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Millennials nearing 40 are sharing their biggest mistakes so everyone can learn from them

Here are 21 of the most powerful responses.

via Pexels

Millennials are now old enough to seriously reflect on life.

It seems like only yesterday a millennial was a college kid that baby boomers chided for being entitled and Gen Xers thought were way too sincere and needed to learn how to take a joke. Today, the oldest millennials, those born around 1980, have hit their 40s and have lived long enough to have some serious regrets.

They also have enough experience to take some pride in decisions that, in hindsight, were the right moves.

The good news is that at 40 there is still plenty of time to learn from our successes and failures to set ourselves up for a great second half of life. These lessons are also valuable to the Gen Zers coming up who can avoid the pitfalls of the older generation.

A Reddit user who has since deleted their profile asked millennials nearing 40 “what were your biggest mistakes at this point in life?” and they received more than 2,200 responses. The biggest regrets these millennials have are being flippant about their health and not saving enough money when they were younger.

They also realized that the carefree days of youth are fleeting and impossible to get back. So they should have spent less time working and more time enjoying themselves. Many also lamented that they should have taken their education more seriously in their 20s so they have more opportunities now.

The responses to this thread are bittersweet. It's tough hearing people come to grips with their regrets but the realizations are also opportunities to grow. Hopefully, some younger people will read this thread and take the advice to heart.

Here are 21 of the most powerful responses to the question: “Millennials of Reddit now nearing your 40s, what were your biggest mistakes at this point in life?”

1.

"Not taking care of my hearing, not even 35 and going deaf." — Kusanagi8811

2.

"Not getting healthy earlier." — zombiearchivist

3.

"Staying too long at a job in my 20s, just because it was safe and easy. When I finally got the motivation to leave, ended up with an almost 50% pay boost." — Hrekires

4.

"Thinking that I could and should put myself on the back burner for anything and anyone else." — lenalilly227

5.

"Smoking and not dealing with my shit the right way." — Allenrw3

6.

"Pining after the wrong person." — runikepisteme

7.

"I turned 40 this year and just started liking who I am. Why the fuck did it take 40 years for self acceptance?" — guscallee

8.

"Take care of your fucking back. Lift with your knees. Sure it's rad when you grab a fridge by yourself and lift it in the back of a moving truck unaided, but one day that shit is going to have consequences that won't just magically go away by resting and "taking it easy" for a week." — GuyTallman

9.

"I wish I spent more time with my dad while I had the chance." — CharlieChooper

10.

"I'm 37. I absolutely could have taken better care of my body, but I'm in relatively good health. I'm starting to realize how important it is to maintain my health. I do also think I drank far too much in my 20 and early 30's. I'm trying to rectify that now, but it's hard. So that I guess." — dartastic

11.

"I'm not sure if people have experienced the same but when I entered my 30s I became convinced I was rapidly running out of time. Rather than using that as motivation I let it paralyze me with indecision because I "couldn't afford to make the wrong choice." Consequently, I'm now 39 and, though I've had great things happen in my 30s, I regret spending so much time worrying and so little time committing to a course of action." — tomwaste

12.

"Work to live, don’t live to work. You have half your working life after you turn 40 but only 20-25 years to really live it up before the responsibilities become heavy and your joints start to ache. Live life. Really LIVE it. Experience as much you can. Every sensation, sight, sound, touch. Be open. Be brave. Live your first few decades in the fast lane. You have the rest of your life to take it easy, when you have no choice." — MrDundee666

13.

"I should have paid more attention to my parents telling me to save money and less attention when they were teaching me about purity culture." — Arkie_MTB

14.

"If I could tell my 18 year old self one thing, it would be to save 10% of every paycheck I ever got." — PutAForkInHim

15.

"Thinking that I have time to do everything I want only to find myself loosing time, and the endless energy I used to have in order to purse them." — ezZiioFTW

16.

"Not wearing sunscreen." — blueboxreddress

17.

"Not recognizing the importance of work/life balance earlier in life. My late teens, all 20's, and early 30's were spent pulling 60-100+hr weeks because I thought it was what was required to succeed. How wrong I was. Others stabbed me in the back and reaped the reward.

1.) Putting work first for too long. Work is my #1 priority during work hours now. After quitting time, I don't think about it (much) anymore. I don't vent to my wife or friends about it anymore either.

2.) Investing more into fast cars than solid long-term investments. Sure, it was fun, but I could have made bookoos more had I put that towards less-fun investments.

3.) Not using PTO and just waiting for the payout. All those years, missed. I'm in my mid 30's and I didn't actually have a real vacation until 3 years ago.

4.) Not realizing that "the good guy" often loses. Just because you're morally justified doesn't mean you're going to win. Just because there's a number to call doesn't mean anyone will actually help you. Just because "law" exists, doesn't mean people follow it, enforce it, or create justice. The world is dog eat dog and cynicism can be healthy in moderate doses." — [Deleted]

18.

"When you get out of college, keep your friends. No matter how hard it is. Hold on to them." — mpssss22

19.

"I imagine these are kinda universal:

Not getting fit and healthy
Assuming I'd be offered proper guidance on how to achieve my goals
Assuming higher education would help me achieve my goals
Spending far too long caring what people think
Not taking risks that might better my life when I was younger and had nothing to lose
Staying in relationships too long after they were clearly done." — katapultperson

20.

"Always ask for more pay. Starting, yearly, before leaving, whatever. Get that money." — SensibleReply

21.

"Spending too much time in front of a screen and not enough enjoying life." — BellaPadella

This article originally appeared on 4.20.22

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millennials

Pop Culture

Millennials predict what other things they will witness in their lifetime

From AI therapists to widespread 4-day workweeks, the future holds so many possibilities.

Photo credit: Canva

Buckle up.

Millennials have witnessed a lot in their time. Some of these events have been positive, like a decrease in the gender pay gap, more LGBTQ rights and sweeping technological advancements that, despite their flaws, do provide unprecedented access to information and resources.

On the other hand, the slew of economic crises, pandemics, natural disasters and tragedies incited by gun violence make it easy to see why this group is labeled “the unluckiest generation.”

And since change continues at an ever increasing rate, who’s to say what life will look like in 50 or even 10 years time?

Recently, someone on Ask Reddit posed the question:

“Millennials, what do you think we're gonna possibly see in our lifetime?”

The general consensus was certainly a mixed bag. Below are some of the answers that stood out.

Many predicted massive, not-so-great shifts as a direct result of global warming and climate change.

global warming, climate change Photo of a forest firePhoto credit: Canva

Or as physicistdeluxe put it, “lots of heat and weird weather.”

“I live north of Seattle and have for all my life…Snow would stick around for a few days and we'd have multiple snow days. Now snow dumps once or twice, if that, and is gone by mid-day. Used to go camping before school started and we'd be able to have a campfire. Can't do that anymore as burn bans start in early July. Snow in the mountains all year round. Not anymore.” —Hungrypotato19

A911owner seconded:

“I live in the northeast; I'm convinced we're less than 10 years away from having our first winter where —-we don't get any snow. The last few years have seen very little and it melts quickly. “

Only a slightly brighter note, quite a few expected to see impactful medical advancements, especially thanks to gene therapy.

crispr, medical tech Finger pointing at futuristic medical hologramPhoto credit: Canva

Fulcrum87 anticipated a “cure for cystic fibrosis” in a couple of decades, while miss_kimba and others counted on “cancers and systemic diseases” being eliminated.

On the same front, UnluckyCustard8130 “guaranteed” that there would be an equal uptick in “designer” babies. While someone else theorized that “AI therapists” would become mainstream.

Meanwhile, someone else just hoped for “universal healthcare including dental 😭.”

Speaking of healthcare, PracticalCows (and others) stated that this generation would witness “our healthcare system collapsing when all the Baby Boomers need end of life care at the same time.”

“This will be what creates the final push for universal healthcare. The only generation who opposes it in large numbers will be the ones who need it most,” said BillionaireGhost.

Millennials agree that the future workplace will also likely continue to change at a rapid pace, and in a way that provides more work-life balance.

workplace, 4 day work week Photo of a group of coworkers with laptopsPhoto credit: Canva

“With luck, widespread adoption of the 4-day work week,” declared Certain-Mongoose6323.

As one commenter pointed out, “there's more benefits for both employee and employer than downsides, enough studies have proven it at this point. And just like with the five day work week, any company that doesn't follow suit will find their labor pool all going to their competitors.”

Especially as the 2024 election looms near, many millennials worry about the future of democracy as we know it.

democracy, 2024 election Group of protestorsPhoto credit: Canva

Jamanuh1776 went so far as to say we “might actually witness the fall of the American Empire.”

_idiot_kid_ added:

“As an American this thought is always in the back of my head. The USA is a really young nation. And it's doing many things completely wrong. When I'm old my birth country may no longer exist. That's a serious fear that I'm not sure older generations ever experienced.”

As far as the economy is concerned, folks are understandably wary.

economy, recession, housing crisis Man looking at graphPhoto credit: Canva

“I hope I see us all being able to relax, afford a decent house and get married if that’s what we want. I just want to wake up next to someone I like in my own home. I don’t know why this is suddenly some kind of fantasy akin to winning the lottery,” lamented enchiladasundae.

Meanwhile, Jahstin predicted Costco’s famous $1.50 hot dog combo might one day cost $2.

“This here is the scariest one,” one person joked. Honestly, with rising food prices, concern is warranted.

People also expected continued progress in society’s relationship to space travel.

space travel, space x Picture of a rocket in spacePhoto credit: Canva

Southern_Lead_1469 suggested that in 25-35 years space tourism would become “a real thing,” while BlinksTale quipped “The Mars landing will be neat.”

But again, it's not all gloom and doom. The conversation wasn’t without some signature millennial humor.

Match0311 hoped to see “Cereal bags that open and close like a Ziploc bag,” while another joked that “The 5th dentist will finally cave and they’ll all recommend Trident gum.”

“I'm looking forward to those personal assistant robots like in 'Fallout' where they do your laundry and dishes and occasionally kill you,” said nzodd, while Blitz-IMP just wants there to be a “Spice Girls reunion.”

Lastly, one person is holding out for a future where his wife “actually breaks down a cardboard box before throwing it in the recycling bin.” It’s important to hold onto our dreams, no matter how lofty.

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Pop Culture

How do you know someone is very smart? Here are 15 'subtle signs' people notice.

"You can understand both sides of an issue and still think one is wrong."

via Matthew Yohe/Wikimedia Commons

Steve Jobs shows off iPhone 4 at the 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference.

There is a big difference in how highly intelligent people communicate versus those with smaller IQs. A Redditor named Occyz wanted to know how people tell the difference by asking them to share the “subtle” signs that someone is very intelligent.

The question was a big hit on the forum, receiving over 3,700 responses.

A big takeaway is people think highly intelligent people are mentally flexible. They are always interested in learning more about a topic, open to changing their minds when they learn new information and acutely aware of what they don’t know.

In fact, according to the psychological principle known as the Dunning-Krueger effect, there is a big confidence chasm between highly intelligent people and those who are not. Low-IQ people often overestimate what they know about topics they need to familiarize themselves with. Conversely, people with high IQs underestimate their knowledge of subjects in which they are well-versed.

Here are 15 “subtle” signs that someone is highly intelligent.

1. They admit their mistakes

"When someone can admit a mistake and they know they don’t know everything."

2. Great problem-solvers

"They're very good at problem-solving. Even if it's something they have no experience with they always approach the problem from the right angle."

3. They appreciate nuance

"'I can hold two opposing ideas in my head at the same time.' Anyone who is willing to do that is intriguing to me. Especially with polarizing issues. They might actually be interesting to talk to."

4. They say 'I don't know'

"I like to call it being smart enough to know how stupid you are."

"100% this. I have a good friend who is a teaching professor at Cambridge. He is acutely aware of how ‘little’ he knows about areas outside his specialization."

5. They have self-doubt

"They struggle with imposter syndrome. Dumb people always think they’re [great]."

"It can happen but I’ve met plenty who don’t really doubt themselves. Instead, they take not knowing or not having any experience as an opportunity, just like people go down interesting internet rabbit holes. Really smart people can view mistakes as opportunities for growth and inexperience as an opportunity to gather new experiences."

The great American poet Charles Bukowski once wrote, “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts and the stupid ones are full of confidence,” and according to science, he’s correct.

“Ignorance is associated with exaggerated confidence in one’s abilities, whereas experts are unduly tentative about their performance,” Stephan Lewandowsky Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of Bristol, writes for the World Economic Forum. “This basic finding has been replicated numerous times in many different circumstances. There is very little doubt about its status as a fundamental aspect of human behavior.”

6. They ask questions

"They are ok with being perceived as 'stupid' by asking questions — if we hold back in fear, we'll never truly learn. Plus, it's a good way to show others it's ok to question things if you don't understand — better off if we're on the same page instead of hoping things work out without being informed."

7. They love a challenge

"They feel challenged rather than threatened by new things, problems, ideas..."

"'I don't know' is the beginning of a puzzle, not the conclusion."

8. They know their audience

"They can adapt their communication style — vocabulary, tone, content, etc — to fit the situation and people they’re talking to, and it seems completely natural."

"It's a bit past code-switching, though code-switching is a part of it. Being able to explain complex thoughts in simpler terms based on audience demonstrates your understanding. If the only people who can understand you are fellow people with the same educational exposure as you, you just have knowledge, not intelligence."

9. They can simplify big ideas

"I consider someone intelligent if they're able to explain something incredibly complicated in simpler and more readily understood terms."

"Fantastic teachers can make learning nearly effortless."

10. They listen to people they disagree with

"Someone who can understand someone’s opposing view without having to agree with it or get angry over it."

11. They're humble

"They don't continually need to tell people how intelligent they are."

"At a certain point, they realize they are smarter at certain things than other people, but they understand the importance of being humble."

12. They take a moment

"They pause to think about a novel question instead of instantly blurting out an answer. Sometimes people think it means they've been 'stumped' and claim victory. No, they're thinking, analyzing, and formulating a reply."

This idea is backed up by science. A study published by IFL Science found that people who score high on intelligence tests answer easy questions quickly. However, they spend more time on questions complex questions than their less intelligent peers. They have the intelligence to wait until their entire brain has grappled with a problem before answering.

"In more challenging tasks, you have to store previous progress in working memory while you explore other solution paths and then integrate these into each other,” said lead author Professor Michael Schirner. “This gathering of evidence for a particular solution may sometimes take longer, but it also leads to better results.”

13. They're well-spoken

"I usually find that creativity, humor, and verbal acuity are good signs of intelligence. I generally see lack of empathy, low openness, and seeing the world in absolutes as signs of low intelligence."

14. Dry sense of humor

"Pulling it off requires an observant, quick wit with a nonchalant delivery that almost downplays its own cleverness. Like it means their immediate passing thoughts are often profound enough to be very funny without any real effort."

15. They are great storytellers

"They craft narratives for themselves and for others that are compelling, that make the world make sense, that invigorate and install a goal, a mission."

From Your Site Articles

intelligence

Pop Culture

People share the 18 things that are a 'subtle sign' someone is really smart

"They effortlessly communicate complex concepts in a simple way."

via PixaBay

Albert Einstein

One of the strangest things about being human is that people of lesser intelligence tend to overestimate how smart they are and people who are highly intelligent tend to underestimate how smart they are.

This is called the Dunning-Kruger effect and it’s proven every time you log onto Facebook and see someone from high school who thinks they know more about vaccines than a doctor.

The interesting thing is that even though people are poor judges of their own smarts, we’ve evolved to be pretty good at judging the intelligence of others.

“Such findings imply that, in order to be adaptive, first impressions of personality or social characteristics should be accurate,” a study published in the journal Intelligence says. “There is accumulating evidence that this is indeed the case—at least to some extent—for traits such as intelligence extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and narcissism, and even for characteristics such as sexual orientation, political ideology, or antigay prejudice.”

Reddit user Gisgiii posed a question to the AskReddit subforum “What is a subtle sign that someone is really intelligent?” and the answers painted a clear picture of how smart people behave. They tend to be great communicators who understand their audience and are more concerned with getting things right than being right.

Here are 18 of the best answers.

1. They draw wisdom from multiple sources.

"They draw wisdom from multiple sources. Wait but that might be more wise than intelligent... But I guess those two tend to be seen together a lot," — Puzzlehead-Engineer

2. They know their audience.

"They can switch up the way they talk to match the person they're talking to without sounding condescending. They listen to how others learn and explain it in that person's language of understanding," — Wynonna99

3. They develop a keen sense for their job.

"I used to work with a doctor - Tom Howard - and the day I realized he was a genius was the time he guessed every single condition a patient of mine had based on minute pieces of information about him," — Yodei_Mon

4. Curiosity.

"They are curious about everything. To be intelligent you need to be knowledgeable and you can't be knowledgeable if you are never curious," — soup54461

5. They're great at conveying ideas.

"When they explain something they make you feel intelligent," — gwoshmi

6. Considerate questions.

"They spend time thinking before asking a question," — ParkMan73

7. They make hard ideas simple.

"They effortlessly communicate complex concepts in a simple way," — joculator

8. They know what they don't know.

"They know when their knowledge ends and say something to the extent of 'i don't know and anything else i say on this topic is ignorant speculation,'" — blutoboy

9. They ask great questions.

"They can ask really good questions."

"Edit: to anyone not understanding what mean, I’m talking about people who ask “really good questions”, not just any questions, really good ones. I don’t know how one would achieve this skill(I know I haven’t)," — milkmanbran

10. They don't pretend to know everything.

"They aren’t afraid to say they don’t know the answer to a question," — xchernx

11. They change their minds with new information.

"They admit to changing their mind about something," — FarAwayAdventure

12. They pivot well.

"They apply knowledge from one realm into a new and relevant situation," — soubestitch

13. They are open-minded.

"They can genuinely consider an idea which opposes their worldview without necessarily accepting it," — paidshill29

14. They use analogies.

"People who use analogies to explain concepts to others. It’s a form of code-switching and integrating concepts on the fly and is a clear indicator someone is both socially and conceptually intelligent," — SwimmerAutomatic2488

15. They don't argue.

"I think intelligent people are more willing to calmly debate/discuss, rather than argue. Like, you explain to them why you disagree, and they listen to you and ask further questions about your viewpoint before offering a different perspective; as opposed to an unintelligent person, who would just resort to insults when other people disagree with them," — AngelicCinnamonBun

16. They learn from mistakes.

"Admitting when they're wrong and being willing to learn from mistakes," — siyl1979

17. A sense of humor.

"Humor. I think that truly funny people are often very smart and cognizant of the different ways an idea can be humorous on several levels. They also know their audience. I think the difference between say a Jeff Foxworthy and a Dave Chappelle and a Bo Burnham is their audience and their interests," — biscuitboi967

18. A love of learning.

"They say they love learning and they learn something new every day. Then they listen more than talk," — throwingplaydough

This article originally appeared on 12.04.21

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intelligence

Health

17 simple things that helped real people improve their mental health big time

Never underestimate the power of a simple tweak.

Photo credit: Canva

We're all in this together.

It seems safe to say that all of us would like to improve our mental health in one way or another. Or at the very least, protect the sanity we currently have against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

However…figuring out exactly how to do that can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to assume that unless you’re waking up two hours every morning to perform deep meditation, going to therapy twice a week, reading all the self help books and throwing every single one of your devices away, it won’t make much of a difference.

But people from all walks of life do make great strides in their well being simply by incorporating consistent habits. Recently, Dependent_Bit_8333 asked folks to name some lifestyle changes that "massively improved” their mental health. None of the answers were complicated. But they all are pretty profound in their own way.

Check them out below.

1. "De-emphasizing the importance of my every thought. Most human thoughts are nonsense. I question every single negative thought, and every single one so far has turned out to be bullshit. No joke. It’s a game-changer."

We are not our thoughts.

Photo credit: Canva

"I came to this practice by reading Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie, mostly. Both reference great spiritual leaders throughout human history (Jesus, Lao Tzu, The Buddha, Ramana Maharshi) who all point to this notion as a path to end suffering. There are many contemporary writers who also point to the same truths (some mentioned here)."—u/JaxMema

2. "When I stopped being in a hurry. Urgency is a trauma response and, with current American culture focused on everything happening immediately, it's easy to lose yourself to being in a hurry."—u/rahyveshachr

3. "Taking care of plants and watching them grow, it gave me a sense of responsibility and they also purify the air!"—u/snoopyluva

4. "Writing!! You don’t realize how much is ruminating up there until you take pen to paper. Been writing pretty much daily for almost a decade, an outlet that’s very near and dear to my heart."—u/lukyspeed14

5. "People severely underestimate what a tremendous impact sleep has on your day, productivity, and mood. If only I'd realized this in my teens."—u/ComprehensiveGap3773

Sleep? I don't know her.

Photo credit: Canva

"6. 'Staying in the present' instead of letting the mind obsess with past and future."—u/ComputersWantMeDead

7. "Being the 'bad guy,' also known as prioritizing yourself. Having been a chronic people pleaser, I was constantly drained and taken advantage of. There is no escaping that some people will be disappointed with you, the question is, will you be disappointed in yourself? The right people in your life will be happy when you are, it's simple but it took me way too long to realize."—u/keeepre

8."Leaving a toxic work environment."—u/badatboujie

9. "Learning to love myself. A few years ago, I was in a very low spot with my self-esteem, and I wanted to be better. My therapist and I talked a lot about treating myself like I would a friend. It sounds cheesy, but I started writing compliments to myself on post-it notes in the morning and placing them on a mirror. It didn’t take too long before I started to believe them. It’s amazing how being nice to yourself and giving yourself grace can really improve your mental health."—u/SeaTonight4033

For some of us, self love take a lot of effort. But it's so so worth it.

Photo credit: Canva

10. "Reducing clutter and your general volume of possessions helps a lot."—u/ashoka_akira

11. "Removing toxic people from my life. It's amazing how much your mental health can improve just by removing someone who brings nothing but negativity to your life."—u/crazylittlemermaid

12. "Walking. That shit is legit."—u/baylonedward

walking, mental health, mental health tips, exercise for mental health

Such and underrated activity.

Photo credit: Canva

13. "The 'what ifs' were consuming me. I was losing my mind thinking about problems that haven't happened, and may never happen. This little quote from Bill Burr put a lot into perspective for me: 'You're going to be fine; and even if you're not going to be fine, isn’t it better to just exist thinking that you’re going to be fine? And when it’s not fine, then you can just fuckin handle it. There no sense to ruin right now, right?'"—u/MaritimeRedditor

14. "Creating. Especially making something with my hands."—u/thankyouforecstasy

Time to break out the finger paints.

Photo credit: Canva

15. "Going. The f*ck. Outside."—u/coilovercat

16. "Having a routine. No matter what my schedule is for the day, whenever I’m in a routine of getting up, getting dressed, and taking a shower, I’m in a good place."—u/elmatador12

…and least, but certainly not least,

17. "Never trust how you feel about your life past 9 p.m."—u/Lyra_Kurokami

Be well out there, folks.

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wellness

Pop Culture

19 common American things in film and TV that definitely don't happen in real life

We've all seen them.

Paramount

Just because it's common in movies, doesn't mean it's common in everyday life.

Odds are you’ve come across a movie or television moment that made you think, “this definitely would never happen in real life.” Or maybe you thought something about a time or place which wasn’t actually real, thanks to a show you watched. I, for example, totally thought separate his & hers beds were a common thing in the 50s, thanks to “I Love Lucy.”

That’s kind of the magic of motion pictures. The line between reality and illusion is sometimes so blurred you really can’t discern between the whole “art imitating life” and “life imitating art” thing. Of course, the unbelievability of some common tropes make you wonder how they’ve endured for so long in the first place.

Recently, Reddit user rustyyryan asked: "What American thing is not that common but shown in many Hollywood movies/TV shows?"

Thousands responded. But here are some of the best answers.

1. "On Law and Order, when the police come and people keep doing their drone jobs. Sorry, but the most exciting thing in my day is a visit by the police, so I’m stopping everything, offering coffee, asking lots of questions, and ratting out my neighbors on unrelated things!" —wawa2022

via GIPHY

"The other thing with Law and Order and other cop shows is that people always act annoyed toward the cops. IRL, the vast majority of people are not going to act that way. I’ve had a couple of cop visits and I was always shocked and kind of nervous and there was no way I would have acted like they were getting on my nerves!"—logorrhea69

2."Presents where the box lid is wrapped separately from the rest of the box." —sra19

"This drives me crazy! I get it...it would be a huge hassle to have to re-wrap a present for every take, plus you have to worry about continuity, but I have literally never seen a present wrapped this way in my life."—yourlittlebirdie

3. "At schools, teachers give assignments like normal people and don't shout it at the class as they're departing after the bell rings." —Beezo514

via GIPHY

4. "Women having sex while wearing a bra the whole time. That's the first or second thing I take off of her." —BendingDoor

5. "The houses and apartments shown do not represent the living conditions of most folks." —rjainsa

"One of the reasons Spielberg's films from the '80s/'90s were so believable was that he insisted on houses looking lived in. The Goonies and E.T. both showed messy houses, single parents, scruffy kids, etc." —springloadednadsack

via GIPHY

6. "Empty parking spaces on city streets." —other_half_of_elvis

7. "Especially right in front of the place you’re going."—BxAnnie

8. "Moms making huge breakfasts that no one eats." —babyfresno77

9. "This is the one. Every time, I’m like, 'What time are these kids getting up? What time does school start?'"—DanDan_notaman

10. "Cars exploding in a crash." —St_Ander

"My husband is a firefighter, and he hates car explosion scenes in movies because they don't happen the way movies show them happening."—Specialist-Funny-926

11."I noticed that no one has screens on their windows on TV. Where I live the bugs would carry you away." —RusticSurgery

via GIPHY

"This one drives my husband crazy. He always comments on this when someone opens a window, sticks their head out, or throws something out. Could not do that where I live."—Sunnywithachance099

12. "Shoes on the bed." —slash-5

"I absolutely hate that trope. People with their shoes on beds or sofas. Hate it."—Farscape29

13. "Classes last longer than for the teacher to say something pithy, ask someone a question and then hear the bell ring. School buses don't honk for your lollygagging ass. If the bus stop is empty, they keep driving." —Scrotchety

14. "Halloween party costumes are much more elaborate on TV compared to real life." —Fireproofspider

via GIPHY

"You never see anyone in some crap they picked up at Spirit Halloween 30 minutes before the party."—Repulsive-Heron7023

15. "Nobody ever has to ask someone to repeat themselves in a movie. I probably say, 'What?' about 60 times a day." —Street-Suitable

"This is all TV and movies. Nobody ever stumbles over their words unless it is a plot-necessary miscommunication or the bumbly can't get my words out trope."—Jimmy_riddle86

16. "Abrupt endings to conversations or phone calls without saying bye." —ParapluieGris

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"OMG, thank you. Seriously, I wondered if people actually did this."—raggitytits

17. "The idea that you could be like six months behind on rent before they threaten to evict you, or six months behind on the power bill before they cut off your electricity. Maybe it used to be like that, but it sure isn’t anymore." —komeau

18. "People in a bar ordering a 'beer.' In real life, the server would likely be exasperated and ask about brand/kind and quantity." —remymartinia

"This one drives me nuts. I have never once in my 14 years working at restaurants and bars had someone just order a 'beer.'"—EveInGardenia

…and lastly…

19. "Kids dressed up for school, which would result in them being sent home to change…Also, teens wearing stilettos to school."—Wulfkat

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"Most teenagers today wear a baggy sweatshirt or a large T-shirt to school."—Randomthoughts4041

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Wait, what are they saying? People name song lyrics they sang wrong for years.

It's pour some sugar on me, not pour some shook-up ramen.

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People name song lyrics they sang wrong.

We've all done it. If there is one common human experience, it's getting the lyrics wrong in a song. I refuse to believe that this isn't a universal thing that transpires in all countries, cultures and languages, and if you tell me otherwise I'll have no other choice than to believe you're lying. But there's something innocently hilarious about people learning that they've been singing the wrong words to popular songs. Someone in a Reddit community decided to ask the question that clearly a lot of people have been waiting to be asked: "What's a song lyric that you completely misheard for a while?"

The results were gold, obviously, because lots of lyrics are misheard and sung incorrectly until it's emblazoned into the part of your brain that's responsible for holding song lyrics. I remember hanging out with a friend and we were blasting "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis but when the part came when they sing "so we put our hands up like the ceiling can't hold us," my friend belted "so we put our hands up like the silly can holders." When I told her those weren't the words she insisted I was mishearing them, so I asked, "what the heck is a silly can holder?!"

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Turns out my friend had no idea what a silly can holder was and we had a good laugh. The person on Reddit that asked people to share their misheard lyrics was likely just as entertained. Like when one user's misheard lyrics gave Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved" a very dark turn, because they heard and sang "ask her if she wants to stay alive" instead of "ask her if she wants to stay a while." Ma'am-sir, we're going to need to see what's in your trunk.

One person thought Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" said "Starbucks lovers" instead of "long list of ex-lovers" and honestly, it's pumpkin spice season, so Starbucks lovers kind of works. A couple of cozy sweaters, laptops and white cups with a weird mermaid that seems to be holding two tails in her hands could make a great rom-com opening.

Some unfortunate person thought Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much" lyrics were "I can't believe you kiss your cock goodnight." Now that's either NSFW or someone has a really close relationship with their rooster. Either way, those lyrics are unequivocally wrong because the actual words are, "I can't believe you kiss your car goodnight." Car! Sweet mother of pearl, I hope they weren't singing that in public.

Misheard lyrics.

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Who remembers Dido? "White Flag" was definitely a bop in the early 2000s but this person thought the singer said "I will poke my eyes out and surrender." Let's hope they do in fact still have their eyes because the actual lyrics are, "And I won't put my hands up and surrender," which obviously makes much sense—bonus points for getting to keep your eyeballs.

Some of these misheard lyrics are just hilarious and also confusing because I can't quite figure out how this person heard "I got shoes, they're made of plywood." The words are, and as far as I know have always been "I've got chills, they're multiplying" in the Grease song "You're the One That I Want."

But this last one has me wondering who is Jason and why does he get his own waterfall? This user thought TLC sang "don't go Jason waterfalls" in their hit song "Waterfalls." I mean, we probably shouldn't be chasing waterfalls like the lyrics actually say, but Jason waterfalls might be a pretty cool dude. We'll never know though.

If you've never known the hilarity and embarrassment of mishearing lyrics, consider yourself lucky. But I'm highly suspicious that you're making that up. No one's that perfect, people aren't tacos. Now go forth and belt out "pour some shook-up ramen" while the rest of the crowd demands they be doused with sugar.

This article originally appeared on 09.24.22

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