What lesson(s) did you learn too late in life ?

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Oxford Dave

Senior Member
Location
West Oxfordshire
Always to bear in mind the idea of the 'cubic centimetre of chance' that is mentioned in one of Carlos Casteneda's books. The principle is that an opportunity may just pass you by in an instant, and if you don't grab it, it's lost. Never turn down a chance to do something interesting - I turned an offer to join a band with one of my musical heroes and tour the world. I was probably too young (18) to have handled it, but I have aways wondered 'what if'.
But at least I learnt from it - a dozen years later I was offered a chance to join the production team of a TV presenter whose work I admired, and had the best 4 years of my working life. The same grabbing of the cubic centimetre of chance led to me spending 16 years in Finland!
 
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Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
That you can’t take the present with you. Be in the now, because the now you are in will soon be gone and you won’t be able to revisit it. You begin to recognise this as old friends and family die, and realise you didn’t spend enough time together of late when you were both still alive and vital. Plus the world you are in will be gone, in 20 years this period will feel like the 70’s did in the 90’s.
 

BoldonLad

Not part of the Elite
Location
South Tyneside
Since hindsight is a wonderful thing, it would have been better if every lesson was learned before and not after? ;)

During the teenage years, of one of my daughters, there was, shall we say, a difference of opinion, about some of her behaviour. Her “defense” was she wanted to make her own mistakes, and, learn her own lessons. My ripost was “smart people learn from other people’s mistakes”.

Not sure if I am/was right, but, you have to have the last word ;)
 
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Oxford Dave

Senior Member
Location
West Oxfordshire
Since hindsight is a wonderful thing, it would have been better if every lesson was learned before and not after? ;)

During the teenage years, of one of my daughters, there was, shall we say, a difference of opinion, about some of her behaviour. Her “defense” was she wanted to make her own mistakes, and, learn her own lessons. My ripost was “smart people learn from other people’s mistakes”.

Not sure if I am/was right, but, you have to have the last word ;)
I agree, a smart person sees someone stick their hand into a fire and get burnt, and from the on understands why they shouldn't stick their hand in a fire. A dumb person seeing this would still stick their own hand in a fire to see if it hurt them as well!
 

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
1. That it was possible to reason with all people.
2. That pleasing other people was no good if it makes you unhappy.
3. That the right spouse makes the world a far happier place.

re-above.
1. Some people are too ducking stupid to waste time on.
2. When you stop doing things for someone else you can make better life decisions.
3. The wrong spouse creates utter misery for you both.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I dont think you can learn lessons too late. As long as you learn.
There are 2 types of lessons that you can learn from...
  1. The 'never too late' type e.g. taking up cycling at the age of 65 after realising that being old, unfit and unhealthy is bad news.
  2. The 'too late now, sorry' type e.g. taking up cycling at the age of 65 and realising that you would like to be a professional cyclist!

There must be an awful lot of people who took massive overdoses of paracetamol which fried their organs and then died agonising deaths after learning that they would rather stay alive after all.

My too-late lesson - tight trousers and obesity are a very bad mix, especially on long journeys!
 

SpokeyDokey

67, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
Ok I'm intrigued ....if u can afford too.......why not ?

I retired at 48 and lovely Wife at 41 in 2004 - we spent a year doing some things that we had been meaning to do for a while and after that we both became bored.

So I started a small part-time lifestyle business and Lovely Wife took a part-time job as a PA which was going back to the roots of her career.

We have been much happier since with a nice balance of leisure time and work time - the latter not really feeling like work as we know we can switch it off at a moments notice if we want to.

I think we missed some of the sense of purpose that a job brings as well as the wider social contact.
 
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