How old are you, what have you learned in that time ?

[Taxious]

I'm 23 and have seen a lot of good advice in this thread already.

So far - the most important thing I've learned in life is how important adaptability is. Things change and the best I can do to deal with those changes is to accept them and keep living.

Also, I've learned (or am working at) how to let other people live while minimalizing any negative feelings towards them for their lifestyle/views. If I ever were to raise children, this would be my biggest lesson to them: "leave other people alone." (Unless it's on a rant board of course )

[Garrdor]

Ive learned that...

uh....

ummm....

SAN DIMAS HIGH FOOTBALL RULES!

[Klast Brell]

Most Excellent.

Thanks for making me feel old.

[Talaena]

I'm 33 and the only thing I've learned is that Weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

[Select]

Most Excellent.

Thanks for making me feel old.

Negative Nancy

[Jarochai Alabaster]

I just recently turned 30.


1. My greatest sin and the largest piece of my adolescence that I've hung onto has been pride. Swallowing that pride has been both an incredibly humbling experience and a great relief, and if I'm intelligent enough to see it through it will be the catalyst for propelling my life in a forward direction.

2. People are my most valuable asset, both friends and family. I wouldn't be here without them, I wouldn't have learned a fraction as much as I have, and my life would be unbearably boring!

3. At least half of the problems I've faced in life I've brought on myself, and most of the ones I didn't could have been averted or lessened with a little more thought about tomorrow and a little less about instant gratification.

4. Never fail to tell the people you care about what they mean to you. One day it may be too late.

5. I can find life unbearably bleak and indescribably beautiful all in the same moment. I haven't yet decided if this is a good or bad thing, but it's been an enormous source of inspiration and I'm grateful for it.

6. I am a complete idiot. As are all of you.

7. I love kids! I used to be awkward with them, but in the last 2 years enough of my friends have had them that I'm around them (And currently living with one!) enough to come to appreciate them. There is no doubt in my mind now that I want my own.

8. I think most importantly I've learned that without the wisdom and willingness to do something with these revelations, they don't mean a fucking thing.

[Klast Brell]

6. Fear is a driving force amongst every-day human beings
9. Socialist/Marxist ideas of governing systems are in the right direction. The human race would save itself (and a natural world eco-system) if it could understand/adhere 100%

And it is because of 6 that 9 will never work. Cooperative existence like that requires that people trust absolutely everyone to do the right thing. Have you ever been in a relationship where you had a joint back account. Where it was "Our Money"? Were you ever afraid your partner would spend "our money" on something frivolous? Mutiply that fear by every person on earth. And then multiply it again by how much you an trust 6 or 7 billion complete strangers to always do the right thing that is best for the group even if it is not best for themselves.

And they will do that. Everyone gives in to their greed every once in a while. Some only a little. Some a whole lot. How can you stop it? You have to make rules. You have to enforce those rules. You slowly have to close a totalitarian fist around everybody's throat until they are incapable of doing anything wrong.

Pure Socialist/Marxist ideas work for small groups where everyone knows everyone else. Where everyone cares about everyone else and is invested in their well being. Think of the stereotypical hippie commune. Or for an example that is sure to bother the ultra conservatives on the board. Think of a family. The kids don't do shit but they are housed and fed and entertained and even given some cash every week to waste on candy and toys. Talk a bout welfare.

[Select]

From the older examples around me, I've learned not to let myself become fat or unhealthy.

Back on topic - nice post, Klast.

[Alluveal]

Having been overweight at one point, I know that it definitely helped with learning sympathy. I know a lot of thin people who believe that being hugely obese/overweight is 100% about willpower. I know a lot of thin people who also think that discriminating against the obese is perfectly ok.

A little humility goes a LONG way for some. Having walked a mile in the "fat shoes," I can say that I'm not so eager to point at someone and say, "holy shit, what a fat fuck. Get off your lazy ass."

A good portion of it is willpower, sure, but there is also relearning new habits, mental hangups, emotional pain that led you to food in the first place.

Anyway, back to your regular ranting.

[Select]

Or medication that makes someone gain weight. An aunt was obese at one point because of her lupus meds/steroids/other meds and a doctor fucking something up that nearly caused her to die. She's managed to lose a lot, but still has a long way to go - and may never get there. Being on steroids for just a few months, I was amazed at how fast I was inflating. Can you imagine years with that? And it's a trade-off between a healthy weight or overall health? That sucks.

[Alluveal]

Medications can be truly evil when it comes to weight gain. I was on antidepressants when I gained a good chunk of mine (this was over 10 years ago.) I will never take another anti-depressant again, nor will I ever take oral contraceptives. I gained 20 lb in 3 weeks of starting it and I was eating a pretty dang healthy diet.

I know a few people who have thyroid issues as well. One went on a diet/food plan for 2 weeks, eating only fruits/veggies and she kept it to under 1200 calories a day. She gained 2 pounds at the end of that two weeks. Once the doctors got her on meds, her weight just melted off.

On the other hand, I have a friend who is thin as a rail and can eat like a friggin' olympic swimmer and not gain a single ounce--never exercises, etc. She has the opposite thyroid problem (overactive instead of underactive.)

I've learned that there is no quick fix, that you have to rewire your brain in a sense and unlearn what you have learned about food. Things like "finish everything on your place" is something my child will never hear out of my mouth, nor will I reward her with food.

[Embar Angylwrath]

I know a few people who have thyroid issues as well. One went on a diet/food plan for 2 weeks, eating only fruits/veggies and she kept it to under 1200 calories a day. She gained 2 pounds at the end of that two weeks. Once the doctors got her on meds, her weight just melted off.

If she truly kept her diet to 1200/cal per day, there's no way she put on fat. You just can't manufacture calories out of nothing. If anything, it was water retention.

[Alluveal]

I dunno. She had a freakishly low metabolism. Could have been water weight I guess?

[Garrdor]

6. Fear is a driving force amongst every-day human beings
9. Socialist/Marxist ideas of governing systems are in the right direction. The human race would save itself (and a natural world eco-system) if it could understand/adhere 100%

And it is because of 6 that 9 will never work. Cooperative existence like that requires that people trust absolutely everyone to do the right thing. Have you ever been in a relationship where you had a joint back account. Where it was "Our Money"? Were you ever afraid your partner would spend "our money" on something frivolous? Mutiply that fear by every person on earth. And then multiply it again by how much you an trust 6 or 7 billion complete strangers to always do the right thing that is best for the group even if it is not best for themselves.

And they will do that. Everyone gives in to their greed every once in a while. Some only a little. Some a whole lot. How can you stop it? You have to make rules. You have to enforce those rules. You slowly have to close a totalitarian fist around everybody's throat until they are incapable of doing anything wrong.

Pure Socialist/Marxist ideas work for small groups where everyone knows everyone else. Where everyone cares about everyone else and is invested in their well being. Think of the stereotypical hippie commune. Or for an example that is sure to bother the ultra conservatives on the board. Think of a family. The kids don't do shit but they are housed and fed and entertained and even given some cash every week to waste on candy and toys. Talk a bout welfare.

I understand that most people wouldn't 'give up their freedom' for something less personally gratifying.

[Payne]

Best question of the year ever. Actually made me pause and think (reminisce was more like it). Well, I'm 23 1/2, and in that time I've had so many good and bad experiences that I can say I've learned God sustains His children through all time and life.

[MeGusta]

I am 39.

In those years I have learned that Faith is the negation of reason. Belief in God allows mankind to do any manner of unreasonable thing, to espouse any illogical idea, and commit any manner of atrocity in the name of Faith.

[Payne]

MeGusta, if that is a reply to my post, thank you for sharing your opinion. I wasn't sharing my opinion, I'm sharing my life as a testimony. If it were an opinion at all I'd probably attribute everything that happened to me to meaningless coincidence and inexplicable chance. In 23 1/2 years I've been endlessly exposed to varying degrees of corruption of human nature and evil, but God always makes a way for me. Really, that moment when I surrendered everything in me and my life to Him, was the best moment of my life. Simply means I don't have to strive against anything or anyone at all in my past, present, or in the unpredictable future. Can you imagine the freedom and peace? Sounds like religious static to you maybe, but it's not religion; it's a relationship. And I'm so glad I've found it so young. =)

[MeGusta]

What a load of unsubstantiated drivel. Your self deluded spiritual conclusions have not set you free. They have imprisoned you in a cage devoid of logic and reason. Now you have an excuse for everything in your life. Congratulations.

[Freecare Spiritwise]

Now you have an excuse for everything in your life.

Just like you do for being a victim of causation. It wasn't my fault judge, you see, because I have no free will. The endless sequence of events made me do it!

[MeGusta]

Are you sure you are quoting the right person?

Your statement makes no sense in the context of the quoted sentence.

Explain how I am a victim of causation, please.

I have made no excuses for myself nor do I require any.

God does not exist. I am responsible for my own actions. I believe in free will. I do not believe in God. If I believed in God I would not believe in free will.