28 Things People Learned Embarrassingly Late in Life

We all grow at our own pace and that's totally normal, although sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing.

Published 9 months ago in Facepalm

We all grow at our own pace and that's totally normal, although sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing. When I was in high school I had a classmate who asked our earth science teacher why we could just remove the magma from a volcano.

Needless to say, everyone laughed at her, and were all laughing at these 28 Redditors who were at least brave enough to air out their shortcomings.

Life can be hard enough as it is and if you're keeping helpful secrets from your friends and family, you aren't doing anyone favors. So share the wealth and the knowledge because you never know when you might need it.

1
That you can get pregnant the very first time you have sex.

2
Saving money early in life is a really good idea.

3
Don't ignore bullies. That's terrible advice. The only way they will leave you alone is through the sight of their own blood.
4
Always get it in writing.

5
Just because I hold an opinion on something doesn't mean that I need to share it. I spent WAY too much of my early adulthood inserting my viewpoint into discussions that I wasn't really a part of.
6
Just because they're older than you, doesn't make them more mature. Would've saved me from an entire marriage
7
Never make an important decision if you are hungry or horny. Both have a massive impact on your decision making abilities.

8
If you press Windows Key + V you can see a list of all the things you've copied
9
Basic living skills. My parents were hoarders and neglected me growing up, we lived in filth and wore dirty clothes, rarely bathed etc. So I never learned what goes into keeping a house clean, or good hygiene practices, or the basic skills needed for normal life. I know "in theory" how to do those things now, but the underlying core organizational, management, etc skills still aren't there. It's kinda hard to explain but it just feels like there will always be a gap for me.
10
Percentages are reversible. So 8% of 25 is the same thing as 25% of 8 and sometimes the reverse is easier to calculate.

11
That kitten's baby teeth also fall out. Found out when playing with my cat he was young. Rollercoaster of emotions between it happening and me googling while holding a little ~~canine~~ fang in my hand.
12
The people you work with aren't your friends. Always keep your guard up. Any and all of them can throw you under the bus at any time.
13
Flushable wipes are not to be flushed ever.

14
That most people can actually see pictures in their mind. Growing up, I always thought 'counting sheep to fall asleep' meant using my head to think the words "1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep" etc, and so I was understandably puzzled as to why sheep, and not any other word? Then, when I was 34 years old, so not exactly young, I actually figured out that I have aphantasia. Turns out, nearly everyone can actually 'see' animals, or their family member's faces, or characters from a movie, in their head - whereas I've always built quite detailed descriptions, in words, because that's all I have in my head.
15
Tell the police nothing. Tell the paramedic everything.
16
You can’t get lazy with birth control just because you turn 40. Signed, Middle Aged Mom of a newborn

17
A pony is not a baby horse. Edit: the number of people who are responding to this saying that they didn't know this makes me feel so much better for having learned it last year from reddit. At 36 years old. Glad I'm not the only one it took a while for! Cheers.
18
"Netflix and chill" does not mean watching something on Netflix and chilling.
19
On Wednesday I learned that pancakes are so called because they are a cake made in a pan. smh I’m 61yo

20
That you can actually say no to your parents.
21
That after high school it's incredibly hard to find real friends.
22
you can preserve fresh vegetables by getting plasting containers and putting paper towels on the bottom and the top. it absorbs the water. its the water from condensation that makes them go bad so fast. then just change the paper towels every few days and wipe out the container. Makes them last WAY longer. i wonder how i am not dead that i did not know this. Especially as a single guy. My fresh veggies can last 3 weeks. I dont have to get little bits and keep going back to the store.

23
Don't make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings.
24
My gf found out at age 15 that you can breathe out of your nose. She has a lot of alergies and has never been able to
25
My name is Aaron. Turns out when you go to the bank, and the post office and the store, you are running Errands. Not Aarons.

26
I thought islands were floating landmasses for way longer than I am proud to admit.
27
Hard work isn’t always the answer. When I worked a minimum wage job, I would work hard and not take breaks, so a great job, and always finish early. I just then got told to pick up the slack for the employees who spent their time goofing off. Never got a promotion, raise, or even a “Hey, good job”
28
The direction of the arrow next to your car fuel indicator lets you know what side your filling point is.