Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Which Things Everyone Should Do In Their 20s To Avoid Regret Later In Life

People Share Which Things Everyone Should Do In Their 20s To Avoid Regret Later In Life
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Life in your 20s can be described with an infinite array of words: chaotic, euphoric, aimless, confused, busy, energetic, just to name a few.

Truly, it is a decade defined by improvisation.

Throughout those years, a person sits in a very peculiar sweet spot. On one hand, you are finally a full-blown adult, and you enjoy the freedoms and autonomy offered by that fact.

But you're also the most inexperienced version of adult that could possibly exist. And so you are rather clueless about the best way to live and be.

Anyone that age could use some wisdom and mentorship--someone who navigated that madhouse of a decade and recognized their successes and failures.

ReddBolt5 asked, "What should one do in their 20s to avoid regrets in 30s and 40s?"

Life is Malleable

"Always know that change is an option. Many people, myself included, start down a path and think that since I committed to that path, it's the only path for me. Don't get caught in that thought process."

"If a choice (career, location, relationship, etc) doesn't feel right down the road, know you can make a new one. It may be uncomfortable at first, but you can make it through (and likely for the better)."

-- ap_riv

Stay Above Water

"Don't get into credit card debt!" -- 8Gly8

"This sh** will ef up your life as much, if not more, than smoking or drinking or crappy eating etc."

"You can be taught how credit cards work, and it can still be hard to wrap your brain around, until it's too late." -- Go_Cart_Mozart

Knowledge is Power

"Learn how to budget. Even if it's just a simple excel or google sheets file with one column of income, and one of expenses."

"When you see everything you buy in a month next to each other, you realize where you can save money pretty well."

-- Raze321

Take Care of That Outer Layer

"Sunscreen" -- greatredwoodofawhore

"long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists." -- radiogrill

"And don't go to tanning beds" -- raketheleavespls

In Their Prime

"Go see your favorite musical acts when they are young, together, and /or alive. and not selling out to fu** you price arena tours." -- classicsat

"I'll take this one further and say to just go see as much live music as possible."

"I don't regret any of the concerts I've been to in my life, but there are a bunch I regret NOT going to." -- ghettomagicrooster

YOU are the Only Constant

"Learn how to be independently happy" -- PGMG17

"I wish someone could have screamed this in my face with a megaphone whenever I was about to do something codependently stupid in my 20s and early 30s, lol." -- sulesko

Pragmatic Love

"Make sure that if you have a relationship with someone you actually nail down the long term goals and agree on them... Like kids? How exactly will that work? Marriage?"

"Find your deal breakers and take them seriously... From 20-30 the time really flies and you don't want to miss it."

-- stagnant_malignancy

Go Where You're Good

"When choosing your job/profession/career, ignore the horrible life advice to 'follow your passion.' Instead, you should follow your aptitude."

"Identify what you are good at, find a way to use it to bring value to others, work like crazy to do that."

"The happiness/meaning/life-satisfaction will come as a result of being able to build a good life for yourself and those you care about."

-- Stoic_Scientest

Before Leaping Gets Harder

"If you yearn for adventure, go now. You are young, your body is strong, and your obligations are few. Go now."

"It's so much easier to drop everything in your life for a 6-month hiking trip and then slide back into regular life when you're 25 than when you're 35." -- LowCalPal

" Travel. Experience the world. Spend your money on making memories. Hike the Appalachian Trail. Don't be afraid to do things scare you. Sky dive."

"I am grateful for everything I have but I wish I would have realized that there was another option to the regular old 9-to-5. I'm 43 now and physically limited due to an auto accident."

"You never know what life has in store so enjoy it to the fullest while you can." -- babyhaby

Zoom Out

"Invest in yourself by making healthy choices both physically and financially" -- Kaste90

"Included in this: learn to cook." -- raketheleavespls

"So hard to do since people have a hard time showing any empathy for their future self." -- 5yn3rgy

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Ramy Youssef and Elmo
@sesamestreet/Instagram

MAGA Is Predictably Melting Down Over Video Of Elmo Learning New Arabic Words For Arab American Heritage Month

A clip released by Sesame Street on Thursday, April 16, showed Elmo with Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, director, and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month.

The 41-second video showed Youssef teaching Elmo the Arabic words "salamu alaykum" and "habibi."

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Sinatra; Donald Trump
Jim Spellman/WireImage; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Fires Back At Trump With Four Powerful Words After He Uses Her Father's Song In Cryptic Post

Singer Nancy Sinatra, the daughter of the iconic crooner Frank Sinatra, criticized President Donald Trump after he posted a video featuring her father's version of the song "My Way" to Truth Social amid his ongoing war and negotiations with Iran.

"My Way," a song about an individual looking back on their decision to live life on their own terms, was one of the late Sinatra's signature hits. Trump posted a video of Sinatra singing the song with no comment or explanation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Donald Trump
@Acyn/X; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Explains Why Trump's AI Jesus Post Was So Offensive To Christian Conservatives In Viral Video

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg condemned President Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, describing it as "insulting" to both people's faith and their intelligence.

Earlier this month, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
@atrupar/X

Trump Dragged After Gushing Over His Own Signature In Ultra-Cringey Viral Clip

President Donald Trump was super proud of himself after he signed an executive order to make certain psychedelic drugs more available to treat mental health conditions, taking an opportunity to boast about his own signature.

Trump's order approves $50 million in federal funding to expand access to certain therapies and directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track its review of drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine. He was joined by the likes of podcaster Joe Rogan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron (left) responds to Timothée Chalamet’s (right) controversial comments about ballet and opera.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Charlize Theron Gives Timothée Chalamet A Blunt Reality Check About His Future After His Comments Insulting Ballet

Timothée Chalamet declaring that “no one cares” about ballet and opera was always going to age poorly. It just happened faster than expected.

Enter Charlize Theron, who didn’t just disagree—she flipped the whole argument, suggesting that while centuries-old art forms will endure, Chalamet’s own career may be far more vulnerable in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keep ReadingShow less