Fellas, what is a lesson that you learned the hard way?

45 comments

1. When you get angry, don’t punch hard floors or walls unless you want to end up in the ER

2. Love changes with time..

3. Don’t marry someone that’s nasty to other people. (Because eventually you’ll be the target.)

   Don’t marry someone thinking that the incompatibilities on something you care about will be manageable. (They might be for a while, but eventually won’t be.)

4. Don’t talk about inappropriate things at work

5. All the world will be your enemy.

6. If a woman decides that she does not want to be with you there is nothing you can say or do to change her mind.

7. Don’t get involved in trying to solve other peoples problems. I burned a bridge in the process.

8. A two-lesson event taught me 1) crocodilians are smarter than you think, and 2) just because they don’t try to jump from their pond into the koi pond when you’re looking doesn’t mean they *can’t* make the jump.

   Cunning little fuckers…

9. Dealing with anger and frustration. Financial responsibility.

10. You’re the most influential for change in your life. And even then, there are no guarantees. Waiting for some magical external event to better your life is useless.

11. If a woman you’re dating is highly sympathetic for no reason, chances are she still has a crazy ex in her life!

12. Most people don’t deserve your trust.

13. Not everyone has your best interests at heart

14. No such thing as unconditional love.

15. You can do the right thing and still lose

16. I once partied myself homeless. And I’ve now twice needed to reboot my life & finances after two failed marriages.

    As tough as it was to claw myself out of the gutter into a respectable life, I have to say that getting married was much tougher lesson to learn the hard way. Especially since I didn’t seem to figure that out after the first disaster.

17. Don’t leave a job, even one you hate, without another job ready to go.

    I did this back in ‘07 because the restaurant I ran was sold and I hated the new owner. Figured I’d kick around for the summer. Worked some BS job with a corporate cratering service running lunch to business offices. It’s fun, especially the visits to Meryl Lynch. It’s like a party in there all the time.

    Then September 15, 2007. I go in there and it’s like a funeral. People are in there cubicles and offices like there’s a velociraptor running the halls. I either see people bolting around with stacks of papers and a panicked look on their faces or just sitting at their desk defeated. I go find Bobby, who’s my boy in there, ask him what’s up. “It’s like the Hindenburg just hit the Titanic and they were both carrying everyone money.”.

    The plan was to just go get another job in the fall. Nope! Restaurants were closing up left and right. But I got lucky. Sure I lost my motorcycle and my hot girlfriend left me because I had no money anymore but I looked around and saw my friends losing houses and businesses left and right.

18. Never trust anyone, but especially don’t trust people that say they love you and want to spend the rest of their lives with you.

19. Always check to be sure your zipper is up.

20. Treat your Earthsuit with care. It’s rather fragile and you only have the one.

21. Don’t date single mothers.

22. Never count on lasting stability

23. Always check if the power is off to anything with electricity going to it yourself before you start working on it. Was working on an electric fence rights next to where the electric fence connects to the main power, asked my buddy if he disconnected the power and he said yes. When I grabbed the wire to start working on it I got shocked and about jumped out of my pants, ever since I always make sure I confirm the powers cut beforehand

24. If something fucks up in your car, NEVER blow it off or wait to check it when you get paid. The longer you let it go, the more expensive it could be.

25. At the end of the day, people are people

26. You can do the right thing and still lose. 🥹

27. Take good care of your teeth, or lose them.

28. Don’t change jobs/careers for a woman.

29. Law is not fair.

30. Nobody is gonna take care of you.

    The income, relationships, friends, social life, and social status you have is a direct result of the hard work you put in.

    And when you win, have no shame in enjoying the fruits of your labor. You be surprised how many people will try to down play your success just to feel better about themselves

31. The only person you can ever truly rely on 100% is yourself

32. Once you bang a crazy enough woman, you can’t go back to normal women because you get bored.
    I can barely get a boner unless she slashes my truck tires and throws things at me.

33. It’s not enough to just be yourself. In many cases you need to be your representative. If you’re not putting at least a good effort forward (i.e. dress nice-ish, workout, work hard in school/job, don’t be a burden the majority of the time), many people won’t give you the time of day.

34. Literally no one gives a shit about your problems.

35. What people *say* and what people *do* are two very different things. Focus more on the *do* since anyone can say anything.

36. Save money.

    In my 20s, I was spending money like it grew on trees. I would spend my paycheck pretty quickly and then just use credit the rest of the month. Absolutely terrible.

    Once I hit my 30s, the value of money changed and it’s tough to play money catch up in your 30s while trying to figure out how to start your life.

    So you young men in here, save your money. When you get paid, save some, invest some, put some away in a shoebox that you hide on top of your fridge. Whatever you do, put some money away.

37. How quickly a gambling addiction can start and how it can bring you to your knees. Never thought it could get as bad as some people I know, nah not me. No it got worse. Please all stay away from the temptation to do so unless you’re a responsible gambler.

38. Always accept help if someone offers to hold the ladder. Always.

39. Don’t marry someone that you met at the bar, even when they hit on you and seem awesome for three years…

40. Cologne on the scrotum = balls of fire. Don’t do it.

41. That if you don’t treat her right she will LEAVE

42. A man in active alcoholism needs to focus on himself; sustaining a relationship isn’t possible.

43. Not all lessons can be learned easy

44. Marriage won’t change her.

45. Sticking it out at a bad job doesn’t prove anything, and a bad office won’t get better with time. You can’t change a culture .