Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Adult Problems No One Prepared Them For

Make us preferred on Google

Adulthood has been pretty nice, I have to admit. I quite like it. But it isn't always easy and some lessons are more difficult to learn than others.

It's so important to learn how to budget, for instance, because being an adult can get expensive. Between rent, food, utilities, and other odds and ends, you'd be shocked how quickly money flies out the window. Understanding this (and keeping an eye on your finances) pays dividends in the long run.

But that's also assuming things go well or smoothly – unexpected expenses arise and those come with their own consequences.

People shared their thoughts after Redditor FrequentPilot5243 asked the online community,

"What is an adult problem no one prepared you for?"

"All your young life..."

"Lack of purpose. All your young life you are given a purpose of passing exams and learning, then all of a sudden you are thrown into the world and told to find your own meaning."

Captain_Snow

There is something to be said about how much of childhood was demarcated by time. You lose those markers as an adult and that can be a big shock.

"No one shares..."

"No one shares how to prepare for the death of a child. It's devastating when they are young, but more so as adults. My daughter was my best friend. I poured my life into her, trying to prepare her for life in case I wasn't around. Now, I feel lost, and I can't find my voice."

NoGuest1646

We send you our condolences.

"You can stay up..."

"You can stay up as late as you want. But you shouldn't."

geekfit

Yep, better not do that on a work day. You'll regret it, trust me.

"I didn't know..."

"I didn't know that other adults have the emotional intelligence of teenagers and it's almost impossible to deal with logically."

SuperProgress6386

Try working customer service sometime. You'll deal with these people all the time. I don't miss those days.

"No one really talks about..."

"Almost all of your friends won't be life long. No one really talks about how common it is to lose touch with people or grow apart. Most of your life will be spent either making new friends while losing old ones or being alone."

EmotionalTale1044

This is true and we all go through it. I have already gone through it several times.

"Being able to do..."

"Being able to do so many things because I'm an adult but too tired to do any of them."

London82

It's amazing how much having to work sucks all your time and energy from you.

"You are held to account..."

"You are held to account for bad behaviour for which you are negligent even if you had no intention to cause harm. As a lawyer, I see this all the time. People don't think they're responsible for mistakes. You are."

grishamlaw

This is a big lesson to learn and it's probably important to teach young children that they don't get away with their mistakes so easily.

"The intricacies..."

"The intricacies of workplace politics."

Steve_Lobsen

This is a big one and can be a big culture shock the first time you start working. Not understanding workplace politics can make your life more complicated than you'd like.

"Figuring out..."

"Figuring out what makes you happy. Everyone keeps trying to get you to do things you're good at, or that makes you money, but never to pursue what you enjoy."

eternalwanderer5

Unfortunately, so many of the things that bring people joy aren't necessarily the things that will make them money, and that really gets to the heart of unjust our system can be.

"I always thought..."

"One adult problem nobody prepared me for is how expensive everything is. I always thought that as an adult I would be able to afford the things I wanted, but it turns out that's not always the case! I've had to learn how to budget and save up for the things I want, and it's been a difficult process."

DullDog8126

Learning how to budget properly is a valuable lesson. Those who don't learn it have a hell of a time as adults. It's harder than it looks.

"You may have heard..."

"You may have heard from your older relatives that when you get older, it'll be your turn to take care of them. You never really understand just how much it takes until you're in that position."

WanderingGenesis

As someone who has done it, it was perhaps the most difficult thing i have ever done – and there was little, if any, support. It's a big wake up call.

No one ever said life is easy. Hopefully learning, accepting, and anticipating some of these struggles will make your life easier.

Have some thoughts of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper and Cheri Oteri
@latenightercom/X

Cheri Oteri Just Revived Her Iconic Barbara Walters Impression During CNN's America 250 Broadcast—And Anderson Cooper Totally Lost It

He may be one of the most poised news anchors out there, but even CNN's Anderson Cooper isn't immune to the church giggles—especially when Cheri Oteri is around.

The legendary SNL alum joined CNN's coverage of America's 250th birthday, doing her impression of Barbara Walters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Larry David; Donald Trump; Rob Reiner
HBO; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; HBO

Rob Reiner Gets In One Last Dig At Trump In Surprise Final Acting Role Alongside Larry David—And It's A Mic Drop

Viewers this week of Larry David's new HBO historical sketch comedy series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America learned that the late award-winning actor and director Rob Reiner filmed a sketch for the show before his death in December of 2025.

His appearance in the show, playing the United States' first President George Washington, was kept secret until the episode aired on Thursday, July 2.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Giorgia Meloni
Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images; Ludovic Martin / AFP via Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Mocking Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni With Bizarre 'Restraining Order' Meme

President Donald Trump was criticized after he continued his feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by sharing a photo of her looking up at him with the words "restraining order needed" above it.

That phrase is featured above a photo Trump shared as part of a flurry of other posts on Truth Social. It features him with Meloni from the recent G7 summit, showing her—who is about a foot shorter than him—looking up in his direction.

Keep ReadingShow less

Woman Sparks Debate About Flight Etiquette After Preaching To Plane About Jesus During Flight In Viral Video

Well, travelers, we've heard flight attendants belt out "I Will Always Love You" on a 6:00AM flight, a young girl sing "How Far I'll Go" from Moana to "entertain" the masses during a delayed Delta flight, and we've even witnessed a surprise wedding, reception and all, down the center aisle before passing out the snacks.

And now, we've witnessed a woman breaking one of the biggest plane etiquette rules in the world, reminding all of the passengers that they could die before the flight begins, all to launch into a prophetic monologue about being saved by Jesus Christ.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bill Nesnidal
@billnes/Instagram

Gay Baseball Fan Opens Up About Painful Homophobic Encounter At White Sox Game To Show Why Pride Nights Are So Important

In a perfect world, we'd all be welcome in any space at any time without any fear of danger or hate.

But we all know that isn't the world we currently live in, which makes specialized spaces all the more vital.

Keep ReadingShow less