Is being a grown up all that it's cracked up to be?
"Being an adult."- marr318
"Running my own business."- LB_P
"Having a career, our whole life built up to this..and its just mediocre, and NOBODY knows what they are really doing."- SnooPandas1674.
Dungeons And Dragons Twitch GIF by Hyper RPGGiphyFor all the advancements in technology...
"Power Glove."
"It sucked and I'll never forget it."- Ekh0es.
"Google +"
"They made us to wait for a very long time with invite only feature."
'Ppl forgot about it when it was released."- introvertboyme.
Not worth the price of admission.
"'Dark Tower' movie."- urchisilver.
"M.Night's 'Avatar' movie."
"He broke my heart."- Suspicious-Elk-3631.
Stan Wawrinka Thumbs Down GIF by Miami OpenGiphySo much better the first time.
"Sim city 5.'
"Good God what a horrid mess."
"First week or more of release you were lucky to play because you could only play it online on their servers that were constantly full."
"Then once you hit like 50k people in your city the game was uncontrollable."
"You would literally run out of water and no matter what you did traffic took the shortest path so constant traffic and thus emergency vehicles couldn't move so everything went to hell fast."- InsertBluescreenHere
"Second go round of 'Arrested Development'."
"Deep inside I knew they’d never be able to capture that magic."
"Still, told myself they could."
"Narrator: They couldn’t."- PollyWentlightly
"Should old acquaintance be forgot..."
"Every New Year’s Eve party ever."- PollyWentlightly
Sad New Year GIFGiphyWhen expectations are high, being disappointed is almost inevitable.
Then too, it's entirely possible that our disappointment didn't stem one bit from our sky-high expectations, but simply the fact that what we were so looking forward to turned out to be just plain awful.
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Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor es_mo asked:
"What consistently leaves you disappointed...but you just keep trying?"
These work-related situations can eventually make one feel cynical of their pursuit.
They Believe The Children Are Our Future
"My job as a teacher..."
– newenglandredshirt
Facing Constant Rejection
"Auditioning for film/theatre."
– Ka_Chow1
"Huge reason why I quit acting. Couldn’t stand the constant hope and disappointment, even over the smallest dumbest roles. Eventually I realized nobody is casting my type at all anymore."
"So I pivoted to working tech and I’ve made a career of it. Working a trade in the arts can be far more rewarding, or at least makes for a better paycheck."
– cogginsmatt
Maintaining Office Hours
"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday."
– JessKaye
Redditors found these to be tough challenges in social circumstances.
Being Friendly
"Trying to make friends."
"I understand Im not everyones cup of tea, but it hurts being the outcast sometimes."
"I keep being friendly though."
– GozerDaGozerian
The Spirit Of Competition
"Any competitive multiplayer videogame with teammates."
– Flashdime
Being Articulate
"Making non awkward conversation with strangers."
– Key_Set_7249
Relationships
"I always end up getting my heart broken so I’ve just given up. I’ve never been one for one night stands either so I’ve got the most part just cut off all human love/lust interest."
– Whisper06
Friendship Of Convenience
"I just cut off my 'best friend' after 5 years of maintaining a one-sided friendship. Took me way too long to realize she was only my friend when it was convenient for her to have me as a friend."
– Bear_Bean1994
You would think finding leisure time is easy. It's not.
Time Is Not On Our Side
"Trying to enjoy my free time like I used to."
– ICODE72
"I used to read so many more books. I just can't get into it like I used to and it makes me sad."
– ProbablyaDrugDealer
Pervading Sense Of Boredom
"When im at work I get pumped thinking about stuff I can do when I get home. The whole day Ill have this joy of going home and doing it, (drawing, movies, home improvement, etc) then I get home and I just get this bored feeling. Like even just relaxing on the couch after work doesnt feel right."
– jurgo
The Concept Is A Nice Thought
"Wow, I do the exact same thing. I get more joy out of anticipating how I'll spend my free time then when I'm actually spending my free time. It's so bizarre. Like, I look forward to doing things when I get home, but then I never do them. It's the thought of doing them that gets me excited. It's kind of sad how I can't follow through on things I used to enjoy."
– DekuNut
Free Time Is Overated
"It’s weird how at a certain age you stop truly enjoy your free time either because you’re thinking about how soon it might end or you’re too exhausted from work to give a fig."
– THX450
Housework
"Mine is more looking around the house and seeing things to be cleaned, folded, dusted, etc. Free time is an illusion, Michael."
– TheDrunkScientist
Boy did someone hit the nail on the proverbial head with the audition comment.
Actors are a prime example of being gluttons for punishment. They repeatedly face rejection but still audition in the hopes of landing the coveted gig that hundreds of other hopefuls are being seen for.
Why do we keep at it? Simple. Passion.
And eventually, that passion resonates with a casting director and before they know it, the steadfast thespian finds themselves on stage or in front of a camera to revel in the payoff.
Not all families are close-knit.
Disappointing Daughter
"My 24 year old daughter. I love her with all my heart and soul but her addiction is disappointing. She lies constantly. She doesn't see my grandson misses her. I am constantly trying to get her to go to rehab. I tell her how important she is. I only speak to her in kind loving words. She makes promises then disappears for weeks, sometimes up to a month only to contact me again and restart the process of lies and false promises."
"**I do not give her money. She doesn't stay at my house She lives on the streets and couch hops at her friends' houses so i don't have much contact with her. She knows I don't approve of her lifestyle but I also make sure she knows I love her."
"My younger daughter was murdered a few years ago. It devastated my family. On the 3 year anniversary of my younger daughter's death my older daughter fell into addiction. **"
– N0wonspecial
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But after receiving confirmation there is no possibility of being more than friends with the person you are smitten with, is there any way to walk away gracefully?
Curious to hear about the aftermath of getting your hopes crushed into a million pieces, Redditor Ok_Cycle2916 asked:
"What is the best thing to do after getting rejected to make it not awkward?"
You can be the bigger the person, or at least appear to be while you're slowly dying inside.
Keep It Positive
"okay thanks for being honest, all the best"
– groovy604
It's About Self-Preservation
"Something that really works well for me is if i want to try and start something with a girl, i compliment her. Her reaction tells me all i need."
"Get really good at reading social cues. You can avoid rejection before it happens if you are able to get a vibe from someone BEFORE you go in."
"If you are wrong and she isn't interested I still like to pay a small exiting compliment or crack a joke to ease the tension, in that moment of rejection if I can at least make her smile or laugh then i can feel good."
"Finally, self-worth is huge. If you get rejected get really good at not taking it personally and not letting it wreck your energy. YOU ARE ALL YOU NEED."
– WillyM35
At Least Try
"got rejected by my crush two days ago & said 'well it never hurts to ask right :)' & then i almost threw up in the bathroom from embarrassment."
– funeralguestlist7
What Makes A Better Impression
"Absolutely just say something like 'ok no problem I understand…' and LEAVE IT AT THAT…even if (and especially if) you do not understand why."
"Do not under any circumstances continue to ask them to change their mind, do not ask what went wrong, do not throw insults on them in any way."
"The guys I’ve rejected who have simply taken it like a man and accepted it and let it go have honestly impressed me so much because it’s SO RARE."
– Sanchastayswoke
A For Effort
"i didnt know what else to say plz i tried my best 😭"
– funeralguestlist7
Playing it cool is fine, but even that may have limits.
The Gesture
"Finger guns"
– curry_bento
"Hell yeah and followed by a peace sign."
– Right-Arm-7385
Watch Your Way Out
"if you trip over something that makes you stumble a lil bit but not fall, you look extra cool too."
– karmagod13000
Move On To The Next Topic
"Just be cool about it, like 'Oh ok, no problem' and then change the subject or find something else to do."
– Diet_Coke
A Disappearing Act
"Backup slowly, preferably into a tall hedge, into which you then disappear."
– Amara_Undone
Go Out With Style
"If someone actually Moonwalked in front of me then there’s no way I would reject them!"
"If you can moonwalk nicely then you’re getting that date."
—————
"Full disclosure: I’m on an MJ kick bc yesterday on his sub I saw a very short but very high quality clip of him performing... and I can’t stop thinking about it. Usually the quality of his concert footage is poor bc they’re so old. But the quality of this clip was so good, you could see every bead of sweat. I am stunned by how drop dead gorgeous and talented he was. Makes me want to SHA MOAN 😩"
https://www.reddit.com/r/MichaelJackson/comments/t9fpus/comment/hztz3uy/
– Miss_Adventurer
The Message It Sends
"Learned this way too late in life but your best move in this situation is if you can just take it in stride and act cool, 'yeah understandable I get it no worries' etc. and cool off advances moving forward. It has worked out twice for me where this has soon after developed into a relationship, including my current years-long relationship. That's not to say it always works, obviously often you will just drift apart but that's just the way it goes when you roll the dice on opening yourself up to someone and you should be prepared for this when you take the leap. And often if you get rejected it may not be about you in that moment, it might just as likely be about something going on in the other person's life that they are not prepared to take that next step."
"I think that if you can come off as cool about it, it sends the message that you are interested in them, but it's not devastating for you if its not reciprocated, you have other interests and goals in your life that make you happy and drive you, you are a confident and quality person that is not worried about finding someone else, your life and value are not tied solely to someone being in your life - just generally conveys maturity and leaves the door open down the line."
"If you act immediately devastated or worse, throw a fit about it, you're putting a lot of hurt and pressure on the person you're asking. Put yourself on the other side of the convo, having to say no, and think about how you'd feel if the person you were speaking to was crushed - you'd likely also feel awkward and maybe bad about yourself and might start avoiding them to avoid the awkward, even if you generally liked that person otherwise."
– FargoniusMaximus
Or, persistence is key.
Invisible Telephone
"say 'oh that's awesome. i can't wait! ok, so I'll see you around 8? brilliant. ok. later'. then press your ear like you're pushing a button to hang up a call. now look at the person standing in front of you and say 'sorry what were you saying?'"
– Unlikely_Afternoon94
There's no real remedy here as rejection will always suck.
But putting yourself out there at the risk of being turned down is a noble act that takes courage. That accomplishment alone is worth acknowledging.
Besides, wouldn't you rather have a definite answer rather than tormenting yourself wondering if the other person feels the same way about you?
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