On May 11 2020, Facebook user Brandon Green shared a screenshot of a comment on an AskReddit thread titled “People who are 40+ and happy with their life, what is your advice to people in their 20s?”
Green’s post included only a screenshot of one comment, which was broken down into a numbered list:
Under the question, a gilded (awarded “Reddit Gold”) comment from u/NoiseBarn provided ten points of advice from a 40-year-old Reddit user to twenty-somethings:
I’m 40. This is my input.
- Everyone is focused on themselves to care too much about their opinion of you. So fuck what they think.
- Social media is only an illusion.
- Zero debt is an amazing feeling. Think twice before dropping that down payment on that fully loaded 2020 dream mobile that offers nothing but looks and depreciates value quickly.
- Falling out of love is perhaps more powerful than falling in love.
- Use up ALL of your vacation time / sick time at work.
- Don’t lose sight of the hobbies you enjoyed as a child. They will help you live as you grow older.
- Family is not necessarily blood, but instead who you would bleed for.
- There are just as much benefits to being a night owl as there are to being an early bird.
- Forgive yourself first before forgiving others.
- Do not be a doormat in submission, but hold the door open in kindness.
The original thread was submitted by u/peeledraspberry on May 11 2020:
Although u/NoiseBarn’s comment was near the top of the thread with over 30,000 upvotes and nearly 30 user-awarded medals, it wasn’t the most upvoted answer to the question. The most upvoted answer was submitted by u/Denaris21 (with edits):
I am 40 years old and I have three pieces of advice for anyone in their 20’s
Accept that perfection doesn’t exist. Your relationships will have problems, your car will break down, someone else will anyways have a better phone, a newer car, or a bigger house than you, no matter where on the social ladder you stand. Constantly chasing perfection will keep you permanently stressed. That doesn’t mean you should not try to better your life, just know that if you expect perfection you will never be satisfied.
Pay attention to your diet and health. I have been working out at least 4 times per week since my mid 20’s. I am fitter, healthier and look younger than almost everyone else my age
Don’t stop doing the things you love. Even though I have a wife, kids, job etc. I still make time to play video games, draw, write stories, read comics, play basketball, listen to music, etc. There is no reason to become a miserable old bastard!
EDIT: Wow! This has blown up way more than I expected. Thanks for the awards a guys. Its nice to know my advice can be useful to others.
EDIT 2: So, quite a few people have asked how I find time to fit in all these hobbies. As I said, I have to make the time. Apart from working out (which I do at 6am before everyone else wakes up) I’m not doing these things every day. I only game on the weekend if I get the chance, I read ebooks on my phone when I’m killing time in the day, I may buy a comic 2-3 times a year and I can usually find a few hours in the week to draw. I still make time to chill out with my wife in the evenings and do things with kids. I just fit my hobbies in between them. I also don’t watch much TV or go out, but that’s just me.
The second most popular comment came from u/QualityKatie, who simply said:
Relax more. Don’t get angry over little things.
As of May 13 2020, the “People who are 40+ and happy with their life, what is your advice to people in their 20s?” thread had attracted nearly 15,000 comments — and u/NoiseBarn’s contribution was shared more than 160,000 times on Facebook.