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

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

Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Trump's 'Gold' Gift To Nicki Minaj Certainly Seems To Explain Her Sudden Pivot To MAGA

Rapper Nicki Minaj made headlines this week for declaring herself President Donald Trump's "number one fan" as he launched his savings accounts for newborns—and now she's gotten a telling gift for her trouble.

Minaj appeared Wednesday at the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C., where she praised Trump’s rollout of investment accounts for U.S.-born babies.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man in a  suit with a red tie and a pocket square
selective focus photography of person holding black smartphone
Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

People Break Down The Most Overrated 'Adult Goals' People Chase

As children, we begin to grow an image of how our life will turn out.

Usually involving a financially lucrative career, a good-looking spouse who adores us, and a magazine cover worthy house.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kellymengg's TikTok video
@kellymengg/TikTok

Woman's Story About Plane Passenger Refusing To Lower Window Shade Sparks Heated Flight Etiquette Debate

Though arriving at a destination can be fun and exciting, traveling itself is often exhausting and annoying, especially when we're made to feel uncomfortable along the way.

TikToker Kelly Meng launched a heated debate on TikTok after she shared a story about taking a 15-hour flight next to a woman who refused to do anything but what she wanted with the window shade next to her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zohran Mamdani
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

'New York Post' Dragged After Bizarrely Criticizing Zohran Mamdani's 'Poor Snow Shoveling Form'

The first major winter storm of 2026, which at one point spanned over 2,000 miles, dumped record levels of snow on New York City.

Central Park reported a record 11.4 inches for the day and the most snow since 2022. In Manhattan, Washington Heights almost hit 15 inches, while Brooklyn saw widespread totals of 10 to 12 inches.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Affleck Confesses Why He And Matt Damon Added Random Gay Sex Scenes To 'Good Will Hunting' Script
Arturo Holmes/WireImage via Getty Images

Ben Affleck Confesses Why He And Matt Damon Added Random Gay Sex Scenes To 'Good Will Hunting' Script

Who knew the iconic line “How do you like them apples?” might be spiritually adjacent to a stack of random gay sex scenes that never made it into Good Will Hunting? At least, that’s how its writers—Boston buddies Ben Affleck and Matt Damon—have described one of their more chaotic attempts to figure out who was actually reading their script.

For anyone somehow unfamiliar with the Oscar-winning Affleck-Damon bromance: the two met as kids in Cambridge, Massachusetts—Affleck was 8, Damon was 10—and grew up a block and a half apart. They bonded over acting, moved in together after high school, and started grinding through auditions.

Keep ReadingShow less