In youth’s folly, some things seem critical, but as we age, we realize that they don’t matter. With age’s wisdom, we lose interest in thoughts and ideas we once had and no longer care about engaging in the favorite pastimes of our younger selves.
Here, real people discuss what they’ve lost interest in as they’ve grown. Do you agree with any?
Expectations
We care so much about what other people think and expect when we’re young. We live our lives for everyone else, our parents, teachers, mentors, and society, without thinking about what we want.
As we grow, we realize that the only person’s expectations that matters is our own. We throw off the shackles of what everyone else thinks we should do and do the things we want to do.
Celebrity Culture
As teenagers, we were dying to know what our favorite stars were up to. The love triangle between Jen, Brad, and Angelina kept us glued to our television screens. We had to keep up with the Kardashians.
It’s a rite of passage for teenagers to get obsessed with celebrity culture, but most of us grow out of it and realize that their favorite entertainer’s life has no impact on their own.
Uncomfortable Sleep
Remember when we didn’t mind sleeping on the floor at our grandparent’s house, the roll-out cot in the hotel room, or the back of our car during a road trip?
As our older muscles ache, we lose patience for sleeping in discomfort. We’ll pay for a hotel room that has a decent pillow.
Fake People
Younger people crave friendships so much that they’ll tolerate fake friends just to say they have lots of friends. It doesn’t matter if they don’t care about you, as long as you’re surrounded by a big group every time you go out.
Older people realize that quality friendships win out over quantity every day. We ditch the fake friends and nurture relationships with the few people who really matter.
Hustling
When you’re young and energetic, hustling seems like the obvious choice. Young folks spend all their time working to build their wealth for the future. As we age, working long hours loses its appeal.
“Yeah. I don’t want to rise and grind. I want to rise and immediately go back to bed,” said another.
Low-Quality Food
It’s probably the inflation talking, but Millennials and their elders no longer tolerate substandard food for the sky-high prices restaurants charge.
We had no problem spending ten bucks on fast food, but we wouldn’t spend twice as much for the same low-quality meal.
Petty Arguments
Older people have a better grasp of what matters and what doesn’t. We learn that some things aren’t even worth the fight.
Why argue over which drawer the silverware goes in or what to eat for dinner? None of that matters in the long run.
Hard Work
Young people must strive for career excellence to push themselves and make a name for themselves. Folks nearing retirement no longer need that same drive.
As you near the end of your career, you ease your foot off the gas and take things a little easier.
Gaming
The Millennial generation grew up with household gaming, but as we get older, we’re losing interest in our favorite pastime.
“They just don’t make games like they used to,” we complain, like all the generations complained about their favorite media before.
I’m with the complaining Millennials. Although I’m enjoying the newest Mario game, Super Mario Wonder, I can’t help but think how easy it is compared to Mario 3 and Super Mario World.
Name Brands
People in their twenties buy all name-brand gear to send a message about how cool they are. Older people realize that brands don’t make us cool.
We’d much rather buy no-name items that fit well than plaster a brand name all over our backs like a racecar driver.
Events
Younger folks love getting out of the house and doing things. They’re flittering off to festivals, bazaars, concerts, sporting events, and everything else they can find.
As we get older, we lose interest in attending most of these things. We’d much rather enjoy a quiet night at home.
Leaving the House
The top response received a Reddit Gold award and over 8,000 upvotes. The user responded by saying, “Anything that takes place outside my house.”
It makes sense. When we’re young, our homes aren’t typically ours. We live with our parents, then roommates, and then ourselves in tiny shoebox apartments. As we age, we create our homes precisely how we want them. Why would we want to leave?
Concerts
Remember when we had to see the live show rolling into town each weekend? We stood in long lines to score tickets to our favorite bands, pushed against strangers to get closer to the stage while avoiding the mosh pit, and hopped and jumped to the biggest hits from the airwaves.
The entire scene loses its appeal as we get older.
“My feet hurt, the music is too loud, I’ve become very sensitive to the strobe light effects most of them use, the fees to buy tickets are outrageous plus parking… and frankly, I get bored,” said one user, explaining why they no longer enjoy concerts.
Late Night Activities
As we age, we learn how vital sleep is and scorn the late-night activities we used to love.
One user shared their inner thoughts about seeing a late-night act. “I love house music,” they shared, saying they always want to grab tickets to see famous DJs whenever they roll into town. “But after spending money and skipping a few shows because reality set in, I’ve finally admitted waiting until 1 am for them to come on, then getting home at like 3 or 4 am… is just out of my realm now,” they added.
A Large Friend Group
When you’re younger, a large friend group means you’re popular and have many weekend activity options.
As you age, you realize that quality is much more valuable than quantity regarding friendships.
“The two or three really good friends I have are all I really need. They are so amazing, and I’m so lucky to have them in my life!!” said one user.
New Music
As kids, we could never understand why our parents kept the radio tuned to classic rock and oldies stations. Now that we’re older, we get it.
It’s hard to get into new music as an adult. Many of us would rather listen to the favorite songs of our youth.
Anger with Parents
There’s a cycle of negativity related to childhood and parenthood. Many parents messed up when raising their kids. That’s undeniable. But most of them tried their best.
Young adults often hold a lot of anger towards their parents for the real (and perceived) injustices of their childhoods. The older we get, the more we understand that our parents were just humans doing their best. We let go of that anger and learn to accept them for who they are.
Aging Changes Us
We like to think that we’ll never change who we are, but the truth is we all change. As we float through the years, we collect wisdom and experience that helps shift our perspective on life and the things that really matter.
It happened to us, and it will happen to you, too.
Learning What Really Matters and Letting the Rest Go
Some things aren’t worth the effort, though unfortunately, sometimes we only learn that as we grow older.
Here are the top things people learn to let go of as they age.