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

screenshot of debate video between Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola

Dem Candidate Trolls GOP Senator After He Was Caught Looking At Her Debate Answer In Cringey Viral Video

On Saturday in Kodiak, Alaska, Senate candidates faced off at the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce fishery debate.

Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan was to spar with his Democratic opponent, former Representative Mary Peltola, who is Yup'ik and was the first Alaska Native ever elected to Congress. Sullivan is a lawyer and former state Attorney General. Peltola was a commercial fisher and former member of the state legislature.

Keep ReadingShow less
Abdul El-Sayed; Tucker Carlson
Finn Gomez/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Abdul El-Sayed Gets Unlikely Ally After Tucker Carlson Defends His Past Comments About 9/11 As 'Obviously Right'

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed found an unlikely ally in far-right commentator Tucker Carlson, who defended him amid conservative outrage over El-Sayed's past remarks about the September 11 terror attacks and their aftermath.

Conservatives lashed out at El-Sayed, a democratic socialist, after the New York Post brought attention to remarks made about the U.S. response to the attacks during a Sept. 7, 2021, episode of the America Dissected podcast.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump and Laura Ingraham
Fox News

Laura Ingraham Pressed Trump On Why He Doesn't Just Give $5k To Americans 'Now'—And We Love To See It

Fox News host Laura Ingraham had people nodding their heads after she bluntly asked President Donald Trump why he doesn't just give people money now after pledging to give every adult American a $5,000 "dividend" check if Republicans win the midterm elections.

Democrats have dismissed Trump's proposal as a bribe, and an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget determined the proposal would cost taxpayers $1.2 trillion at a time when critics are calling for the Trump administration to reel in government spending on various projects during a nationwide affordability crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Celine Dion performs on the opening night of her residency at Paris La Défense Arena on September 12, 2026.
Samir Hussein/WireImage

Celine Dion Just Made Her Triumphant Return To The Stage After 6 Years—And She Sounds Incredible

There are comebacks, and then there’s Celine Dion walking back onto a Paris stage after six years and reminding everyone exactly who she is.

Over the weekend, the 58-year-old music icon took the stage at Plénitude Arena in Nanterre, just outside Paris, for her first full concert in more than six years. It was a milestone that once seemed anything but guaranteed amid her battle with stiff person syndrome.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Johnson; Brandon Herrera
CNN

Mike Johnson Slammed After Defending MAGA House Candidate Who Gave Babies NSFW Nickname In Sexist Rant

Gun-rights activist, firearms manufacturer, and Texas Republican House candidate Brandon Herrera has drawn widespread backlash over his repeated misogynistic attacks against women, for referring to children as "c*m trophies," and for calling a Nazi-era submachine gun "the original ghetto blaster."

Herrera posted all of this on his YouTube channel and stands behind all of it without apology.

Keep ReadingShow less