People Share Life Lessons In Trusting Themselves
"Leaving a cult."
— yuckfoo25
"Turning down a manager position at work. People said that it would be a career killer. I made it to senior engineer."
"Taking the job that paid $30K less than the other offer. I knew the lower-paid one would respect my boundaries and work-life balance, whereas the other one would eat me alive (i.e., a very nice paycheck is tempting but can be a red flag if you're not looking to be owned by the employer). Two years in, I still love my job."
— minpaul"I just took a $30k cut for basically the same reason. I feel like a whole new person after leaving a high-paying leadership role and going back to an individual contributor role. I have my sanity back."— Jamies1528
"Leaving the southern US for somewhere cooler and less humid. 'You'll hate the winters.' 'You hate it now, but you'll grow to miss the humidity.' It's been seven years. Nope, and nope."
— asanctarian
"Getting married young. I know it doesn't work out for everyone, but we've been happy for over 30 years."
"Not having kids."
"Only having one child. When my kid was little, I loved spending time with him so much that the idea of having more and having to divide my attention never appealed to me. Everyone said I was selfish, and he would turn out to be spoiled, or lonely, or a variety of other accusations, but he's turned out fantastic."
"And he's gotten to do a lot of things he probably wouldn't have if we were dividing our finances. He's a teenager now, and while my friends are complaining about their teenage boys, he's my favorite human, and I still sincerely enjoy spending time with him. Bonus: He has an incredible vocabulary from spending so much time with me as a child. Never regretted that decision."— littleirishpixie
"Timeshare presentation. I got an amazing room and free breakfast for the presentation. I didn't use any tricks, and after, I just said I wasn't interested, and they let me go."
"Being a trucker. I bought one at 19, and drove my ass off. Now, I'm knocking down $300k a year. I have a new house, a big truck shop, and 380 acres of land. I'm 35. By 50, I'm done."
— Murky-Result-2016
"Telling my boss exactly what I thought before quitting. Regret? Nah. Felt like the season finale of my life."
— Aromatic_Guitar_2826"Same. I quit a job I absolutely loved, but things weren't running the way they should, and I didn't at all feel valued. I expressed how I felt and what I felt was wrong in my resignation email. I was scared I would later feel like I made a bad move out of emotion, but it was the best decision."— Grouchy-Rain-6145
"Traveling solo."
"Spending money on music equipment."
"Revenge is fucking amazing."
— DeficitOfPatience"Sometimes revenge is the only language some people understand."— SearchOk7
"Cutting my parents out of my life."
"Moving far away from my family. Only regret is that I should have moved farther away."
"Two things. One was going into foster care and escaping my abusive family. There were issues there too, but I got out, was able to utilize foster care resources, and now have a chosen family. Also, transitioning. Best decision I've ever made for myself aside from leaving my abusive family. I am so, so much happier as a feminine dude than a girl trying to be masculine and miserable about it."
"Buying a house in 2022. People were telling me housing prices were too much. I caught the last chopper out of 'nam with my 4.25% interest rate."
— icedcoffeeheadass
"Tattoos. They're deeply meaningful to me, and I put them in really good spots. I'll never regret them."
"Getting a breast reduction. 'You'll love 'em when you're older.' 'Boys will love them.' 'There are women who would kill for what you have.' No more neck and back pain, and I don't absolutely hate my body. 32G to a 32B. Best decision I ever made. And I'll perish on that hill."
"Cutting up my credit cards."
— sincerelyabsurd
"Dropping out of university."
"Cutting off certain people. Peace is greater than history."
"Buying Apple stock in 1998. It was 'on its way down.'"
— BruceTramp85
"Getting bangs. I don't have them anymore since I cut my hair short a couple years ago, but they never really bothered me when I had them."
— AppropriateTough6168"I've regretted growing out bangs, but I've never regretted getting bangs."— punkterminator
"Moving in with the rebound guy. That was 15 years ago, and I haven't regretted it for a second."
Any gut-trusting moments to share? Let us know in the comments!
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15-07-2025
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Adults Say These Generational Parenting Norms Have Been the Hardest To Break
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'What's one 'normal' parenting rule you secretly think is emotionally damaging AF?' asked a user in a since-deleted post on AskReddit. The commenters didn't hold back: 'Constant teasing. My dad and brother were horrible for it—not mean necessarily, but just constant. I think that's why I try not to show emotion about anything,' writes one commenter. 'Using anything a parent has done for you against you. My kids didn't ask to be here, I'm not going to throw in their face constantly 'what I gave up,'— makes a kid feel pretty crappy,' replies someone else. Another Redditor adds, 'Please don't insult or compare your kids with others—not all are the same, and this hurts more in the long run." 'Not letting them do messy activities or shouting because their clothes got go to a beach with a kid then shout if they get sand in their shoes?' says another. 'Breaking generational patterns is difficult because these behaviors are often hardwired into us during our most formative years,' explains Zishan Khan, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist with Mindpath Health. 'Many parents default to what feels familiar, especially in moments of stress or when parents intellectually know something isn't right, their emotional muscle memory can take over.' Dr. Khan notes that true change requires not just awareness, but intentional healing. Without intentionality, parents may slip into the defense mechanism, 'My parents did this and I turned out fine.' 'Breaking the norm requires vulnerability,' agrees Christina McWalter Granahan, LICSW, PCC. 'It requires a parent to say, 'I want something different for my child than I got.' In order for someone to say that, they have to acknowledge that their own parents were, purposely or not, hurtful to them. This is really difficult life material and almost always calls for professional help.' 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"Kids don't need perfect parents, but they do need parents who are emotionally aware and willing to repair the relationship when they make a mistake.' Mental health experts share tips to help you become a cycle breaker: While sweet matching holiday outfits are cute if everyone is on board, Granahan stresses that kids aren't mini versions of their parents (or mini-adults, period). 'Just like you aren't a duplicate of your parents, your children aren't a duplicate of you,' Granahan says. 'They were born with their own personality, gifts, and sensitivities. Learn who they are. Be curious about them. Allow them to find out who they are before you assign them an identity based on your own experience.' 'When you feel triggered by your child, take a moment to notice what is coming up before you react,' Dr. Guarnotta suggests. 'Ask yourself questions like, 'Am I repeating something that I heard or saw growing up?'' Dr. Guarnotta points out that introducing a pause lets you choose your response rather than defaulting to the familiar. If you blew past the pause, you can still reflect on initial reactions and any data they reveal. 'After a tough moment with your child, ask yourself, 'What did I feel just now? Where might that reaction come from?'' Dr. Khan says. 'This builds awareness of old patterns and gives you the power to choose differently next time.' Dr. Guarnotta recommends getting curious about triggers. For instance, perhaps you feel triggered when a child leaves a mess or cries. Maybe you're unsure if your reactions are bigger than the moment warrants. 'Often, our biggest triggers are tied to early childhood wounds,' Dr. Guarnotta says. 'Understanding your own triggers helps you respond more intentionally to your children.' Modern strategies, such as gentle parenting, have gained a reputation for being overly permissive. 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Buzz Feed
12-07-2025
- Buzz Feed
People Share Life Lessons In Trusting Themselves
Navigating life requires decision-making and most importantly, listening to your inner compass. In r/AskReddit, when someone asked, "What's something everyone said you'd regret, but you actually don't?" answers poured in and were, in fact, a reminder that sometimes, trusting your gut is the way to go. Here's what people had to say: "Leaving a cult." — yuckfoo25 "Turning down a manager position at work. People said that it would be a career killer. I made it to senior engineer." "Taking the job that paid $30K less than the other offer. I knew the lower-paid one would respect my boundaries and work-life balance, whereas the other one would eat me alive (i.e., a very nice paycheck is tempting but can be a red flag if you're not looking to be owned by the employer). Two years in, I still love my job." — minpaul"I just took a $30k cut for basically the same reason. I feel like a whole new person after leaving a high-paying leadership role and going back to an individual contributor role. I have my sanity back."— Jamies1528 "Leaving the southern US for somewhere cooler and less humid. 'You'll hate the winters.' 'You hate it now, but you'll grow to miss the humidity.' It's been seven years. Nope, and nope." — asanctarian "Getting married young. I know it doesn't work out for everyone, but we've been happy for over 30 years." "Not having kids." "Only having one child. When my kid was little, I loved spending time with him so much that the idea of having more and having to divide my attention never appealed to me. Everyone said I was selfish, and he would turn out to be spoiled, or lonely, or a variety of other accusations, but he's turned out fantastic." "And he's gotten to do a lot of things he probably wouldn't have if we were dividing our finances. He's a teenager now, and while my friends are complaining about their teenage boys, he's my favorite human, and I still sincerely enjoy spending time with him. Bonus: He has an incredible vocabulary from spending so much time with me as a child. Never regretted that decision."— littleirishpixie "Timeshare presentation. I got an amazing room and free breakfast for the presentation. I didn't use any tricks, and after, I just said I wasn't interested, and they let me go." "Being a trucker. I bought one at 19, and drove my ass off. Now, I'm knocking down $300k a year. I have a new house, a big truck shop, and 380 acres of land. I'm 35. By 50, I'm done." — Murky-Result-2016 "Telling my boss exactly what I thought before quitting. Regret? Nah. Felt like the season finale of my life." — Aromatic_Guitar_2826"Same. I quit a job I absolutely loved, but things weren't running the way they should, and I didn't at all feel valued. I expressed how I felt and what I felt was wrong in my resignation email. I was scared I would later feel like I made a bad move out of emotion, but it was the best decision."— Grouchy-Rain-6145 "Traveling solo." "Spending money on music equipment." "Revenge is fucking amazing." — DeficitOfPatience"Sometimes revenge is the only language some people understand."— SearchOk7 "Cutting my parents out of my life." "Moving far away from my family. Only regret is that I should have moved farther away." "Two things. One was going into foster care and escaping my abusive family. There were issues there too, but I got out, was able to utilize foster care resources, and now have a chosen family. Also, transitioning. Best decision I've ever made for myself aside from leaving my abusive family. I am so, so much happier as a feminine dude than a girl trying to be masculine and miserable about it." "Buying a house in 2022. People were telling me housing prices were too much. I caught the last chopper out of 'nam with my 4.25% interest rate." — icedcoffeeheadass "Tattoos. They're deeply meaningful to me, and I put them in really good spots. I'll never regret them." "Getting a breast reduction. 'You'll love 'em when you're older.' 'Boys will love them.' 'There are women who would kill for what you have.' No more neck and back pain, and I don't absolutely hate my body. 32G to a 32B. Best decision I ever made. And I'll perish on that hill." "Cutting up my credit cards." — sincerelyabsurd "Dropping out of university." "Cutting off certain people. Peace is greater than history." "Buying Apple stock in 1998. It was 'on its way down.'" — BruceTramp85 "Getting bangs. I don't have them anymore since I cut my hair short a couple years ago, but they never really bothered me when I had them." — AppropriateTough6168"I've regretted growing out bangs, but I've never regretted getting bangs."— punkterminator "Moving in with the rebound guy. That was 15 years ago, and I haven't regretted it for a second." Any gut-trusting moments to share? Let us know in the comments!
Buzz Feed
12-07-2025
- Buzz Feed
26 Of The Best Personal Moral Codes People Live By
Recently, I came across a post from Reddit user ApprehensiveWorth576 on the popular Ask Reddit page asking, "What's a moral code you live by but the rest of society doesn't?" It got tons of responses, and they were super fun to read, so I thought I would share. Here are some of the most interesting: "Never give your word lightly." "If someone makes a mistake in public, I pretend I didn't see it to spare them the embarrassment. Feels like the world is in a rush to point out flaws. I'd rather help, especially when it will probably be me on the receiving end next time." "Unless a model develops full, provable sapience, I will not willingly or knowingly engage with any sort of AI." "Try to leave things better than the way you originally found them." "I always say thank you when a stranger does anything for me, no matter how small or if they are obligated. Same with 'please' when I'm asking anything, especially for people who are working." "I always use a turn signal." "I don't recline my seat on planes. I know it's my right, I know I'm allowed, but I've been inconvenienced and made uncomfortable so often by so many people in front of me who recline the MILLISECOND they're able and smush me into my tray for the duration of flights ranging from three to 13 hours, I just can't bring myself to be that person. I don't begrudge people that do because I know they're allowed to, but I refuse." "If you wouldn't like it done to you, don't do it to them." "Demilitarize your attitude at work. Corporate doesn't know or care who you are, but you have to see your coworkers every day. Don't make them hate being scheduled with you." —Former retail and movie theater manager, u/Acrobatic_Carry7449 "Don't profit from family." "Don't make promises you can't keep. I avoid telling someone I'll do something unless I 100% intend on doing it. I'd rather tell someone no than get their hopes up with a yes if I'm not going to follow through!" "If you're not early, you're late. I hate waiting. I could have absolutely nothing to do and be in no rush, but if I'm waiting, I get annoyed." "Acknowledging my contribution to a problem." "Self-awareness. Like, why are you watching a YouTube video at the airport gate without headphones?" "Be silly even when you're sad. Someone needs it." "If anyone needs to be standing on the bus, be among the standing ones." "Do nice things, not so people 'owe you' or you want something out of them, but because it's the right thing to do." "Minding my own business. I hate it when people talk about my life, so I try not to talk about others. Gossip is fucking stupid and nosey." "I believe all people are worthy of a living wage just by existing. Clearly, this is not a popular opinion." "If it doesn't hurt anyone, cost me money, or fuck up traffic, live how you want." "No phones when we're having a conversation. I finally put my foot down and made it a rule in my home, and even made my parents agree to it." "Stay out of the left lane on a highway unless you are actively passing another car." "Help as many people as you can for as long as you can." "If you have your hood up in a parking lot, I'm asking if I can help. I've helped more people change flat tires than I can count. Same with pulling people's cars out of the sand at the beach (you can drive on the beach in Texas)." "Always return your shopping cart. Don't litter. Don't correct someone if it doesn't matter. Don't talk on your speakerphone in public. Be kind to service workers." And finally: "Be excellent to each other." So, what do you think?
