There are usually two principles of thought when it comes to less-than-pleasant situations.
You either A) shrug your shoulders and say, “everything happens for a reason” or B) regret what happened and wish things were different.
These 19 people chose the latter by sharing what they’ve learned at a deep personal cost in a viral Reddit thread .
Never trust a ladder set up by someone else
This has nothing to do with superstition. It’s all about peace of mind!
This Redditor went on a ladder set up by someone else and broke three of their lumbar vertebrae and bit through their lip, leaving a scar. Ouch! Thankfully they recovered fully.
Dragging out a relationship years after you think you should leave helps no one
“Especially if there are kids involved. If anything, they’ll just learn to be toxic to their future partner because that’s how they watched you act with your spouse and they think that’s how to treat people.” – u/coconut-greek-yogurt
Sometimes, the people you love the most just won’t love you in return
How sad but true this is. It isn’t even limited to romantic partners, either. Many people have family members who don’t return their love.
You don’t have to run off and get married
“A marriage that only lasted one year cost more than 10K. Life is not a race and you don’t need to be married by a certain point or at all for that matter. Be patient, make yourself available, gravitate to those who understand you the most.” – u/ekimlive
Take care of your teeth
Unless you want to wear dentures later on in life or shell out thousands of dollars on painful procedures, you’ll ignore this advice.
One Redditor who spent six grand on dental work wished they brushed more as a teen.
Never p**s off a llama
“I was joking around at a petting zoo once with one, and it spit on me – just ordinary saliva, nothing too bad. So I wiped it off and kept at it…and it gave me the greenest, stinkiest spit you could ever imagine.” – u/Lazhovy5
You can work your hardest for a company and still be expendable
At the end of the day, business is business. At least, that’s what the company will say.
It just goes to show that you shouldn’t waste your precious time on a company that doesn’t respect it.
Family can be just as toxic for you as anyone else
“Often times they’re even worse as they get a free pass by society and know SO many intimate things about you. You’re very vulnerable to family and our culture will insist you love and respect them no matter what.” -u/Dancersep38
Some people can’t be reformed and it’s better to just cut them loose from your life
The problem with a lot of toxic people is that they refuse to take accountability. Without this, they will never feel inclined to change their behavior.
HR is not there to protect employees
This makes sense, considering they work for the company. But many employees fall under the guise that they can help them through any issues they’re facing. This isn’t always the case, unfortunately.
Trust your gut
“Intuition can be a powerful sense. I busted an ex cheating on me because if it with no evidence other than a slight change of a mannerism. My gut kept telling me something is off and something ain’t right then it went to she’s cheating.” – u/Meattyloaf
You can’t ‘fix’ someone
This Redditor knows this well. She married a man who had gone through hard times and needed someone to love and support him to help him become “the man he was always supposed to be.” Cut to him taking advantage of this kindness.
YOU are the most important person in your life
“Took me a long time to figure this out and a lot of trying to please other people before I realized I am trying to make everyone else happy but I was in fact, not happy.” – u/Mister_JayB
Don’t buy a new car
“Horrible idea. Worst financial decision ever,” this Redditor wrote. Unfortunately, the car goes down in value the moment you drive it off the dealership. So consider a used car whenever you can.
Acting like a victim doesn’t solve the problem
“If i have a mental illness, I need do the work I need to do to fix the problem. Everyday I complain that X or Y shouldn’t or should have happened is another day Im letting what happened take away from living my life.” – u/PathosRise
“No” is a complete sentence
You don’t owe anyone an explanation if they disagree with your decision. You have a right to say “no” and anyone who fights you on this is pushing your boundaries.
You need to be VERY careful with what you share with people
“Because if you share something with the wrong person, they absolutely will use it against you later. That includes close friends. Remember – close friends drift apart. But if you fall out with them, they’ll take anything you’ve ever shared with them.” – u/RedWestern
Once a cheater, always a cheater
While there are exceptions to this, nine of the 10 times, the person cheats again. Plus, why stay in a relationship that has no trust? It makes no sense and only results in hurt long-term.
Nothing external can make you happy
“Money, power, s*x, experience; none of it will stop you from hating yourself. Happiness is 100% an inside job, and all the time and energy spent believing otherwise is life wasted.” – u/ifiagreedwithu
H/T: Reddit
Last Updated on December 6, 2021 by Sarah Kester