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Most of us have heard the same old “truisms” repeated over and over again throughout our lives, but ultimately, only life experience can actually teach us how things really work. You can’t replicate it, you can’t “learn” it, the only way to get it is just to live and keep on living. But through the magic of the internet, we can at least pick some older folk’s brains on the topic.
Someone asked “Older people, what is 100% pure BS?” and netizens shared the various things that they have found to be false. SO get comfortable as you read through, upvote the ones you agree with and be sure to add your own contributions in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Weddings. Sure buy a dress, take nice photos. Go down to the courthouse and do it that way. Then take the money you would have spent and save it for a down payment on a house. Weddings are not that fun. Crazy expensive. Time consuming. Stressful. You do not need one.
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#2
The idea that you need to find a career that you are passionate about. Find a career that you can earn decently in and still have work/life balance. Work to fund your passions.
#3
Money can't buy happiness. B******t ,it can.
LonelyLittleLeafSheep 1 year ago
Money absolutely can buy happiness. It buys a roof over your head, food to eat, clothes on your back, vacations to relax and recharge, hobbies, etc. And those things absolutely make you happy.
#4
That you'll always be broken.
Trauma does terrible things to a person, but you can get better. It isn't easy, but you are absolutely capable of being happy and living a successful life. Don't give up.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Yes. When I turned 70, I realized I can barely even remember the bad stuff that happened in my life. One's focus becomes to stay healthy, getting through the day, and hoping for a peaceful death.
#5
That you have to work at least a year at a company before leaving. In today's market if you have to bounce for a better position, do it. Any company will drop you without hesitation if they have to.
#6
That other people care what you wear, what kind of car you drive or what music you listen to. Those things seem important when you are young. But honestly most people are just trying to live their own lives. They probably don't think about you at all when you are not around.
#7
When the schools say they have no tolerance for bullying. Thats definitely
100% BULL.
Robin DJW 1 year ago
My daughter was the victim of a bully. He made the mistake of sending a lewd and threatening letter via postal service. That made it a federal crime and the FBI was involved. We could not prove for certain which of her classmates was the perp, so the whole classroom got a lecture from some serious men in black suits and sunglasses. Whoever it was never bothered her again.
#8
Fashion. It’s 100% made up b******t designed for people to waste money and precious resources. Clothing, sure everyone needs that, but to throw perfectly good pieces of clothing away for no other reason than it not being the current fashion is an absolute crock of s**t. Buying clothes that you don’t actually use is also b******t. Last but not least- judging other people for what they wear is b******t. Nothing could matter less than what clothes people wear.
#9
That your soulmate is out there. There is no such thing. You have people who you are attracted to, and compatible with. And liking the person you are with is a hell of a lot more important in the long run than most everything else.
#10
HR at your job.
They are there to protect the company and will slit your throat when it suits them.
Tell them nothing.
Toothless Feline 1 year ago
Sometimes, protecting the company means protecting you. It’s just hard to tell when and whether they’ll decide that’s the case.
#12
The notion that the people we elect to power intend to serve the common good. If we commoners could one day open our eyes together and see the real enemy rather than fighting each other over pronouns and whether someone is a racist or a karen, we could make some progress. Guess who benefits from our endless squabbling. Not us, but those who exploit us.
Grant Johnson 1 year ago
Politics is a clown show designed to distract you from the fact that a bunch of rich pr1cks run the world
#13
That doctors know best. If you feel like something is wrong, keep pushing, advocate for yourself, go to another doctor, do whatever you need to do. Can't stress this enough. So many stories of friends and family being told nothing is wrong, and THERE WAS.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
A friend was diagnosed as a hypochondriac. Later she was found to be riddled with cancer.
#14
That time is infinite. Yeah time overall might be but YOUR time and MINE are finite as f**k.
You blink twice and you wonder where the last 30 years went.
#15
That the United States is an equal opportunity country.
Wrong. Social class, privilege, contacts gift opportunity to those who have them.
Scott Rackley 1 year ago
This is not phrased correctly. The United States strives to be an equal opportunity country, and for a large percentage, it is. The problem is the people in this country do not constitute and equal opportunity SOCIETY.
#16
Being an adult. There is no switch that gets flipped, no sense of leveling up. One day, you're just yourself with a huge pile of bills and your sense of self won't feel any different.
Living Example 1 year ago
Pink Floyd sums it up nicely: "And then one day you find ten years have got behind you No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun."
#17
Ads about amazing deals you can get online by using their site. PS5 for $20? Just tell us you're an illegal scam and let us move on with our lives. The fact that YouTube plays these scam ads constantly proves they don't give a s**t.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
I'm looking to buy a Switch (I have GOT to get Little Kitty Big City!). Some of the ads on Facebook Marketplace say free Switch to the first person who texts me congratulations on my new wife/house/baby. Oddly enough, I haven't tried. I don't know what just having my phone number would accomplish, but I'm smart enough to know I won't get a Switch -- just a lot of trouble!
#18
"Just do what you love."
Do what pays the bills. Everything becomes tedious fast, even the things you love, so keep yourself safe and prepare yourself financially.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
Not everything. I did a job that I loved, and it kept getting more fun and exciting.
#20
Multi-level marketing, no matter what they call it - network marketing etc.
Rules about how to attract relationships focused only on men or women ("The Rules" etc)
Rules about how to advance in business ("48 Laws of Power")
Anything with "The Four-Hour" in the title
Payday loans.
Chris Christo 1 year ago
I wouldn't be the first to say, "If something is too good to be true, it isn't."
#21
Social media. You will get to a point where you will look back and think why did you waste so much time on it. It’s all fake and in the end none of it will matter.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
BP is becoming more and more like other social media sites. It's going to end like the chatrooms did, just a bunch of bots advertising at each other. WHAT is BP doing, adding more of the things???
Robin DJW 1 year ago
Huh? I do not agree. In BP, I get to read about the human experience from all over the world, where I don't have to engage with every thread or post, where I can check up on how other Pandas are feeling about things... Passive or active - it's all good.
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Beth Wheeler 1 year ago
I never did Facebook or any of that other c**p. I have more important things to do in my life.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
That same attitude can be applied to any religious belief. Why waste so much time and energy on a fairy tale which has zero proof?
#22
People who oppose transgenderism. They don't realize that it's been a concept for tens of thousands of years.
Grant Johnson 1 year ago
I'm an old fart and it makes me sick how many boomers just hate trans people. They don't believe it's a real thing. Baby they were born that way!!
#23
99% of dating advice.
100% of financial advice from anyone that posts videos as a job online.
Donkey boi 1 year ago
Absolutely agree. I was given the dating advise of 'Just be yourself!' What s**t show that turned out to be!
#24
When you're in your 20s, especially late 20s, and think "yeah, me and my friends, we pretty much have it figured out."
You don't, like just trust me. You f*****g don't, and as a guy about to turn 40, I laugh at how comically naive me and my friends were at that age. Even as fairly progressive and open minded people, we didn't know s**t.
Old heads would try to tell me this at that time and I'd dismiss it, because I'm special and know better. I wish I could powder my hand, slap the f**k out of 27 year old me, and convince him to just listen.
Grant Johnson 1 year ago
At 65 y.o. I can confirm that you will be constantly embarrassed looking back at your younger selves. The truth is that you will never figure it out, so just relax!
#26
Giving a s**t about what others think of you.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Well when we a young the sex drive is strong so we have to be aware of how attractive we are to get a mate. It is why so many people let themselves go to pot after they get married. They think now that they caught their partner for life, there is no need to be healthy and attractive anymore.
#27
Any f*****g connotation between the stars and planets and how you act as a human being: whether it’s horoscopes, Mercury retrograde, a full moon, or Unicron.
If you have to use some intergalactic nonsense to explain your attitude, you’re probably just being a s****y person.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
There was a time in my life when the stars were linked with my mood. But fortunately that damned boring astronomy class only lasted a semester.
#28
Promises an employer makes.
tracy black 1 year ago
so true i was offered a better paying job not much better but some i told em i would only work day shifts they said no problem ( i had heard stories ) i said okay i need it in writing that i get only day shifts they were like uhhh well its days during trainging but after it could change i noped outta there .
#29
Health insurance and their endless shenanigans.
Beth Wheeler 1 year ago
That depends on the insurance company and the actual policy. Each Insurance company has so many different policies it's crazy. Luckily I have a cousin that I can call and ask questions a lot easier than I can talk to my insurance agent.
#30
The customer is always right, you can achieve anything by working hard, and everyone is born equal.
#31
"Nobody wants to work anymore". No, workers just want fair treatment and fair pay.
#32
That you can do anything you set your mind to. You can be anything you want to be. If you try hard enough you will succeed.
All b******t. You can try hard at anything and fail. You have to have reasonable goals, not impossible ones.
#34
Organized Religion. There is no difference between David Koresh and the Catholic church except scale.
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
I'm less concerned with the Catholic sect than I am with the ones outside the major ones(Catholic, Lutheran Methodist, etc). Some of those folks ain't right, and will feel it's perfectly acceptable to judge, demean, and otherwise do exactly the opposite of what the Book instructs.
#35
Anything labeled paranormal or supernatural, specifically ghosts.
None of it is real. Everything has an explanation, even when we don't have one. The default position is not magic.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
But how did that magician get the motorcycle from the stage up to the balcony in a split second on that TV show?
#36
College degree will not guarantee you anything. Especially with AI taking over so much. I'm glad I chose an HVAC career.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
The world has a shortage of trades workers. This is one area where people really do not want to work as it requires physical effort. Most young people want to sit in front of a computer and expect make a million dollars a year like that.
#37
Anxiety is a normal feeling not a sign of mental illness.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Some anxiety is normal. As long as it is a Yin-Yang cycle though it state of mind, you are healthy. But when the anxiety is a recurring problem or a chronic problem, that is time to get help.
#38
The world is going to end in 5 years.
I've been hearing that s**t for 40 years.
#39
High Fructose Corn Syrup.
#41
My 10 year old needs a cell phone because of how dangerous times are “now”.
Grant Johnson 1 year ago
One of the biggest lies is the stranger danger bs. I'm not sure who benefits from the idea that the world is so dangerous, but really it's not and the helicoptering is ruining entire generations.
#42
That you don’t have a significant influence on your life and destiny. You do. Make good decisions every day - relationship, family, job, financial, d***s and alcohol, exercise. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to make good decisions most of the time. Doing so greatly influences the likelihood that you will have strong relationships, feel healthier mentally and physically, live longer and live better, and be more financially secure. Don’t let anyone convince you that your effort is a waste. Your effort can make all the difference.
#43
CPR on television shows. Your grandma didn’t have nice light chest compressions, her ribs were cracked, her brain was deprived of oxygen and she had needles stuck into her and lines drilled into her shin bones, Ventilator tubes shoved down her trachea while she coded. CPR and resuscitation does nothing to fix the problem that caused your loved ones heart to stop. It just prolongs it when families say “they want everything done” for little ol grandma who already has stage four cancer or kidney disease or heart failure.
If you are young and in a relative good health prior to coding than being full code is a good option for you but the little elderly people who do not have good quality of life who code and we are forced to do these things to them because of their family is 100% b******t.
There are worse things than death. Everybody should speak to their families and have advanced directives on file for end of life measures.
geezeronthehill 1 year ago
That is the choice my late wife made. She was able to die at home in peace.
#44
“Lifelong friends”. Most friendships are situational, even those that are decades-long. A friend of 35 years viciously turned on me this spring bc I couldn’t travel 6 hours for an impromptu reception she threw. I still can’t believe it. People turn on you. Be prepared.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Friends I had in my 20's who I thought were loving, compassionate, intelligent people became Rush Limbaugh ditto heads and suddenly started hating anyone non white and liberal minded.
#45
That we should respect our elders. Um, no; many people, who are older than me, have been complete s**t people. Respect is earned (or not), based on the human being you are.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
Perhaps respect in the sense on drawing on their experience. Some older people can serve as teachers, others as warnings. Both are instructive and often useful.
#46
Online dating sites. massive scams imo. it amazes me how the younger generation expects this/these to work. it's really just another form of social media, only more toxic because it more or less allows/encourages people to rate each other sight-unseen.
i'm a bartender of over 20 years, and i see these dates/meet-ups all the time. 99% of them are horribly awkward and don't work out. it's obvious from the first 5 minutes. what a waste of time and resources when those same two could just cut out the middleman and the time being anxious, come to the bar, and probably experience a much better result that would occur naturally.
i wish younger people would understand that just putting yourself in social situations outdoes tinder 99/100 times. even if (especially if!) you're an awkward person. just get out there and be you. there's a match out there for you, and chances are, they aren't at home on their computer.
edit: the reading comprehension (or lack there of) here is blowing my mind. just because i am a bartender doesn't mean i'm recommending bars as a place to meet other people. they work great for some and not for others. i specifically said "social situations" to avoid the typical reddit blowback on bar culture. and yet, here we are...
keyboardtek 1 year ago
A better result that would work naturally? Nothing natural about trying to meet compatible people in a bar. One meets mostly alcoholics in bars. You still have to weed through a ton of incompatible people to find anyone with similar interests. Better to join clubs or do group activities that you enjoy where you can meet people enjoying that same activity. Enjoy doing yoga? Take a class and meet others who enjoy yoga.
#47
That you can handle the poison of your choice (alcohol, dope, smoking, gambling, etc). Even if you feel in control for 20+ years, in then end it will consume you.
Robin DJW 1 year ago
I have done all those things at one time or another, but never to excess (except smoking, which I quit 20 years ago). All activities that result in stimulus to pleasure centers can become addictions. These things vary in the strength of the hooks, but can still be resisted successfully.
#48
"older generations this, newer generations that"
Humans have barely changed for millenia. Teenagers 3000 years ago ain't that different than now and older people now aren't that different to what younger people will be 60 years from now.
Children aren't smarter these days. They aren't more disrespectful either.
Any phrase where someone says "in my times" or "in your times", is probably BS unless its about technology.
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
Push back here..when asked why the students in these current times are so difficult, the teacher I was talking with said "Covid and smartphones, in that order, no rails". School was ended half way through the year, with no real plan what to do. Yeah, we had remote learning with expectations, but otherwise they were left to their own devices especially if the parent(s) were "essential".
What do you think ?
Jeanne 1 year ago
I’d like to add: animal breeders. All of them. They want your money and add greatly to our pet overpopulation problem. Millions die in shelters yearly, because there aren’t enough homes. They want you to think that their dogs or cats are somehow better, prettier, healthier, but it’s not true. All breeds (there’s no shortage), ages, personalities can be found on petfinder.com. And the senior pets are overlooked, so please save them too.
CanadianDimes 1 year ago
I really want to get a corgi but for £3000 just to buy one? No. Thanks. I love them but that is not even remotely worth it
Load More Replies... Jeanne 1 year ago
I’d like to add: animal breeders. All of them. They want your money and add greatly to our pet overpopulation problem. Millions die in shelters yearly, because there aren’t enough homes. They want you to think that their dogs or cats are somehow better, prettier, healthier, but it’s not true. All breeds (there’s no shortage), ages, personalities can be found on petfinder.com. And the senior pets are overlooked, so please save them too.
CanadianDimes 1 year ago
I really want to get a corgi but for £3000 just to buy one? No. Thanks. I love them but that is not even remotely worth it
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