I'm 25 and feel like I have more knowledge, wisdom and clarity than ever before in my life, maybe even more than most people my age, but I had to learn EVERYTHING the hard way and from the ages of 14-24 I was pretty much a blithering idiot. I have so many regrets and could have been so much further in life by now. I wasn't a major f***up or anything, but I just drifted around like a confused idiot and wasted a ton of time. Is this a common way to feel as you get older?
hindsight is a bitch wrote:
I'm 25 and feel like I have more knowledge, wisdom and clarity than ever before in my life, maybe even more than most people my age, but I had to learn EVERYTHING the hard way and from the ages of 14-24 I was pretty much a blithering idiot. I have so many regrets and could have been so much further in life by now. I wasn't a major f***up or anything, but I just drifted around like a confused idiot and wasted a ton of time. Is this a common way to feel as you get older?
You are always learning and evolving. The process never ends. Regret is rarely productive.
Yes. I could have been several years ahead in my career if I wasn't a dumbass in college. 10 years later I'm not convinced I'm any further ahead, but the first few years would have been easier.
Also, after college I moved to a big city and learned more in the first year than I did in my 6 years of undergrad.
Finally, about girls:
Between the ages of 25-30 I learned more about girls/women than I ever thought possible.
Some people get married during these years - some people learn a lot.
I learned a lot.
Let me repeat:
I learned a lot.
what do you mean by being a "blithering idiot"?.
If you mean drinking a lot of beer,chilling at college,going to a lot of parties and concerts,using psychotropic substances and shagging as many girls a day as possible, well yes I think it would be fair to say i was a blithering idiot.
vandergraafgenerator wrote:
what do you mean by being a "blithering idiot"?.
If you mean drinking a lot of beer,chilling at college,going to a lot of parties and concerts,using psychotropic substances and shagging as many girls a day as possible, well yes I think it would be fair to say i was a blithering idiot.
I second this.
You never stop growing up. The best, is to hope to die happy with good memories. In ten years time you might look upon today's posted wisdom and think you were an idiot for posting on this board. The way you perceive your life changes with time and age.
Getting in touch with real feelings is as complex as flaky-sounding. One of life's many ironies.
hindsight is a bitch wrote: I'm 25 [...] from the ages of 14-24 I was pretty much a blithering idiot. [...] Is this a common way to feel as you get older?
Oh sure. At 25 I too realized that right up until 24 I'd been an idiot.
Then at 40 I realized I'd remained an idiot through 39.
But now - now, I'm sure I'm done with the idiocy, I've got it all figured out. Whew, what a relief.
Try not to waste much time and energy on regret. As Doctor Truth pointed out, it's just not helpful. Looking ahead with intent to do better = good. Looking back and wailing over missed opportunity = bad.
No, I really was an idiot.
yes to both of these posts below...i partied my butt off from 14 to 25, and i should have - it is the time to do that.sure I got my stuff done as well but during that part of your life - you can kinda get away with hard work and playdo i do the same partying now? - not really - will I be doing the same stuff in ten years i do now - probably not?a wise man once told methere are things in every part of life that you can appreciate and take advantage of.exactly!
Oh sure. At 25 I too realized that right up until 24 I'd been an idiot.
Then at 40 I realized I'd remained an idiot through 39.
But now - now, I'm sure I'm done with the idiocy, I've got it all figured out. Whew, what a relief.
Try not to waste much time and energy on regret. As Doctor Truth pointed out, it's just not helpful. Looking ahead with intent to do better = good. Looking back and wailing over missed opportunity = bad.
[quote]vandergraafgenerator wrote:
what do you mean by being a "blithering idiot"?.
If you mean drinking a lot of beer,chilling at college,going to a lot of parties and concerts,using psychotropic substances and shagging as many girls a day as possible, well yes I think it would be fair to say i was a blithering idiot.
Surprise! wrote: I learned a lot.
Let me repeat:
I learned a lot.
Cliffs Notes version for us idiots and ex-idiots?
I'm still an idiot at 37. My idiocy just presents itself in different ways.
>I'm still an idiot at 37. My idiocy just presents itself in different ways.
Heh. I'm still an idiot at 39. I've just learned to hide it better. :)
It took me a long time and many women before I realized that a series of fairly brief, intense affairs with cute women wasn't the road to long-term happiness.
But GOSH it was fun to feel like that sort of idiot!
indeed it was (is). Do you know that some young men
(i was talking to one down at the clubhouse only the other day) actually marry the first girl they meet?? To me that's 100% certifiable lunacy, i mean if you marry the first one how do you know how the others rate ?You might go through your whole life wondering what you missed out on.I think a signed affadavit from at least 10 cute young women should be mandatory before a marriage licence is obtainable.I think I married about the 131st and still plenty of the others would be willing to give me an affadavit any time.
you can expect some religous nut to show up any minute now - and say
wait for marriage - for god's sake wait for marriage!
you must only kiss and fondle your wife!
it makes it so much better!
Not to say I'm not an idiot now, but yeah, during the testosterone years I was pretty much a slave to my hormones. I literally thought about pussy *every waking minute* for at least ten years--except when I was running. Hey, maybe that relief was part of running's attraction for me.
I did some things well during those years, but it was pretty much by luck or accident or coincidence. I was in a clueless haze, drifting along, most of the time. Can't say I regret it too much, though, given that I don't remember most of that time very well...
anEconomist, shouldn't you stick to rationlizing drug use to secretly try to make yourself feel better before you randomly start bashing religion?
I was an idiot for one day at age 17. Other than that, I've been a stellar human being. In fact, I hit righteous awesomeness about two years ago.
ha ha, that made me laugh...You got me - I am secretly trying to make myself feel better for all of that caffeine I ingest in a cup of coffee before a race.That you think you know me so well through a message board is quite amusing.
run on sentence wrote:
anEconomist, shouldn't you stick to rationlizing drug use to secretly try to make yourself feel better before you randomly start bashing religion?
Let\'s see.....
At 20 I was arrested for public intox and resisting arrest.
I was 30 pounds overweight and had high blood pressure.
I was evicted from 3 apartments because I drank all the time and didn\'t pay my bills.
I had a car repossessed.
I was sued over a credit card and had my wages garnished.
I got drunk in bars and fought.
I had no respect for women or anyone else.
At 23, I defaulted on my student loans and couldn\'t get in graduate school.
I had serious thoughts of suicide.
I continued on my destructive lifestyle until I was 25.
At 25, Jesus entered my life and it completely changed.
I am now married to a beautiful woman, I have 2 lovely, beautiful children, I have a professional career that allows me to take care of my children. I am in excellent shape, out of debt and very content and happy.
So, yes, I was an idiot.