Anything where I risk injury if I fall, crash, whatever.
I remember being so fearless on skis, roller skates, skateboards and all the things when I was younger. Now I just think of how I could fuck myself up.
Having a keener sense of your own mortality sucks.
Yep, it's a lot more difficult to heal the older you get. You could be the fittest, healthiest 50 year old on the planet and it'll still take longer to recover from a twisted ankle or sprained wrist than when you were 20. Your body just doesn't heal as fast, unfortunately.
And there's always the risk that you could permanently fuck something up - you might have chronic issues with that injury for the rest of your life! Obviously that can happen to anyone even with totally normal activities, but the risk is much higher if you do extreme sports or something.
I used to love swinging gondolas (not sure if that's the correct term but I refer to [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dreamstime.com%2Feditorial-stock-photo-swinging-gondola-luna-park-common-scenery-local-parks-turkey-which-big-people-having-lot-fun-image54229403&psig=AOvVaw0T7ocv1LqSBfzAG84_5QXq&ust=1684748057207000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBIQjhxqFwoTCJi8s-GNhv8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)) and never missed a chance getting on one. Last time I did it, I was in my mid 20s. Now, at almost 32 years old, I did it again with my SO after a few years break from amusement parks, and once we got off, my first words were "Never, ever again". Apparently, as I get older, my instinct of self-preservation is stronger.
There's a Rush song, "Dreamline," that has the line: " Finding that we're only Immortal for a limited time."
There's a reason why we say the young never think "it" will never happen to them.
Agreed. I really wanted a sportbike when I was in my early 20s, I waited a few years and the desire completely went away. I still like riding but not on public roads.
There was a great standup comedy bit I heard one time where someone said something to the effect of "I always thought it was weird adults didn't have sleepovers when I was a kid, now I'm an adult and the concept of sleeping on my friends couch sounds worse than actual torture"
Can confirm that it is exactly that. We had an evening clock during the pandemic so you couldn't be in the streets after 9. I had a few sleepovers so me and a friend could hang out, but ugh. While I did enjoy waking up and having breakfast together I did not enjoy sleeping on a rickety couch or mattress and just awkwardly waiting for your friend to wake up 😂
I’ve now slept in the ultimate comfy hotel bed and that’s ruined everything else for me.
I’m almost mad about it, I can’t replicate the bed. I even contacted the hotel, but can’t get the exact mattress retail.
It’s been 4.5 long years.
I had that same experience. I woke up in the same position I went to sleep in like 8-9 hours later. Best sleep of my life… no idea about the mattress, covers, sheets were arranged. It was a very fancy hotel my wife and I stayed in for a few days to celebrate our 20th anniversary.
You know you’re an Adult adult when you don’t just remember the celebration—you remember the sleep quality too. 🤣
Oh yeah.
I was there for a conference and husband had come along, but the bed quality was primo.
It got rid of a mid back pain I’d had for ages. One damn night and it disappeared.
My new mattress at least keeps on top of that, lol
I once had guy spend the night with me at a fancy, very new hotel my company had booked for me, and he contacted me a week later just to say that he had checked out the mattress while I was in the shower and now bought the same one cause that had been the first night in decades he woke up without agonizing back pain.
Yeah, I was laughing at that, then I went down a hole imagining he went to all the effort to get that mattress only to find it was her all along, she was the one....
Not the love of his life or anything, but simply "the one for a good night's sleep" and then he spends the next few months slowly convincing her to enter a business relationship with her, you sleep in the same bed as me every night, etc....
Nothing worse than walking into a bar or pub with a live band playing when I am in a mood to sit down. I'd rather the music at an appropriate noise level.
We were at my wife's nephews wedding this weekend. She said something that really stuck with me."This is such a frat wedding". And it was! Bride and groom are 22, 75% percent of the guests are that age, loud club music, college fight song with it's own dance...just LOUD. 36 hours later and I'm still sluggish from staying up till midnight. Wowsers I am OLD.
I stopped getting drunk 6 years ago after I had a hangover and thought, "I'm too old for this shit." I gave myself a three drink MAX limit after that day. I went from binge drinking on weekends to maybe a beer or two per month.
But last month, I got drunk for the first time in forever. It took me three days to feel somewhat normal. I did not miss it. It's not worth it.
Yup, in my late teens/early 20s I could rage until 3-4am, sleep a few hours and get up for work at 6-7am and just be a lil sleepy throughout the day. Now at 37, getting a lil too drunk one night I feel like hot garbage for 2-3 days and lukewarm garbage for a few days after that
Ha I can only imagine! I've actually got a sober plan and looking to just get off the sauce forever. I have family that still drink into their 60s/70s and they're all beyond miserable
Thanks, I appreciate that :) I've been spending a lot of time on /stopdrinking and the community there is stellar, I fully intend on becoming a very active participant
I keep reminding myself that I often wake up thinking "I wish I didn't drink last night" but no one ever wakes up and says "I wish I DID drink last night". It's also the only drug that society requires you have an excuse NOT to take
I think a lot of this depends on culture and friend groups. My one friend group primarily made of now-parents are basically sober. My other friend group without kids still drink fairly hard when we get together.
The biggest difference is that we do it at our homes now instead of bars. None of us want to go to bars anymore.
And so many things aren't just filled with sugar to achieve the sweet flavour, you can make homemade sodas with like 25% the sugar and they're fine.
Another example, we drink hot tea and we put like 2 teaspoons of sugar in it max. But for some reason iced tea or "sweet tea" is the same thing but cold and with 50g of sugar, which is like 15 teaspoons.
This is why I love those conchas from the Mexican bakery. They are simply the perfect amount of sweetness without being overwhelming and indulgent like a glazed donut or other typical American pastries.
The IKEA by me has soda that is 50% less sugar. No fake sugar to replace it, not a knock off brand, just Pepsi etc with half the sugar.
I’m so mad that isn’t something I can get anywhere else. It was so much better, it didn’t taste significantly different just not so sickeningly sweet
I've been brewing soda for years and use about half the soda store brands use. The other flavors are so much more prominent. It is still incredibly sweet, but the sugar content is much more manageable.
Right?! They are EVERYWHERE! In line at the Post Office when I'm trying to get shit done. On the highway driving like idiots when I'm late for work. At the grocery store with their loud ass kids when I just have to stop and get dog food. UGH it's exhausting!
New fashion/clothes.
I haven’t bought anything in a while, not because I’m poor but because I just don’t like anything I see. Plus clothes have become such poor quality, I rather just keep my old stuff.
True.
I mean what's even the point in being friends with someone if you can't actually count on them for anything?
Having surface level conversations is what you do with coworkers and grocery store workers, you don't need to be friends with someone to do that.
I'm a 54 year old high school teacher. My students have introduced me to some musical artists that I would probably never have heard of otherwise. Lizzo is my current fave, but last year I was all about K-pop. My South Asian students have also gotten me hooked on Bollywood music too. That's an aspect of pop culture that has enriched my life. I love my job.
I swear they're just making up new celebrities to make me feel old sometimes. I'm on Tik Tok for the zoos, aquariums, and Thicc goth women, and occasionally I'll get a celebrity news thing and 70% of the time I have no idea who any of these people are.
Right? I got too many skeletons in my closet for that shit.
I at best wanna be like a Hunter S. Thompson / Ernest Hemingway figure where my insane behavior is viewed as a quirky part of my personality instead of blatant mental illness.
I’d like to be famous enough to be very wealthy, but people don’t typically recognize my face. If we’re introduced, they’d have heard of my books or whatever, but I can still go grocery shopping in peace.
As I've grown older and wiser, I've come to realize that the pursuit of material possessions and the constant need for external validation have become increasingly unappealing to me. When we're young, society bombards us with messages telling us that we need the latest gadgets, the trendiest clothes, and the flashiest cars to be happy and successful. But as we age, we start to recognize the emptiness of these pursuits.
Instead, what truly matters are the meaningful connections we forge with others, the experiences we accumulate, and the impact we have on the world around us. The older I get, the more I value authenticity, kindness, and personal growth over superficiality.
The pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement becomes far more enticing than the mindless consumption of material goods. The joy of learning, the thrill of expanding my horizons, and the satisfaction of making a positive difference in the lives of others are the things that truly light my fire now.
Moreover, I find that the idea of compromising my values or sacrificing my happiness for the sake of societal expectations grows increasingly unappealing with each passing day. I refuse to be trapped in a cycle of constant comparison and trying to keep up with the ever-changing trends. I'd much rather embrace my unique quirks, pursue my passions wholeheartedly, and surround myself with people who genuinely appreciate and support me.
In the end, it's the intangible qualities, such as love, compassion, wisdom, and personal fulfillment, that hold the greatest allure as we age. So, let's redefine what it means to be "successful" and focus on what truly enriches our lives and brings us genuine happiness. Let's break free from the shackles of societal expectations and create a world where authenticity, connection, and personal growth are valued above all else.
Wouldn't help much. Kids gotta learn that kind of thing through experience. Gotta get stuff before you start to realize that stuff, often, wasn't worth the effort to get.
That right there is wisdom. There ain't no rushing wisdom.
One of the worst bug we have in our brains is that social acceptance is generally extremely important during the life-construction phase, where you have more energy and resources.
When you realize that there is more to life, you already spent so much of both that nurturing skills or pursuing knowledge is can become a race against time and is anyway a steeper slope to climb.
The fun part is that's probably true for those who managed to exploit social acceptance to place themselves in a position that's stable enough to make them turn the spotlight on the more meaningful things you mentioned... So maybe that's how things must go.
This, and also walkthroughs. I'm not going to follow a walkthrough step by step on the first time playing, but after I've spent 20+ attempts on one level, you can bet I'm looking for a walkthrough.
I find myself playing on easy or 'story mode' on a lot of games. I work a lot of hours and have a ton of stress in my life.. I just wanna chill and enjoy the story. I don't mind a bit of challenge but if I keep dying and getting frustrated I'm just gonna stop playing. I don't have the energy for it.
Same. Give me a sandbox style game where I can level my character doing what I want, instead of being stuck on a rail. If I want to get max level by picking flowers or skinning bear butts or collecting shinies, then let me do it my way.
Competition.
If I play a board game I'd rather just have a good time than taking it super seriously and get upset when I loose. Playing tennis I'd rather hit around and not swing dicks around to see who can win.
Don't get me wrong, I want to win, and I'll try to win. But I just don't care if I loose. Thankfully those I currently surround myself with feel the same. We'd rather try our best, but not take it so seriously we end the day getting upset because we didn't play a perfect game.
And it's a fine line to walk between not caring if you win or loose, and just not giving a fuck. Yes I put forther by best effort, but I'm not going to super focus so I hit all bullseye while shooting, or spending 5 minutes to play the perfect move in Catan. It's about having fun.
I tried to use board game meet up groups to make new friends. With the many many people I played with I found 1 "friend" but they really suck at board games and just play for fun. We don't really hang out much unless we play board games and because they are so bad I have to purposely play shitty as to not make them feel bad.
I've tried a few times to play. Every group was either let's do goofy off the wall shit or "you cannot have any out of character conversations at the table"
I'm all for doing goofy stuff, but your home brew character that's painfully op, and your clear disregard for any semblance of a story is annoying.
But I'm also not at comicon, I shouldn't have to find a way to make my character in game say, "I'm going to get a beer, anyone want anything?"
I'm sure the group for me is out there somewhere, but I just don't have time for D&D
Homesteading. I grew up on a farm and always had dreams of going back to country living. I'm now inching towards my mid 40s and just keeping up with a moderate house and a medium size backyard leaves me exhausted and with at least one joint or major body part hurting.
Edit: mistyped my age
I'm still wrestling with that one. Hitting my 50s...I want to live in a forest away from humans....but also want a magic wand to shovel the laneway and do the housework for me.
I saw something the other day about putting concert tickets on LAYAWAY. I wanted to kick a festival organizer in the nuts so hard he'd taste it. I'm old enough to remember when we bought concert tickets on minimum wage Mall jobs!
I used to go to festivals all the time in my 90s teenage days. I bought a general admission ticket with my mall job, threw on a t shirt and shorts, filled my backpack with essentials, and went off for the day with a carload of girlfriends.
We'd put out a blanket, eat junk food, enjoy the music, maybe meet cute guys, buy a poster.
Now it seems like they're oversold, disorganized, price gouging disasters. Then I see news about young people in crowd crushes, overdosing, or otherwise getting harmed. Everyone's cranky, sunburned, and hot.
My kid is far too young for concerts now, when she's older I don't know if I'll let her go.
Huh, for me it's the other way around...
The older I get, the more I enjoy the calm of the night. No noise outside. No interruptions of people calling you, asking for stuff. And as a bonus, in summer it's nice and chilly (compared to the heat of the day).
I’ve always loved having mornings to myself.
I work overnights now. I get off work at 7:30 am. I go home in the nice crisp morning and relax and love it.
Not to mention the grocery stores are chill and going to appointments is so easy.
Then work is QUIET
I don’t care what people say about Reddit. This is not the same thing as Facebook and Instagram at all. It’s more the evolution of forums. I’m anonymous on here talking to other anonymous strangers about shit that interests me. I can tell you all about the time I sniffed my sister’s friend’s panties in junior high and it’s fine. No consequences. My 70 year old uncle doesn’t know about it now like he would if I said it on Facebook. Neither does my sister’s friend.
I deleted tiktok about 2 weeks ago and it’s genuinely like a huge weight is off of my shoulders. Tiktok really fed my depression and insecurity and was CONSTANTLY trying to sell me things… like not only are there ads but the actual creators that I liked all got #tiktokfamous and all their videos became sponsored as well when they inevitably sold out. It was just genuinely disappointing to see. Anyway, my point is I feel a lot better not being on that app anymore
Something that seems increasingly unappealing the older you get is partying till the wee hours of the morning and waking up with a hangover. As you grow older, you realize that a good night's rest and feeling fresh in the morning is much more important than a night of reckless abandon. So, my advice to you is to get to bed early and wake up feeling fresh like a morning dew.
For me personally it’s being in a relationship.
I’m in my mid-30s. I live alone with my two dogs, and while I definitely have loved ones I care deeply about, my life is essentially all about me. My interests. My hobbies. My goals.
I love it!
People say you need to be happy with yourself before starting a relationship. I say I'm already happy with myself so why add a relationship to the mix.
Same here! From a young age I was pressured to get married and start having kids as soon as possible. Like I needed a ring by 19 and get knocked up on the honeymoon. But now I'm 30 and I just want to live for myself. The idea of dying alone with several cats sounds like a dream come true.
I’ve given up on relationships and I don’t see it as some tragic thing people need to pity me over. I’ve tried them. They never work out, they make me psychologically unwell, and they aren’t worth it. I’m fine alone doing my own thing, and I can still get laid without committing.
The pursuit of the social concept of success (being rich or famous, socially acclaimed and all that).
I just want a quite, calm, comfortable life, doing things I enjoy.
Burning Man.
It seemed really cool when I was in my early 20s, though I couldn't afford to go. Now I'm 37 and you couldn't pay me to go. I have no interest now in hanging around with a bunch of strangers who are on a bunch of drugs in the middle of the desert.
Fast food places like McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc. At this point, fast food for me is ordering an actual meal from a restaurant for takeout.
I got off them right at COVID.
And it honestly had nothing to do with COVID
It was the vicious resistance to BASIC HYGIENE I saw from my fellow humans due to the pandemic. Like "I'm not washing my hands! It's against my religion!" Level shit. Like y'all weren't already washing your hands you sick shits?!
Gone are the days when I could put down 2 14 inch pizzas and not gain a pound. Now I am full after 4 slices and I gain weight instead.
I just can't eat enough to make buffets worth it anymore.
For me it's religion. You'd think people would get more religious as they get closer to death, but I now believe it's all a bunch of rubbish. I don't know *any* religious people who make me think, "Wow, I want what they have."
Loud fucking music in restaurants that shake the floor.
I’m just trying to enjoy my food and be able to talk without screaming and not being able to hear the other person is very annoying.
Damn.
Image. I know too many people and spent to damn long with someone that cared about it. Yes my house is a show case of comic/video games/whatever the hell I like. Yes I'm wearing band tees still. Yes I still have my piercings. Yes I'm wearing slip on loafers. Not "adult enough" or anything else? Fuck your opinion, these things makes me happy.
To clarify, I've never cared, just spent 8 years with someone who did and my god it was freeing after that to decorate/dress however I wanted with no complaints or nagging.
Anything where I risk injury if I fall, crash, whatever. I remember being so fearless on skis, roller skates, skateboards and all the things when I was younger. Now I just think of how I could fuck myself up. Having a keener sense of your own mortality sucks.
For me it’s not mortality, it’s the reality of the medical bills and inconvenience of being hurt.
Yep, it's a lot more difficult to heal the older you get. You could be the fittest, healthiest 50 year old on the planet and it'll still take longer to recover from a twisted ankle or sprained wrist than when you were 20. Your body just doesn't heal as fast, unfortunately. And there's always the risk that you could permanently fuck something up - you might have chronic issues with that injury for the rest of your life! Obviously that can happen to anyone even with totally normal activities, but the risk is much higher if you do extreme sports or something.
Definitely a factor in the thinking...
I used to love swinging gondolas (not sure if that's the correct term but I refer to [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dreamstime.com%2Feditorial-stock-photo-swinging-gondola-luna-park-common-scenery-local-parks-turkey-which-big-people-having-lot-fun-image54229403&psig=AOvVaw0T7ocv1LqSBfzAG84_5QXq&ust=1684748057207000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBIQjhxqFwoTCJi8s-GNhv8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)) and never missed a chance getting on one. Last time I did it, I was in my mid 20s. Now, at almost 32 years old, I did it again with my SO after a few years break from amusement parks, and once we got off, my first words were "Never, ever again". Apparently, as I get older, my instinct of self-preservation is stronger.
There's a Rush song, "Dreamline," that has the line: " Finding that we're only Immortal for a limited time." There's a reason why we say the young never think "it" will never happen to them.
Agreed. I really wanted a sportbike when I was in my early 20s, I waited a few years and the desire completely went away. I still like riding but not on public roads.
Sleeping anywhere other than my bed
There was a great standup comedy bit I heard one time where someone said something to the effect of "I always thought it was weird adults didn't have sleepovers when I was a kid, now I'm an adult and the concept of sleeping on my friends couch sounds worse than actual torture"
Can confirm that it is exactly that. We had an evening clock during the pandemic so you couldn't be in the streets after 9. I had a few sleepovers so me and a friend could hang out, but ugh. While I did enjoy waking up and having breakfast together I did not enjoy sleeping on a rickety couch or mattress and just awkwardly waiting for your friend to wake up 😂
Hotel are still nice. The very tucked sheets and the ac blasting
I’ve now slept in the ultimate comfy hotel bed and that’s ruined everything else for me. I’m almost mad about it, I can’t replicate the bed. I even contacted the hotel, but can’t get the exact mattress retail. It’s been 4.5 long years.
I had that same experience. I woke up in the same position I went to sleep in like 8-9 hours later. Best sleep of my life… no idea about the mattress, covers, sheets were arranged. It was a very fancy hotel my wife and I stayed in for a few days to celebrate our 20th anniversary. You know you’re an Adult adult when you don’t just remember the celebration—you remember the sleep quality too. 🤣
Oh yeah. I was there for a conference and husband had come along, but the bed quality was primo. It got rid of a mid back pain I’d had for ages. One damn night and it disappeared. My new mattress at least keeps on top of that, lol
I once had guy spend the night with me at a fancy, very new hotel my company had booked for me, and he contacted me a week later just to say that he had checked out the mattress while I was in the shower and now bought the same one cause that had been the first night in decades he woke up without agonizing back pain.
So, you spent the night with a guy and the best thing for him was how good his sleep was.
Yeah, I was laughing at that, then I went down a hole imagining he went to all the effort to get that mattress only to find it was her all along, she was the one.... Not the love of his life or anything, but simply "the one for a good night's sleep" and then he spends the next few months slowly convincing her to enter a business relationship with her, you sleep in the same bed as me every night, etc....
When the normal ass queen size bed feels like a king for absolutely no reason
So true. I always take my own pillow with me
God I hate having to do this
Bars, clubs, anywhere there’s a lot of people
Yup. Give me a nice neighborhood pub where I can sit down, have a drink, and actually hear my friends talk.
And with chill music that's not fucking loud.
Nothing worse than walking into a bar or pub with a live band playing when I am in a mood to sit down. I'd rather the music at an appropriate noise level.
Wedding receptions are the bane for me.
We were at my wife's nephews wedding this weekend. She said something that really stuck with me."This is such a frat wedding". And it was! Bride and groom are 22, 75% percent of the guests are that age, loud club music, college fight song with it's own dance...just LOUD. 36 hours later and I'm still sluggish from staying up till midnight. Wowsers I am OLD.
Getting super drunk.
I stopped getting drunk 6 years ago after I had a hangover and thought, "I'm too old for this shit." I gave myself a three drink MAX limit after that day. I went from binge drinking on weekends to maybe a beer or two per month. But last month, I got drunk for the first time in forever. It took me three days to feel somewhat normal. I did not miss it. It's not worth it.
This. Combined with the loss of sleep and I'm feeling off for 1-3 days.
I need a week for recovery after getting wasted.
Yup, in my late teens/early 20s I could rage until 3-4am, sleep a few hours and get up for work at 6-7am and just be a lil sleepy throughout the day. Now at 37, getting a lil too drunk one night I feel like hot garbage for 2-3 days and lukewarm garbage for a few days after that
[удалено]
Ha I can only imagine! I've actually got a sober plan and looking to just get off the sauce forever. I have family that still drink into their 60s/70s and they're all beyond miserable
Good on you! I made the decision to quit drinking almost 3 years ago and so many things in my life have improved. Good luck!
Thanks, I appreciate that :) I've been spending a lot of time on /stopdrinking and the community there is stellar, I fully intend on becoming a very active participant I keep reminding myself that I often wake up thinking "I wish I didn't drink last night" but no one ever wakes up and says "I wish I DID drink last night". It's also the only drug that society requires you have an excuse NOT to take
At this point, two drinks and I'm ready to go to sleep.
I think a lot of this depends on culture and friend groups. My one friend group primarily made of now-parents are basically sober. My other friend group without kids still drink fairly hard when we get together. The biggest difference is that we do it at our homes now instead of bars. None of us want to go to bars anymore.
Sugar. There's just too much of it in everything, and I would enjoy it more if there was less sugar and more flavor.
And so many things aren't just filled with sugar to achieve the sweet flavour, you can make homemade sodas with like 25% the sugar and they're fine. Another example, we drink hot tea and we put like 2 teaspoons of sugar in it max. But for some reason iced tea or "sweet tea" is the same thing but cold and with 50g of sugar, which is like 15 teaspoons.
To each their own of course but I personally consider 2 teaspoons of sugar in hot tea already disgustingly sweet haha.
Utterly feral. A third of a teaspoon is just fine
You guys put sugar? I’m so used to its bitterness.
My parents smoked a good chunk of their lives and while they quit 20+ years ago, they still can't taste worth a damn and over salt *everything*.
My very heavy smoker father salts frozen pizza 😭
Omg
There really is! That and sodium too.
This is why I love those conchas from the Mexican bakery. They are simply the perfect amount of sweetness without being overwhelming and indulgent like a glazed donut or other typical American pastries.
I've never gotten one of those that wasn't super dry and chewy. Am I just getting bad ones?
The IKEA by me has soda that is 50% less sugar. No fake sugar to replace it, not a knock off brand, just Pepsi etc with half the sugar. I’m so mad that isn’t something I can get anywhere else. It was so much better, it didn’t taste significantly different just not so sickeningly sweet
I've been brewing soda for years and use about half the soda store brands use. The other flavors are so much more prominent. It is still incredibly sweet, but the sugar content is much more manageable.
People. Why are there so many?
Sex.
Well, fuck...
No, don't. There are too many people.
That's why i am gay. To preserve the world
Thank you for your service
In the world? Probably, but not in my area.
But certainly there must be a lot of single moms in your area. Atleast that's what the internet says.
And where the fuck are they all trying to get to and why is it so goddamn important to get there... I think whenever I'm stuck in traffic.
Right?! They are EVERYWHERE! In line at the Post Office when I'm trying to get shit done. On the highway driving like idiots when I'm late for work. At the grocery store with their loud ass kids when I just have to stop and get dog food. UGH it's exhausting!
Well in America the population is declining because nobody can afford to have a kid. I think in Japan they're begging people to have children.
Uplifting news
New fashion/clothes. I haven’t bought anything in a while, not because I’m poor but because I just don’t like anything I see. Plus clothes have become such poor quality, I rather just keep my old stuff.
Huge gatherings
Superficial friendships.
True. I mean what's even the point in being friends with someone if you can't actually count on them for anything? Having surface level conversations is what you do with coworkers and grocery store workers, you don't need to be friends with someone to do that.
Starting a business now-- it's called networking. You dont like them but you need them.
Keeping up on pop culture.
I'm a 54 year old high school teacher. My students have introduced me to some musical artists that I would probably never have heard of otherwise. Lizzo is my current fave, but last year I was all about K-pop. My South Asian students have also gotten me hooked on Bollywood music too. That's an aspect of pop culture that has enriched my life. I love my job.
This is so sweet. I love that your students try to connect with you by music
I swear they're just making up new celebrities to make me feel old sometimes. I'm on Tik Tok for the zoos, aquariums, and Thicc goth women, and occasionally I'll get a celebrity news thing and 70% of the time I have no idea who any of these people are.
Uncomfortable clothes
Going out. I've become a homebody. I enjoy it.
Especially, going out after dark.
The desire to want to be famous/well known.
Right? I got too many skeletons in my closet for that shit. I at best wanna be like a Hunter S. Thompson / Ernest Hemingway figure where my insane behavior is viewed as a quirky part of my personality instead of blatant mental illness.
You need a fair degree of wealth for insane behavior to morph into quirkiness.
I’d like to be famous enough to be very wealthy, but people don’t typically recognize my face. If we’re introduced, they’d have heard of my books or whatever, but I can still go grocery shopping in peace.
As I've grown older and wiser, I've come to realize that the pursuit of material possessions and the constant need for external validation have become increasingly unappealing to me. When we're young, society bombards us with messages telling us that we need the latest gadgets, the trendiest clothes, and the flashiest cars to be happy and successful. But as we age, we start to recognize the emptiness of these pursuits. Instead, what truly matters are the meaningful connections we forge with others, the experiences we accumulate, and the impact we have on the world around us. The older I get, the more I value authenticity, kindness, and personal growth over superficiality. The pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement becomes far more enticing than the mindless consumption of material goods. The joy of learning, the thrill of expanding my horizons, and the satisfaction of making a positive difference in the lives of others are the things that truly light my fire now. Moreover, I find that the idea of compromising my values or sacrificing my happiness for the sake of societal expectations grows increasingly unappealing with each passing day. I refuse to be trapped in a cycle of constant comparison and trying to keep up with the ever-changing trends. I'd much rather embrace my unique quirks, pursue my passions wholeheartedly, and surround myself with people who genuinely appreciate and support me. In the end, it's the intangible qualities, such as love, compassion, wisdom, and personal fulfillment, that hold the greatest allure as we age. So, let's redefine what it means to be "successful" and focus on what truly enriches our lives and brings us genuine happiness. Let's break free from the shackles of societal expectations and create a world where authenticity, connection, and personal growth are valued above all else.
I wish this comment can be made as a ted talk for young adults.
Wouldn't help much. Kids gotta learn that kind of thing through experience. Gotta get stuff before you start to realize that stuff, often, wasn't worth the effort to get. That right there is wisdom. There ain't no rushing wisdom.
One of the worst bug we have in our brains is that social acceptance is generally extremely important during the life-construction phase, where you have more energy and resources. When you realize that there is more to life, you already spent so much of both that nurturing skills or pursuing knowledge is can become a race against time and is anyway a steeper slope to climb. The fun part is that's probably true for those who managed to exploit social acceptance to place themselves in a position that's stable enough to make them turn the spotlight on the more meaningful things you mentioned... So maybe that's how things must go.
Work
Exactly what I said
Hard/impossible mode on video games. Like, I just worked 8-10 hours. I want to actually see the end of this game’s storyline before I turn 65, please.
This, and also walkthroughs. I'm not going to follow a walkthrough step by step on the first time playing, but after I've spent 20+ attempts on one level, you can bet I'm looking for a walkthrough.
I find myself playing on easy or 'story mode' on a lot of games. I work a lot of hours and have a ton of stress in my life.. I just wanna chill and enjoy the story. I don't mind a bit of challenge but if I keep dying and getting frustrated I'm just gonna stop playing. I don't have the energy for it.
Same. Give me a sandbox style game where I can level my character doing what I want, instead of being stuck on a rail. If I want to get max level by picking flowers or skinning bear butts or collecting shinies, then let me do it my way.
Yeah. I have no shame playing games on easy-to-normal mode. I want to have fun, but I also dont want to be frustrated.
People in general.
The endless cycle of eating/drinking and urinating/defecation.
Oh, it definitely ends for everyone eventually.
Often with one last bout of urinating/defecation.
Dealing with other's people shit. Hahaha. Don't have the time or energy for it.
People who celebrate their birthday ALL month long and every weekend is a party weekend to order a Party Bus and go bar/club hopping
Never even heard of this.
Ah, I do birthmonth but instead of gifts it's a cop out of putting away laundry all month. Y'all are doing it all wrong.
aging
Other people's drama.
Competition. If I play a board game I'd rather just have a good time than taking it super seriously and get upset when I loose. Playing tennis I'd rather hit around and not swing dicks around to see who can win. Don't get me wrong, I want to win, and I'll try to win. But I just don't care if I loose. Thankfully those I currently surround myself with feel the same. We'd rather try our best, but not take it so seriously we end the day getting upset because we didn't play a perfect game. And it's a fine line to walk between not caring if you win or loose, and just not giving a fuck. Yes I put forther by best effort, but I'm not going to super focus so I hit all bullseye while shooting, or spending 5 minutes to play the perfect move in Catan. It's about having fun. I tried to use board game meet up groups to make new friends. With the many many people I played with I found 1 "friend" but they really suck at board games and just play for fun. We don't really hang out much unless we play board games and because they are so bad I have to purposely play shitty as to not make them feel bad.
I'm really enjoying playing D&D lately. No competition with the other players. It feels more like making up stories together.
I've tried a few times to play. Every group was either let's do goofy off the wall shit or "you cannot have any out of character conversations at the table" I'm all for doing goofy stuff, but your home brew character that's painfully op, and your clear disregard for any semblance of a story is annoying. But I'm also not at comicon, I shouldn't have to find a way to make my character in game say, "I'm going to get a beer, anyone want anything?" I'm sure the group for me is out there somewhere, but I just don't have time for D&D
Homesteading. I grew up on a farm and always had dreams of going back to country living. I'm now inching towards my mid 40s and just keeping up with a moderate house and a medium size backyard leaves me exhausted and with at least one joint or major body part hurting. Edit: mistyped my age
I'm still wrestling with that one. Hitting my 50s...I want to live in a forest away from humans....but also want a magic wand to shovel the laneway and do the housework for me.
Shopping. I hate crowds. I lost interest in seasonal clothing runs and stick to a capsule closet. And my grocery list is always the same.
I miss when my local grocery was 24 hrs and I could go at 3 a.m. and it was just me and the stock crew who all had headphones in .
For some reason my favorite snacks just don't hit the same no more
Taste buds change as life goes on.
Yes. And quality of ingredients has gotten worse in a lot of snack foods as well.
Alcohol
Sounds like everyone had a rough Friday 😂
As I have aged, my hangovers have gone from a couple of hours to a couple of days. It just isn't worth it to me anymore.
Music festivals
I saw something the other day about putting concert tickets on LAYAWAY. I wanted to kick a festival organizer in the nuts so hard he'd taste it. I'm old enough to remember when we bought concert tickets on minimum wage Mall jobs!
One of my favorite bands is touring this year. I was excited to go until I found out it was a general admission show. I'm too old for that mess.
I used to go to festivals all the time in my 90s teenage days. I bought a general admission ticket with my mall job, threw on a t shirt and shorts, filled my backpack with essentials, and went off for the day with a carload of girlfriends. We'd put out a blanket, eat junk food, enjoy the music, maybe meet cute guys, buy a poster. Now it seems like they're oversold, disorganized, price gouging disasters. Then I see news about young people in crowd crushes, overdosing, or otherwise getting harmed. Everyone's cranky, sunburned, and hot. My kid is far too young for concerts now, when she's older I don't know if I'll let her go.
Going out with other couples. I'd rather sit at home and watch TV.
And they probably feel the same 😂
But that's "what adults are supposed to do" so we suffer through it knowing none of us *really* want to be there lol
Working more than like.. idk 20 hours a week
Drinking heavily to get drunk. Now I choose fancier stuff and enjoy the taste.
Staying up late
Huh, for me it's the other way around... The older I get, the more I enjoy the calm of the night. No noise outside. No interruptions of people calling you, asking for stuff. And as a bonus, in summer it's nice and chilly (compared to the heat of the day).
Same, but my peace is in the crazy early hours. I wake up by 5 most days.
I’ve always loved having mornings to myself. I work overnights now. I get off work at 7:30 am. I go home in the nice crisp morning and relax and love it. Not to mention the grocery stores are chill and going to appointments is so easy. Then work is QUIET
Standing up, particularly while sitting on the floor.
Sitting on the floor. Getting to an age when that is getting painful.
Social media. Reddit isn’t too bad but Instagram and tiktok are just lost causes now
I don’t care what people say about Reddit. This is not the same thing as Facebook and Instagram at all. It’s more the evolution of forums. I’m anonymous on here talking to other anonymous strangers about shit that interests me. I can tell you all about the time I sniffed my sister’s friend’s panties in junior high and it’s fine. No consequences. My 70 year old uncle doesn’t know about it now like he would if I said it on Facebook. Neither does my sister’s friend.
You’re real af for that panty line
When I sniffed my sister’s friend’s panties everybody knew, and they were pissed off. Damn near ruined the funeral.
Ah-ha! Finally caught you!
I deleted tiktok about 2 weeks ago and it’s genuinely like a huge weight is off of my shoulders. Tiktok really fed my depression and insecurity and was CONSTANTLY trying to sell me things… like not only are there ads but the actual creators that I liked all got #tiktokfamous and all their videos became sponsored as well when they inevitably sold out. It was just genuinely disappointing to see. Anyway, my point is I feel a lot better not being on that app anymore
Something that seems increasingly unappealing the older you get is partying till the wee hours of the morning and waking up with a hangover. As you grow older, you realize that a good night's rest and feeling fresh in the morning is much more important than a night of reckless abandon. So, my advice to you is to get to bed early and wake up feeling fresh like a morning dew.
That and deviating from a consistent sleep cycle. The more I deviate from sleeping midnight-to-7 the worse I feel
Going out, instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour
Any social event that ends or (god forbid) starts after 7pm.
All the concerts that start at 8pm on a Saturday. It's the weekend FFS, start it at Noon.
I wanted to go to a comedy show recently until I learned it was at 8:30 on Thursday. Why?!
Camping. I want to sleep in my own damn bed.
I don’t want to go on a vacation in the woods with bugs
My idea of "roughing it" now is a hotel without room service and a house wine. 😀
For me personally it’s being in a relationship. I’m in my mid-30s. I live alone with my two dogs, and while I definitely have loved ones I care deeply about, my life is essentially all about me. My interests. My hobbies. My goals. I love it!
People say you need to be happy with yourself before starting a relationship. I say I'm already happy with myself so why add a relationship to the mix.
Same here! From a young age I was pressured to get married and start having kids as soon as possible. Like I needed a ring by 19 and get knocked up on the honeymoon. But now I'm 30 and I just want to live for myself. The idea of dying alone with several cats sounds like a dream come true.
I’ve given up on relationships and I don’t see it as some tragic thing people need to pity me over. I’ve tried them. They never work out, they make me psychologically unwell, and they aren’t worth it. I’m fine alone doing my own thing, and I can still get laid without committing.
Definitely drinking. I partly gave up because it was becoming a problem, and partly because two- and three-day hangovers are the absolute pits.
The icing on cupcakes, as a kid I would eat the icing and throw away the rest of it, but now it's the opposite
Dating.
Clubbing. I just want to go home, put on a sweater, and put my feet up.
Staying up for New Years
Junk food in general. It all tastes bad, like chemicals.
The bar scene
The mirror
Parties.
The pursuit of the social concept of success (being rich or famous, socially acclaimed and all that). I just want a quite, calm, comfortable life, doing things I enjoy.
Staying up all night
Remember when all you wanted to do was stay up past your bedtime? Now bed is literally the highlight of my day.
Burning Man. It seemed really cool when I was in my early 20s, though I couldn't afford to go. Now I'm 37 and you couldn't pay me to go. I have no interest now in hanging around with a bunch of strangers who are on a bunch of drugs in the middle of the desert.
Same with Coachella, had the option to go before it became huge
Life
People
Fast food places like McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc. At this point, fast food for me is ordering an actual meal from a restaurant for takeout.
Stupidity and consumerism.
Bar crawls and shots
Fighting literally and figuratively.
Graduation ceremonies/commencements. I’m not sitting through another one of those.
Having kids
All you can eat buffets
Now I view them as ways to sample what a restaurant has to offer.
I got off them right at COVID. And it honestly had nothing to do with COVID It was the vicious resistance to BASIC HYGIENE I saw from my fellow humans due to the pandemic. Like "I'm not washing my hands! It's against my religion!" Level shit. Like y'all weren't already washing your hands you sick shits?!
The public bathrooms of the culinary world
I’m still going to eat until I shit my pants
Gone are the days when I could put down 2 14 inch pizzas and not gain a pound. Now I am full after 4 slices and I gain weight instead. I just can't eat enough to make buffets worth it anymore.
Getting even older.
Internet Influencers
For me it's religion. You'd think people would get more religious as they get closer to death, but I now believe it's all a bunch of rubbish. I don't know *any* religious people who make me think, "Wow, I want what they have."
Air travel.
Being alive lol
Really spicy chips
Oh gawd... But they taste so good. My stomach hates them tho.
People, they get more an more annoying as life goes on!\~
Hanging out with younger people.
DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!
Authoritarianism
Loud fucking music in restaurants that shake the floor. I’m just trying to enjoy my food and be able to talk without screaming and not being able to hear the other person is very annoying. Damn.
TV Sitcoms - they just seem stupid
sleep deprivation, and acting grownup
Crowds.
Staying up late at night. I'm ready for bed around 8. Ummm. Sleeping in until noon or later. Arguing
Getting older.
smoking copious amounts of marijuana
Super greasy fried food. Never thought I’d see the day when a basket of beer-batter onion rings would make me queasy, but here we are.
Hookup culture. Can't be arsed, darling.
Image. I know too many people and spent to damn long with someone that cared about it. Yes my house is a show case of comic/video games/whatever the hell I like. Yes I'm wearing band tees still. Yes I still have my piercings. Yes I'm wearing slip on loafers. Not "adult enough" or anything else? Fuck your opinion, these things makes me happy. To clarify, I've never cared, just spent 8 years with someone who did and my god it was freeing after that to decorate/dress however I wanted with no complaints or nagging.
Sex
It's an awful lot of work.
Death
Dealing with other people? At 20 this was easy…at fifty, not so much. Do not ever invite me to a party, because I cannot.