Great comment. A few thoughts from an older guy on naive assumptions made by younger people:
1. That your buddies will always be there in the clutch - many times they won't (a good test: whether they will value your friendship over, say, an opportunistic money grab - many people, in my experience, fail this test).
2. That you can succeed with corner-cutting (the easiest way by far to really learn something and to advance is normally the toughest way: to really dive in deeply and master the fundamentals, with hard work, and then to apply what you learned with diligence and hard work to achieve practical outcomes - the "quick" way is almost always inferior, though its lure is always there to entice you when you are young).
3. That ultimate satisfaction will come from the accumulation of money (nothing wrong with gaining financial success but money in itself can never satisfy the deeper needs of life).
4. That you can abuse your body with any form of excess without needing to care about longer-term consequences (big mistake).
5. That you can relate to others in a haughty way without consequence. Younger people are prone to have a sense of invincibility about what they can do. Don't presume. We are all frail and fallible. Treat others as you would have them treat you.
6. That you need not concern yourself with developing a core center for your character. You can lose everything and still keep your character. In the long run, this is what matters most because it ultimately defines you. Work at making it a good one.
Still in my 20's here:
1. Pareto's 80/20 principle is your friend. The closer you are to perfection the harder and more time consuming it is to get closer to perfection. There are big gains in enhancing weaknesses. At 80% I drop the ball and pick up another.
2. Prioritize: Big blocks first, pebbles last. Every block I put down, I feel lighter and I feel less intimidated and more motivated simply for the fact that no block will be bigger than the last.
3. Experience over stuff. Stuff are perishable but experiences are forever. Moreover, stuff will weight you down financially and emotionally.
4. Expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed.
5. Slow change is sure change.
6. Everything in moderation, moderation included.
7. Always ask "why" more than once and follow the money. Most people are not truly aware why they do what they do.
8. The truth will set you free but it will hurt like a b*tch at first. Be a man and take it.
9. You are not as good nor as bad as you think and things are not as good nor as bad as they seem.
10. Even the crazy has a valid point of view. You would agree with him if you had similar genes and past experiences. (caveat: opinions are different from facts)
1. That your buddies will always be there in the clutch - many times they won't (a good test: whether they will value your friendship over, say, an opportunistic money grab - many people, in my experience, fail this test).
2. That you can succeed with corner-cutting (the easiest way by far to really learn something and to advance is normally the toughest way: to really dive in deeply and master the fundamentals, with hard work, and then to apply what you learned with diligence and hard work to achieve practical outcomes - the "quick" way is almost always inferior, though its lure is always there to entice you when you are young).
3. That ultimate satisfaction will come from the accumulation of money (nothing wrong with gaining financial success but money in itself can never satisfy the deeper needs of life).
4. That you can abuse your body with any form of excess without needing to care about longer-term consequences (big mistake).
5. That you can relate to others in a haughty way without consequence. Younger people are prone to have a sense of invincibility about what they can do. Don't presume. We are all frail and fallible. Treat others as you would have them treat you.
6. That you need not concern yourself with developing a core center for your character. You can lose everything and still keep your character. In the long run, this is what matters most because it ultimately defines you. Work at making it a good one.