'Getting involved with a coworker...': Mistakes people still made over the age of 30 that led to disaster

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Dec 16, 2023 7:00 AM EST

Life, in its simplest form, is a series of choices, choices made within the limits of our perspective and affected by outside influences and authorities that hold sway. Sometimes, these decisions are small and relatively inconsequential, but they can still snowball into something far bigger down the road. Other times, the decisions themself are large, so large that we find it nearly impossible to take the necessary step forward down one of the paths. In these instances, it's no surprise that we'll feel as if there should be some adult present making these decisions for us, yet as fully grown adults ourselves, we ultimately are the only ones who can decide which direction to take.  

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement

  • When you're younger, you tend to mistakenly believe that you'll have it all figured out by the time you're older—but that's far from the case. As with any decision where you lack all the information and the ability to gaze into the future to see where it all leads—sometimes you're going to get it wrong. Your only hope can be that that wrong decision isn't one that leads you down a pathway to absolute disaster and ruin.

  • 01
    "Getting involved with a coworker..."
    via Sean Stratton
  • 02
    Posted by u/otherworldly_mirror What's a regretful mistake that you made past your 30s that you can't believe you were capable of as an adult? Asking because I'm not sure if growing up necessarily comes with the ability to not make mistakes, but it does come with a pressure to not make any anymore or you wouldn't be able to afford them. Do people still make really regretful mistakes in their 40s and 50s?
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 03
    CinCeeMee Oh yea...getting involved with a co-worker. I was in my 40's. NEVER again. Ever...and I can confidently say never. Reply Share 195 odinskriver39 Definitely the co-worker mistake. We were both separated and the story sharing date turned into fun for a while and then a bad marriage. Really glad I got out and listened to the friend who wanted me to meet her friend. Third time is the last and best. 40 Reply Share ...
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 04
    ElReydelTacos 50 something I fell for all the finance manager's tricks when I bought my car about 10 years ago. I ended up buying a bunch of dealer extended warranties that I didn't want because he snuck an extra 6 months worth of payments. I thought the sales guy was the one to watch out for, but he was easy. I bought a new car for my wife recently and I want in to the finance managers office expecting another ambush, but it was fine. I just got a real dirt bag last time. 96 Reply Share potent_
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 05
    o pixiedoll339 Financed a new luxury model vehicle late in life that caused me to extend how long I worked before retirement. The $ would have been much better utilized in retirement savings. Idiot. 101 333pickup Do you enjoy the car a little? 22 Reply Share 19 Reply Share pixiedoll339 Yes I did until I traded it in for a F10. Still feel regret though. Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 06
    Honest-Register-5151 Started doing ce in my early 40's. Lost everything (kids, house, dog, cars and a lot of money). I had to move away from my home state. I've been clean for about 16 years. Reply Share 69 ChoiceDegree1462 Wow. How did that start at that stage in life? 63 ●●● Reply Share 3 ... Honest-Register-5151 I got divorced and fell in with the wrong crowd. All the friends my ex and I had decided to stay on his side so I had to find new friends, I guess I wasn't very good at that!! Reply S
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 07
    Joe_Metaphor Getting a better job a with a decent boost in salary when I was in my early 30s, then being complacent and not taking my career any further because (due to my low self-esteem) I assumed this was as good as it gets. So treaded water for 20 years until I was laid off (though did good work and was well- regarded by my employer). If I could turn back time I would have spent those 20 years networking, job hopping and aggressively doing everything I could to advance my career. 51 Reply Sh
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 08
    FineRevolution 9264 50 something Continuing doing extreme sports even after the 5th orthopedic surgery. I'm in chronic pain now. Throwing myself into work and not being more present for my family. You can't ever get that time back. Ignoring childhood trauma and pretending everything is okay instead of dealing with it .It just ends up controlling you and eats you up eventually. 51 Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 09
    AotKT Xennial Believing I could get a guy to change if only I was "good enough" for him. Oof. Reply Share 115 Vivid-Gur0822 Ooh yes! THIS! This is probably the mistake in my life that caused the chain reaction of mistakes I made all through my 20s, possibly early 30s as well lol (I'm 39). 481 Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 10
    pepperpat64 I got married a 2nd time at age 49. Huge mistake. Getting divorced now. 70 Laura9624 Reply Share 27 ●●● Me too. A few years earlier, same result. Yes, he seemed great. Not a red flag. Everyone liked and thought he was great. I was Happily divorced for 15 years. True I should have just let him live with me for a while instead of marriage. He was having relationships with a couple other women, it turned out. Huge mistake but lucky to get out. Reply Share ...
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 11
    robotlasagna 50 something Joining Reddit. 60 Reply Share annoyedatwork The amount of time, energy and focus that I've wasted here over the last 15 years ... Reply Share 33
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 12
    OftenAmiable Yes, you are still capable of making bad mistakes past your 30's. But what does happen is that, if you reflect on your mistakes and treat them as the learning opportunities that they are, you make fewer mistakes and the consequences become less severe. For example, I used to say and do things during fights with my wife that really hurt her and brought us to the brink of divorce. I
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 13
    wasn't trying to. I just didn't have enough awareness of how I was hurting her. Now our fights are less common and less painful, even though I'm still not perfect. The same decrease in frequency and severity happens in your work life as well. It's why VP's and CEO's tend to be old. You don't want the people with the most power to sink your company to be people who haven't made enough mistakes in life to figure out how to reduce the frequency and severity of their mistakes. 60 Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 14
    thenletskeepdancing I made huge regretful mistakes in my late forties. They were a wake up call. I feel that the last few years have been a difficult but profound awakening. Yes, I'm in my fifites processing a lot of stuff. But better late than never. ↑ 19 BooBoo2348 Reply Share Gosh I really feel this! Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 15
    beautifulwreck_ Staying with my company over 15 years and being told I won't be getting any raises going forward bc I'm at the top end of the range. It's my biggest regret bc I thought (foolishly) loyalty meant something. 22 Reply Share hiirogen As they say, if you want loyalty, buy a dog Reply Share 2
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 16
    MisterMysterion 70 something Nothing. The key words of the question: "you can't believe you were capable of". At my age. I know I am capable of cruelty. I know I can make terrible decisions. Therefore, I work EVERY DAY at becoming a better person. I work on making good decisions. ↑ 23 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 17
    littlemiss2022 Not taking the time to learn about myself and spending some time alone understanding who I am before getting married. This was a mistake in my 20s, but I did the same thing on my 2nd (in my 30s) and 3rd husbands (in my 40s). I am still married to my 3rd, but I really appreciate my alone time. 19 Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 18
    LibraryGuy1964 50 something I'm not sure if growing up necessarily comes with the ability to not make mistakes Not at all. To be alive is to make mistakes. Mistakes are oppotunities to learn and grow. You stop learning and growing, you stop living. 41 Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror
  • 19
    Senior-Garbage-09_10 That is so easy for me. I left my husband and 3 young children for a bag. It's a good 30 years ago and our kids are all adults. I will never forgive myself for abandoning my family. ↑ 16 Reply Share
    via u/otherworldly_mirror

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

ask reddit FAIL human experience mistakes were made fail stories mistakes getting older
Scroll Down For The Next Article