Hi everyone,
I’m 23 years old, and I feel like I’m very late in life compared to others.
I’m what you’d call a late bloomer. I only just started dating and socializing at 23. Growing up, I was extremely quiet, withdrawn, and often bullied. It left me with a lot of trauma, depression, and severe anxiety that I’m still struggling with.
Because of that, I’ve missed out on so much. I haven’t worked, don’t have a degree, barely any experience in anything. I spent most of my time just existing — hiding, surviving, feeling stuck and hopeless.
Now I’m full of regret. I feel like I’ve wasted the most important years of my life and I don’t know how to catch up. It’s overwhelming. I’m miserable and feel lost.
To the men here who are in your 30s and beyond
How do you actually make the most of your 20s?
What advice would you give to someone who’s extremely late to the game?
Any insight would mean a lot. Thank you
Comments
Since you shitlords like to delete your posts, here’s an original copy of the post’s text (if available):
Hi everyone,
I’m 23 years old, and I feel like I’m very late in life compared to others.
I’m what you’d call a late bloomer. I only just started dating and socializing at 23. Growing up, I was extremely quiet, withdrawn, and often bullied. It left me with a lot of trauma, depression, and severe anxiety that I’m still struggling with.
Because of that, I’ve missed out on so much. I haven’t worked, don’t have a degree, barely any experience in anything. I spent most of my time just existing — hiding, surviving, feeling stuck and hopeless.
Now I’m full of regret. I feel like I’ve wasted the most important years of my life and I don’t know how to catch up. It’s overwhelming. I’m miserable and feel lost.
To the men here who are in your 30s and beyond
How do you actually make the most of your 20s?
What advice would you give to someone who’s extremely late to the game?
Any insight would mean a lot. Thank you
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Hi, I’m also 23. Took 10k out of my savings and have been travelling for 3 months. I did a Contiki trip through Europe and now am travelling through SE Asia. It’s the best decision I’ve made in my life. I’ve done things i didnt think were possible and gained confidence i didnt think I could have.
It doesn’t get any easier. I’m 31 and I spent 7 years of my life in college for a bachelor’s degree. Barely have any friends, still single, and financially okay.
I try to make the best of what I have. Geocaching is my hobby and I make time to go out every day to find a cache. I find more on the weekends. I also go to a rock climbing gym twice a week.
Go out and find something you love doing. Make a habit to do it often if not everyday.
You should date girls and lose your virginity as soon as possible, because women will find it strange and unappealing if you’ve had no romantic or sexual experience by the time you’ve hit your mid-20s. It’s important to hit these developmental milestones as soon as possible, because you never really recover if you miss them.
Well in terms of dating/relationships you bloomed about 2 years earlier than me. Worrying about wasted time is a great way to waste more time.
There’s no reason the years before would be the most important or best in a lot of ways. 23 is also very young and if you keep kicking yourself, you’ll look back at 30 at your wasted 20s.
So go out, enjoy that bloom, have a good time. The more you socialise, the easier socialising becomes.
You can do that whilst looking at sorting out the practicalities of work and income.
Honestly i was exactly same thing in early 20s wasted all of the years now i’m 27 fighting to slightly improve all the damage and time wasting ive done doing nothing just surviving with anxiety and depression
I (M38) can’t give you much wisdom here. All I can say is, I did my 20s the complete opposite way. Was always surrounded by people, got pissed at least 4 nights a week, fucked around a lot, got into hundreds of fights, and honest to god, the way I spent my 20s is to this day my greatest regret. God knows how I managed to get through’em without ever experimenting with drugs, matter of pure luck I think. Anyway, suppose what I wanna say is forcing it is not the way either. I still have nights where I lie awake and try deal with the damage I caused to my relationships and career and self image. Thank god I found a woman in my late 20s that still saves my life everyday – have no idea what she sees in me. That, and true crime podcasts, without which I’ll never be able to fall asleep.
do what you want to do and make mistakes. just stay clear of life altering mistakes but everything else, go right ahead
Start going to the gym or exercising, join meetups for hobbies or interests that you like, try to spend less time playing video games and social media.
On the days you don’t feel like doing something social try and find something that you enjoy that you can do by yourself like cooking, playing guitar, learning a language, or reading.