Life is all about ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and, most importantly, learning.

And all of us learn at least some lessons the hard way.

Check out these stories from AskReddit users and see what they had to say about this.

Trust your gut.

“If something feels wrong, it likely is.

Or someone. Just trust your gut and be aware of red flags.

Sometimes it helps to say ‘let me think about this for a few days’ and discuss it with someone else.”

The truth hurts.

“Not everyone is a good person.

Some people actually want to see you fail. Stop oversharing.

These nasty people will use it against you.”

That’s scary.

“Just because a person with authority tells you to do something, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

I once had two border agents shouting mutually exclusive instructions at me while trying to re-enter the country: any time I did what one said, the other would yell and tell me to do the opposite.”

Yup.

“Money doesn’t exist until the deposit hits your bank account and business promises mean nothing until legal documents are signed.”

Sad…

“Your family doesn’t always have your best interest at heart.

Sometimes, family are just a bunch of bad people who are biologically related to you.”

Absolutely.

“WEAR A HELMET!

It’s an easy safety precaution you can take when rollerblading, biking, skateboarding, scootering etc. And it can literally save your life

Went all through the 90’s thinking helmets were lame… Fell while rollerblading in my 30’s and got a subdural hematoma, I wasn’t going fast but the momentum from how I fell just slammed my head into concrete.

HELMETS SAVE LIVES.”

LOVE.

“Always take a chance to tell someone you love them. To give them a hug.

Never end a conversation with a harsh word.

Both for the same reason. You never know if you will get to see that person alive again.

I learned both those lessons from each of my parents.”

Always.

“Stand up for yourself.

If you get in the habit of letting people walk all over you, it’ll be extremely difficult to reverse.

Even if you’re not confident, just fake it till you make it!”

The way life goes.

“Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

S**t happens and it doesn’t really need to have a reason.

Sometimes you will be the bad guy, and sometimes you will be the good guy.

It happens.”

This is good.

“Don’t marry someone with mental illness that refuses treatment.

Or don’t marry someone who doesn’t let you seek treatment for your mental illness.

My last boyfriend knew I had mental health issues but opposed me taking meds. I was an explosive nutcase.

I ended kicking him out, found a new love (who’s now my husband) and got help. I’m a much calmer person now.”

My eyes!

“I cut and seeded a ton of jalapenos because my mom stuffs em with cream cheese and wraps them in bacon…yum.

So I know you never touch your eyes afterwards so my mom was using the sink so i went to the bathroom and my brain was like “you need to pee” so I peed and washed my hands.

Maybe 10 minutes later it felt like the skin of my penis was on fire. I stood in the bathroom with water and even used milk.

Good times.”

What did I learn the hard way?

Always cherish the ones you love. You never know when they’re going to leave you.