Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Saddest Realities About Being An Adult

People Share The Saddest Realities About Being An Adult
Image by rseigler0 from Pixabay

There's a lot you can expect before you become an adult.


Taxes, depletion of the ozone layer, and the sudden but stark realization that all technology will eventually move beyond you quickly come to mind. However, it's the things you don't expect, the aspects of adulthood no one talks about, that'll really break your heart.

Reddit user, u/noterwinrommel, wanted to know the worst part of growing up when they asked:

What's the sad reality of being an adult that young people should know?

These are the obvious ones, the ones that'll surprise you when they pop up but the moment you think about how old you are you'll realize, "Oh yeah. I'm an adult now."

Say Good-Bye To Eating Cheese On The Regular

"Everyone becomes lactose intolerant."

"It may not be today, or tomorrow, or within a year, but it is coming for you"

ardagnavxzvfas

You're An Adult. Eat Some Vegetables.

"Eating all the snacks is not a good idea"

fernrylie

"Me at 23: I can eat a half gallon of cherry cordial ice cream for breakfast nobody can stop me."

"Me still at 23 but two hours later on a toilet: Oh that's what's stopping me."

FusRoDoodles

This Isn't "Friends," You Know

"TV Series always portray friends hanging out all the time as though their schedules always sync."

"In reality, you barely get to hang out together or even talk in group chats because everyone's busy with work and the ups & downs of adulthood."

thethirdidiot

They Just. Keep. Coming.

"Bills never f-cking end. For years every 30 days i was like "WTF i paid this bill already" just for it to happen again 30 days later"

Frito_del_sur_Sar

Split Away And Grow Apart

"You'll most likely grow apart from a large portion of your childhood friends. Which isn't a bad thing, life will take you all in different directions and you'll hopefully be able to make new friends that are more similar to who you grow up to be."

"Also, that beautiful head of hair you are so proud of, might not be permanent. Keep an eye on that hairline fellas"

PDM_13

Care to face your mortality? No?

Tough.

A Point Of No Return For Your Parents

"One day your parents will need your help from getting older and they likely won't tell you. One day you show up for a visit and it hits like a ton of bricks that they need help."

Lotus_12

"Visiting my wife's parents versus my parents is a radically different experience. Visiting her parents usually means home-cooked meals and a family trip somewhere. Visiting my parents usually means we're bringing food for them and packing all the tools so we can help fix something that's been left in a state of disrepair."

bluetista1988

Aw, They Passed Away?

"Once celebrities that were not old when you were growing up begin to die off from old age or your parents or their cohorts begin to die off from old age, your mortality becomes tangible in a way it never was before."

"It's no longer beyond the horizon. It's perceivable whenever you look to it."

"Sometimes it's hard not to look."

MacBallou

These are key, the most important lessons you can take with you into adulthood. Remember these and your life will be a lot more manageable.

Guess What...?

"There are actual consequences for just doing whatever you want."

MarvelousOxman

There Are Finite Choices

"Life isn't full of endless possibilities. The older you get, the harder it becomes to choose different life paths, whether you like the path you're currently on or not."

DeathSpiral321

To Be Around Someone, But Not All The Time

"As an adult you'll find yourself wanting to be alone. Yet you'll realize you don't want to be lonely."

FusRoDoodles

You're On Your Own

"No one else has time to look out for you. They're busy looking out for themselves. So, save money, eat healthy, get enough sleep. No one else is going to make sure you're doing those things."

gowahoo

"When you find someone who genuinely cares about you and helps to take care of you, make sure you take care of them back. And do your best not to let them go."

larrybatman

You can't deny the fact that growing up is happening, right now, to all of us. You can either fight it, or accept it, know what's coming your way, and be prepared to face it.

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

Pope Leo XIV; Donald Trump
Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

CNN Thinks They Know Why Trump Started Attacking Pope Leo—And Yep, That Certainly Tracks

Last month, NBC News released the results of a poll conducted February 27-March 3, 2026, by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies that measured the feelings of United States voters towards a variety of people, organizations, and concepts.

Respondents were asked if they felt very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative towards each. People featured were Pope Leo XIV, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron (left) responds to Timothée Chalamet’s (right) controversial comments about ballet and opera.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Charlize Theron Gives Timothée Chalamet A Blunt Reality Check About His Future After His Comments Insulting Ballet

Timothée Chalamet declaring that “no one cares” about ballet and opera was always going to age poorly. It just happened faster than expected.

Enter Charlize Theron, who didn’t just disagree—she flipped the whole argument, suggesting that while centuries-old art forms will endure, Chalamet’s own career may be far more vulnerable in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keep ReadingShow less
Caitlyn Jenner; Donald Trump
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Caitlyn Jenner Slammed For Hypocrisy After Revealing That She Asked Trump To Fix Gender On Her Passport So She Can Travel Again

Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner recently revealed she can no longer travel internationally after the Trump administration's new passport policy required her to be marked as "male," and is receiving backlash for writing a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to get it changed.

Jenner, a transgender woman, has long aligned herself with the MAGA movement, which is diametrically opposed to LGBTQ+ equality and has led an attack against transgender rights that culminated in legislation banning or restricting gender-affirming care in GOP-led legislatures in more than half the country.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @oz11201's TikTok video
@oz11201/TikTok

Hero Oklahoma Principal Crowned Prom King In Emotional Viral Video After Tackling Would-Be School Shooter

On April 7, Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma was breached by twenty-year-old Victor Hawkins, a former student who showed up at the school armed with a gun.

Fortunately, upon his entry into the school, Principal Kirk Moore did not hesitate to full-body tackle him and disarm him, keeping him down until authorities arrived, all while sustaining a shot to the leg.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
C-SPAN

Trump Dragged After Making Bizarre Joke About His Age—And, Yeah, He Wishes

79-year-old President Donald Trump had people raising their eyebrows after he, during a discussion about Social Security, tried to claim—jokingly, one hopes—that he's "not a senior" citizen.

Trump, who turns 80 in June, was discussing his administration's pledge that Social Security benefits would be tax-free when he claimed that "seniors are loving me" and proceeded to ramble incoherently.

Keep ReadingShow less