Age before beauty is a pretty old saying, old enough to go ahead of beauty itself if you will, but it’s a bit of wisdom that is perhaps too often overlooked. The truth is, we have a lot we can learn from older folks if we actually sit down and listen.

Someone asked “Older people of Reddit: What ISN’T BS? What’s absolutely worth leaning into?” and aged netizens gave their best answers. So perhaps take at least a few notes, it might save you some pain down the road. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorite suggestions, and comment your own ideas below. 

#1

Regular exercise is hugely important for quality of life. The older you get the stronger the effect. Lack of exercise ages like nothing else.

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#2

Stretching. The answer is abso-f*****g-lutly stretching… and water.

Image credits: thomasque72

#3

Avoid debt. Very few things are worth going into debt for.

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#4

You meet very few people in your life you *actually* really connect with. Make sure you keep in touch with them.

Image credits: Embarrassed_Bar_1215

#5

A healthy diet and exercise because it is easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape, keep learning because the world keeps changing, find an inexpensive hobby . Learn how money works, make and continue to refine a budget and live within your means, save money. I have never heard in all of my years on this planet someone say ” I’m way too healthy”, “I wish I didn’t put all that money into diversified investments when I was young”, or” I am too well informed and knowledgeable”.

Image credits: wageslave2022

#6

Staying active in retirement…both physically and socially. You retire and sit…you die.

Image credits: GoHerd1984

#7

Flossing

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#8

Taking care of your damn knees. Trust me on this.

Image credits: BlackEagle0013

#9

Kindness, understanding and empathy.

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#10

Travel, one day you will reflect on your life experiences and remember the highs and lows! I can guarantee you that travelling, experiencing different cultures, food and sights will be primarily your highs and a life worth lived!

Oh and wear sunscreen!

Image credits: Gent2022

#11

Taking care of your skin!

Image credits: psyche-ataraxia

#12

Everyone is interesting. No matter who you are or what you do. Approach people that way. Be curious about the lives and trajectories and stories of other people.

Image credits: Flatrock123

#13

The problem is…you think you have time.

Life is very short. When you’re young and the days and years seem long, you think life will last forever. That is a trick. You cannot buy more time. Stop wasting it on c**p like being on your phone, arguing over piddly things, being hateful or angry. You’re wasting your precious time, and none of that matters in the end.

Learn to let go of the BS and be grateful for your time.

Image credits: PinkOutLoud

#14

Look after your teeth.

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#15

Goddamn it, wear earplugs at loud events, and be aware of your headphone volume. Hearing aids are expensive, and insurance does not cover them.

Image credits: Toasterband

#16

Learn how to be wrong. Understand that what you thought you knew yesterday May in fact be incorrect when presented with new facts, and that changing your position based on new facts is a sign of intelligence and maturity.

#17

Therapy. We’re all carrying around a ton of baggage and so many of us are trying to silently slog through life with it. Therapy literally saved my life. It will be a permanent fixture in my life until I’m in the dirt. The only thing I regret about it is that I didn’t start earlier.

Image credits: StuffToday

#18

Investing for retirement. Start early even if you think you can’t afford to

#19

Management isn’t for everyone… know when to stop climbing the corporate ladder.

#20

Live below your means.

Image credits: Princess_Jade1974

#21

The best day to plant a fruit tree was years ago, but the next best time to plant one is today.

Image credits: dougramz

#22

Just remember, if someone offers you a breath mint, take it!

Image credits: bigb1084

#23

Work smarter not harder.

Call your grandma

Be the person your dog thinks you are.

Image credits: Disastrous-Aspect569

#24

Not sure if it’s been said already, but the only people who remember the extra overtime you worked, missed birthdays, or weekends aren’t your company, coworkers or bosses. It’s your family, and pets they remember you weren’t there.

#25

Work to live, dont live to work.

#26

Making friends with your neighbours – if possible!

#27

Don’t allow toxic people in your personal life.

You get to choose, and if you let them they will wreck your mental health.

No one deserves that.

#28

Lessons. I was too proud/arrogant to take BASIC lessons on things I wanted to learn: guitar, drums, snowboarding…etc. By the time i hacked out my own knowledge of these things I had to UNLEARN my self taught wrongs before learning the right way.

#29

Tech. Tech is the future. Get into it as much as you can.

#30

Those boring things old people like? Going for a walk, reading a good book, cups of tea with friends, doing a bit of gardening?
Get into that.

#31

The effort that you make to better yourself and your life between the ages of 18 and 25 will be reflected in the quality of your life after you turn 40.

Image credits: OkieBobbie

#32

Work for your self even if you are employed by someone else. Do stuff because it needs needs done not because someone told

Image credits: linux_user_13

#33

Education.

If you do a search for “education” all you ever hear is how lousy the system is. Who cares. Do whatever you can to educate yourself. It doesn’t even matter whether you get good grades or not. Just learn stuff. Read books. Knowing how to do something is always better than not knowing anything about it. Even Latin and Trigonometry.

“Only the educated are free” –Epictetus

#34

SKILLS, the world can take anything from you but not your skills, and they will keep you in high spirits… be whatever it is, if you train to be better at your skills everyday, money and happiness will become consequences of your skills… maybe you want to make your life a legacy and leave something to the world, well you need skills… maybe you don’t care about anything and just want to be left alone in your house until you die, well to maintain a sane state of mind you will need skills to dive in… your skills give meaning to your life and the feeling of getting better at something is the ultimate pleasure, prove me wrong if you can.

#35

The ability to identify and authentically experience your emotions without letting them control your life. Whether through prayer, meditation, journaling, therapy—whatever works for you. I truly believe that we could solve most of the world’s problems if we invested in good mental health.

#36

Not every old person is dumb or senile

#37

Slow down and take life in increments. You don’t have to do everything immediately and quickly.

Relationships with family, friends, and your love are the most important things.

Take vacations.

#38

Raising children. It is easily the best thing that will ever happen to me. It’s not possible to adequately describe how much I love and enjoy my kids.

#39

If you’re not happy, get happy. You can’t control your emotions, but you can control your behaviors. Behave yourself into happy thinking. The mind is not as easily controlled as the body. Life’s short. Don’t spend it being miserable. Don’t worry about everyone else’s piece of the pie. You must accept your slice, and if you want more, you need to work for it; not complain about it.

#40

Boomers may have a different theory, but here I am as Gen X.
Resilience is key. The world is going to f**k with you, but you need to be stronger, smarter, funnier to survive.

It isn’t about winning, but about surviving. Seriously, what do you take with you? And if you leave it all to whiny a******s, did you really win?

Please leave this s**t better than you found it! Give some money to charity, give time to a cause. We didn’t fight in a war. There is no excuse.

I certainly hope every Gen Xer raised their kid to be tolerant about race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, etc. If not, you aren’t dead yet! Get to work!

#41

– Read books regularly – keep the mind sharp
– The power of compound interest – earn money the lazy way
– The golden rule – I’ve found putting others before you gets you good karma
– Walk or bike instead of drive when possible – Simple way to exercise and save gas
– Learn Excel – a very simple tool that not every one is good at

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