includes a <em>humongous</em> amount of incredibly useful information, including (but not limited to):</p><ul><li>Changing a car tire (depending on the edition)</li><li>Useful knots such as the Bowline and Tautline Hitch</li><li>How to sharpen a knife</li><li>How to properly use the toilet when you're outdoors</li><li>First-aid and triage</li><li>How to tie a necktie</li><li>How to set up and take down a tent, along with (most importantly!) <em>where</em> to set it up. It's ridiculous how many times I've been the only person on a campout whose tent wasn't flooded because I paid attention to this section.</li></ul>Keyboard Clips
<p>Some keyboard shortcuts never hurt. Here's the ones I use the most</p><p>CTRL + W (Google chrome) = Immediately closes your current tab</p><p>CTRL + BACKSPACE = Deletes the last whole word rather than deleting one letter at a time</p><p>Click on a hyperlink with the mouse wheel button = Opens the link in another tab</p><p>CTRL + SHFT + ESC = Opens up task manager without having to go through the CTRL + ALT + DEL menu</p>Swipe Fire
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTczNC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjQzMDUyNn0.q6VQVH8kHrycB17c5YOuLzhZUQ1oWp68D2EIeKa7avw/img.gif?width=980" id="bac30" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f14dfd615990d62381ae2ce7309adcaf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="264" />Tom Hanks Reaction GIFGiphy<p>How to make fire using tinder... not the app.. lol. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/ginzv3g?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">__Rainforest__</a></p>Grandma Knows
<p>The basics of crochet/knitting. It's quite handy if you want to something original. In the end, the basics are quite simple. With those basics you can make anything. Pillows, stuffed animals/dolls, clothes, wash cloths, pot holders, gloves, hats, scarfs, and more. It can be as quick or slow as you like and as easy or challenging as you like.</p><p>Plus it's very mindful, kind if like meditation, and really calming and rewarding as you see your work grow and take form. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/gio8co7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">2tinymonkeys</a><span></span></p>Speak....
<p>A little bit of sign language. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/kttrlr/whats_a_skill_you_can_learn_in_30_minutes_to_one/gip3716?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HeyItzProwlWolf</a></p>When I was heading into high school from middle my guidance counselor and my parents wanted me to enter into "gifted" classes because I was able to maintain a high GPA. They thought it would give me a head start for a great college and then prime me for the Presidency. I protested and negotiated signing up for merely "advanced" classes, God forbid I go with "regular" classes, or we all just get the same education. I have never regretted it.
The Burnout....
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTY3NS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjEzNDA2NX0.ijpw8O47yiRhzJTOYcBBM7yyTrRjzJ8xNgm5mNQECXY/img.gif?width=980" id="6854e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="072d2539b34253282d547cf0bbf1308f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="270" />burnt out GIF by Space JamGiphy<p>High expectations from a young age, from everyone, leading to overworking, depression anxiety and burnout. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/krlc7z/former_gifted_children_what_went_wrong/giam8gs?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">isthispaige</a><span></span></p>Don't Push....
<p>For me the high expectations were combined with questionable parenting. My mom didn't really understand that you can't just push people you need them to buy in and you need to know how things work. My mom would yell at me for doing poorly in high school math but didn't understand that if I didn't have high school math I couldn't go into a business or engineering degree and now I'm messed because my BA & MA are useless.</p><p>Pushing your kids too hard is really crappy. Also, not meeting their basic emotional needs or giving them fun stuff to do will also mess with them. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/krlc7z/former_gifted_children_what_went_wrong/gic1zty?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ContactLess128</a></p>In the 6th....
<p>In sixth grade I started at a very prestigious school geared toward college prep. At my previous school I excelled with minimal effort, rarely got under 99% on any test or quiz or project. Sixth grade starts, and now I have 3+ hours of homework a night. Couple that with piano lessons (I didn't particularly enjoy them) once a week and extra curricular like sports and I had less free time as a sixth grader than I do now at 33 with a full time job 45 minute one way commute, and a three year old daughter. </p>Average
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTY4NC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDQyMTYxMX0.-_otEKw2647KC3CHL-P5Mn6La9e7zuK7jfK2Wnxnw2A/img.gif?width=980" id="dcce7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9cf8b7dd9131ecda2b72a98a6a624ec7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="258" />student pass GIF by Juan BillyGiphy<p>I never learned how to work for my grades. Even now in college, I find it hard to sit down and do my work and I push everything to the last minute.</p>So Many Issues....
<p>Sounds like a cop out, but to an extent I blame my mother. I'd come home having scored a 98/99 and her brand of "comedy" was to ask what happened to the other 1 or 2%. She loves me and didn't mean any harm by it, but after a while it wears on you. I started feeling like if I didn't try it wouldn't matter to me if I missed out on a few percentage points here or there anymore because I'd always have a legitimate excuse for myself. </p>:(
<p>ADHD and child abuse. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/krlc7z/former_gifted_children_what_went_wrong/giaj6fh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yeti-lover</a></p>God, this. I tested in the upper percentile early on, and I was put in advanced classes. I don't know what it's like now, but California had really good programs when I was a kid. However, I went undiagnosed for ADD as well. This, along with my parent's expectations meant I disappointed them more often than not.Derailed....
<p>Mental illness and being poorly prepared for life, but I've gotten control of it. Now I'm a little behind in life but I'm back in college and have a 4.0. Sometimes we get derailed but it's never too late to try again. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/krlc7z/former_gifted_children_what_went_wrong/giakrri?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Viiibrations</a><span></span></p>Only to be Smarter....
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTY4OS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDcwNjE4MX0.faewKXS7fRsNJgcoScogB9exiwe4PB7s5saRr3iRUa8/img.gif?width=980" id="c33a7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="96e33ef88fe8d9f48cc6aca159626a44" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="400" />Smart Think About It GIF by FriendsGiphy<p>The same things that go wrong for most gifted kids: Gifted education doesn't deliver. I was head of every class I was in for the longest time, but giving the smart kid more of the same work doesn't teach them about being challenged. </p>"gifted and talented"Â
<p>Developed severe depression and didn't get help until after I had already failed pretty much all my classes for 3 years in a row and fallen behind, and then fell another year behind when I was in a long-term progress-based outpatient program getting treatment for my depression. Then, when I finally went back to school with my mental health in check, I had about a month of good grades and success before I started to develop major health problems. </p>Early On....
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NTY5MC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzkwMTMyOX0.7fBVI0H8k1fOLM6dA-kSlKQotuQoUW29wLNZMaJwM4A/img.gif?width=980" id="14637" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1a417c27d01b1b4c43368cbffc0c35e4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="250" data-height="188" />life GIFGiphy<p>From a really early age i was considered a bright kid. Now when interacting with people in my daily life, it's generally understood that I come off as pretty smart, but i never had accomplishments that were consistent with that. </p>College Graduates That Discovered Their Majors Were Useless In The Real World Break Down What They Do Now
The real world is a harsh place. We don't learn that soon enough. When we're younger we believe everything is possible and whatever it is that we want to do for a living is going to be a success. So we head off to school to procure that dream and in school we learn all we can and the dream grows bigger.
Then a little while after graduation, many people realize, the dream is a fantasy and the major they chose maybe more problematic than bountiful. Not many companies are looking for experts in socioeconomic post Russian literature. So maybe a few plans.
Redditor u/Mahimah wanted the post college peeps out there to share with us, tell us which degrees may not be the most fruitful in the world. They asked.... College grads who discovered too late that your major is useless in the real world, what do you do now?