If you were a teenager again would you do anything differently?

1800_Ladladlad · 03-02-2019 03:28PM

Not leave it in

Fuddyduddy · 03-02-2019 03:36PM

1800_Ladladlad wrote: »

Not leave it in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIibF2CpxkY

03-02-2019 03:47PM

Ishaan Quiet Landlord wrote: »

There are loads of things I would change if i could go back knowing what I know now. But I definitely definitely can't so while there's nothing wrong with a bit of "if only", once you've been a decent person, don't be too hard on yourself. Because making mistakes, doing stupid sh1t, thinking stupid things... that's part of being a teenager and part of your 20s also. You have to have that period of time to make bad decisions and learn from them.

I don't think we ever stop making mistakes. At least for me I know that I will continue to because its part of being human, not always getting it right, making a hames and starting again.

Mad_maxx · 03-02-2019 04:53PM

Everything

Trigger Happy · 03-02-2019 05:02PM

I would not change a lot to be honest. I landed with some good friends and got a good education.

I would like to have been more confident and made some different choices but no point in looking in the rear view mirror imo.

professore · 03-02-2019 05:08PM

Really given hurling a proper go. Should have gotten properly fit. Put more structure on my studying so that it was more effective. Gone after more girls. So many missed opportunities looking back...

Tell me how · 03-02-2019 05:09PM

I would have been less serious about dating and relationships. I had opportunity for casual dating/GF experiences but always analysed them before they went too far and for the most part didn't let them develop. This progressed in to my twenties where I kept thinking I had to be in a perfect place to start a relationship. Nearly like I wasn't going to try anything unless I was madly in love at the outset.

I'm still paying the price for this in my late 30's and quite simply I don't know how to assess correctly what I want or how to do something in this space for which is simply nothing more than being good for me in the moment.

All that being said, if someone said I could go back but without guarantee my life would be better, I probably wouldn't. I've a lot of things about my life I'm glad about and wouldn't like to lose them purely on the basis of a maybe.

mad muffin · 03-02-2019 05:11PM

Get busy studying or get busy doing and definitely don’t start smoking cig or dope.

Schwiiing · 03-02-2019 06:42PM

I'd like to do it all differently but I would still be a teenager with social, emotional, behavioural and intellectual problems so it would a pointless endeavour.

jimbobaloobob · 04-02-2019 01:14AM

We are our own worst critics and in reflection are always too hard on ourselves. We can't go back but maybe this thread forms an exercise as to what we could adapt/adjust/ tune in ourselves moving into what ever decade of aging comes next for us.
It can't rain all the time.

Tell me how · 04-02-2019 01:49AM

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

We are our own worst critics and in reflection are always too hard on ourselves. We can't go back but maybe this thread forms an exercise as to what we could adapt/adjust/ tune in ourselves moving into what ever decade of aging comes next for us.
It can't rain all the time.

I agree with this. Every one of us would probably like to be 5 years younger, thinking if we were at that age we would do so much.

Point is, there is someone 5 years older than us wishing they were the age which we are now. It's never too late to act in our own best interests. (Any day now I will pay attention to what I say)

Bigmac1euro · 04-02-2019 02:10AM

A better LC no doubt. And maybe less girlfriends.
But generally I’m pretty happy how it went. I went off the rails for years it was heaven. Now I only go off the rails the odd time. Once every month or so :-)

TallGlass · 04-02-2019 02:31AM

I would have followed on to the same school as the people I knew.

Junior Cycle should have given more time to it, wouldn't take Tech Drawing if going back.

Maybe give consideration to 4th year, again, the friends I made went into 4th year. I just wanted out.

Leaving Cycle, I dunno, would have helped if I showed up half the time. Mind was occupied with PCs and just general ****e really. No focus at all, wouldn't say not interested. I was but it was a one trick pony show for the teachers. If I didn't get it on round one, then that was that.

How the school never contacted the folks about my attendance is beyond me, I did have a likeable personality with the teachers I suppose. Really should have been advised to repeat 5th year.

I haven't the faintest idea how important the LC was not just for college, but it really is the basics of just knowledge.

So school wise, actually show up, engage more, actually study, take it a bit more seriously. I think there was a bit of borderline bullying from one or two people, should havent have put up with it really. Swift **** off might have sorted it out.

Outside, maybe take it down a notch or two on the socialisation. Was into the cans at the weekend, never got in trouble majorly, but did get arrested (catched myself on on after that, thankfully). Should have listened to the advise of Garda previous to that, and spent my time better maybe GAA or sports.

The computers I was always a natural at, thankfully saved the day and ended up in IT. However, I would have liked to know if I had to done the above, what would have been.

End of the day, I am happy where and what I am. Life continues, it's ever learning, what's done is done.

freshpopcorn · 04-02-2019 05:54AM

A very trivial thing that I'd also change would be I'd have dressed differently/cut my hair differently/etc.
I sort of listened to a relative about how to dress etc and I regret listening to them. An example would be I got my haircut in a certain way and I liked it.(It was fairly short) They made a big ordeal out of it and it made me feel very self conscious about it and I ended up getting a cut I didn't like for years.(Barber got used to it)
I changed barbers and ended up getting the shorter cut again and it did make me more confident. I should have listened to myself.

pxdf9i5cmoavkz · 04-02-2019 11:47AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think we ever stop making mistakes. At least for me I know that I will continue to because its part of being human, not always getting it right, making a hames and starting again.

I've made mistakes when I was younger. But now that I'm older, I've learned how to make different, often far more serious mistakes. :pac:

The one thing I know about making mistakes is that admitting it up front makes the problem a whole lot easier to deal with. Most people are far too caught up in themselves to properly focus on the mistake.

04-02-2019 12:11PM

Edwin Delightful Racer wrote: »

I've made mistakes when I was younger. But now that I'm older, I've learned how to make different, often far more serious mistakes. :pac:

The one thing I know about making mistakes is that admitting it up front makes the problem a whole lot easier to deal with. Most people are far too caught up in themselves to properly focus on the mistake.

I agree. A mistake at 20 might be "feck I should have studied harder for my end of year exams" and a mistake at 40 might be "fùck we need a divorce".

It takes a bit of courage to acknowledge hard truths to yourself I think. To be able to reflect and know that you got it wrong. Certain mistakes can really mess with your perception of yourself. Say for example you have a pretty strong stance on cheating. You abhor it. One day that very thing happens, you cheat on your partner.

Then begins the difficult work of reconciling such a mistake with what you thought your values were.

Edited to add that infidelity in my opinion is often complicated so maybe that wasn't the best example to use.

Apiarist · 04-02-2019 12:22PM

I would have possibly taken more risks. However, in my case that would have very possibly meant that I would be a dead teenager.

Sleepy · 04-02-2019 01:00PM

Loads of things:

1. Not take up smoking
2. Get into the habit of saving while I had no real expenses and, looking back on it, quite a lot of disposable income.
3. Socialised less. Drinking 4 or 5 nights a week was crazy and usually in company I didn't even enjoy
4. Accepted myself and my interests for what they were rather than trying to fit in.
5. Faked dyslexia rather than wasting my time in Irish class
6. Off the back of 1, 2 & 3: gone Inter-railing on my own instead of being paralysed by the fear of doing anything without my friends, done a full year out of travelling
7. Kept up, and developed further, the level of fitness I achieved through Life Guarding classes and running in my Leaving Cert years.

04-02-2019 01:41PM

I would have spent less time drinking with Sleepy :pac:

valoren · 04-02-2019 01:59PM

I would not have gone to a Gaelscoil.

To have to read the material in english, translate it into Irish and then learn it all off by heart was such a ****ing waste of time and energy looking back.

If you were a teenager again would you do anything differently?

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