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The Best Examples Of 'You'll Understand It When You're Older'

The Best Examples Of 'You'll Understand It When You're Older'
Becca Ayala on Unsplash

As we all know, wisdom is earned with time and life experience. Try explaining that to youngsters when they have questions that are too complicated for them to grasp.

Kids will always be inquisitive but they usually aren't ready to receive answers–especially when the subjects are related to the concepts of romantic passion and death.

The best response to give a child when they ask about a mature topic is what Mrs. Potts (R.I.P. Angela Lansbury) told Chip in response to his observation of the budding romance between Belle and the Beast:

"I'll tell you when you're older."

Curious to hear examples of earned wisdom, Redditor dickdockdack asked:

"What is the single most 'you’ll understand it when you’re older' thing?"

Getting older can be unpleasant over time. But children need not worry about it until they have to."

Unexplainable Ailments

"Health issues. I know I've been genetically lucky, but after 20, random sh*t just starts happening for no reason. It's like Darryl developing a soy allergy at 35, who develops a soy allergy at 35?"

– hey_there_kitty_cat

Kids, when your grade school classmates stop pulling your hair and you stop retaliating mercilessly, you'll learn a thing or two about the people you call "friends."

Value Of Friendship

"That the quality rather than quantity of friends matters."

– pinetreeroad

Sure, Everyone Is Cordial, BUT

"Good people aren't always nice people, and vice versa."

– bibbidibobbidi-bacon

High Stakes

"High school drama isn’t important. Like, at all."

– lalondtm

Kids Are Influential

"Understanding why your parents wanted you to go play with the awkward kid, or why they were so keen to help you make friends."

"It's beyond annoying as a kid when your parents try to guide who make friends with, but most parents instinctually know that bad social habits start early, are hard to break, and can be a real burden when you are older."

– zazzlekdazzle

They Come And Go

"Friendships fading away."

"I remember my dad telling me all kinds of cool stories about things him and his friends did in the past. I even asked him 'why aren't you still friends with these people?' He really did basically say 'it's complicated, you'll understand when you're older.' Even back then I remember thinking 'that's crazy, me and my friends will always be friends."'

"Sitting here now in my early 30's and it really hits home."

– Slowjams

Here are some honorable mentions.

Passing On "Luxuries"

"Can we get McDonald's? No we have food at home."

– ninten-dont

Kitchen Rule

"Why it’s so annoying when you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer."

– steviebergwijn

Convenience Of Zapping Food

"Man, I don’t know how parents in particular survived before the microwave oven. I’m a reasonably not-incompetent home cook, I understand there’s nothing you can do with a microwave that you can’t do without one - but doing without requires a lot more time, attention, and planning ahead, all of which are in very short supply with little kids underfoot."

"Also, unsolicited LPT: use the lower power settings, they do take longer, but they allow the heat to diffuse out of the 'hot spots' faster than it accumulates, so you get a nice, evenly-heated meal, and not an ice salad with lava dressing."

– bonos_bovine_muse

Getting old is a cruel fact of nature.

Loneliness Hits Hardest

"Why elderly people in nursing homes who get no visitors are so lonely and filled with despair."

– Back2Bach

Hardest Decisions

"We had to put my mom in a home because we physically could not care for her anymore. She didn’t want to be there and we didn’t want her to be. But there weren’t any other options."

"My dad was there every day until he got sick and died. My sister and I stopped in a couple of times a week each. The last month of her life I was there every day."

"I hope she knew I did the best I could to take care of her."

– BlondieeAggiee

We currently live in a fast-paced society where youngsters almost always have play dates, birthday parties, county fairs to attend, etc.

This is to be expected as kids are always needing to be stimulated.

Little do they know of the inevitability of doing nothing becomes a luxury to look forward to.

Until then, younglings, live life to the fullest and your reward of chilling out will come when you have learned to recognize it.

Things People Secretly Love But Would Never Admit To In Public

Reddit user sweet_chick283 asked: 'What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?;

Collection of VHS tapes
Bruno Guerrero/Unsplash

What makes us all unique is our passions and the things we love, whether it's singing in the shower, reading books, or listening to specific music artists.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are judged for our various tastes and interests thanks to social media, and it makes us consciously selective about sharing the things we love on the internet.

Curious to hear about people's personal desires under anonymity, Redditor sweet_chick283 asked:

"What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?"

These aren't really chores for the following Redditors.

Good Clean Fun

"Mopping, im a janitor and generally hate my work... but damn mopping is so good."

– MrDDog06

"When you have a great rhythm going it is something special. I get the same feeling while I vacuum, but won’t let my wife know I enjoy it."

– Bogus_34

Act Of Unwrinkling

"Ironing clothes. A dozen of them. Can’t explain how it relaxes me. I told one person and they looked at me like I’m crazy."

– eerie_white_glow

"My mum misses the days when dad would be out on a Friday night, my brother out with friends and me upstairs quietly playing PS1. She would pour herself a Bacardi & Coke and do the ironing while watching her TV shows."

"I'm sure she doesn't really miss it now that we've moved out and they've retired but it was her wind-down after a busy working week so I can see how people can find it relaxing."

– xdq

Our solo actions can spark joy.

Big Brother Is Watching

"pretending to be on the Truman show and whenever im in my house i act all inconspicuous so they dont know that i know that they’re watching me."

– Bec_121

"C’mon man, you’re not supposed to let him know. You signed a contract when signing up for live views. I’m reporting you."

– doeswaspsmakehoney

The Multi-Tasker

"Playing video games naked at home while eating cheese."

– thickening_agent

Releasing The Kraken

"I love the feeling when you've eaten good fibre and let out a solid long train log in the toilet. That feeling is heavenly."

– therapoootic

"Even better when it’s a clean wipe and not a poo crayon."

– TheWarmestHugz

Ultimate Comfort

"My (male 41) weekend routine is coming home from work, make hot chocolate, start a fire, dress in a ugly pink nightgown made for old ladies and watch forensic files."

– crazyloomis

Some people are obsessed with collecting things.

So Kawai

"Sanrio stationery stores. All those different multicolor pens, a thousand kinds of erasers, spiral bound notebooks galore... my kids sadly have absolutely no appreciation for this wonderland..."

– HavingNotAttained

It's A Staple

"Office supplies have a weird, special place in my heart ever since I was a kid. They don't even have to be 'cute' necessarily."

"Japan's legendary stationery stores is unironically a reason I want to go."

– _CozyLavender_

Not Caring Anymore

"The older I get the shorter that list gets. Not because I love less things, but because I don't care about hiding it."

– Bi-Beast

"YES!! I'm 53 now. I'm working my first job in public since 2006. Today is Halloween and we're allowed to dress up so I am sitting here waiting to go to work dressed as a VERY bad Wednesday Addams. My bf said I'd 'look stupid' because no one else will probably dress up and I'm like, 'WHO CARES!' My makeup looks horrible and not like I practiced, but I DO NOT CARE! I'm having fun with it anyhow and I don't care if my coworkers dress up or not. I'm bein' ME! :)"

– deanie1970

Honorable mentions start here.

The Savior

"Picking up worms from the street and sidewalks when it rains and moving them into the dirt so they don’t burn in the sun, every time it rains I do this."

– sky_kitten89

Hero Of The Moment

"Yoooo I scoot SO many snails and worms. I work as a tech/mechanic at an automotive shop, I had a peoject car towed to my house the other day and it was covered in snails. I saw them when the tow guy/coworker was unloading and I was like, 'oh! It comes with free snails!' and began moving them. He laughed then realized and said, '... Oh, you're serious. Uh... Okay.'"

"I don't care who knows it. These little things barely can look out for themselves, why shouldn't we if we can take a moment to help? I don't care what happens next, it probably doesn't matter overall but I can help this moment."

– chris14020

Why should some of the hidden desires mentioned above have to be secret?

Redditors opening up about some of these would make them a hit at parties–no shaming.

As a matter of fact, I'll totally be down for a Forensic Files viewing party where we all make hot chocolate, light the fireplace, and cozy up together in our respective pink ugly nightgowns for old ladies.

historical reenactors
Sigmund on Unsplash

We've probably all heard some variation of the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction."

Real life isn't just strange, it can also be downright ridiculous.

History is riddled with moments of absurdity.

So ridiculous that people have a hard time believing real life is, well, really real.

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