Thanks to the internet and social media, it's become frighteningly easy to fall into various "traps".
These include an email from Amazon claiming you need to reset your password, a call from the IRS claiming there is a warrant out for your arrest for unpaid taxes, or a text saying you won a raffle for a vacation.
All of which are fraudulent ploys to steal your private information.
With a little research, not to mention common sense, these traps can be somewhat easily avoided.
Unfortunately, the world is full of even subtler traps which can have a damaging effect on our way of life.
Traps which are even harder to notice, and sometimes impossible to avoid.
Redditor Fun-Inflation860 was curious to hear about the most common "life traps" people find themselves falling into, with or without realizing it, leading them to ask:
"What is life’s biggest "trap" people fall into?"
Perseverance Can Be Overrated
"'The sunk cost fallacy'."
"The idea that you shouldn't give up, you should stick with it, because you've already put in so much work and would be throwing it away."
"Sometimes, you need to cut your losses and move on, and most people struggle with accepting that."- MyNameIsRay
The Dangers Of A Shopping Spree...
"Credit card debt."- GoodRighter
You Can't Force Love
"Getting into relationships with people they're not compatible with, just because they are lonely or because everyone else is doing it, or because they don't think they can ever do better."- JaronK
wine charles GIF by Stan.GiphyYou Stop Saving Money After A While
"A bunch of little traps called 'Subscriptions'."
"I always wondered where my money was going each month until I stopped nearly all of my subscription services."- ThatIowanGuy
Life Is More Precious Than You Think
"Thinking 'I have plenty of time left'."
"In the worst case, you die tomorrow, no matter how old you are."
"Can be a car crash at 16 years old, bursting aneurism at 30 or getting shot at 55."
"Or, not less scary, you grow old, and are then too old to do the stuff you told yourself 'one day'."
" Travel the world when you retire?"
"Catch a common illness like heart diseases etc."
"And nope, a thousand things you can't really do or enjoy."- voxeyeb727
Sometimes You Just Have To Move On
"Staying at the same job for too long."
"I made that mistake, now I'm paying for it."
"It doesn't help your future job prospects having only one or two things to show on your resume and it's extremely specialized."- Milnoc
Tired The Office GIFGiphyTry To Open Your Mind
"Identifying too strongly with your thoughts."- yallneedtherapy
Patience Is A Virtue
"In traffic jam: 'I'm going to change lanes, this one is going faster'."- acdes68
It's About The Goal, Not How Long It Takes To Get There...
"Thinking that you need to be at a certain point at a certain age in your life."
"As long as you have a goal and you are working towards it, you are fine."
"Don’t fall into stress, anxiety, depression over an imaginary race."- sunflowersuger
Sometimes You Must Listen To Your Bank Before Your Heart.
"Wanting stuff 'NOW' and being willing to go into debt to get it."- Monk1e889
Give It To Me Want GIFGiphyIt's easy, if not completely impossible, to fall into at least one of these traps multiple times a year.
However, while we should at least be somewhat conscious of avoiding these traps, being constantly afraid of falling victim to them should be avoided at all costs.
After all, "a life lived in fear is a life half-lived."