Men of Reddit, what’s the most valuable life lesson you’ve learned that you’d like to pass on to others?

36 comments

1. No matter how mad you are, do not call your S/O a bitch. You will get much further in life if you learn how to describe your emotions with accuracy and clarity.

2. Nobody is responsible for you but you.

3. Regret is much more painful than rejection.Have some guts and dont be afraid to shoot your shot.

4. Life could be much easier if we could keep check on our ego and anger issues, we spend most of our life fighting something we believe is external whereas its all in our head, we should be able to handle what bothers us and learn to be at peace.

5. When my wife died, I got the widower starter pack and in it was the realization that you only get so many chances to tell someon that you love them, and after they are gone, you just get an endless supply of “I miss you”. Never miss a chance to tell you wife that you love her.

6. Actually listen to older and wiser people. They have more life experience.

7. Don’t put your face anywhere you would not put your hands.

8. Be kind to others, you never know how much pain they carry on a daily basis. And what you do/say to them may be what pushes them over the edge. Even if they’re a complete stranger.

   Also, before getting angry, ask yourself, “Will this matter 10 years from now?”. If not, then don’t let it get you angry.

9. Don on safety clothing in hazardous jobs/worksites and hearing protection.

   Not only can it save your life, but minor injuries as well.

   Just today a guy I worked with cought a random flying object in his eye and tore his cornea.

   I know a guy who broke his back because of a fall on a worksite, was not wearing a harness. And another in his forties that has to wear hearing aids because when he was younger he thought ear protection at a loud worksite wasn’t cool / didn’t care. Now he can’t hear without his hearing aids.

   Be safe, be protected.

10. Never fuck with the people that handle your food.

11. Always ask.

    Ask for the date. Ask for the discount. Ask for the raise. Ask for the better (thing). Ask for the refund. Ask for what you want.

    Smile, shake a hand, ask for what you want.

    Case in point, I signed a lease I now need to break. The owner has the right to charge me first/last and a fee equal to one month rent. I get it, I signed the contract and knew the terms and owe it. But I called and was up front and asked not to be charged that much. The guy said ok and rather than owe $9300 I’ll end up paying $1550 and he’s refunding the rest.

    Nobody is going to just offer you what you want. Ask.

12. You need your people. People who you can count on when shit hits the fan – you face a break up, you lose a job, you get sick, etc. And you need to be their people too.

    However healthy, successful, independent you are, you don’t live on an island. It is good to learn to be alone sometimes, but we’re social creatures. The best investment I’ve made is building deep relationships with people in my life.

13. Learn to be happy in your own skin. If you are happy with the person you are, then very little else matters. That’s not to mean that you think you’re perfect, just that you’re generally happy with the person you are and working on those parts you don’t like.

14. It’s much easier to pick up women with a cute dog.

    1. Get a dog (don’t just get one to pickup women, good to adopt to give them a better life too – if you can).
    2. Go to the local park or hangout spots.
    3. Once they come around to greet the little cutie, take the opp to say “he’s friendly and easy to train. I am too.”

    It works.

15. Don’t get married to a lazy gold digger

16. Don’t be afraid to be you.

17. Never piss into the wind

18. The kind of respect that makes team members in a free society reliable when the going gets tough isn’t earned through harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, that kind of behavior is more likely to destroy a team than to build one. It’s possible to share knowledge and give directions in such a way that it fills your team with an intense desire to follow through, while a negative tone and attitude will only breed resentment and a wish to rebel. The way you treat those who work with you reflects who you are in your heart. If you show genuine respect for others, they can’t help but respect you back. On the other hand, if you disrespect others, especially those who look up to you for leadership, you’re just asking for them to despise you.

19. Guard your life, there are a thousand ways to lose it due to just bad luck, just by being in the wrong place at the exact wrong time. You don’t need to add acting stupidly to the mix.

20. Don’t set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm.

21. I was on-the-job training when I was like 14 year old. The day I met the boss and shook hands with her, she said “Lets do it again but have a good tight grip”

    That stayed with me to this day (soon 33 years old). And now pretty much everyone that I shake hands with, they compliment my grip.

22. If you go through something traumatic. Get help. I was heavily abused as a kid and did so many things thinking they were normal Ex: I was really angry, lashed out at people, pent up rage. Etc. It wasn’t healthy, shaped me greatly and I wished I had gotten help.

23. You’re not missing out on anything;

    There are no accomplishments

    At least, not in the way we’re sold on

    Retirement? Getting a new job? Raise? First kid? First house? Graduation?

    Whatever it is that you’re looking forward to completing, you should bear in mind that it’ll make you happy for two days and then you’ll be back to work.

    Which means? Take it easy. Take your time.

    You are not missing out on anything.

    Be at peace because regardless of your current situation, if you win the lottery tomorrow, you’ll still have the same brain and occupy the same body.

24. Try to cancel any subscription service and you’ll most likely get a discount.

25. everybody gets upset. Think of some of the times that you have been upset and what you have said and done. When you’re dealing with someone who is upset, don’t hold what they say against them. Be forgiving.

    I’m not saying to let people walk all over you. But forgive them if possible.

26. **”dont sweat the small stuff, and there’s a lot of small stuff”**

27. Failure is the best teacher. Harness it. Use it to catapult you to the next level. The moment you stop failing is the moment you stop growing

28. Seriously consider the ramifications of things you do when someone tells you “you’ll regret that when you’re older.” There’s a chance they may be right. Be accountable, stay responsible.

    I have lots of former friends that are either dead, homeless, or in prison that would probably attest to that.

29. It’s never too late to start something or work on yourself.

30. Have integrity. At first people may not like that you don’t bend on morals or doing the right thing, but over time people will begin to trust you more than anyone else and life becomes very easy when people take you at your word. Reputation matters.

31. Don’t waste energy on people who are not every bit as enthusiastic about you as you are them. This goes for friendships and relationships alike.

32. Get it done… get it over with.

33. You can suffer by being passive –ie in your career, your relationships, your health, your vices– or you can suffer by choosing to be the best version of yourself.

34. Never marry a woman with big hands, it makes your dick look small.

35. Learn to say “no”.

36. Your family **&** friends **can** fuck you over in ways a stranger never could….