NEYO8uw11qgD0J

NEYO8uw11qgD0J t1_itneqca wrote

Being an American is such a mixed bag sometimes. On the one hand, we're the only developed nation backward enough to have "Faith" make the Top 5. But on the other, I'm proud of the fact we prioritize Friends over Occupation. It's shocking how only two other countries rank Friends that highly.

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NEYO8uw11qgD0J t1_ir7zl6g wrote

In my sixth decade here.

I regret many things about my twenties: not having as much stupid fun as my peers, not taking more risks asking out the opposite sex, not feeling free to fuck-up and experiment (within reason). But I do not regret not trying to achieve "everything" by 30. I mean, it never occurred to me try. Why? Because two little gems of wisdom from my Dad stuck with me: (1) none of what you care about in your 20s will matter in a hundred years, and (2) if you rigidly plan your life in your 20s, it will have changed by your 40s, and if you regroup in your 40s and tell yourself "now I'm going to buckle down and do what I need to do", everything you prepared for will be blown away by change in your 60s. In other words, don't try to find the "right" path. Because it doesn't exist. Instead, seek the flexibility of mind that will allow you to land on any path and say, "Hey, this looks interesting ... let's see where it goes!"

(Obviously, such flexibility still requires a certain level of discipline to achieve: don't get anyone pregnant, don't become pregnant, don't go to jail, and take care of your body.)

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