This just applies to the male ER audience; ladies YMMV. I would tell impoverished 22 year old bob boag to enjoy having relations with as many willing young women as possible cause they won't want anything to do with the rich 58 year old bob boag. And you're married to a beautiful woman anyway. And you're a creep, a-hole. Eyes forward.
What would you tell your 22 year old self?
- Thread starter FearTheTaxMan
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ER Eddie
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Something along these lines, probably...
1. Have hope; things will get much better. In fact, things will get very much beter in a couple of years.
2. You're about to encounter Camus and Nietzsche. Read them both carefully, but take the first to heart, not the second.
3. Avoid becoming condescending or thinking of yourself as special/superior. You are clueless about how clueless you are.
4. Go easy on the alcohol and marijuana.
5. Follow your own lights. What other people think of you is really not that important.
6. There is a God. You have an immortal soul. It'll take a while to figure all that out, but you will. Don't buy into the atheism.
But then, I wonder if all of the mistakes are necessary. Would I be who I am now, had I not taken these "detours" or made these mistakes?
1. Have hope; things will get much better. In fact, things will get very much beter in a couple of years.
2. You're about to encounter Camus and Nietzsche. Read them both carefully, but take the first to heart, not the second.
3. Avoid becoming condescending or thinking of yourself as special/superior. You are clueless about how clueless you are.
4. Go easy on the alcohol and marijuana.
5. Follow your own lights. What other people think of you is really not that important.
6. There is a God. You have an immortal soul. It'll take a while to figure all that out, but you will. Don't buy into the atheism.
But then, I wonder if all of the mistakes are necessary. Would I be who I am now, had I not taken these "detours" or made these mistakes?
BigBangWeary
Recycles dryer sheets
Think twice about going to university. Consider a trade that dovetailed with your other interests. Buy a house (Canada circa 2002) and hold on to it and sell in 2013!
1970- comming from a Blue Collar Family...
Been out of the Army for 2 yrs already, just finishing up Living in Fla for Fun and back home to the N. Sub. of Chicago
No way going to College, too late mentally..Seen too much in the Army..
I would have told self to Just Get jobs to save up enough to buy Townhomes,Rehab them and then Rent them out..
You could Put a Pup tent on any Lot in the N. Suburbs and it grew over 8% apy
But Dad and Uncles wanted me to get into the Electritians Union-Trades, but thank God my Younger Brother did and became the Stable Familyman, so I could go Play somemore..
till I was 30 and Then an Experienced Woman came along and got me Hooked! I didn't have a Chance.. She had a nice House, Nice Job and Great Kids and I Had to settle down..and be a Kept Man..and start a Business and had to run that for the next 25 yrs...and become repsectable..
Been out of the Army for 2 yrs already, just finishing up Living in Fla for Fun and back home to the N. Sub. of Chicago
No way going to College, too late mentally..Seen too much in the Army..
I would have told self to Just Get jobs to save up enough to buy Townhomes,Rehab them and then Rent them out..
You could Put a Pup tent on any Lot in the N. Suburbs and it grew over 8% apy
But Dad and Uncles wanted me to get into the Electritians Union-Trades, but thank God my Younger Brother did and became the Stable Familyman, so I could go Play somemore..
till I was 30 and Then an Experienced Woman came along and got me Hooked! I didn't have a Chance.. She had a nice House, Nice Job and Great Kids and I Had to settle down..and be a Kept Man..and start a Business and had to run that for the next 25 yrs...and become repsectable..
Larro Darro
Recycles dryer sheets
I fell for an older woman too. When I spent the first night at her house, she made me park my truck behind the shed. I knew she was a keeper then. She had to think of her reputation.
Of all she has accomplished since, {store manager, secretary where I now work, office manager for Ag Ex Office, assistant SOE, and now Elected Official} her biggest claim to fame was turning me into a respectable man.
obgyn65
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
To answer the OP's question, I would say to my 22 year old self to do mostly the same things as he plans to do BUT be less trustworthy of people around him.
I've been refraining from saying this because I didn't want to sound bitter.
Thanks for getting it off my chest
Htown Harry
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Study this chart.
IRA BALANCES BY AGE GUIDE FOR THOSE STARTING NOW
How Much Should I Have Saved In My Traditional IRA At Various Ages? | Financial Samurai
IRA BALANCES BY AGE GUIDE FOR THOSE STARTING NOW
How Much Should I Have Saved In My Traditional IRA At Various Ages? | Financial Samurai
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
I would tell my 22-year-old self to ALWAYS give career priority over men and their wishes, when weighing the pros and cons of substantial decisions.
Maybe that is not what everyone would say to their 22-year-old self, but I would.
Maybe that is not what everyone would say to their 22-year-old self, but I would.
Last edited:
Sounds like somebody is 22 going on 12...
Anyway, I would have told my 22 year old self to start saving in a Roth IRA instead of putting all the money I did make into a savings account and leaving it sit there for a decade.
Wants to FIRE by 45
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As a 25 year old I want to say thanks to you guys (and gals) for the perspective. Hopefully I can put it to good use and bless others/pay it forward.
Cheers!
Cheers!
HFWR
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
"Put down that bong!" 
Actually, I would tell myself to move from my hometown, and never return. I left to go to school, then went back at age 21. Next thing you know, I was married, which turned out to be a dreadful lapse in judgement.
Actually, I would tell myself to move from my hometown, and never return. I left to go to school, then went back at age 21. Next thing you know, I was married, which turned out to be a dreadful lapse in judgement.
Al in Ohio
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
+1
daylatedollarshort
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Working for yourself in the U.S. is great because of all the tax deductions and higher maximum retirement savings limits. I'd also add in if possible doing work with a passive income component - royalties, licensing fees, ongoing advertising income or businesses that can run without your day to day direct involvement.
Location independence is also good - something you can do from a laptop anywhere in the world is a another plus.
At 22 I was living the American dream. 30 year mortgage. 2 car payments on high end cars. Personal trainer. Anything else I wanted. I fell into what I do at 19 and a 21 I built the house and was making money to fund this lifestyle. I had a 401k going but that was it.
What I would tell myself at age 22 would have been to late, by then I was living like a poor guy to afford a mortgage, Maserati, and BMW SUV because I was 22 in 2008.. the year the recession hit, and it hit my pay hard. If I could go back to my 21st birthday which was the day I was promoted I would have said this.
- Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Stay at home, if you do you will be able to pay for that house in cash by your 24th birthday instead of still owning 25% of it at age 27.
- Don't get rich friends. Rich friends are a trap. Stick to the simple things in life. Get that material stuff out of sight and out of mind.
- Never stop exercising, no matter how many hours you work. If your going to splurge anywhere, do it on your health.
- Don't fall to quickly for a girl and do not fall for good looks. If you have any shred of doubt it's not going to work then GET THE F... OUT!
- Be happy with what you have and if you can't shake temptation in any part of your life then see a therapist!
Maybe I should explain that last one to my current 27 year old self again...
What I would tell myself at age 22 would have been to late, by then I was living like a poor guy to afford a mortgage, Maserati, and BMW SUV because I was 22 in 2008.. the year the recession hit, and it hit my pay hard. If I could go back to my 21st birthday which was the day I was promoted I would have said this.
- Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Stay at home, if you do you will be able to pay for that house in cash by your 24th birthday instead of still owning 25% of it at age 27.
- Don't get rich friends. Rich friends are a trap. Stick to the simple things in life. Get that material stuff out of sight and out of mind.
- Never stop exercising, no matter how many hours you work. If your going to splurge anywhere, do it on your health.
- Don't fall to quickly for a girl and do not fall for good looks. If you have any shred of doubt it's not going to work then GET THE F... OUT!
- Be happy with what you have and if you can't shake temptation in any part of your life then see a therapist!
Maybe I should explain that last one to my current 27 year old self again...
Al in Ohio
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
"Put down that bong!"
I would amend that one to: "And always wear a condom"
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