Boys and men. There are life lessons we learn a little too late.
There is much knowledge to acquire that can make the sail of life a little smoother.
All in all, anybody and everybody could use more advice up front.
Or be given a lesson in how to take advice.
But better late than never.
So pencils up... get ready a lesson in living.
Redditor Himanshubishttwanted all the gents out there to listen up and take some notes. They asked:
"Men of Reddit, what’s something every guy should know but is rarely taught?"
I wish I had been taught more about finances. Money shapes everything.
Hold
Gym Pray GIF by CassiaGiphy"Swallow and hold when shaving the hair on your Adams Apple. Think I got to age 23 before I knew that."
"Edit: Thanks for the awards, glad I could be of help. I was shocked when I learned this a decade or so ago. Pass on what you have learned for future menkind."
garbagiodagr8
Time is of the Essence...
"Money comes and goes, but you'll never get your time back. My kids and their mothers were well taken care of for many years, meaning they didn't have to work. I made all the money and we weren't hurting for anything financially. Over time, though, I saw my relationships with my children start to fade, to the point where I didn't know then anymore."
"It was all cause I was never around. I was gone 12, 14, 16+ hr days as an executive chef, missing holidays concerts and birthdays and crap. My kids were getting older, and didn't even care to come around anymore. Could you really blame them though, it wasn't like dad was around to spend time with anyways. I realized something had to change, and it wasn't them, it was me."
"I quit my job outright and my girlfriend started working again to help out. Now I work less than half of what I was before, providing home care to the elderly, and spend most of my time getting to know and reconnect with my family again. Cause in the end, they are what's most important."
Worthy Efforts
"An honest try is worth some wait sometimes. Took me four years as a nurse to finally get it. Wanted to run so many times. Now I made it to the ER and found my passion in trauma nursing. It takes 4-7 years to get good at something, and much of that is painful. It's sad to see so many nurses quit so soon before they really have a chance to become good at it. And on the flip side though, some people in nursing school really are in the wrong place and should try something else."
Honorable_Son
Keep the Peace
"Understanding and controlling my anger took me way too long to figure out. I live a significantly more peaceful and contented life than I have at any other point in my existence because I got it taken care of. It took me over a decade and a half to recognize it and years to find a decent enough therapist to help guide me through it. But even after finding the right therapist, I still had to do the work."
"And it's an ongoing journey; you can't think of it like a destination. Gentlemen: don't wait and don't ignore it. Anger, especially unrestrained and misappropriated, doesn't make you tough or manly. It doesn't give you an air of darkness or mystery. It just makes you an a-hole or, at best, sullen and difficult to be around. Take it from me, you will feel so much happier and lighter if you shed that anger."
ArrdenGarden
Walk On
Homer Simpson Reaction GIF by reactionseditorGiphy"Never be afraid of abandoning something that isn't working for you and starting something new. Walking away isn't always weakness. Being stubborn to your own detriment is."
ninja-gecko
Always be ready to walk away. Yes you want to commit, but recognize toxic and run.
$$$ Matters
Pay Day Money GIF by MOST EXPENSIVESTGiphy"Finances. Don't know anything about money. I know how to hold onto it and spend it on bills. Past that I really need to learn."
NikolaiCru237
Manly Mending
"Sewing. (Mainly mending). It keeps you wearing cloths you like and will save you thousands of dollars. And a little bit more you can also do basic hemming. So kids clothing lasts many times longer (get larger size. Hem and pull in to fit. Slowly undo it as they grow) or use on your own to get tailor looking fits."
Accomplished_End_138
Outages
"There's a red rope that hangs down from the drive mechanism on your garage door opener. If there is a power outage, or problem with the sensors and the door won't open, pull down on the rope and it disengages the mechanism so you can manually open the garage door."
"Normally there is a latch on one side that you can close that then manually locks it until the situation is fixed and you can re-engage the mechanism to put it back into automatic mode. Always surprised how few people know this."
foursheetstothewind
You're wrong Edward!
"Correct your bro if they are wrong."
brattobat
"Unless they're grilling/cooking and you're a guest in their house. No backseat-cheffing. Eat the food, enjoy the food, and keep your mouth shut when you notice that they should be patting dry the sous vide steaks before searing so they actually get a good crust on the meat instead of serving what is essentially boiled grey steak, Edward."
Drach88
Together
South Asian Yes GIF by IdentityGiphy"How to be alone. And once that's been mastered, how to be together."
KombuchaKetamine
Every lesson starts in one place... the mirror. Lesson number one.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.