Skateboarding for hours on end after school, roaming around the mall with friends despite having no money to shop, working your first job at a coffee shop and feeling invincible through it all. Being a teenager was an incredibly special experience, but at the time, many of us were fixated on fantasizing about the future. When I grow up, I’ll be able to stay out as late as I want!
The realities of being an adult often hit us like a ton of bricks, though. Suddenly, bills seem endless, and you realize that groceries don’t magically appear in your fridge. To help prepare teens for “the real world,” Redditors have been sharing some of the most important things young people should understand. So below, you’ll find some hard truths and sage advice that your teenage self may have benefited from hearing, as well as a conversation with Daniel Friedman of Modern Teen.
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#1
It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life. — Captain Jean-Luc Picard
© Photo: iroh-42
#2
You are better off being the naive idiot who’s always nice even to mean people than to be mean to nice people.
© Photo: papparmane
#3
During high-school learning how to learn is more important than anything you’re actually learning.
© Photo: BittersweetHumanity
To learn more about what teens should learn before entering “the real world,” we reached out to Daniel Friedman, the Founder of Modern Teen, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. When it comes to the top things Daniel thinks teens should understand before becoming adults, he shared, “Not everything is as black and white as it seems. Try to understand both sides of any situation and formulate your own opinion before choosing a side.”
“Working on yourself only gets harder as you get older, so don’t stop taking care of your mind and body,” he continued. “Building good habits is one of the most important things you can do before you enter the real world as an adult, and getting rid of bad habits is equally as powerful.”
#4
Life never “settles down”. If something is important to you then you should get to it ASAP.
© Photo: ThunderClap_Fween
#5
Don’t worry about not having the respect of people you don’t respect.
© Photo: papparmane
#6
Friendships take maintenance.
© Photo: Designed_To_Flail
Daniel also shared some advice his teenage self could have benefited from hearing. “Talk to more people and work on your confidence. I closed myself off too much as a teen, and I could’ve been even more confident as a person today if I just opened up a little more to people,” he told Bored Panda.
We were also curious about what the best parts of being a teen are and what they should be sure to take advantage of while they can. “As a teenager, you’re still surrounded by the same people everyday – and that’s a good thing because you have the chance to build some great connections with others, while being more mature than a young kid,” Daniel noted. “But you have to learn to not rely on your phone and social media all the time because real life will become less interesting the more you use it.”
#7
You can work hard and do all the right things and it doesn’t guarantee success. You can be the kindest, best person for others, and they can still betray you. But that doesn’t mean you should not be kind and work hard.
#8
You know how sometimes you think to yourself “when I’m an adult and have my own place I’ll be able to do whatever I want”? Make sure whatever you want includes doing the dishes
© Photo: GlassPeepo
#9
PEOPLE LIE. Just because they’re an adult doesn’t mean they always tell the truth.
© Photo: Tr33mari3
Finally, Daniel added, “Practice discipline and focus on your independence as early as possible. The earlier you can do that, the easier the transition into adulthood will be. Best of luck!”
If you’re a teen who’d like to hear more words of wisdom, or you have a teen who might appreciate the insight on Daniel’s site, be sure to visit Modern Teen right here!
#10
Document everything with your landlord. Keep texts, receipts, no oral agreements, and follow everything to the tenancy laws.
#11
You are the main character in your story but You are not even an afterthought to 7 billion people. Edit: 8 billion people, [darn]!
© Photo: catdaddy-07
#12
Comparison is the thief of joy
© Photo: Roskatey
#13
That sometimes you’ll only have yourself to rely on
© Photo: Appropriate_Tea9048
#14
For better or for worse, confidence opens as many doors as competence.
© Photo: EulersStolenIdentity
#15
If you dont plan your own b-day parties you wont have b-day parties. Friends planing something for you are super rare. Its not like on tv. You have to make an effort to have a social life. You ll have to work to have a good life and you ll be tired like you never have been before. It will make having fun and going out harder. Enjoy being a teenager as long as you can. But dont try to fight becoming an adult, because it will just get harder and harder.
© Photo: GemueseBeerchen
#16
Everything is expensive when you move out
© Photo: azmetrex
#17
There is a huge chance the people you call your closest friends now, wont be in your life in the upcoming years.
© Photo: Flbudskis
#18
It’s okay to make mistakes but learn from your mistakes and move on.
#19
No one owes you s**t. Realizing this is what pushed me into being successful after being a jerkoff student all through school.
© Photo: barkofthetrees
#20
Nobody really knows what they’re doing
© Photo: RealZeusWolf
#21
Get a good mattress, the best for as much as you can afford. Brush your teeth. SAVE MONEY Exercise, eat well. (Don’t deny yourself eating c**p) just do it proportionally. Make your bed every morning. People are a******s. (You find out the ones that aren’t, keep them close) Don’t try and please everyone. Don’t take anything to heart, even from loved ones, you’re your own person. Know what to believe and appreciate. Don’t get cheap toilet paper Don’t get cheap washing up liquid Learn how to change wheels on a car, bike etc. Learn how to replace car bulbs, basic checks, how to use jump leads. Learn to sew, to mend clothing. SAVE MONEY don’t get the ‘best’ of everything, get what you can afford without getting yourself into debt. Learn to cook. Learn to relax Learn to clean Look after your body. Drink water. SAVE MONEY.
#22
Having a goal and a plan in life doesn’t automatically mean it’s going to work out, especially if you don’t come from money. It’s okay to fail. This world is kinda f****d up, and it’s not always your fault.
© Photo: User
#23
Your job sees you as replaceable. Look out for yourself and your family. Your job is not everything but it will feel like it is, make sure that if you don’t like where you are that you change it. Don’t be miserable at a job because it pays well
© Photo: jo1336
#24
Society owes you nothing, and the universe is indifferent.
© Photo: ReedBalzac
#25
The ones that’ll hurt you most are those closest to you.
© Photo: bran094
#26
The World does not revolve around you.
© Photo: WOT247
#27
You are responsible for everything you do , and you will be held accountable. Enjoy your youth til 16 , because after that the kid gloves come off
© Photo: Western-Monk-8551
#28
No life plan survives contact with the real world. We’re all basically just winging it.
- You Might Also Like: 43 Stupid Signs That Hilariously Fail To Get The Point Across
© Photo: go_zarian
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