What is something you learned in your life that you wish you never had?

Question

Rachel M, you are welcome, but I really did SPIT red Kool-aid all over my screen when I read your answer.

Answer 1

That I'm going to die and that everyone I love is going to die. Without that little bit of knowledge I think my existence would be much more carefree.

Answer 2

Almost everyone answering will recall a heartbreak, and that from relationships. Broken trust is bruising and disillusioning.

What I learned derives from that, too. But what I learned is that despite the weaknesses and flaws of people, despite the inherent cynicism of governments, despite the unerring greed of anyone in business ("trust me" is the FIRST line to tell you NOT to do so!), there is yet reason for hope, optimism, generosity, selfless caring, and love. What I learned is that in order to be myself, I must have those feelings - and not ever expect any return for them. THAT'S the part that I didn't want to learn.

When I was a child, I believed in magic - as every child does. I learned it wasn't real, on that day in 1956 when we were driving from Southern California to Texas for Dad's job transfer, and I told Mom how much I wished I had indeed used my allowance to buy the magic dollar bill machine at Disneyland's magic store. I was 10 at the time. All those dreary miles on the flat, open highway between the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the southern tail of the Rockies, I kept thinking about that machine. Insert a blank piece of paper the size and shape of a dollar, turn the roller - WHAMMY! Out the bottom comes a REAL dollar! Magic, magic, magic! The magic died, then, however, when Mom quite patiently explained the TRICK.

So, the day the magic died, I learned something I didn't want to know.

Then there was the day the beauty died. I was a young news reporter, trudging through a muddy field in the spluttering nighttime glare of flares illuminating a hillside where a small plane had crashed. The rain fell in icy splatters of sky spit. then, my foot nearly slipped and I looked down to avoid falling. I had put my foot into the inside of a victim's skull. And next to it was the upper side of the person's torso, the body parts exposed as if some meaty engine had been cut open with a saw. The scene was horrifying.

And there, that moment, the marvelous beauty of our lives died in a revolting mechanical display of tubes and strings and things.

And yes, there are the broken promises, the death of love, the spirit-rending translation of faith to faithlessness, the loss of children,the betrayals of friends and colleagues.

But all of this does not mean that beauty does not have an independent existence, that love does not flourish, that hope and will and optimism do not matter. That in spite of every hurt, there is not healing. What I think I wish I truly had never learned was healing. And that is because first there must be hurt, so much of it, in order then to heal.

Answer 3

That people cheat and you simply cannot trust just everyone.

Growing up in a loving, giving, caring atmosphere of my home, where we cared for others' welfare and feelings, I thought everyone was like that. But when I encountered rudeness for no apparent reason the first time ever, I was shocked. How could people behave that way? Weren't they taught any better? Those were the questions which hounded and haunted my naive, gullible, small brain. That was the painful part of growing up and at a certain point I even questioned my protected upbringing. I was sore with my parents for not exposing us to the realities of the outside world.....but still, I am thankful to them for being so nice.

And wait! Isn't it good that I learnt it so I can prepare myself better to face the world? Yes, it was a good lesson after all..

Answer 4

That honey is actually bee vomit.

Bone Ash. Animal bone ash is found in bone china and aquarium filters, and is often used to make sugar white in color.

Carmine, Cochineal, Carminic Acid. Derived from crushed female beetles, this red dye is used in cosmetics, shampoos, red apple sauce, red lollipops, and red food coloring.

Ambergris. Made from whale intestines, this may be found in perfumes and as a flavoring in foods and beverages.

Answer 5

I learned I really do not like most people. I mean, call me jaded. Call me old fashion. But alot of people are so selfish or rude. Alot of people have no concern about anything but themselves.
And as you get to experience the world, you will realize that many people are not very smart. Most people would rather watch mindless TV like dancing wiht the Stars instead of reading or watching something worth while.
Yeah people are not what I thought they were.

Answer 6

How to do drugs,how to cover it up so well,how to get high on resin and clean out straws when you were out of stuff. .How it used to be cool from the people I admired in the sixties,to emulate them,only to realize they werent the people they were, or represented to be.How peace is a misconception.How those same people who fought the establishment then are the establishment now(nothings changed) How,after being a successful drug addict,with very little consequences it cost me everything,wife, job,home,car,people I thought were friends,to make The choice to turn myself in and turn my life around.

Answer 7

I have learned that you can accomplish a lot by being self-sufficient. I am a doer. This can be a real problem, since the more you do for yourself the less likely people will be to help you.

Answer 8

I think everything I learned is what made me today. yap.
I used to think if you want to have a baby you need to feed your wife delicious food, like chocolate, fruits for her to get a baby. So the more delicous food you give to your wife the more beautiful the baby will be.
but then i found out =S. scary.
I am glad now, good question.

Answer 9

that we dont know what makes a person the way they are, is it genetics or environment or just their personal selves
while i can detest the action, and respond to the person doing it, i fully cant blame them, in the deep sense of the word, as i dont know what makes a cruel hateful person the way they are,
life would of been so much easier to just be able to blame the individual,

Answer 10

I learned that "dust" is actually just old dead skin cells from people. I really could have gone the rest of my life not knowing that. Yuck.