‘What is a [bad] habit that people in their 20s think is harmless?’: People +40 discuss things young adults need to start doing to avoid setting themselves up for failure

María Cetra • Writer

Jul 26, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

When we are in our first adult years, we think we know it all, but maybe it is useful to hear the advice of the people who came before.

In school, we learn that it is important to learn history to avoid committing the same mistakes. That is not only useful for historical events. It's also important to pay attention to what elders have to say. Even though the world has changed almost entirely, indeed, some things never do. Sometimes something we deem old or obsolete can actually be extremely helpful to younger generations.

Sometimes our grandparents would repeat old sayings as some hidden truth. We would laugh and considerate no more than a simple saying. But once you hit adulthood, you start to realize that they were saying things that were more important and useful than you originally thought. Sometimes they are not just repeating an old saying but passing on knowledge.

This Reddit thread is not only a way to pass on knowledge from the elders to the younger generation, but it's also a way to give their words the importance they deserve. We, young adults, need to lower our pride and listen more. Listen to what others have to say before we form an opinion. We can evaluate what we consider important and what we do not, but only if we first hear what they have to say. Use this thread and others. Ask family members, neighbors, teachers. They have lived in this world longer than you, and that matters. They have experienced things you haven't even thought about yet. So listen and learn. Nobody was born knowing everything.

So ask, ask older people what they would have liked to know when they were younger. What tip do they wish they had heard before they hit adulthood? And use what you need and just know what you don't want. Use it in your favor. Listen to others who have come before you.

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via Ravi Patel

An older woman smiling at the camera.
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People who are 40+, what is a "silent [destroyer]" habit that people in their 20s think is completely harmless, but is secretly setting them up to get absolutely destroyed in a decade?
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via The-Irumporai
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via Daniel Capelani

A young adult man smiling at the camera.
_{Representation.}
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via The-Irumporai
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via The-Irumporai
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‘What is a [bad] habit that people in their 20s think is harmless?’: People +40 discuss things young adults need to start doing to avoid setting themselves up for failure

When we are in our first adult years, we think we know it all, but maybe it is useful to hear the advice of the people who came before.

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