For some reason I remembered some of my strange goals from a few years/months back - like writing a book(I didn't even know about what), becoming a practitioner of some Eastern traditions and other esoteric stuff like becoming a monk. Strangely enough, an indestinguishable desire to impress girls co-existed with all those 'noble' intentions
Looking back, I find all of this kinda funny but also unbelivably stupid.
How do you feel about your old ideas? :intergalactic:

We are what our lives have made us. Much as there's stuff I regret, if we hadn't learned from how we acted that way then, we'd be someone different now.

When I was a kid, I was never allowed dessert if I didn't finish my dinner. I rarely got dessert as I have always had a tiny stomach. In fact, when mom and dad would try to get me to eat my food, they'd say "Don't you know there are kids starving in Africa?" I always mumbled under my breath where they couldn't hear me, "Then send them my dinner, I can't finish it."

Anyway, I digress, I made a self-vow that when I grew up, I would eat dessert for dinner, because I would have no overlord telling me not to. I ate ice cream for dinner ONE time as an advlt, and only as a comfort food because I was pissed at my ex-husband. I have shamed my self-vow horribly.

A little a bit from column A, a little bit from column B.

I always wanted to be a pilot, and if I couldn't, wanted to join the forces. And up until year 9 I was right on course, 90%+ on all my maths and science work, I developed asthma though so my fitness bottomed out, and believing that asthma meant no chance of the armed forces (the only way I was ever going to afford a pilot's licence), and I stopped trying, lost track of where I was grade wise. After that I just coasted through school right up until I took up guitar when I was 18. Quit the history course I was doing, started a music course now (20 now) and things are gelling well again. I feel like I'm in the right place, I'm not as talented as others granted, but I'm still new. All in all, I don't think I was mis-guided when I wanted to be a pilot, I was aiming high, but I was doing well until I thought it was impossible. Life changes though, I don't think it was laughable.

... Nonexistent. They still are.

Dude! I'm 32 - is this age discrimination?

You don't exist.

Damn, I knew something just had to go wrong with this poll. :sweat:

I won't vote on the poll as I'm a wee sixteen year old, but I don't consider my views particularly arrogant. Of course, I wouldn't hold them if I recognised them as being arrogant, so...

I can look back a few years and laugh at/despise the person I was and the selfish way my mind worked (I didn't act selfishly, but my thought processes were all concerned with 'how does this affect me?'. I'm sure there's still a touch of narcissism left over), but I can't argue with how my life is going.

It's common to look back and wish that one could just go back and act differently, but I think we really do underestimate the positive influence that burning past mistakes continue to have on us years after we actually make them. In two years I'll probably want to come back to this point and do things differently, but I'll be doing my present self a disservice - there's no way anyone can anticipate what life has to teach them. A person feeling smugly superior to their past self is like a teacher feeling smugly superior compared to their students; it's totally unwarranted.

Well, let me put it like this: The reason that I haven't become a football player like I always dreamt of as a kid isn't that I've changed my priorities, it's just that I svck at football... I'm always gonna dream big, and life is always gonna shoot me down.

I'm 17 and thinking back on my goals etc from just a couple years ago, they were arrogant, over ambitious and stupid.

if by views you mean politics im pretty much the same with a few changes. however, in regards to life decisions in general i was a total moron. i had a chance to go to a very good college for only a fraction of their normal tuition but i blew it drinking and going to parties. i went to bars every weekend, got into countless fights. by my mid twenties i got bored with the scene and to this day id rather go to a friends house and drink there instead of a bar. its also alot cheaper than blowing $50 bucks a night on drinks. i do miss the fights though, im not sorry i got involved in those. just the thousands of dollars i probably spent at the bars.

"My memory of how I was at the age of eighteen was that I knew absolutely everything there was to know. There were no subjects on which I didn't have a coherent and forceful opinion. And as the years go by, that has just fallen away. I feel like a baby now. I feel as if I have less and less technical expertise. I feel like I know nothing about anything. I suppose what's actually happening is that the arrogance of one's youth is just sort of disintegrating. And the truth is, I never knew anything."

- Hugh Laurie

I'm still in those "young advlt" years, but I really hope I'm not arrogant and/or stupid. :sweat:

Out of the options, I'd probably say I'm too timid. At least I feel like I should be a bit more assertive and confident. :shrug:

I'm right where I want to be at the moment, so I can't exactly say I regret anything.

Goals for the future? Pff.

Thanks for your stories and opinions. Keep them coming It feels nice to hear about other people's dreams

I don't think anything I thought/believed was particularly stupid (although I did many things which were very dumb! ). I just think my outlook has become a bit more... realistic. I think I've learnt more about compromise, being less selfish, and working hard - whether that be concerning work, goals, friendships, family and relationships. I didn't have any "out there" goals or dreams when I was younger as I lacked the confidence to think I'd do anything. I definitely feel more comfortable in my own skin now. I even managed to go to Uni, which is something I never thought I'd be able to do when I was younger.

Of course I'm still pretty young now, so maybe I'll look back on this time and think I was stupid and naive.

I believe in my young life that everytime I set goals or see something thats possible, either someone more powerful or more authority wont allow me to reach my goals. I see something I want that could make me feel happier and they shut it out cause they think they "know best for me or does not have the money" yet they buy themselves stuff to make them happy. I hate my family :/

How do we know if this is right or not, did he say this during the last 10 minutes of an interview?

Anyway:
I don't remember where I read it but the more you know about something the less you think of your own expertise, knowing how much you do not know. This also explains why people who svck at things are the first to brag about how good at them they are.

Anyway I view opinions like I do with music I used to like. I'm surprised when I think back at what I used to like compared to what I like now, but I don't see the issue with either one.

I was so much better off when I was 15. I started isolating myself around that age and made a huge change for the worse. Started to get really delusional and for years thought I was developing schizophrenia. For example if someone said to me something about a red car, and I saw a red car earlier that day, I would think I was being watched or that my thoughts were being read. Really idiotic stuff. I also had (and still do somewhat) some grandiose thoughts about my music. I basically thought I was some creative genius and that there was something special about my talent.

I suppose I've gained some wisdom, but I'm still the same moron as before really.


I definitely shouldn't be this hard on myself though.... I'm not that crazy :hehe:

I am 16 years old and I am too timid and shy.

that basicly sums up what i was about to post.

You've probably heard this 100000x but the only way to get over it is to put yourself in awkward situations. I don't think anything has been better for my shyness then that.

Anyways, I'm 18 now but I don't think my view on life was stupid when I was younger. I mean its not like I've got everything figured out right now, but I've just realized how much more complex the world is then how I imagined it before. After that junior high/high school bubble is popped, you just realize what the world is really like. The only thing I wish I would have done is take steps to overcome my shyness when I was younger and not spent so much time playing video games. I'm not embarassed or anything though, because who I was a few years ago helped to define who I am today.

I was friendly and well-liked and an extremely hard worker. I wouldn't change a thing, mostly because there was nothing wrong with my teenage years, but also because back then I had all the facts, some of which I've forgotten about, and did my best with what i had at all times. I'd probably make the same decisions again.


Mentally I'm much more cynical and impatient with others, but in my defense, people in my high school didn't [censored] each other like people I've met outside of school.

Im 17 and can honestly say that my dreams,goals and ambitions are often far fetched and highly influenced by media or these grand plans which i realize once im involved in wont be so sweet. In fact the 1st half of my college search involved finding a college that would give me that classic college experience thats always shown in the movies. I dream of becoming a game designer or if that fails finding another passion that will earn me enough money to live how i want to live. I think this overall goal of finding simple happiness is going to be enough to drive me forward. Hell for all i care as long as i can end up with a few good friends,humor, love and a family then ill have made it no matter what im doing. As far as being an teenager has gone Ive missed out on alot of oppurtunities because i was too timid and ive always sort of been that guy who has some good friends but has never found a close knit group of people who im always hanging out with. My biggest fear is not having any fond memories or being apart of another's fond memories of high school, so i sort of made pact with my self that I would try and live it up this last half of my senior year. Good thread by the way