Is it fun being an adult?
- Thread starter Bartmanhomer
- Start date
Acquana
First Post
Any time of life is what you make it. If you're with the sparse ones in this list who responded "Life sucks at adulthood/any other time," then there's going to be a bit more effort involved in making adulthood fun.
I can give you at least one bit of advice that can make any time period better: love. Cheezy as hell, but the best advice you'll ever get. Life ain't about your work, because humankind has been around a lot longer than most jobs ... your dreams matter, but if you feel you don't matter to anyone, even people with aspirations feel miserable (little known fact: nearly half of those who go into artistic professions like writing or design have some form of chronic depression). But through my time in life, I've seen that the most consistantly happy people are those who surround themselves with friends and loved ones. The more you love others, the more you get back. You're hurt now and again, but if you gave your best, then you have nothing to be really sad about: any responsibility is on the other party and you can rest easy knowing you're blameless.
So long as you remember what I said right there then yeah ... Adulthood is great. Watch your health, gather love around you, never let go of your dreams ... All is well with the cosmos.
That goes for anyone else who responded adult life is no fun!
I can give you at least one bit of advice that can make any time period better: love. Cheezy as hell, but the best advice you'll ever get. Life ain't about your work, because humankind has been around a lot longer than most jobs ... your dreams matter, but if you feel you don't matter to anyone, even people with aspirations feel miserable (little known fact: nearly half of those who go into artistic professions like writing or design have some form of chronic depression). But through my time in life, I've seen that the most consistantly happy people are those who surround themselves with friends and loved ones. The more you love others, the more you get back. You're hurt now and again, but if you gave your best, then you have nothing to be really sad about: any responsibility is on the other party and you can rest easy knowing you're blameless.
So long as you remember what I said right there then yeah ... Adulthood is great. Watch your health, gather love around you, never let go of your dreams ... All is well with the cosmos.
That goes for anyone else who responded adult life is no fun!
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I hated being an adolescent; I wasn't too thrilled with my 20s. My life has been great since I turned 30. And it's not for material reasons -- I'm still an unsuccessful poor loser by the standards of mainstream society. It's just that it took me until my late 20s to learn to enjoy being alive. And now that I've figured it out, I love it.
Nareau
Explorer
Yeah, being an adult is pretty great. I had a really hard time from 13-16, and was chronically depressed. I only wish someone had been there to tell me, "yeah, life sucks...but it will get better."
For me, being an adult is all about self-determination. It's about realizing that you can do whatever you want to. Sure, some things might get you beat up or thrown in jail...but that's a choice you get to make for yourself. There's nothing more valuable than the freedom to determine your own future.
Spider
For me, being an adult is all about self-determination. It's about realizing that you can do whatever you want to. Sure, some things might get you beat up or thrown in jail...but that's a choice you get to make for yourself. There's nothing more valuable than the freedom to determine your own future.
Spider
two
First Post
Knowledge and Sophistication
Childhood and adolescence are many things; sophisticated is not one of them.
I spent much of my childhood and teen years feeling ignorant; understanding at a fundamental level that there was much I didn't know, that was too complicated, that "adults" dealt with and which was often completely confusing when approached without knowing how to approach it.
Childhood can be a happy time, but it is happiness born (to a greater or lesser extent) of ignorance, and its pleasures are (consequently) many but shallow.
Children do not understand art. Children do not understand sacrifice. Children do not understand love -- not really. They don't understand just how complicated, confusing, and entangled human relations can be. They don't know how indifferent the world is; they don't understand higher truths such as evolution (an in-depth understanding) or the rift between the spiritual and the material within ourselves, which is so important to so many adults.
No child reads and truly understands Henry James or Nabokov; these are adult pleasures, which I would not trade for the anything -- not for anything. Certainly not the illusions of my youth, which were many.
Yes, adult life is messy, complicated, cruel, mean, confusing...
the lows are so low, that some take their own lives.
the highs, though -- they are infinitely greater than anything a child is capable of.
Adulthood is not for the faint of heart. It's not safe. But yes. It's fun being an adult -- much better than when I was a child (< 20 years old).
Childhood and adolescence are many things; sophisticated is not one of them.
I spent much of my childhood and teen years feeling ignorant; understanding at a fundamental level that there was much I didn't know, that was too complicated, that "adults" dealt with and which was often completely confusing when approached without knowing how to approach it.
Childhood can be a happy time, but it is happiness born (to a greater or lesser extent) of ignorance, and its pleasures are (consequently) many but shallow.
Children do not understand art. Children do not understand sacrifice. Children do not understand love -- not really. They don't understand just how complicated, confusing, and entangled human relations can be. They don't know how indifferent the world is; they don't understand higher truths such as evolution (an in-depth understanding) or the rift between the spiritual and the material within ourselves, which is so important to so many adults.
No child reads and truly understands Henry James or Nabokov; these are adult pleasures, which I would not trade for the anything -- not for anything. Certainly not the illusions of my youth, which were many.
Yes, adult life is messy, complicated, cruel, mean, confusing...
the lows are so low, that some take their own lives.
the highs, though -- they are infinitely greater than anything a child is capable of.
Adulthood is not for the faint of heart. It's not safe. But yes. It's fun being an adult -- much better than when I was a child (< 20 years old).
Thornir Alekeg
Albatross!
Ultimately it is no different from being a kid. Somedays it is so much fun its crazy they actually let you do it, other times it just sucks. That is how I recall being a kid as well. The things that make a good day or a bad day change, but the results are the same. All you can do is hope that the fun times outnumber the sucky ones.
Don't rush into being an adult, but don't fear it either.
Don't rush into being an adult, but don't fear it either.
I don't know. As I get older, I'm starting to think happiness is a state of mind rather than state of being. I mean is, when I was younger, I would look forward to certain things, such as graduation, college, college graduation. Now I work for a living, I'm realizing that happiness doesn't come from age or circumstance (money, job, etc), but from within.
OK, that just sounded really trite. I think I'll take my Geritol(R) now*
*from a 24 year old bachelor being very introspective about life now. Back to your regularly scheduled program.
OK, that just sounded really trite. I think I'll take my Geritol(R) now*
*from a 24 year old bachelor being very introspective about life now. Back to your regularly scheduled program.
Tinker Gnome
Adventurer
Well, I am only 16, going on 17 in June, but I already find that I like myself better now than when I was younger. Sometimes I do look back at just a couple of years ago and get nostalgic, then I remember that I have much more knowledge now than I did then.
Davelozzi
Explorer
I like being an adult, just as I liked every other age, except maybe the junior high years. They sucked. Seriously though, at every other point in my life, I've always enjoyed where I was at, and I've never minded getting older either. As much fun as I had say when I was in college, I wouldn't want to go back there if I could. Looking back is pointless, it's better to enjoy where you are today, with a bit of an eye on tomorrow.
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