The Biggest Misconceptions People Had About Adulthood
Reddit user Caseated_Omentum asked: 'What's the biggest misconception you had about adulthood?'
When we were kids, we could not wait to grow up. We had big dreams about what we were going to do and who we were going to be, and we could not wait to get started.
But there were some things we were expecting that were totally off the mark, too.
Redditor Caseated_Omentum asked:
"What's the biggest misconception you had about adulthood?"
Staying Up Late
"I thought that I could stay up as late as I wanted. I envisioned myself adventuring all over town until the wee hours, meeting interesting people and experiencing life."
"Turns out 'as late as I wanted' is about 8:00 PM after a quiet night in with my girlfriend and a cup of tea."
- Calm-Ad6493
Going By Too Fast
"Time. It turns out adulthood is stuck on fast forward."
- VegetableTears
"Boy! Is this ever true! A week used to crawl by and now you blink your eyes and it's, 'Is it (choose a day) again already?'"
"Summers were almost never ending and now they are over in a blink of the eye!"
- miffsc
Lots of Guesswork Included
"I always thought that adults knew what they were doing."
- sorengray
"We're all winging it. Most of us are competent at certain s**t and can function day to day. I've been in my field for nearly five years now and work with people in my field that have been in it for nearly forty years. I'm not bad at what I do and they're great at it."
"We still end up scratching our heads, wondering what the h**l we should do next on a project, because that s**t's just weird."
- thewaterglizzy
Forever High School
"I thought graduating high school meant I'd be out of high school. It turns out that all of life is high school. I'm still dealing with the exact same problems except even fewer people care."
- Individual_Speech_10
"That was the biggest disappointment of my life. As a kid growing up, I absolutely hated most other kids for all the bulls**t mind games, bullying, playing favorites, etc. I couldn't wait to be an adult where that all stopped, life was fair, and bad people were brought to justice."
"Holy f**k was I ever wrong. As you said, adults are just kids in grown-up bodies as nothing else has changed."
- ZiggerTheNaut
Full-Circle Moment
"I was always a little salty that my dad was kind of a goofball. He'd play pranks and s**t and you couldn't confide anything seriously in him like you had a crush on a girl or something, because he'd make fun of you."
"I wanted a dad like in the movies where they put you up on their lap and say, 'Now listen here sport...+ and go into some kind of sage-like monologue on how to handle life's problems."
"Then I got to be an adult and I'm EXACTLY like my dad. And so is every other adult male I know."
- SweetCosmicPope
So Much Free Time!
"You could do anything you wanted, whenever you wanted."
"I never have the time between working full time and being exhausted the rest of the time, lol (laughing out loud)."
- ravynmaxx
Owning a Home
"Homeownership apparently, lol (laughing out loud)."
- Gentleman_T-Bone
"I came here to say this! Embarrassing, I even thought I'd have like a beach house as well. I was so dumb."
- PumpkinPieIsGreat
"Growing up, I was told I may inherit my parent's house one day. I was grateful but wasn't that excited because it was a small house on a small property and I always wanted a nice piece of land."
"Now home prices in that area are creeping into the high six-figure range and I'd be over the moon to have it."
- slinkocat
Hard Work Means Success
"If you work hard and give everything you got, then you’ll succeed and get what you worked so hard for."
- Useful_Dane_319
"As someone who works in finance, the most valuable lesson I've learned is that money doesn't come from hard work, it comes from the presence of existing money."
"Wall Street bros who make seven figures don't work any harder than your average teacher or public servant busting their butt making 50 thousand a year at best."
- AdmiralPlant
A Living Wage
"I thought that most jobs actually paid a living wage. When I was a pre-teen, I thought that all you had to do was show up to basically any job clean, polite (and don't be a total id**t obviously, but you don't have to be Einstein either), and work 40 hours a week, and you would have everything you need."
- True-Sound-9240
Easier After Graduation
"I was under the false impression that having a job would be less stressful than going through school."
- Friendly_Neighbor12
"Well, it depends. Until I was 14, I used to go to school from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM with an hour to get lunch. When I got home, I still had to do homework or study for tests. Now I work the same amount of hours but when I finish working, I'm free to do whatever I want. So I would say at least in my case that school was way more stressful."
- CollapseIntoNow
Happily Ever After
"I thought you'd always have a relationship and money and you lived happily ever after."
- llcucf80
Chronic Illness
"I thought that your body would remain healthy. I got chronically sick in my late 20s (27+). I'm 33 now, and I hate it. Docs still don’t know what’s up. SMH (Shaking my head)."
- xAdrtxx
Natural Obstacles
"I believed quicksand would be a real concern."
- Euclid_Interloper
"I thought being on fire would be a more common occurrence, what with how often we were taught about stop, drop, and roll."
- anonymousbach
Professionally Independent
"I used to think adults had autonomy in their jobs. Like, as a professional who went to college, your expertise and knowledge would be sought after and people would treat you with respect. But no, we're just capitalist pawns."
- Majestic_Heart_9271
Actually Much Better Than Expected
"That it would be zero fun and all bills."
"This is way better and more carefree than childhood! No one controls me and I don’t have to babysit anyone if I don’t want to! No one yells at me and I can 'talk back' if I want to!"
"I can just… be. I don’t have to beg and plead to leave the house and see friends."
- Dom-Franson
"I think this ALL the time. I'll be having the time of my life just... I don't know, WEARING SHORTS IN PUBLIC, or HANGING OUT WITH SOMEONE THAT ISN'T A FAMILY MEMBER, or something absolutely crazy like that, at almost 30 years old, and think, 'Wait, why were all the adults in my life when I was little telling me adulthood would suck so much because I would have to figure everything out for myself?'"
"That's the part I love the most about adulthood. No controlling, narcissistic, emotionally abusive a**holes around to dictate my every move and tell me I'm a worthless female. H**l, I don't even have to speak to them as an adult!"
- thatonespicegirl
For most, adulthood fell far short of what their childhood dreams called for.
But a few loved the independence that came with adulthood after having traumatic childhoods.
This is one of those concepts that is all about perspective, and all we can really do is try to make the best of it.
No two people had the same high school experience.
Some of us just can't wait to put the years of popularity cliques, varsity jocks, and drama club nepotism behind them, and find themselves flourishing in their college and professional careers.
For others, high school was the greatest time of their lives, and they remain BFFs with their high school friends and would give anything to spend their afternoons chilling at their local hangout, getting drunk under the bleachers, and reliving their senior prom.
With some exceptions, these are the people who have trouble adjusting to life in college, even professionally.
Some might even say, these are the ones who "peaked" in high school.
"What screams “this person peaked in high school” to you?"
Let's Be, Like, Entreprenurial!
"Hey girl hey!"
"'Do you wanna be your own boss babe while working from home?!'"
"And its just a pyramid scheme."- Tyler_origami94
Scam Pyramid Scheme GIF by Amazon Prime VideoGiphyDude, Get Over It!
"I had a conversation in a bar with a drinking buddy years ago."
"The guy kept going on about 'the one that got away'."
"How perfect she was and their chemistry together, how natural it was, how he hasn't felt that way about any girl since, yadda yadda."
"He was feeling pretty sorry for himself and uninterested in meeting anyone else because they could never compare."
"When I asked how long ago it was that she moved away, he said "8th grade."
"LMFAO."- d*ckbaggery
Reliving The Glory Days
"I graduated in 05."
"I was sitting at a tire shop waiting for my truck to get done and an employee slightly older than me walks up to me and asks me, with no previous interaction, if I played football in high school."
"Wondering where this was going, I responded that I did, but I wasn’t great at it."
"He asked what school I went to, and I told him."
"Then he starts talking about himself."
"How he was 'all conference' and walking me through all of his high school accolades."
"I never asked for this conversation."
"I just sat there wondering why this nearly 40 year old, wildly out of shape, tire shop supervisor was telling me all of this."
"Then just as soon as it started he bid me good day and walked off."
"It was bizarre."
"The best comparison I could make was that he was like the manager 'Dan' from the movie waiting."
"That was his vibe."
"That’s how I knew he peaked in high school."- aznuke
denzel washington football GIFGiphyStill Thinking Mean And Cool Are The Same Thing
"Still acting like a typical 'Mean Girl' when they're damn near (or past) 30."- cpsg1995
"Anyone who bullies other adults as if they were still in High School."- pkeit32
Not Something To Brag About...
"Bragging about high-school hookups in their thirties."- SuvenPan
Bragging Season 2 GIF by The BoysGiphyReady, Okay!
"My ex stepmother constantly bragged about being a cheerleader in high school and winning a beauty walk (in a town of like 500 people)."
"She was still bragging about these the last time I saw her."
"She was in her mid 40s."- jewelsforfools
In Case Anyone Needed Reminding...
"One guy I knew literally got our school emblem and mascot in a huge 'CLASS OF 2010' tattooed on his shoulder."- Empowered_Jackfruit
Same Old, Same Old...
"Regularly reposting the same picture of the one notable moment that they had in high school."- MissingDarts
Sad Book GIF by HollyoaksGiphyTaking Others Down To Pick Yourself Up...
"Ridiculing the hobbies of others to make yourself look good."- littlebubulle
But Are They?
"'These are the best years of your life' on repeat."- Spirited_Tadpole_508
When Life Is Still A Popularity Contest
"Almost 10 years after high school a guy asked me if one of my friends 'was popular in high school'."- satirevaitneics
But I Cant Help It That Im Popular Mean Girls GIF by filmeditorGiphy"The people that ask you to join those MLM schemes selling body wraps or the like."
"Anyone that has a 'salt life' decal on their car when they live nowhere near the ocean or even a salt mine."- Static_Discord
There's nothing wrong with holding on to special memories of days gone by.
But growing up is part of life, and people who choose to keep living in the past are missing out on so many wonderful new discoveries life has to offer.
Men Explain Which F**ked Up Things They're Supposed To Be Okay With Because They're Men
Why are men forced to be things they're not?
We are too far along as a society not to let the boys grow and evolve.
A good cry, a good laugh, a song, hug, a dance it out... can help anybody.
Or maybe just watch an episode of 'Grey's Anatomy.'
Redditor 040607AJF wanted all the guys out there to share how they "feel" so they asked:
"Men of Reddit, what is something f**ked up that you're supposed to be okay with because you're a man?"
Gents, it's time to start healing and growing.
Go to sleep
Switch Off Good Night GIF by GunmaunofficialGiphy"Having sex whenever she's in the mood. And if I say no she thinks something wrong with her so you get pressured into doing it so she won't be mad or feel sad."
dabbiedabbiedoo
Grief
"30 year old male from India. Lost my dad 20 days back in an accident Relatives and well wishers spend time talking and pacifying mom/sister and listen to them with patience. To me before they leave- 'Now it's your responsibility to take care of your mom/sister' and nothing else."
"What about my grief of losing a parent? How do I handle it? Who is going to pacify me? Who listens to me? Without support from my wife and my friends, I could have gone insane the way people expect me to treat grief."
pgaravindhsf
Red Flags
"Depression and loneliness, as much as I wish I could say the support gotten better it hasn’t. I see the 'mens mental health awareness month' bulls**t all over social media for a day once a year but then nobody speaks about it. Being depressed or saying you’re lonely can often be seen as a cry for attention or a 'red flag' for partners."
"People on social media think posting some picture of 'We need to support our men in the world!' Is going help, it doesn’t. If you legitimately care about the men in your life’s mental health please reach out to them and ask how they’ve been. Don’t compare to them and don’t undermine them just understand them. It does so much for them."
Senior-Place-7627
“figure it out”
"The fact that a lot of men have no guidance and are supposed to just figure s**t out or just know yet people will treat you like s**t for not knowing."
DeepTalkTv
"When I was younger I was always told to 'figure it out' cause I’m a man. Every time I needed help whether it be homework, a flat tire, or something I genuinely needed help with like applying for college/fafsa I was turned away because it was my problem. Now if any family needs my help I’m demonized if I say no. Like wtf man I was taught not to bother y’all why are y’all bothering me?!?"
Mountain_Ad1797
911
Role Playing Reaction GIF by Hyper RPGGiphy"You can ask for my help, but I can't ask for yours."
spenser1994
Leave me be...
"Some women should understand that men can be 'not in the mood' as well. I don't know why many people think that men will never say 'no.' I saw many on Twitter, sadly both men and women, thinking that men are these cartoonish wolves that will start salivating and have their eyes turn into hearts when anyone mentions the word 'sex.'"
Inevitable_Count_370
Out of the Norm
"Getting weird judgment from others for not conforming to the ‘traditional’ male role in a marriage or family. My wife is a highly driven genius, makes a great living, and loves what she does. I’m full time in the arts, and I’m not completely dependent on her, but I don’t have traditional employment or make a lot of money."
"I’ve had people in my life (especially older people) throw shade at me for not being ambitious enough or not having a real career. But together we’re doing much better than okay, and I’m probably gonna be the main caretaker when/if we have kids. I feel that if she were a man and I were a woman, nobody would question it at all."
LovesRefrain
Mind Games
"We aren't taught how to deal with emotions. (Mental health too)."
"I'm not advocating for men to be super-soft emotional wrecks, or to cry five times a week. But man I wish I knew I wasn't 'wrong' or 'weak' or 'avoiding becoming a man' just because I was sad, depressed, anxious and trying to deal with past events."
Maestroifuplz
"So many women in my lifetime have acted like I’m not a strong guy because I show emotion. I have a big heart and I’m not going to change that for anyone. But I’ve had relationships take an immediate downturn when I showed any kind of sensitive side."
Gamur
A New Leaf
Bradley Cooper Teacher GIF by Legendary EntertainmentGiphy"That If I ever finish my AA and teach preschool that I’ll be seen as a threat to children."
bahardesty
"I have known two men attempt to enter the teaching profession. My advice is don't! It really is not worth your time."
raceAround126
Oh gents, we all still have a long way to go.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.
There's no official manual on how to raise kids since every household has different protocols that have been passed down between generations.
And while general rules like "no running around the house" or "finish your plate or you get no dessert" may sound familiar, there are those that are so specific, they almost make no sense.
Curious to hear from strangers who had to abide by the weirdest orders at home, Redditor AMGBOI69420 asked:
"What are the strangest 'house rules' you had growing up?"
Careful the things you say.
IYKYK
"You weren't allowed to say 'I know.' Because 'f you knew you, you'd be doing it.' Normally said while I was doing that thing."
– theDeuce
Prohibited Non-Expletives
"Shut up, fart and hate were bad words."
– Tuesdayallweek
Preferred Semantics
"Saying 'shut up' was taboo in our home. My parents called farting 'tooting' which I suppose was one of my mom's gentlewoman idioms. She also called pooping a 'B.M.' for bowel movement -- and don't think I didn't get bullied for saying that in front of my classmates!"
"I think we could use the word hate (like 'I hate that color') but we could never say 'I hate you' to anyone."
– monkeyhind
Rules are rules and there was no room for negotiating.
Why I Hate Trays
"No food could be eaten on just a plate. The plate had to be on a tray (cause what if crumbs fall). Which seems so weird in a house that is way dirtier than mine is now."
"Needless to say, i hate trays, don't own any, and never will. My stupid rule will be 'no trays allowed'. It is what it is."
– clem_11
Respect For The Pet
"I wasn’t allowed to watch mice centric movies (The Rescuers, American Tail) because my mom said 'our cat finds them offensive.'”
– OrangeTree81
Preserve The Padding
"We had to flip up the chair cushions at the dining room table unless company was over. Gotta save that padding for a more valuable butt's occasion."
– hbkzd987
Hands Off
"No touching the walls, boy did we get a butt wooping just for touching the damn walls."
– Bubz-411
No Teen Drama
"I wasn’t allowed to watch Beverly Hills 90210 or Party of Five. Also was not allowed to eat Lucky Charms for breakfast (only dessert), but for some reason Reese’s Puffs were ok?"
– FineStein
These are head-scratchers.
Questionable Incentive
"Winner cleans up."
"Everyone always looks at me sideways when I say it after a game but that's the way we did it."
– aug2295
Ice Anxiety
"My dad was super weird about ice cubes. If you took one out of the tray instead of the big bin, he'd be mad about the missing cube. You had to empty the tray into the bin and then refill it. When I moved away for college, first day home I decided to see if he still checked and I took a cube out of the top tray waaaay in the back. He asked me about it less than an hour later!"
"They have a countertop ice machine now, so no more ice anxiety for my dad."
– Novah11
Snack Guardian
"My dad would count the snacks and sodas etc. If it was a juice container, it got marked with marker to show the level. We couldn't open the door, even if I could clearly see my friends on the other side through the peephole. One time I got permission to go play outside, but when I opened the door it was a neighbor walking up our front step. I said, 'Dad, Mr. X is here.' And he then grounded me for opening the door without his permission. Our neighbor tried to explain I didn't open the door for him and my dad just didn't care. Neighbor never came over after that."
– evanjw90
This wasn't necessarily a disciplinary "house rule," but we always had to remove our shoes when entering the home.
It's a common custom in most East Asian cultures.
Because I was so accustomed to respecting the home by avoiding tracking in dirt from outside, I always left my shoes near the entrance of any home I entered.
So when an elementary school friend told me I could keep my shoes on when I visited his house for the first time, you can imagine this seven-year-old standing there with a blank expression on his face because it was such a jarring concept to undo.
Most of us can remember at least one food or meal that absolutely repulsed us as children.
But just the way we had to grow up, sometimes our palettes had some growing up to do, too.
Redditor leafypikmin asked:
"What are some foods that you used to hate, but love now?"
Kids and Greens Don't Mix
"I didn't like the standard 'Yuck!' kid's foods like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and asparagus."
"But I learned how to cook them myself and they are good! But also I am a less picky eater as an adult."
- just_minutes_ago
"Until I was like 20, raw broccoli would give me heartburn and an upset stomach for some reason. I ate so few vegetables, that anything green, that wasn't candy, introduced would be rejected by my body."
- bubblesort33
"I have recently developed a love for the smell of fresh leek. Where on earth did that come from?"
- ohonoops
"Peas. I don't know when things changed, but I love peas now."
- diegojones4
The Cooking Method Matters
"It's weird - my mom was a pretty good cook in general, but when it came to veggies, she always just steamed them for some reason and they were disgusting as a result. I more or less just wrote them off for like 20 years until I had a chance to try them made differently and was surprised to find how much I actually liked them."
- CQ1_GreenSmoke
"Coming here to say Brussel Sprouts. Once I had them prepared correctly they became my favorite vegetable."
- April_Morning_86
"I personally like Brussels sprouts steamed, then sautéed in a bit of sesame oil, and finally topped with a bit of balsamic glaze. It’s just so good (in my opinion)."
- JTAx1995
"I always hated cranberry sauce. Bought some actual cranberries and made homemade sauce. Much better. The sour part probably threw me off as a kid but now I love it."
- BuffaloInCahoots
"Brussels sprouts were the one for me. Mom was a good cook but would get frozen ones, boil them, and then put them in cheese sauce. We would eat what she put on our plates, but would not fight for them when we got seconds."
"I heard about frying them. So I got fresh ones, cut them in half, and fried up some bacon, then threw the Brussels sprouts away."
"No, seriously, I fried them in the bacon grease with some minced garlic, and while I don't love them, I like them enough to eat them on a more regular basis."
- Grapeape934
"Tomatoes, avocado, sweet potato, pumpkin, yams, squash, the list goes on and on. I found out once I lived on my own that I wasn't a picky eater. I just had parents who are terrible cooks."
- 2baverage
"My mother wasn’t a terrible cook, but she only had one way of making things and could not pivot to things and ways that taste better. I thought I hated asparagus; nope. I just hated it boiled until it was goop, I loved it seared and broiled with rosemary and thyme."
- theveryoldman0
"I never liked tomatoes but I would tolerate them on a sandwich. I mean why not... store bought tomatoes have no flavor anyway. But after I had a homegrown tomato I can hardly wait for each July to pick a ripe one for a BLT or a burger."
- zex_mysterion
"I went my entire childhood eating well-done steak and I never questioned it. When I was 19, in college, I decided to buy a small steak and cook it myself."
"I planned on cooking it until it was well done, but I accidentally dropped it onto the stove when flipping it over. There was a decent grey to it, so I decided to just eat it. That's when I found out that I love medium steak. Not medium rare, not medium well, just medium."
- Ok_Bag_9668
"Most vegetables. Growing up, everything was canned and boiled to death. Fresh and raw, roasted, or sautéed, were game changers."
- Fubai97b
Against the Grain
"Sour cream and cheesecake."
"I like cheesecake but sometimes when people make some it is so rich and sweet that it feels like a slap in the face. I can barely eat a few bites before I have to take it home and put it in the fridge to nibble on later."
- deaf_musiclover
"Cilantro. It used to taste like burnt plastic smelled to me."
"Mushrooms. They still basically taste the same to me, but I learned to appreciate it and now I love them."
"Sauerkraut. Mass-production sauerkraut is still gross, but fermented kraut is a whole different beast and tastes terrific."
"Probably something else, but that’s all I can think of now."
- felis_flatus
"I learned to like olives this year because of someone on Reddit. They said the way to teach yourself to like olives is the following: Put an olive in your mouth. Chew it and swallow it. Repeat. Repeat again. Now you like olives."
"And damned if it didn’t work. I have hated olives all my life. I’m 40 years old. Yesterday, I ordered a plate of marinated Castelvetrano olives as an appetizer at a pizzeria. They were delicious."
- nautilus_striven
"The first time I was pregnant (didn’t even know I was expecting), I was picking up something for dinner and I spotted a giant-sized jar of olives. (Normally, I was fairly indifferent to olives)."
"When my hubby got home, he found me sitting at the table with a soup bowl filled with olives, eating them with a spoon. He paused for a second, then walked to the cupboard, grabbed a bowl, and poured himself the same dinner. Never said a single word to suggest there was anything odd going on!"
"Soon after, we discovered why I was having such a strange craving, lol (laughing out loud)!"
"Also, my hubby is awesome!"
- magkrat123
It's funny how our interests, including our tastes, continue to adapt as we age. At least when it comes to food, we can try an item as many times as we want before we decide if it's a firm yes or no.