The world is a pretty imperfect place. As nice as it might seem to live in a little bubble where nothing can hurt you, it’s also not realistic.
These Reddit users shared some harsh realities that people really need to hear . Not everything in the world is good or beautiful , and it’s probably better to be aware of the ugliness .
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“Some parents just don’t love their children.” – Pure-Kalie
Another user added, “This is why I HATE the blanket statement of: ‘you should love your (mom/dad) they took care of you and raised you!’ Like no if your parents were abusive or even just extremely narcissistic they don’t really deserve the love they couldn’t afford to give you.”
Not every parent is a good parent.
“It won’t just happen.” – ZombieRichardNixonx
“I spent a lot of my early 20s being sad and defeatist, feeling sorry for myself. I always coped with this by telling myself that I’d make something of myself eventually, and meet a woman eventually, and be happy eventually.”
“The truth is, eventually doesn’t come if you don’t make it come.”
“Improvement has to be proactive. You CAN end up 40 years old, living with your parents, playing video games all day, and with no motivation. Nothing will prevent that from happening other than you.”
“You gotta walk your dogs.” – sequoiakelley
Another commenter responded with, “I heard someone put it this way which really hit home: ‘to you it may feel like a chore, but to your dog it’s probably their favorite part of the day.'”
“Failure is part of life.” – Perma-Frost9
That’s actually really important advice because a lot of people forget that you aren’t going to be good at everything on the first go. Just pick yourself up and try again, and it’ll all work out.
“Some people will hurt you, and they won’t care how you feel about it.” – My_Mykinn
Another user replied, “And some of those people will be people you thought were good friends, or even your own family.”
This is something you probably end up learning pretty early in life…
“Whatever you say can and will be used against you.” – continue_Banca_3223
Those words aren’t just part of the Miranda Rights , they’re true in pretty much any situation. Be careful what you say to/about others, or else you might find yourself in real trouble.
“Life is not automatically easier just because you’re a good person.” – Sorripto
That’s not to say you shouldn’t be a good person, but just remember that there are people out there who won’t care how much joy you bring to the world.
“Physical appearance matters.” – TechnicalMiddle8205
“Almost everyone is shallow, and if you are ugly, people might treat you as inferior and you will have disadvantages in almost every aspects of life (i.e. pretty privilege or Halo effect , look that up).”
It sucks, but it’s true.
“You can love someone with all of your heart and not be loved back in the same way.” – LowKeySexy83
As harsh as it is, you aren’t entitled to someone else’s love just because you love them. Though, you still are entitled to respect.
“Also, truly being in love with someone & letting someone love you because it’s the comfortable & easy thing to do are two different things.” – bonenecklace
In other words, don’t settle because you’re afraid of being alone.
“Not everyone likes you.” – notwantingkids
Another user commented, “Some people won’t like you for very arbitrary reasons, or for no reason at all. It takes way too much of your energy trying to make people like you. Use that energy on yourself and your loved ones.”
Learning to not care about people who don’t like you is very freeing.
“You don’t realize the good/best times as they are happening.” – a1anw2
I think the most heartbreaking thing in the world is realizing a year or two (or decades, or even just months) later, that you’ve just left some of the best times of your life.
“Your first relationship most likely won’t be your last.” – PressGauze
I feel like this is especially true for high schoolers. At the same time, though, there’s always a chance that the first person you ever date could be “the one.”
“Just because someone is your family doesn’t mean they have your best interests at heart.” – SuvenPan
Not just parents, but extended family too. And siblings. Some people in your family might just be bad people, and it’s okay to cut them off.
“Be the person you needed while you were growing up.” – Pineappleninja91
Another user responded by saying, “I love this because it provides the right direction for personal growth. I hate this because it means I will never reap what I will sow and shall never sit under the shade of the tree I plant.”
“Sometimes you’re the bad guy.” – OverwhelmedGayChild
I think one thing worth remembering is, just because you do something bad, doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. And the same goes for people who may have hurt you in some way (with exceptions, of course).
“I thought I’d be happy when I graduated college, or when I got my first apartment, or when I bought my first home.” – Popaqua
“Don’t expect happiness to be at the finish line. Happiness comes from yourself, in the now . Enjoy the process.”
“Your Trauma is not your fault but it is your responsibility.” – mybi-ass
The same goes for any mental illness or disability. You can’t use the hardships you’ve faced/are facing as an excuse to treat other people poorly.
“Hard work won’t guarantee a thing. But without it, you don’t stand a chance.” – BulldawgHokie
Another user added, “100%. Just like money. Money will never guarantee happiness but you damn well will not be happy if you can’t get it.”
