In the wise words of Taylor Swift, “How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?” We’re constantly learning new things as we age, but not every lesson needs to be learned through making mistakes. Sometimes, it’s best to just take sage advice from our elders.

Redditors over the age of 50 have recently been sharing words of wisdom that might enrich the lives of younger people, so we’ve gathered some of their best insights down below. Whether you’re 17 or 67, there might be something on this list you need to hear too, pandas. So enjoy reading through, and be sure to upvote the life lessons you wish you had learned sooner.

#1

Marriage/relationships should be fun, and happy. Life is hard, things get tough. Find someone that makes the tough times easier, not harder.

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#2

Unless you don’t mind hearing EEEEEEEEEEEE like all the time day and night, use hearing protection in loud situations. Tinnitus is a b***h.

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#3

Nobody else ever thinks about the things you did that you think were embarrassing or cringeworthy. You are not important to them. The only one who remembers those moments are you, and you shouldn’t let them define you to yourself.

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#4

Everybody f***s up, it’s what you do after that matters.

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#5

Take care of your body. Exercise, keep your weight reasonable, and keep the “bad habits” in moderation. It really does make a difference later in life.

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#6

Inheritance is not a retirement plan.

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#7

If you die, your employer will have your job posted before you are buried. Remember that on when making work/life choices.

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#8

Not everything that you disagree with deserves an argument. Pick your battles and let trivial things slide.

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#9

You might not want kids or be able to have kids, and that’s okay. Never let anyone tell you you’re making a mistake or will have regrets if you choose not to have a baby.

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#10

The habits you get into during your 20’s & 30’s are going to be damn near impossible to change. Make those habits good ones.

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#11

Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing your looks, whether your successful, or your happiness to anybody else’s.

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#12

I heard a saying once that has proven to be very true. When you’re young you constantly worry about what everyone else thinks of you. When you’re an adult, you stop worrying about what everyone else thinks of you. And when you’re old, you finally realize that nobody else was thinking about you all along.

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#13

I’d say invest in your health by regularly exercising.

My wife got me into running when we were in our twenties, and it has been a big part of our lives ever since (I’m 63). Nothing crazy, no marathons, we don’t time ourselves or follow a strict training plan, we just pick a route, go at our own pace and have fun. We still go 3-4 miles, 3-4x per week.

I also started working out at the gym 3x a week with free weights in my 30s, and have been doing it ever since. I’m no Schwarzenegger, believe me, but I can still work around the house, move furniture, shovel snow and have fun tossing a ball around with the kids without injuring or exhausting myself.

Between aerobic fitness and the weights, I’ve been able to stay remarkably healthy my entire adult life, knock on wood. It’s also been great for my mental health and managing stress.

You don’t have to go nuts and set unreasonably strict requirements for exercise goals or diet that a normal person can’t possibly maintain – just do the best you can, make exercising a few times per week a habit, eat a reasonable diet (avoid fried stuff, eat fruit and veggies, lay off the sweets), and 40 years later you’ll really thank yourself, believe me!

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#14

Wear sunscreen! When I look at my 50-year-old upper chest (frequently exposed to the sun in my youth) compared to my 50-year-old belly (which has always been clothed and covered because I have never liked two-piece swimsuits), I can’t believe the difference.

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#15

*Every* skill takes determined practice to master.

I see my young friends/relatives try, and give up on so many things because “they weren’t very good at it”. If you keep doing that, you’ll never be very good at anything.

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#16

The right person will bring out the best version of yourself. If you find yourself shrinking around them, compromising your values, or trying to be someone you’re not, it’s not the right person.

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#17

Reading for pleasure.

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#18

Stop thinking you life is about been the most productive person you can be. Find interesting hobbies that make you feel good and are good for you. Your soul deserves to experience some of your own dreams, don’t waste all of your time working towards the dreams of your companies owners.

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#19

1. It’s usually not about you. 2. Sleep is incredibly important. 3. The most important conversations you have will be with yourself. Monitor your self talk and speak positively, kindly and respectfully to yourself. 4. Sleep is incredibly important.

#20

Lots of people will tell you what they think about you and what you should do, and what you shouldn’t do. Not everyone’s thoughts are worth consideration. Don’t take criticism from anyone who you wouldn’t also go to for advice.

#21

Everything you post on the internet is there forever and could come back one day to haunt you. Be careful what you post.

#22

If there was abuse in your childhood of any kind and no one helped, get help now. If you can’t afford therapy use online resource, they’re not the best, but still helpful. Don’t have your own children until you’re sure you won’t repeat the cycle.

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#23

Being impulsive is the best way to ruin your life. So work hard on not making impulsive decisions based on the emotions of the moment.

#24

60 year old checking in.

You can greatly improve your mental health.

I have been involved in men’s groups for over 20 years. I have done counselling, therapy, 12 step programs and even hypnotherapy. I tried meditation but was consistent.

I am having so much fun with my life right now because I spent 30 years cleaning up the damage done by my dysfunctional family and the school system.

If you aren’t happy with the your life, take action to change your mental health.

#25

You don’t feel 50 when you’re 50. I feel 27 or 28. Change happens slowly so you don’t always notice it.

#26

Get off social media or spend less time on it. Even if you don’t quit social media entirely, consider taking it off your mobile devices. Too much time spent on these platforms destroys your attention span and misrepresents how ‘awesome’ other’s lives are. It does no good.

#27

Live your life while you have energy and fewer committments. And even when things aren’t stellar, it is all life experiences and usually a nugget among the s**t.

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#28

My advice is just to generally stop thinking life is going to go a certain way and try to be more open-minded to how your life may unfold. I never could have dreamt up my life as it is now, but it’s so much more ‘me’ than the path I was on.

#29

Go for experiences and not things.

#30

Honesty is the most powerful tool you can use to define yourself. Admit your mistake, frankly and honestly. The truth always comes out in the end no matter how big or small and it doesn’t get better with age. You can give back something you steal and you can help those you hurt, but once someone brands you a liar, it’s all you will ever be.

#31

Debt can really ruin your life. If you want to take on a lot of it, make sure you have a good plan and run it by a lot of smart people first.

#32

Being thin is not the end all, be all. Eat the piece of pizza and order the dessert. I wasted so much of my late teens and early twenties obsessing over my weight and caloric intake. And the thinner I got, the more I hated myself.

#33

Never stop learning. Not just about academic topics, but about the world. Take non-binary gender identities. It is NOT for us to declare that “silly”, or “made up”. Instead, listen, and learn. Just because a concept is new to you, doesn’t make it nonsense. Not least because, as I quickly discovered during a wikipedia trip, the idea has existed for thousands of years, just not in the West.

#34

There’s a difference between healthy skepticism and self-congratulatory cycnicism.

#35

Time. You think you have plenty of time when you’re young, but you actually don’t. All of us 50+ were your age once, and it feels like yesterday.

Don’t wait to do the things you dream of, or put things off for when you get older. That just leads to regret and “what could have been” reflection as you age.

#36

Stop with the “your attitude determines my response” and just be yourself. You don’t need to reflect back at everyone. You’re not a mirror.

#37

With the notable exceptions of actual competitions, humans are not in regular competition with each other. It doesn’t matter who looks better, dresses, better, eats better, travels better or lives better. We can both have good lives and be positive and kind to each other without losing anything. Be happy and celebrate other people’s successes.

#38

Floss and take care of your teeth.

Invest as much money as you can when you are young and enjoy the compound interest!

Get off your phone for long periods of the day.

#39

When you’re 25, you look back at your 15-year-old self and think, “Man, I sure was foolish back then.” And you assume you’ve stopped being foolish now that you have reached your final, mature form.

Nope. When you’re 35, you will look back at your 25-year-old self and think the same thing. Same at 45 and 55.

Embrace this with humility, accept that some of your beliefs about yourself and about the world are probably wrong, and treat it as an opportunity to keep learning and growing.

#40

Almost every day someone vents that they are loosers because didn’t achieve great things at the astounishing age of 20~23… I’m 54 and believe that I can do lots of things in the next 20 years, so, Young people could imagine they got a time travel when they are at 50’s, going back to 25. What changes would you do? These kids have 3~5 years to decide…

#41

Travel.

Do it now. Before the stresses of later life limit you to short scheduled holidays around your kids’ school breaks.

Also do it now, while your body will allow you to travel cheap. Fly coach, sleep on overnight trains, take rickety old buses full of people and livestock, stay in cheap hostels – all those things take a toll on a 50-year-old body. But they are some of my most memorable experiences of being 20-22.

#42

Learn to let it go.

Don’t watch too much MSM. Don’t hold grudges. Don’t get pissed in traffic. Don’t feel the need to correct the dipshits. Don’t stress about the weather. Don’t go to bed angry with your spouse. Just let it go.

#43

Work hard at your job but also keep your ear open to other fields or jobs that can offer a better future. Success takes time, lots of time. Make sure that you see a path to a comfortable future.

#44

Fear of the future makes you ignore the present, causing you to make errors now that you will regret doing in the past. If you pay attention to the right now (mindfulness, basically), you don’t make as many errors, hence you regret the past less, and no longer fear the future. Break the cycle.

#45

If you think you know what somebody else is thinking, you don’t. That’s just projection.

#46

You’ll be forgotten in 4-5 generations, get over yourself.

#47

Be kind to yourself and others. Don’t get romantically involved with someone if you think they need to change, but be ready to grow with them. Don’t waste time or money on status things.

#48

Don’t feel obligated to produce grand children

It’s ok to not want kids. You don’t *have* to have them

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