Yeah, we’ve all been there. We hear a commonly known fact and we think, “How did I not know that?!?”

Today you’ll feel a little bit better because AskReddit users were nice enough to share the common knowledge that they didn’t learn about until late in life.

Take a look!

1. Discouraging.

“Hard work isn’t always the answer.

When I worked a minimum wage job, I would work hard and not take breaks, so a great job, and always finish early.

I just then got told to pick up the slack for the employees who spent their time goofing off. Never got a promotion, raise, or even a “Hey, good job”.”

2. Probably won’t get it back.

“That when people ask to borrow money especially if it’s a friend or family just expect to never see it again.”

3. You gotta get your rest.

“Going too long without sleep can impair your ability to drive the same way as drinking too much al**hol.”

4. Pro tip.

“Your oral health is just as important as your general health.

For real, take it from someone who didn’t take care of his teeth for 25 years. I have suffered through more than a decade of excruciating pain and now it’s going to cost me north of $10k to get it fixed.

Take care of your teeth, kids.”

5. You can say NO.

“It’s okay to say no to your parents.

After a certain age, the decisions you make for yourself will make you happier than the ones your parents make for you.”

6. Be aware.

“Sometimes regardless of how good a person you are, how hard you try, and how sincere you feel, there are people who will mistreat and take advantage of you.

And more importantly them doing that usually isn’t your fault. It’s more often a product of who they are and wasn’t as personal or important of a choice for them as it will feel for you.”

7. Good habits.

“Bit late to this but a university lecturer once said “Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent.”

Make sure you’re learning the right way to do things as much as you can, because otherwise those bad habits will take longer to change.”

8. Age ain’t nothing but a number.

“Just because they’re older than you, doesn’t make them more mature.

Would’ve saved me from an entire marriage.”

9. Have some fun.

“There’s no rules to doing chores. You can make it more fun if you want to.

For no reason I forgot that I could watch a tv show while I fold laundry and I didn’t have to just sit there and do it.”

10. It’s good to be silent.

“Just because I hold an opinion on something doesn’t mean that I need to share it.

I spent WAY too much of my early adulthood inserting my viewpoint into discussions that I wasn’t really a part of.”

11. CYA.

“CYA- Cover Your A**.

Learned that when I was a social worker for 10 years & horribly a**sed by my bosses & clients. I work an office job now doing data entry & the younger employees find it odd that I save so many emails.

I want proof of EVERYTHING so I can go back and point out SEE! You DID agree. It’s saved me enough that people trust my credibility and will come to me first if there’s confusion in anything.”

12. Keep in touch.

“Simply asking “how are you” once in a while is all it takes to not fall apart from old friends.”

13. Amen!

“Never lie to:

your lawyer

your accountant

your psychologist.”