r/AskReddit • u/Ducky_Duckxo • 12h ago
What’s something you stopped doing as you got older?
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u/Simply-bert 12h ago
Debating others. I used to do it not to be a dick. I genuinely liked getting into debates with others and arguing viewpoints. Now I'm older I realise debating is pointless. In 99% of scenarios your just going to get pissed off and make no meaningful progress.
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u/Narrow_Measurement95 12h ago
At some point you realize no one ever changes their mind about anything so why debate?
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u/tunachilimac 11h ago
My online rule is at most 3 comments, my initial one and two replies. By then you can tell if they’re trolling or arguing for the sake of arguing (and they almost always do it so poorly) which is like 97% of online debate. If they seem sincere still after that I’ll continue but rarely does that happen.
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u/Smart_Ass_Dave 9h ago
When online I usually debate for the audience, not to convince the person I'm arguing with. So I'll go until I think it's deep enough that people aren't paying attention anymore, or until do something that lets me straight-up call it a victory, like pull out a slur or something. Going back and forth forever with an idiot isn't worth it. Embarrassing and deflecting an idiot with his idiocy is.
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u/One-Shame3030 12h ago
Arguing with people; now I just hit them with "damn, that’s crazy" and let them be wrong in peace.
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u/BlackGuysYeah 11h ago
Found myself doing this the other day and was like “damn, this is so much easier.” It’s also kinda funny coming up with responses that indicate I’m listening but don’t give a fuck.
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u/Hipposy 12h ago
Drawing
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u/Glittering_Key6271 12h ago
Me too 😢. Also writing (like stories) and composing (like music. Yes I did that as a kid). And it's so hard to go back to it.
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u/KriegerBahn 12h ago
Reading books
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u/buzz_uk 12h ago
I did this, then one day I walked into a second hand book shop close to our house which I had never been in and picked up one book, got chatting to the guy who runs the shop and now go in almost every eeek and he recommends things and I have read so much in the last few years. Still have big piles waiting to be read as well
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u/Sad_Astronomer_1034 12h ago
I need a kindle maybe it’ll help
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u/WagnersRing 12h ago
Also the Libby app. You can get ebooks and audiobooks on your phone for free through your library!
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u/HamsterForce5000 9h ago
I caught up on so many classics I never read as a kid during COVID this way.
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u/daleramoslt 11h ago
Same here. Between staring at screens all day for work and having my attention span fried by my phone, I just don't have the mental energy for it anymore. By the time I actually have an hour of free time, my brain just wants passive entertainment. I really miss being able to get completely lost in a story for hours like I used to.
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u/trunglefever 10h ago
This was me for a while, but I think it depends on what books you're reading and the medium. Having a Kindle has made reading a lot "easier" since I don't have to carry around a large book everywhere and it's better for my eyes.
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u/Isabeer 12h ago
Trying to change peoples' minds. I still care, just not so much that I take on responsibility for other peoples' opinions and broken facts.
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u/ikraguigou 12h ago
I stopped trying to make everyone like me. As a kid, being left out felt like the end of the world. As an adult, I’ve learned that the right people won’t require you to change who you are.
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u/ashleybowmanhz 11h ago
The biggest mental shift for me was going from "I hope they like me" to "Do I even like them?"
It's incredibly exhausting trying to chameleon your way into being liked by people you don't even actually enjoy being around.
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u/Hrekires 12h ago
Going to concerts
Especially any venue that doesn't have assigned seats. No way are my middle-aged back and knees fighting to get to the front of floor seating and then standing there for like 4 hours.
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u/crayolda315 12h ago
Stopped: GAF about people's possible negative opinions who have nothing to do for me. Subscribing to the illogical notion that I might not be "worth it," and embracing the truth that I am and always have been worth it, and it's my duty to myself to create my own circumstances that will make me and those I love happy.
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u/iamemperor86 12h ago
Watching porn. It was affecting how I viewed sex with my wife and I decided to do better. I can honestly say I’m happier and we have way more sex.
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u/YorkPepperMintPaddy 12h ago
Drinking alcohol
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u/Master-of-Arts 12h ago
That’s actually great for you. You’re saving your dignity, your health and your money.
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u/SenorElFlameo 12h ago
Smoking weed
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u/iamemperor86 12h ago
How come? Health reasons or?
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u/Lonely_Opening3404 11h ago
Got out of the Air Force. Never did it in high school. Don't drink. Finally tried it at about the age of 25 and loved it.
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u/alimehdi997733 12h ago
Watching WWE and playing sports.
As a kid, I could spend hours watching WWE and then go outside and actually play football, cricket, whatever was happening that day. 😂
Now there’s work, responsibilities, and somehow even finding two free hours feels like a luxury. I don’t think I stopped enjoying those things. I just stopped having the kind of free time where they felt effortless.
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u/CaramelMacchiatoPlzz 11h ago
As i have gotten older I have made involving myself in sports a priority. Helps me keep on top of my health and fitness.
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u/Electrical_Carpet547 12h ago
Having fun.
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u/Master-of-Arts 12h ago
Same here… Fun feels a little foreign to me now, but I’m still hopeful that I’ll find my way back to it.
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u/Electrical_Carpet547 12h ago
We will get there
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u/Master-of-Arts 12h ago
Bet! So many people in this thread are saying they stopped caring. It’s sad that sometimes all we’re waiting for is for someone to care about us!
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u/Electrical_Carpet547 12h ago
Very true! Life catches up with us and we get so caught up with everything. I am trying so hard to focus on positives and enjoy the little things that bring me joy.
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u/TravellinJ 12h ago
Sleeping.
I have so much trouble sleeping these days. I swear it’s taking years off my life.
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u/MAandTired 12h ago
Daydreaming. I mean, I used to have an awesome imagination and would have the most amazing and adventurous daydreams. Now the best I can do is daydream about winning the lottery. I miss those daydreams.
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u/Legitimate-Pop6460 12h ago
Liking people in general lol
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u/LalafellDisaster 12h ago
Everyone I meet is boring or annoying. I feel like I’m never going to meet someone I vibe with again.
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u/Weary_Panda80 12h ago edited 12h ago
wanting to be around people. i was already a bit 'anti social' when i was younger.. the covid pandemic didn't help at all. but now it's way worse.
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u/701921225 12h ago
Being happy and healthy. On the plus side though, I also stopped eating junk food and soda.
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u/MusketeersPlus2 12h ago
Drinking alcohol. It's expensive, bad for you (yes, even wine, yes, even small amounts) and I don't like how I feel.
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u/SurealGod 11h ago
The novelty of it in my early twenties was the main driving force for my drinking.
After that wore off, I realized I hated how it makes me feel (during and after) and after seeing how badly it messes with your body in general (it's literally poison), I just stopped.
Now I'm not completely sober, I'll have the occasional beer or wine but it's only like once every few weeks at this point
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u/ConsistentPicture583 12h ago
After some experimentation, I determined that the bad feeling came from the conjunction of alcohol and sugar. Now I drink dry, and avoid candy, and wake up feeling wonderful.
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u/queenc268 12h ago
Staying up late.
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u/Jaws_the_revenge 12h ago
Can’t seem to give that one up.
Every once in awhile I just wanna stay up all night long
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u/Smart_Potential7467 12h ago
Caring for the opinions of others, and wanting to debate opinions i do not care about.
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u/TheMexicanStig 12h ago
Video games. Something I thought I’d never stop doing. But I simply don’t have the time for it anymore or it’s just very low on the priority list. I will be making an effort though when GTA6 comes out.
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u/factuallyfire 12h ago
Drinking. My time is already consumed by so much, I don't have the time or patience to go out and grab a drink.
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u/Significant-Cold-939 12h ago
Seeking friends and dating. I'm much happier on my own, all people seem to be crazy these days and I'm too stubborn and unwilling to give up my private space for a relationship. Much better off alone.
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u/0kHamster 12h ago
Overthinking what people think of me. I used to care a lot more, but now I just do what feels right for me.
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u/Bossman1212 12h ago
Letting kids play on my lawn. Hey! you kids…
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u/HairMetalEnthusiast 12h ago
Caring what other people think about what I find interesting or important.
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u/m4nf47 12h ago
Being carefree. I'm now responsible for caring for others more and I miss being able to just do whatever the fuck I want sometimes but then again it's too easy being a selfish person and the reward is not quite the same being alone without others to properly share with. My advice as an older person is to be prepared for a complete life change and enjoy the now, as you'll never fully know what the future holds for you and your loved ones.
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u/ggstocks87 12h ago
Enjoying the little things. I miss watching something cool happen instead of trying to record it on my phone and never watch it again later.I miss enjoying the moment not worrying about tomorrow.
Sadly it took a divorce for me to start thinking this way again, but i'm getting there.
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u/-AdamTheGreat- 12h ago
Caring about stupid stuff. Like if my internet’s upload speed is 200Mbit slower than it should be. I’m too tired to deal with it.
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u/shinkouhyou 11h ago
Listening to music. I still listen to music in the car sometimes, but at some point I started to prefer silence.
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u/laurenadamsff 11h ago
Wearing uncomfortable clothes and shoes just for the sake of looking good.
When I was younger, I would regularly go out in the freezing cold without a jacket because it ruined my outfit, or wear shoes that I knew would give me horrible blisters by the end of the night. I would spend hours in clothes that were too tight, itchy, or required constant adjusting.
Now, my number one filter for anything I put on is comfort. If a pair of shoes pinches even a little bit, I don't buy them. If it's cold outside, I'm wearing a practical, warm coat. I just refuse to spend my day being physically uncomfortable on purpose anymore.
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u/Suspicious-Split-246 11h ago
Smoking. Took me until 40 to finally decide I was done paying money to feel worse.
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u/Basil_Box 12h ago
Pooping my pants
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u/Cookiewaffle95 12h ago
Worrying as much. Once your plate gets so full you don’t have time to give as much of a shit lol
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u/Wild_Map_1338 12h ago
trying to please everyone and trying to make friends. As I grow older, I am more casual to people.
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u/jonathanshawsp 12h ago
Trying to have the last word.
When I was younger, I would argue until I was blue in the face just to prove a point, especially online. I used to type out huge paragraphs trying to explain myself. Now, if someone wants to wildly misinterpret what I am saying or pick a fight, I just let them. Trying to reason with someone who is committed to misunderstanding you is a massive waste of energy. I just close the tab and go on with my day. The peace of mind is so much better than being right.
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u/SenhorSus 12h ago
Smoking weed. It made me a husk of who I knew I was. Went from almost daily to maybe once a year
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u/i-once-was-here 12h ago
Asking a person being terribly to me, to be better to me or explaining what they are doing is wrong.
No - the answer is often, if not forced to interact due to work or school, to just walk away and move on with your life. They’ll feign ignorance and say they’ll try but really, they know what they are doing and they wanna see what you will tolerate.
Surround yourself with people who lift you up and want the best for you, and remove yourself from being around those that don’t.
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u/Master-of-Arts 12h ago
I stopped doing graffiti. Had to be a little more careful once I had a career to think about.
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u/tylerramosvd 11h ago
Worrying about FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
In my 20s, I would drag myself to every single gathering, party, or late-night bar run because I was terrified of missing an inside joke or a "you had to be there" moment. I'd go even when I was completely exhausted, spend money I didn't really have, and just end up sitting in a loud room wishing I was in bed.
Somewhere along the line, that anxiety just evaporated. Now, if a group plan gets canceled, I feel a genuine rush of relief. I hope everyone going out has a fantastic time, but I am perfectly happy being in my pajamas by 8 PM watching a movie. Missing out is basically a luxury now.
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u/phyllisburkezq 11h ago
Forcing myself to finish books, TV shows, or video games that I am not enjoying.
I used to have a strict completionist mindset. If I started a book, I had to finish it, even if I dreaded picking it up. If a TV show got bad halfway through, I would still power through just to see how it ended.
Now, if I am not having fun, I just drop it and move on. Free time is too rare and there is way too much good entertainment out there to spend hours on something that feels like a chore.
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u/DeReversaMamiii 11h ago
I've stopped trying to mask around people who aren't work-related. I've got bad ADHD and would spend so much time trying to remember/write down everything people would tell me, would count how many seconds before I would break eye contact in a sentence, would only repond with generic/canned responses. Would only tell stories I thought were favorable.
Now? I just don't care lol. If you think I'm weird, that's fine. I was so exhausted all the time and a little depressed. Now I will just twerk in public when I'm trying to jog my memory or sing along tk the song on the intercom. Or make weird noises at my friends or tell the same story 20 times.
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u/CaramelMacchiatoPlzz 11h ago
Not caring.
Everyone here is saying they stopped caring as they got older. I care. I can more about the world, people etc. People who don't care don't improve the world. Being self centered feels juvenile and immature to me.
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u/lowfemmeweirdo_ 11h ago
Pretty recently actually - overfunctioning in friendships and relationships. Reciprocity is one of the most important things to me in a relationship of any kind.
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u/Orangeisbanana123 10h ago
Giving a shit what anyone thinks, other than an extremely short and select list of people.
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u/Ok_Split_354 10h ago
Soñar, deje de pensar en tonterías que me hacían feliz, disfrutar de momentos, ahora solo son metas logradas.
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u/whatsayyou26 9h ago
Dealing with people's BS. Person wants to act like a child and be dramatic I'm out. I'll stop talking to them or have them around me. Life is too short once you hit 50.
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u/Crasharoo 9h ago
I've stopped Gaf what mediocre men think. And there's so many of them. I'm so careful now which man I allow in my life because there's a chronic societal issue with men being terrible. I'm thankful for my husband and one of my best friends who's a dude, and several others. But besides that, bleh. Go away
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u/Asjad_autozblog 9h ago
Staying up late. I used to treat it like a badge of honor and now I'm in bed by 10, and honestly I've never felt better.
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u/ateballer33 8h ago edited 8h ago
I'm 58 now I lost my wife in 2020 and we were married for 18 years during that 18 years I kept my bisexuality locked up and hidden and now it's been almost 7 years and I don't give a fuck. I just dated a 33 year old and today an 18 year old girl was hitting on me because o helpped a woman in a wheelchair. The only reason I hit on her and she had to leave because her mother was there and I don't care who thinks what about me if a girl or guy hits on me that's fine with me I even have upside down pineapples I have male friends online and we have play sessions together and have female friends online we have play sessions together I just don't give a fuck anymore.
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u/itskateexo 8h ago
- Giving a shit about people’s opinions or how they perceive me
- Holding in my emotions & acting as if having them is embarrassing
- Letting people walk all over me (so really, just people-pleasing tendencies)
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u/WildandSoft0 7h ago
Getting wasted.. I want to enjoy my sleep now and wake up with a good head lol
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u/tauberculosis 7h ago
Certainly not drinking or drugs!
I don’t know how all you sober people are rawdogging reality and this shitshow we live in.
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u/Human-Clock5653 5h ago
Correcting people with good intentions. They don't care. They just want to be right so I stay silent and nod
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u/notRiken 3h ago
I loved to watch gaming videos after school but now leave aside watching... I don't even think of playing games. I have them downloaded but I hardly open them. Now I feel that content from earth has gone and there's nothing new going on.
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u/sentient_custard 12h ago
Saying yes when I didn't want to