Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down How Their Perspectives Have Changed As They've Gotten Older

People Break Down How Their Perspectives Have Changed As They've Gotten Older
Photo by Anthony Tori on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

One of the things that affected my outlook as I grew older: More empathy. I became more empathetic toward my parents and my family members, some of whom aren't necessarily the best people. I have to say that working to understand a lot of their behavior––if not necessarily forgive it––gave me peace of mind, more so than reacting negatively, that's for sure.

People were keen on sharing the life lessons they've picked up along the way after Redditor GeneralAd_4617 asked the online community,

"What are some of the life perspectives that changed while you grew older?"

"Most of the time..."

"That everything I did had to be perfect. Most of the time "good enough" is just that; good enough. Perfection is rarely required in the real world."

Prematurid

It is such a relief when you accept that you don't need to be perfect at all.

"I spent a lot..."

"I spent a lot of time when I was younger worrying what other people thought of me, when actually most people are just thinking about themselves and worrying what other people think of them."

Mapi_Birthday

"Just because..."

"Just because I find something easy to do, it doesn't mean it comes easy to others. Just because someone else can do something doesn't mean I can. I only fully understood this in my forties."

fluentindothraki

Everyone has a talent and a skillset and you should lean on those people. You are not perfect and you are not a robot who can do anything! It's fine!

"The fact that..."

"I became less of a judgmental person as I grew older. The fact that I used to make comments without thinking of others' feelings or situations, made me realize how much of a jerk I was. I regret all of it of course, but we all go through situations where we are judged without thinking. Looking at other people's perspectives changed my life entirely."

DarkWarrior1998

"The world's problems..."

"The world's problems do not solely rest on my shoulders. I can do things at my own pace to get to where I want to be eventually."

Rangeless

That is correct. And accepting that is freedom!

"The older you get..."

"The older you get, the smaller proportion of your life a year is. When you're ten, that year is 10% of your life; when you're 50 it's 2%. All we can do is fill it with amazing experiences and memories, so when we look back it seems fuller and more real."

SilentSalamander

Time flies! The older I get, the more I notice how quickly it zooms by.

"Happiness..."

"Happiness is only possible when you act in ways that make you happy, not in ways that impress other people."

Technojames72

Don't necessarily do things for other people: You will only set yourself to an impossible standard.

"For the most part..."

"For the most part, it doesn't matter what strangers think of you. Unless you're at a job interview or in a very serious situation, it really doesn't matter - you will likely never see those people again. Where what you like, make a fool of yourself, do what makes you happy."

SilentSalamander

"When I was young..."

"When I was young I thought that all I need to be successful in life is money. Everything around me seemed to be blocked by money."

HrabiaValues

"I hate..."

"I hate loud exhausts on cars. When I was a teenager I thought it was cool when someone put a loud exhaust on their car and revved the hell out of it… now it's the single most annoying thing ever."

beersnbags

Isn't it so much better to know these things? Life is much simpler. The older you get, the less stress you willingly take on.

I call that a win.

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


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

Ted Cruz; Dolly Parton
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; David Becker/Getty Images

Ted Cruz Forced To Delete Retweeted Tribute To Dolly Parton After Account Mocks Him With Hilariously NSFW Name Change

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz reposted and later deleted a tribute on X to legendary performer Dolly Parton after the X user changed the account name to troll Cruz.

The X user, @lebatardshowfan, had shared their "favorite clip" of Parton, who died Tuesday following a brief battle with cancer. Cruz reshared the clip some time later. Parton is shown during one of her many appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton
Kevin Mazur/The Recording Academy/Getty Images

Miley Cyrus Shares Heartbreaking Tribute To Godmother 'Aunt Dolly' Parton: 'I Have An Angel By My Side'

Dolly Parton left this world behind on August 25 at the age of 80 after a brief battle with illness, and tributes to her continue to flow across social media.

Among the latest was a tribute from Dolly Parton's goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.

Keep ReadingShow less
Carol Burnett; Tim Curry; Luke Evans
Araya Doheny/TCM/Getty Images; Dimitrios Kambouris/Tony Awards Productions/WireImage/Getty Images; Roy Rochlin/Empire State Realty Trust/Getty Images

Carol Burnett And Luke Evans Lead Poignant Tributes To Tim Curry After His Death At 80

It's been a terrible week for the entertainment industry, for performers and viewers alike. Right after the world lost Dolly Parton, we lost the great Tim Curry, also at the age of 80.

The British star got his acting start on stage in the West End, starring in the original London production of Hair in 1968. He was a phenomenal performer and went on to become everyone's favorite love-to-hate villain, from Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show to Rooster Hannigan in Annie to Pennywise the Dancing Clown in It to Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bill Gates
Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images

Bill Gates Warns Rise Of AI Will Be One Of The 'Most Turbulent Times In Human History' In Alarming New Essay

On Wednesday, billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sounded the alarm on artificial intelligence with an essay published on his website titled "The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical."

The essay began by stating:

Keep ReadingShow less
Ukrainian Refugee Shares How She Was Bullied By Her Teacher And Classmates At A U.S. High School—And People Are Outraged

Ukrainian Refugee Shares How She Was Bullied By Her Teacher And Classmates At A U.S. High School—And People Are Outraged

Even though it's 2026, racism is alive and well, and so are xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and other microaggressions.

TikToker @shape_shifter01 is sharing her experiences as a high school student and a Ukrainian refugee. She moved to the United States four years ago in response to the war between her home country and Russia.

Keep ReadingShow less