ADVERTISEMENT

One of the wise people of antiquity once said that everyday experience is a collection of mistakes accumulated by a person throughout their life. A person learns from some mistakes, some they simply try not to repeat, and some of these mistakes they alas repeat all throughout their life.

Recently, the so-called "Letters to Myself" genre has been very popular on the internet, where famous and not-so-famous people describe different mistakes they made at a young age and tell what they would do differently taking into account the knowledge that they have now. Unfortunately, in one's teen years, it is difficult to believe and accept some of the life facts that seem so obvious later.

A few days ago, a question was asked in the AskReddit community directly on this topic: "What are teens today not ready to hear?" As of today, the resulting thread has about 44.2K upvotes and over 26.7K various comments, where people in adulthood and older tell which life lessons the youth should definitely learn.

Yes, the thread looks a bit boomerish, but the ancients didn't say in vain: "Forewarned is forearmed." Bored Panda has put together a list of the most popular comments from the original thread for you, so please feel free to scroll to the very end, mark the submissions you like the most and of course share your own life lessons in the comments.

More info: Reddit

#1

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Being controversial isn't the same as being interesting.

HezFez238 , cottonbro Report

#2

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Playing music on your speakers in public areas makes you look like a complete douchebag. Nobody likes it but you.

acid_bear_boy , Budgeron Bach Report

Add photo comments
POST
jabonner avatar
Frando Bone
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And talking on your phone on speaker in public falls in the same category.

sonjahackel avatar
sturmwesen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have 30-60 year olds playing their "music" loud in public. This is not an age but and consideration (?) issue.

andreavilarmelego avatar
Ozacoter
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel that before perhaps it was an age issue but for sure now i see a lot of old people with the sound on. I dont understand it. But then again my upstairs neighbor was just doing a extremely loud karaoke in her terrace...

Load More Replies...
abigailrose_1 avatar
Wysteria_Rose
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And having your car's speakers so loud that you can be heard from a mile away, ESPECIALLY in neighborhood/complex parking lots. We do not care what your car sound system sounds like or what you play on it. If I can hear it in my living room, I will hate you.

bobbygoodson avatar
Bobby
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a buddy that is a cop and this one of his biggest pet peeves. Your base loud enough to rattle his windows? Your getting pulled over and ticketed. And he makes sure to show up for every court date so they can't get out of it

Load More Replies...
lewmew avatar
The girl who wore glasses
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Add to that the bass line that makes your car bounce is not what everyone else wants to hear.

anitaray avatar
Anita Ray
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish this was just teenagers! I see people of all ages doing this and talking on speaker phone.

glowingsun2002 avatar
BadCat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I swear people do this on purpose just to p**s people off.

alexfreetime avatar
Alex Freetime
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So true, no one is thinking "oh my, he/she has great taste in music!"

confred78 avatar
Marlowe Fitzpatrik
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well ... not true for everyone. I had a kid drive past me on his bike, listening to "Godzilla". I was pretty tickled that this kid (about maybe... 12?) had such refined taste in music.

Load More Replies...
valica810 avatar
Valerie Mace
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then want to look at you crazy fir airing all their business

caa308132 avatar
Cheryl Skina
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Playing music so loud in your car that it vibrates the surrounding area by fifty feet or so is a complete douchebag thing to do, too. Especially after midnight.

lumberjack44 avatar
JL
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've noticed the louder the music coming out of a passing car, the worse it is.

patriciakersting avatar
PattyK
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But the people who do this don’t read Bored Panda, so they don’t know.

skinnyflony avatar
Flo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Would love to say that to all the assholes on the subway too but I don't want to get killed over it!

rileyhquinn avatar
Riley Quinn
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Humans like their 3-feet of personal space. That includes unnecessary noise (i.e. honking your horn, speaker phones in public), which most of us find invasive.

lavendeer201 avatar
Lavendeer 201
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had an unplanned fire drill in my apartment building and as I was rushing out I grabbed my necessities like wallet, phone, and laptop. As I was outside there was a whole group of people that just brought their speakers and played the worst rap music I ever heard for the next HOUR as we waited outside.

fierythefaerie avatar
Courtney Fox
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Coming from the era of the record player and boom box era? Where they were carried around everywhere??

l_n_amm avatar
L.N.a mm
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Except on bicycles, scooters, etc., esp seniors. For safety reasons I give it a thumbs up.

synthwolfe avatar
Nathan Wolfe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true. I met my best friends when my headphones died and my music started playing out loud. Granted, that was a rarity. But even still, SOMEBODY else likes it.

jacbrown4444 avatar
Jack brown
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What about actually playing music in public? Like you and a guitar and maybe a friend or two singing along?

hermom504 avatar
WonderWoman
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

brianadae04 avatar
Briana Landers
Community Member
1 year ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I turn it down/pause it if I'm walking by others but goddamn it let me have the only thing that makes me not able to feel my legs hurting pleaseee! I don't wear headphones/earbuds bc they make me feel unsafe bc of my ADHD I can't just expand my attention like that, it's harder to hear what's going on around me. I try not to ever go past half volume unless I know I'm alone (like on a path or in the woods or on a back road) I know what this feels like on the annoying end tho. There was a kid at my school constantly blasting rap in the halls b4 I graduated and people video chat out loud all the time

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Just because you f****d up does NOT mean you’re a f**kup

Mr_Murder1 , Inzmam Khan Report

#5

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

SamuelLovesJazz , Olya Kobruseva Report

#6

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) In the adult world, getting into fights doesn’t make you look cool, it just makes you look stupid.

honest_owl101 , EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA Report

Add photo comments
POST
theaquarius1978 avatar
TheAquarius1978
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And always remember lol, no matter how much of a badass you think you are, there is always someone that is either more of a badass than you, or some One that might not be a badass but uses its head and it Will knock you the f**k out.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) To the ones who ride the public bus in my city, specifically: nobody else wants to hear whatever TikTok you’re watching. Buy some headphones.

EmiliusReturns , cottonbro Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#8

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) It's not your duty to judge others. Just take care of your own s**t.

SuvenPan , Salma Smida Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) You won't 'feel' different when you're older, or have kids. You'll just be you, it's weird.

Poshspicer , Eleanor Gwen Stewart Report

Add photo comments
POST
jogreen_1 avatar
Jo Gabriel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes!! I'm 51, but still feel like tgat awkward teenager, it's just that now, SOMEHOW, I've managed to hold down a respectable job since i graduated, and have a house and mortgage and husband and kids. I don't know how that happened! I'm still that nerdy kid! It's just, my knees hurt now.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#10

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) as much as you want to be unique, outspoken and be able to be you 100%, its just not that realistic.

as a queer poc millennial it took me a long time to learn that you gotta learn to pick your battles, read the room, and know that not every space is a space thats made for you.

ImGoingToSayOneThing , Elliott Brown Report

#11

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Putting every aspect of yourself online is unsafe. Nobody needs to know your list of triggers or your address or your blood type

flamespond , Tracy Le Blanc Report

Add photo comments
POST
theaquarius1978 avatar
TheAquarius1978
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing in my social media is relevant, my adress is wrong, my phone Number os wrong, i don't have any pictures of me or my family, my académic level is wrong and só is my job, you want to " know " who i am, meet me or PM me, my life is mine Alone and i only Share what i think its relevant in a certain context.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) The older you get the faster it goes.

_curiousplum , Arjan Richter Report

Add photo comments
POST
striepy avatar
Bubbles and sparks
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That sure is true, my dearest son got 30 last week and t feels like only a short time ;)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) One day you too will be old and uncool.

And it'll happen faster than you think.

omguserius , jennie-o Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#14

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Social media will give you too much of a superiority complex and hanging around people who enable you will f**k you up later in life.

SalemSuccubus , Tobias Dziuba Report

#15

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Just because it's new to you doesn't mean it's new.

Broad_Word_1690 , Lapponica Report

#16

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Not everybody can be an internet sensation, somebody has to drive the dump truck

Raggydasavage , SoulRider.222 Report

Add photo comments
POST
kathrynbaylis avatar
Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And driving a dump truck is steady work and steady pay. Trying to be an “influencer” is a huge risk that could turn out to be a total waste of time and money—-YOUR time and money.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) It is perfectly fine to not know something. It’s OKAY to not know! Stop shaming and bullying people because you learned about something before they did. Social media is not the real world and acting like it is will only make people not want to be around you.

EDIT: I am not talking about ignorance. I’m talking about laughing when people ask a question in class, the “How do you not know that?” crowd, the mocking of people into never asking another question out of fear of ridicule and humiliation.

kimjongk80 , Rui Fernandes Report

#18

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) You guys know how the attractive and wealthy kids at school seem to just get life handed to them on a silver platter?

Get used to it.

Thirty_Four , Ron Lach Report

Add photo comments
POST
jabonner avatar
Frando Bone
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep! Focus on you rather than putting energy into being angry because someone has it better than you do...because someone ALWAYS will have it better than you.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#19

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Jobs aren’t meant to always be fun/your dream, sometimes you have to work a job you hate to stay afloat.

RebelGage , Selena N. B. H. Report

Add photo comments
POST
theaquarius1978 avatar
TheAquarius1978
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And try them out i was a " puddle jumper " when it come to jobs, i tried a lot of stuff untill i finally found something i loved to do, and get ready to be shocked i love to work " retail "

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Social media is not reality and your entire life should not revolve around it.

RickGrimesSnotBubble , Pixabay Report

#22

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) School has a system in place to keep you from falling behind, life doesn’t

Corey854 , Allison Meier Report

#23

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) You need to learn the difference between normal teenage neuroses and mental illness.

AlterEdward , Alex Green Report

#24

You're not "mature for your age." Anyone who says that to justify wanting to be with you is a creep.

Sovereign-Over-All Report

#25

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) As you get older you just keep realizing how dumb you were last year.

Comparison_Past , smallcurio Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#26

10 years from now, no one will care about how many viewers you had on tiktok

whatdoweknoww Report

#27

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Today's eyebrows are yesterday's clown makeup and tomorrow's regret fodder

Lardinho , Aza Mather Report

Add photo comments
POST
sonjahackel avatar
sturmwesen
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok, hands up every woman that never dyed, plucked, permed or whatevered her brows? *up*

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Stop self-diagnosing yourselves with mental illnesses

connerbv , cottonbro Report

Add photo comments
POST
queenmab100 avatar
KDav
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Um, ok, but what about the kids who are literally barely hanging in there and no one is listening when they need help because they're being "dramatic" and "over-reacting"?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) You didn’t invent that style

Frequent-Throat-5499 , Garry Knight Report

#30

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) We adults are mostly just winging it, hopefully learning from the TONS of mistakes we make, but still winging it.

love2go , Austin Villages Report

Add photo comments
POST
mphalter avatar
Sans Serif
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When the nurses handed me my first child (as we left the hospital), I said "Are you serious?""

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#31

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Someone somewhere cares about you deeply and loves to see you to be happy

TGwanian , fabio.tsu Report

Add photo comments
POST
ngregory avatar
N Gregory
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which is important to remember considering that 99% of the world population couldn't give a c**p about you, or even know you exist. And that is not a bad thing.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Condoms are for stds too even tho there are other ways to avoid pregnancy.

mr_ribzeater , stu_spivack Report

Add photo comments
POST
cecilyholland avatar
Cecily Holland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Australia is having a Syphillis outbreak in under 25 s at the moment who don’t seem to know what they are for

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#33

In 15 years you’re going to think the kids have gone too far and they’re going to think you’re old-fashioned.

neat_machine Report

#34

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Everything you do as a teenager will be cringe to your children

divinetrackies , Skyler Ewing Report

#35

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) You're closer to being the "older" person in any given setting than you think. And by "old" I mean like 30. Got nieces and nephews just starting kindergarten? Haha. Blink and they're starting college.

samcahnruns , Dark Dwarf Report

#36

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) That heartache you're going through? It consumes everything now but it will be nothing but a footnote in the future. You'll rarely think about it later - & when you do, it won't hurt you.

It's hard to hear that your pain isn't the worst in the world when you're feeling it. But it does help to know that it won't mean as much as it does in this moment.

st3washere1 , Orin Zebest Report

Add photo comments
POST
sdaohrr avatar
Rod McCabe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At 54, I've had more than "my share of GF" but, unlike some, I've only had 2 heartbrakes. I remember them as if they were yesterday. Heartaches of other kinds, maybe you can mediate them to a soft roar but they're there.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#37

Viral Thread Has Adults Listing Various Things Modern-Day Teenagers Are Not Ready To Hear (40 Things) Things will likely take significantly longer to achieve than you think

Dull-College , Simon Harriyott Report

#38

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Cut back on the sugary s**t now. Take care of your teeth now. Start working out now. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, just be active.

Now is the time to get out and do a bunch of crazy s**t but at the same time remember that whatever you do now you pay for 20 years later somehow someway. And this can be taken in a good way or a bad way. Don’t want to take care of your teeth now? Have fun dropping $30,000 on your teeth like I had to.

Not exercising or eating right? Have fun with that quadruple bypass that my father just had. My girlfriend’s parents are older than my parents but because they do those things they haven’t had nearly as much hospital visits as my parents have. By comparison my parents are falling apart and they’re only in the 50s. My girlfriend’s parents are in their 70s and objectively are healthier. The big difference? Early in the morning, every morning those two are downstairs working out hitting the weights and machines for a solid hour or two.

Do you want to speed and act a damn fool on the road? Have fun when you have to pay for your own insurance and nobody wants to ensure you to drive a f*****g Honda Civic for no less than $350, like me.

Even my f*****g car, it was my dream car and it still is the car I would be driving today had just taken care of the goddamn thing. But no it started leaking oil and I didn’t keep up with it or take it in and now I have to drive a goddamn Civic when I used to drive a Lexus.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Ricky_Rollin Report

Add photo comments
POST
mphalter avatar
Sans Serif
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most often, being naturally proactive is a healthy approach to life. I have, however, encountered a number of people who have so "prevention'd" themselves out of their life experience that makes me sad. Be aware, cautious but... always curious...

View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

Not everyone needs to go to college. High school is probably the easiest thing you'll do.

newstuffsucks Report

Add photo comments
POST
kathrynbaylis avatar
Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Follow your particular talents instead of letting someone else dictate what you should do for a living. Were you always the kid who could take broken things apart, fix them, and put them back together? There are countless types of jobs where people do just that. Were you the kid who was always building stuff? There are jobs for that too. Same goes for every talent and ability a person could have. Just take a moment to think about it, and figure out what you’re really good at, then research the variety of jobs requiring it. If you’re a total whiz at math and want to have a career where all you do is math, but your parents want you to be a doctor, sit them down and outline just how important and respectable, as well as lucrative, your chosen career is. Could change their minds, and stop the pressure they’ve been putting on you to go to med school.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

Your metabolism won't last forever. Practice and develop healthy exercise and diet habits now before it gets harder and with more consequences later.

I'm just about to turn 30 in a couple weeks. I am 100 lbs heavier than I was in high school (to be fair I was super tall and skinny to the point of slightly underweight), and that's after losing 25 lbs since the start of July. I have high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. I am a father of a 2 year old that doesn't want to die in the 40-60 range. I also want to live as a good example to her.

Another 35 lbs and I'll reevaluate what my body type is like and reset my goals from there. That would be 240 lbs, which I was about 4 years ago...but it would also be a more muscular/trimmed 240. I'll determine where in the 210-240 range I want to end up and what my body and lifestyle will be like.

Running is still hard, but using the elliptical is easier on the knees than it was 25 lbs ago. I want to eventually be able to do the Broad Street Run (10 miles through Philadelphia) even though I hate running. If my knees don't like it, I'll do something else as an equivalent.

As an added bonus, my sex drive I think is improving but nowhere near what it was when I was in the 220-250 range. I don't think it's 100% related, but maybe it's more than 50%.

obi-jawn-kenobi Report

Note: this post originally had 47 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.