General Question

The_Inquisitor's avatar

Do you have any regrets from your teenage years?

Asked by The_Inquisitor (3163points) April 11th, 2010
32 responses
“Great Question” (4points)

Well, have you anything that you regret NOT doing in your teenage years? What are they?

What would you recommend to teenagers to do before they grow up some more?

What about something you did do in your teenage years that you DO regret doing?

I’m 17, and I feel that this year has gone by really quick, maybe too quick. In just a few months, I’ll be out of high school for good. I want to make sure I make my teenage years, and high school years memorable. I often hear people say that it was as if they just blinked, and when they opened their eyes, they were old.

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Answers

DarkScribe's avatar

Only that they are not still here.

No, not really, I did lot of things while still in my teens, joined the Navy, traveled overseas, sailed and surfed, learned to fly. I had a good “teen-age”. I often feel that at nineteen I was far more mature than many thirty-somethings who I meet nowadays. (Military Service does that for you.)

PandoraBoxx's avatar

College years are by far better than high school. I regret not saving my clothes from high school, and not taking more pictures.

dpworkin's avatar

Many. I wish I had never tried illicit drugs, and I wish I had gone to college at the normative time. On the other hand, I have led an interesting life.

The_Inquisitor's avatar

@PandoraBoxx, oh! good idea! I should take more pictures.

@DarkScribe, well, I’m also pretty satisfied with my teenage years thus far. I’m also joining the navy! I’m pretty scared for it right now though. =S

jrpowell's avatar

I regret that I started smoking when I was seventeen. Nothing good ever came from it.

Quitting 14 years later was the most painful thing ever. 10 thousand dollars later the only thing I got out of smoking was bad teeth and a hard time walking up steps.

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

The only regret I have is that I spent so much of my teenage years studying and studying and trying to please my parents that I forgot to please myself. Yes, I did extremely well academically and got ahead financially, but my teenage years were lonely, depressing years. If I were a teen again, I would devote some of my time to goofing off, fooling around and all sorts, and acting a little crazy, instead of wasting all of it like a serious bookworm. Now that I’m an adult, I do have fun, but in socially acceptable ways——well, most of the time! Ahem. Lol..

janbb's avatar

The ones who got away and some of the ones who didn’t…..Some of the things I tried and some of the things I didn’t…. and mainly not knowing how great I was….

Dr_Lawrence's avatar

Like @MRSHINYSHOES , I was too studious and focused on pleasing my parents. I spent too little time socializing and relaxing or having fun. It became a template for too much of my adult life. I was well into my forties before I started to learn how to have fun.

Ltryptophan's avatar

Start eating healthy now. Start taking good care of your body early. All natural foods, no hfcs, eliminate fast food if you have not, drink lots of water, stay away from sodas/caffeine.

Zen_Again's avatar

I’m giving you a GQ.

Like @DarkScribe I spent my teen formative years in the military, and though I [redacted]

The_Inquisitor's avatar

@Ltryptophan, good advice. I already eat pretty healthy… or so I believe. Plenty of fruits, veggies, I still eat fast food sometimes though, although not often… hmmm, I don’t drink soda, but I love coffee and I guess, caffeine. Maybe I’ll try a bit harder. ;)

TexasDude's avatar

I had really, really, really abysmally low confidence in highschool, and I suffered alot because of it. A useless, pathetic feeling that was completely unwarranted.

Ltryptophan's avatar

SAS…who dares wins. I am just getting the hang of stepping out of my comfort zone. I look back and think there are moments where I failed to act, and that action might have changed the course of my life for the better. Simple things. Talking to people even more sincerely than I thought I was would have been a great step.

The_Inquisitor's avatar

@Ltryptophan, talking to people even more sincerely… that’s what I’ve been thinking about a lot this year as well! I feel kind of mean sometimes, especially when I think about how much nicer I could’ve been… One of my goals this year is to be nicer to everyone. :)

Ltryptophan's avatar

I will give you an example. There was a talent contest. It was held by only a few people for a few people. I played a nose flute. This was a very rediculous thing to do which I thought was cute. People thought it was cute. I should have uh, done something more adventurous and funny that called for more excitement.

DominicX's avatar

No major regrets, but then again, I’m still technically in my teenage years, though I’m out of high school.

I might regret a little not getting a job during high school, but I’m going to get a job this summer and I would love to have an on-campus job next year.

I regret a little not coming out of the closet earlier. Could’ve done that a lot earlier and it would’ve been fine.

But again, these are small things that may or may not have had that much effect. My life is excellent now, so there isn’t much to regret.

thriftymaid's avatar

I sort of regret one incident, but if it had not happened I might be a different person today; I don’t think I would want that.

holden's avatar

I wish I hadn’t fallen in love.

Nullo's avatar

I wish that I had engaged more, and been more perceptive.

talljasperman's avatar

not asking a girl on a date when she and I were living in the same town

chamelopotamus's avatar

It would have been nice to have taken up guitar earlier on. More like 12 instead of 17.

vbabe96's avatar

I regret not fighting to be in the AP classes that would have helped me out more than what my adviser said I should take. I know it sounds lame but when I took my classes in college I felt so far behind. Especially in the science and math classes. Another thing is I regret not talking to more people and not knowing more people.

gemiwing's avatar

I don’t like to use regret, but there are things that I wish I had done. I wish I had stood up for myself to teachers, other students and my own fears. I wish I had studied harder and had taken that scholarship to Washington in St. Louis.

Then again, change one thing and change it all. I like where I am now so I suppose I wouldn’t change a thing now.

DarkScribe's avatar

@curiouscat DarkScribe, well, I’m also pretty satisfied with my teenage years thus far. I’m also joining the navy! I’m pretty scared for it right now though.

This might sound strange, but unless you can join as an officer, I would not recommend the Navy as a career for women. If you can apply and are successful as an officer candidate – then I wish you well. (I also wish you well in any circumstances, but a general service entry isn’t always a good choice for women. There are glass ceilings in all aspects of life – but in the military they are bullet-proof. You need to be able to step above them.)

JeffVader's avatar

Quite a few things really, but these are the main one’s…. I did too many drugs, I didn’t work hard enough in school or college, I never thought about the future.

ucme's avatar

That I dyed my hair blonde & had a well dodgy perm put in place.What the fuck was I thinking.Still got the girls though so it wasn’t too bad.

slick44's avatar

I wish i would have went to college, and met chazmaz. lol

aprilsimnel's avatar

I regret being a goody-goody.

nailpolishfanatic's avatar

I don’t think that I’ll do because I am still a teenager, I am going to try and enjoy myself this time so that I won’t have any regrets:)

Berserker's avatar

All I regret is having been so naive and taking what everyone said so seriously. If only I knew back then what I know now. But then again maybe I don’t really know anything today, either.

I don’t regret much, although many would question my choices and actions from then.

Don’t start smoking, I guess I regret that, haha.

The_Inquisitor's avatar

@DarkScribe, well, I’m joining the navy, but it will not be my career. I’m just doing the part-time thing.

crankywithakeyboard's avatar

I regret my crazy rigid religious beliefs at the time.

I also regret not researching careers more. In our group, if you were smart, you were supposed to become a doctor or a lawyer-that’s all. There are so many cool careers we never learned about.

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