There are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and your perception of the world evolving. These are the ugly truths about life that people have come to accept.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: One-Way Street
No matter how good of a friend you are, that friendship might be at a dead end, as one old soul learned. “Just because you think a friend is very important, top of your list, [it] doesn’t mean you’re at the top of theirs.”
2: But, But
An ugly truth that one person learned as they got older is “that most people focus on the things they have no control over while ignoring the things they do.”
3: Stand Still
“If someone withdraws from you, don’t go chasing them,” advises a person who learned this ugly truth with age.
4: Quick Lesson
A commenter implores younger people to take this ugly truth to heart: “The sooner you realize that every person notices in the other person what they’re most insecure about in themselves, the easier it’ll become for you to stop taking things personally.”
5: Bad Money
The fact “that money can buy a frightening number of things in life” is an ugly life truth one person wishes wasn’t true. Money can buy people and power, making them try to look the other way. As they put it, “If I had to realize how corrupt some people are, I’d get real depressed, real fast.”
6: Distorted Perceptions
A person who has experience with anxiety says an ugly truth they learned with age is that “anxiety is a distorted perception of reality.” The positive thing? They’ve learned, “Nothing is to be feared, only understood.” Another person with anxiety agrees, saying, “I’ve tried to stop using the word ‘anxious’ to describe how I feel. Instead, I’ll tell myself, ‘I’m scared’ or ‘I’m afraid.'”
7: Money Deceptions
“Money can turn your closest loved ones into someone unrecognizable,” says a person who’s learned this ugly truth with age. They’ve seen far too many cases of people leaving their will with a family member to handle, fully trusting them. However, they recommend having “an uninterested 3rd party” manage one’s estate and finances because the claws can come out when money is involved despite a family’s otherwise civil track record.
8: Pulling the Pedestal
Never put anyone on a pedestal, advises a now older and wiser individual who says this is an ugly truth they’ve learned. They believe the concept that “you never truly know anyone” is spot on because “at the end of the day, they could turn a 180 and be a completely different person…No matter how much you love them, that will not guarantee their capability to not hurt you.”
9: Waiting for No One
The number one ugly truth a commenter says they’ve learned in life is that “Your happiness is your own responsibility.” Relying on someone else to make you happy, whether it be a partner, family member, or friend, will ultimately lead to disappointment since everyone makes small mistakes at best and big mistakes at worst.
10: Just People
One commenter’s ugly truth they’ve discovered is “That the grown-ups in your life are just people too.” They explain, “You can’t always expect them to understand how you are feeling because they are dealing with their own stuff.”
11: Nourishing You
“No one will ever really know you.” That’s the ugly truth a self-reflective person says they’ve learned with age. They argue, “We are ultimately always alone although also strangely connected in that aloneness.” Their advice? “The most important relationship to nourish, therefore, is the one with yourself.”
12: Lost Ground
A harsh lesson that someone learned as they aged is that “Life doesn’t end at 30.” They explain that living in the moment during one’s 20s, not using sunscreen, assuming they’ll make it big someday, and other similar scenarios make it “really hard to make up lost ground in the horse race of life” once the big 30 hits.
13: The Blink of an Eye
Being “set in life” isn’t permanent, an ugly truth that a commenter urges younger people to take to heart. “You can have a family, a great job, hobbies, friends, a house, etc, and that can all disappear over 6-12 months.” While they don’t recommend dwelling on all the possible ways life can take a turn for the worse, they live by the motto, “Never take anything for granted.”
14: Diluted Love
“Love can dilute,” says a person about the ugly truth they’ve learned as they’ve gotten older. “No matter how strong your love was and continues to remain, what goes on with the other person can sometimes be out of your control.”
15: John Mellencamp
To one person, the ugly truth they’ve discovered with age is “that life is incredibly monotonous.” They say that even if one tries for it not to be, responsibilities and financial restraints often get in the way. Another person chimes in with a quote from John Mellencap’s “Jack & Diane” song: “Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.“
16: A Big Sigh
One person reflects that if they’re being honest with themselves, the ugly reality they’ve learned with time is that “Bullies often do win.” They describe it as “a sad truth.”
Source: Reddit.
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