When I was younger, I admit I had to reconcile my own racial prejudice. I realized that my feelings were deeply rooted in social conditoning from my family and peers and chose to change course.
The learning never stops, however.
I am grateful my opinions changed—and they changed as I grew older, as I gathered more life experience.
Contrary to what some relatives of mine claimed, I did not double down on these ideas as I aged.
Growth takes many forms.
People shared their stories with us after Redditor -_Word_ asked the online community:
"Adults: What's one opinion of yours that completely changed when you grew up?"
"As a 13-year-old..."
"As a 13-year-old the fact that my parents would sit down to watch TV on weeknights after dinner made me think they were mindless drones. Turns out they were just tired from work, cooking dinner, dealing with my BS, etc... and just wanted to rest for a few hours before repeating the cycle."
foxbones
Parents are human too!
And just like you, they need breaks from time to time. Always worth remembering.
"The older I get..."
"The older I get the more I find myself saying 'It's not that simple.'"
picksandchooses
An excellent point.
Life isn't black and white—not by a long shot.
"As a kid..."
"As a kid I was upset with my mom for not getting me some silly thing I wanted because she only had $100 in the bank. I was so sure that $100 is a lot of money. 20 years later I now understand it is not."
nnf204
It certainly isn't.
What does $100 get you these days? Very, very little.
"That staying in..."
"That staying in and relaxing is enjoyable and not boring."
livOFx
I agree!
The older I get, the more I value being at home.
It's the greatest.
"Sometimes I still do..."
"I used to care a lot about what everyone thought of me. Sometimes I still do, but as I grew older I realised nobody really thinks about you cause they're too busy thinking about themselves."
didnsignup4dis
When you realize this, it's actually very liberating.
I can attest that the moment I realized it changed my life for the better.
"That parents..."
"That parents are experts on... parenting. Nosiree, we're all amateurs who just make up as we go along."
TropicalGeek1
Very true. Our parents, as stated earlier, are human.
There's no manual—when you're a parent, you're flying by the seat of your pants, hoping you stick the landing.
"As someone..."
"As someone who has worked in a municipality, none of your elected (or unelected lol) leaders know s**t about piss."
OwMyCandle
Do they know piss all about sh*t though?
I'm asking the real questions here.
"When I was a kid..."
"When I was a kid, I thought what adults did was an example of what I should do. Later, I realized it was just as often an example of what not to do."
boulo_meil
Believe it or not, adults do not know everything. In fact, some adults know next to nothing at all.
Steer clear of those.
"There are..."
"There are absolutely things you do not want to know."
CatMyMayxpik
What's that saying? "What you don't know won't hurt you."
Remember that one? It's quite apt.
"That everything is my moms fault and my dad could do no wrong. Now I realize my mom needs therapy and my dad needs a serious reality check."
PluzMama1
Hey, at least you figured this out. Our parents aren't perfect people.
Many people have bad parents or disappointing parents. Not everyone comes from the best home, which is a sad fact of life.
Challenge yourself. The more you do that, the more you'll learn and grow. Your opinions will evolve right along with you. You won't be the same person ten years from now... or beyond. Enjoy the ride.
Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram