35 Cautionary Tales Shared In This Online Thread To Warn Others Not To Repeat Their Mistakes

According to Dr. Geher, mistakes and failure are part of developing successful strategies in life. "My research team has recently found that the number of failures one can think of is strongly predictive of one’s successes," he told Bored Panda in an email.

"So, failure is actually an essential part of development in life. That said, leaning on the wisdom of others is often necessary. For basic things, like keeping your hand out of a lit flame or staying from the edge of a cliff, listening to others who have experience is simply smart—and often even life-saving," he explained.

"Success in life truly requires a combination of both figuring things out on one’s own—failing partly along the way—and taking guidance from others who have simply been there."

Dr. Geher pointed out that failure is, quite ironically, one of the single greatest predictors of all kinds of things in life.

"Taking chances, being open to failure, and taking paths that have ambiguity in life are all required for effective development in life," he told Bored Panda.

"At a broader scale, we need leaders—in all kinds of fields—who are willing to take risks and who are willing to face failure in the eye. Because at the end of the day, progress does not follow from a status quo approach to life."

You can find more of Dr. Geher's thoughts about psychology on his Substack blog 'The Human Condition.'

When you consider all the things you have to do as an adult, it's no wonder that some grownups yearn to be kids again. (Either that or win the lottery!) To put it bluntly—adulting is hard. There’s a frustrating amount of responsibilities and upkeep you have to do.

The list is inexhaustible. Not only do you have to work or study, but you also have to stay on top of housework and childcare. File your taxes on time and pay your rent and bills. Answer emails and maintain your home with your (non-existent) DIY skills. Eat and exercise well. Remember to spend time with your loved ones, but also get plenty of rest. Don’t forget your hobbies, find purpose in life, travel, be happy… it can all be so overwhelming!

The fact is that there’s no way that you’ll fit everything into your schedule. You need to prioritize. Your relationships and health should be at the top of your list, for sure.

Next, you have to make sure that you can actually survive. That means having a roof over your head and putting food on the table. Do what you need to do to keep your job. If you enjoy what you do and find purpose in your work, that’s a huge plus.

Then you have a mile-long list of what we like to think of as ‘grown-up’ maintenance. From doing the dishes, taking out the trash, and exercising to buying groceries, brushing your teeth, and getting regular health check-ups. These will eat up a ton of your time. But they’re necessary. If you have a partner, you can split some of these responsibilities, and that’s a huge win for you both!

Now, try to remember to balance all of that with your leisure activities. Life’s not worth living if all you ever do is work, clean, cook, eat, and sleep. You have to carve out some time for fun wherever you can. You shouldn’t feel guilty about going on a long walk, dancing, painting, or kicking back with a good TV show. But there’s a balance to these things. If all you ever do is look for ways to entertain yourself, you won’t get much ‘adulting’ done.

The reality is that you probably won’t have enough time or energy to visit every place you want to see or do every activity you have on your bucket list. That’s both scary (yikes, you’re getting older really fast!) and empowering (there’s less pressure to tick boxes and do things ‘perfectly’).

Sit down and think about why you want to do something or other. Aim for goals that are important to you as an individual, not just so you can impress others. If you have a passion for fast and fancy cars, by all means, invest in a good vehicle. Just don’t buy a Tesla, Ferrari, or Porsche to show off how successful you are. True confidence goes deeper than surface appearances.

Which of these pieces of advice did you find the most helpful, dear readers? What personal cautionary tale would you share with everyone to help them out in life? What tips would you give a younger version of yourself if you could?

We'd love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to share your opinions in the comments.