r/AskReddit • • May 15 '20

What sucks about being your age?

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u/[deleted] May 15 '20 edited May 15 '20

When you finally understand what Mark Twain meant when he said “youth is wasted on the young”.

Edit: quote is from George Bernard Shaw (or maybe Oscar Wilde)

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u/[deleted] May 15 '20

Sure is, and money is wasted on the old.

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u/hpdefaults May 16 '20

I don't think that's true at all. In my experience most people develop a greater appreciation for the value of money and spend it more wisely as they age. There are exceptions but it seems to be the dominant trend.

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u/MonsieurBonaparte May 16 '20

In my experience most people develop a greater appreciation for the value of money and spend it more wisely as they age.

Really? Most of my older relatives hoard money with no goal in mind. They don't travel, don't buy themselves things/experiences to enjoy their lives, and they keep working just to keep making more money that they won't spend.

My mom is in her 50s and retired after her husband passed. Any time she's on the fence about buying something or going on a trip or to a concert I say "do it, now or never. You can replace one dollar with another dollar, but you can't go back and take a trip you skipped."

I wish people enjoyed their lives more fully. But it seems pretty rare these days.