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Once you were dreaming of becoming an astronaut, visiting the furthest places, climbing the highest mountains, finding the biggest love, and then it was all gone one day.

Adulthood happened. It knocked on the door, handed you responsibilities you were not ready for and said that everything’s on your shoulders now. So now, most of my fellow dear millennials are juggling between things like the pandemic that made the world feel like an apocalyptic movie you didn’t sign up for, student loans, unaffordable rent, crazy expensive mochas your body nevertheless needs no-questions-asked, barely fine Tinder dates, sleepless Netflix binges, stressful jobs or the even more stressful absence of one, and lots other things nobody prepared us for.

So, dear adults, even though we can’t just get back to our childhood which equals devouring Harry Potter books and carelessly sleeping under the stairs, we can laugh at the absurdity we’re in right now. Scroll down through the best tweets that sum up adult life below and prepare to laugh and cry, and then laugh. Who cares, they already think of millennials as not very stable ones.

Navigating through adulthood is the job of a lifetime. I have been an adult for more than a decade, and I am still learning to be one. I suspect I am not the only one. So I spoke with Francis Merson, the clinical psychologist awarded the Australian Psychology Society Prize in 2015, who was happy to share some very interesting and useful insights about it.

“People can often get stuck in patterns of behavior during childhood which persist into adulthood and prevent them developing true autonomy,” Francis said and added that there are many ways in which this can happen. “People who have been traumatized can internalize a victim identity, which makes it scary for them to act independently as adults. People who are emotionally neglected can also revert to child-like modes, where they rely excessively on partners and friends to help them deal with the world and their own emotions.”

It can also happen to people who are overindulged since they “might grow up with the expectation that others should sort out their lives for them,” Francis added.

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James016
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My wife: "What shall we have tonight?" Me: "I don't know"......repeat until we decide to eat the pizza we have in the freezer

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Even though it might be easy to judge people who just can’t seem to adult properly, Francis argues that it’s important to be compassionate and remember that these people didn’t choose the early experiences that underpin their difficulties today.

More importantly, Francis argues that there’s no such thing as the perfect adult—“someone who is unfailingly responsible, rational and emotionally balanced. We all have moments when we act like kids: we get mad over trivial stuff; we panic needlessly; we sulk when we’re criticized.” Having said that, the clinical psychologist warned that “if these behaviors are the rule, rather than the exception, then it’s possible there are some roadblocks on the way to adulthood.”

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troufaki13
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's mostly bills now... When I was younger I used to have penpals from around the world!

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“And, of course, no one turns 18 and suddenly finds themselves fully rational, responsible and ready to smash all their life goals. The knowledge and skills involved in adulthood are accrued across the lifespan, gradually allowing you to become a more effective actor in the world, able to pursue your own interests while balancing them against the interests of others,” Francis said and added that essentially, we are all works in progress: becoming an adult is a lifelong pursuit. Meanwhile, “Immaturity happens when people are not progressing, when they are stuck in behaviors that aren’t helpful for them at their stage of life.”

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There are many aspects of the transition into adulthood. Francis elaborated: “it means learning to act rationally, rather than just react emotionally. Adults also seek relationships of equality and reciprocity, rather than just someone to look after them. Adults are in touch with their values, and are proactive in reaching their goals. And adults are realistic, particularly about who they are. This requires gaining insight into one’s own motivations, behavior, emotional triggers, strengths and weaknesses.”

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Monday
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those were the days....I could fall off the trampoline and land on my face but be totally fine but now I pull a shoulder muscle just from opening the shower door wrong.

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Francis also noted that “it’s important to emphasize that the idea of independence in adulthood does not mean you don’t rely on others.” He explained that we are social animals, and we need each other to survive and flourish. “The independence of adulthood is more like the independence of a nation, which interacts with other nations on an equal footing, makes independent decisions and is responsible for its internal affairs.”

For those who think that adulthood is a lot of work, Francis says that it’s worth it. “What you get in return is the power to flourish on your own terms. By acting as a child in an adult world, it’s much harder to build a life you can be proud of,” the clinical psychologist concluded.

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Auntriarch
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Take your pillow when you visit friends. They will not be insulted. They will understand

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David Woollands
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I kind of lie there with one eye open - very dangerous if you’ve already turned off your alarm

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Marcellus II
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you're a musician, that's typically the best available career move, yes.

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KombatBunni
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love my mid afternoon naps. As a kid I found them boring, but as an adult I like to lay down for a half hour or so and snooze.

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Olivia Lisbon
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a cupboard full of them we have to keep shut and only open very quickly and strategically to grab one for the shopping, otherwise there’s a cascading waterfall-avalanche of bags.

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mcborge1
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then some of the oldest plastic bags turn to confetti forcing you to empty the whole cupboard out just to clean up all the bits. :D

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Edison Michael
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would never buy a box bed because I need my mattress to be separated from the bed proper. After all, the space between both is where all the nice gift wrapping paper lives!

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K
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband does this! I never met anyone else who did it

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Tiny Dynamine
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Try re-using them instead of getting new ones all the time. It's an easy habit to make.

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Seanette Blaylock
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For me, the challenge is remembering to convey them back out to the car to be used. :)

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ZAPanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

See the clever thing to do with the shopping bag bag, is to put it at the feet of the front passenger seat. That way when you go get groceries you take them in with you, and the f*****s at the till ("cash register") don't ring up another bag while laughing maniacally at the thought of dying turtles.

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Monday
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And your collection will just keep growing. You can never have too many.

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Naesil
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Changing to a canvas bag allowed me to use up all my collected shopping bags to a point that I actually had to buy trash bags.

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Meghna Mohan
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have way too many cloth bags from shopping not enough space in the storage

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MaggieThompson
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had to send this to my husband so he can laugh his ass off at me....my box "collection" gets purged after the winter holidays, but bags of bags are a never ending project. I hate throwing out anything that can possibly be used again...but our house is fairly tidy!!

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Isabel Care
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And a bit of "eco plastic confetti" if one of those bags was a "green" one

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Riley Quinn
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back in the day, string was neatly coiled and saved. I still do this for some inexplicable reason like I'm some 19thC pioneer fending against the odds.

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Susan Williams
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And hundreds of Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, and yogurt containers (with lids) that are washed, dried, and saved because they look like they could be used for something.

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Ruth Fichter
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My children will inherit these. As usual, there will be very little in the way of gratitude.

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GoddessOdd
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't have a problem with plastic bags, and I realized I receive half a dozen boxes a week, so I don't hold on to those anymore, but a nice bottle... gotta keep it. Especially blue glass ones. I keep all of those, and some of the green ones, and anything that has a interesting shape...

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J Sizz
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And every charging cable you've ever come across..... you'll need them some day.

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Merrill N. Munro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I emptied out "that one cupboard" and counted over three hundred of those plastic shopping bags. Mom taught me how to fold and roll them neatly, takes three seconds, and now my cats are smacking them across the house. Both hilarious and vexing at the same time.

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Memere
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do too, but when I get a bunch, I donate them to a local group to make sleeping mats for the homeless. They're lightweight, easy to roll up & carry, provide some cushion from the hard ground, & help the person stay dry.

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Valley Girl
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why does my husband put each load of bags inside one bag and then stuff it in? Then I have to fill out a wad of bags and stuff it back in with just one less....

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MonicaChicagoGal
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a little paperbag with handles on it from when I bought my phone I looked at it looked at the bin and put it in the cabinet don't know why..

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Tee Witt
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You have to collect them, they will become valuable now they are banned in most places.

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postboredom
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You actually subscribed? I always thought it just drops on your head like a brick

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Ophelia Butz
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Without the drawer, they're in a pile. Without the pile, they're around the house. But they are NEVER in the trash because I need each one of the 18 chargers that work with nothing in my house. I just do.

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Space whale
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Using a good pen has always brought me joy. Maybe I'm weird but I love stationary.

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Arctic Fox Lover
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, I'm not an adult yet and I've read BP for long enough to realize that most adults in authority are kind of frauds haha. I have mastered the ability to guess what your childhood was like based on your behavior as an authoritative figure, ooooo *intense music as I open my third eye*

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Brian Bennett
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I truly am frightened on these multi lane hiways just stay to the right we gotta turn off somewhere!

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ZAPanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

you eventually take it as background noise when it reaches constant flow.

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