They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but that notion doesn't necessarily sink in for a lot of people unless they cross the threshold.
Since there is nothing to be gained without venturing into the unknown, we partake in the very thing we're curious about in the hopes of enlightenment.
Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor KingDilemma asked:
"What is something you thought you were into, but when it happened, you realized you weren’t?"
Strangers online shared their take on disappointing expectations.
It's Conditional
"I enjoy live music, but I don’t like big concerts. Bars, small venues are great, but big concerts are not my thing."
– NYVines
"I feel the same way too. Big concerts exhaust me."
– dbigfoot
Design And Build
"Architecture! as a kid i was obsessed with designing buildings and floorplans and drawing and it was a nonstop obsession....i got into one of the best architecture schools for college and it was like the minute i 'had to' do it the appeal was completely gone..."
"I did find this one housing systems class intriguing because it talked so much about government policy shaping housing etc and so i went into an architecture adjacent undergrad program and went to law school after. i work as an attorney in government stuff both for governments shaping planning policy and for developers getting regulatory approvals..."
"So i work with architects all the time and absolutely love being a lawyer even when i 'have to' do it. and i am still around architecture stuff but not in the way that shut off my interests for it."
– No_Gap_7935
Community On Wheels
"Going for motorcycle rides in big groups (Not Cruiser style, Sports/Nakeds). Thought it'd be a nice chance to meet people and enjoy the camaraderie and get to go on some nice routes I'd never have thought of otherwise."
"It's just a group of idiots on motorcycles that vary from way below your skill level, and you end up worrying about them, to way above your skill level, and they're just taking off into the distance. And then when you're all deciding to 'stick' together for a section, you end up with people getting uncomfortably close or not staggering during the ride."
"Overall it's a sh*t way to ride and for me I got absolutely zero enjoyment out of it. I'd rather be on my own or with a group of 2-3 at most."
"And on the same sorta subject, bike meets. Full of insufferable tw*ts. I get from an outside perspective, if you don't ride a bike then it's an opportunity to go and see lots of different bikes and speak to their owners about them, but when you ride to one it's like every c*nt has an opinion on why their gear or bike is better and why they are a better rider than you."
"Or they'll brag about doing incredibly dangerous sh*t and you're just sat there like 'Okay Evel Knievel, either that didn't happen or you should be immediately arrested.' "
– Sirlacker
Under The Influence
"Drinking."
"Not an alcoholic by any stretch but realised not drinking leads to a lot more stable mind and calm thoughts."
"If you suffer from anxiety I highly recommend giving up drinking and taking up exercise, even 30 minutes of walking a day."
"You'll feel incredible after a few weeks."
– itsoktoswear
A Tough Lesson
"When the soap smells so good ... don't taste it."
– Far_Garlic_2181
"I bought a raspberry shower jelly one time. It smelled so, so nice, and the texture was incredible. I guess my intrusive thoughts got ahead of me and I decided to take a bite out of it. It does not taste like raspberry or jelly."
"I should be ashamed as I am a grown adult but I also have no regrets. I had to find out somehow."
– fairyspine
Growing up is not all it's cracked up to be.
Taking Leadership
"Management."
– Dr_Aviel
"People management is so annoying. I’m still in management but with a very small team over seeing quality. It’s much better, but I’m super lucky to be in the spot I’m in."
– bombhills
"Yeah, the higher you advance in a lot of companies the harder it is to remain an "individual contributor" without direct reports. A former colleague of mine made it to a director level in that sort of role which was definitely a bit of a unicorn."
– tacknosaddle
Adulting
"Adult responsibilities."
– liquidhell
"Can't wait until I am in charge of my life!"
– D4ngerD4nger
"I try to tell my kids 'It's not how you think it is!!!!' But they don't listen. Letting them see me send 90% of my check to bills has helped some. And reminding them when they get gifted money that if they were adults, they would probably fork at least half of it over to bills, which has helped some. lol."
– Civil_Quail_9630
"This one is kinda funny because I was actually dreading so much becoming an adult from all the responsibility. I understood there was a lot of freedom but it always seemed to pale in comparison everything depend on you."
"But time waits for no one, ironically when I got to adulthood the responsibilities didn't seem so bad anymore. For me they're pretty manageable, and the freedom invaluable."
– dryroast
It's a niche thing.
Live-Action Role-Playing (LARP)… Or Bullying
"LARPing. Thanks to good old school bullying, I embraced my nerdery later in life, and had always quite liked the idea of trying LARPing, a long weekend away pretending to be an adventurer, getting drunk on mead in the evening."
"Cut to me, a 37yr old, crying in his tent because I was being made to feel stupid for not knowing EVERYTHING about the lore that spanned two decades, and being outright ignored because my character was low-level and had no money."
"I thought I'd finally find people who were nice because they were bullied earlier in life. Instead I found people who were glad of a chance to be the bullies."
– LocationOld6656
"On God, nerds are some of the biggest bullies. You like sports and you’re also a nerd? Bullied. You don’t know every episode of an anime? Bullied. Your cosplay is slightly inaccurate? Bullied. Your garb is using a stitch developed in the modern era? Bullied."
"It’s wild that a bunch of people who were othered can’t seem to have compassion or inclusivity toward people who might be new to the thing they’re into."
– CheezDustTurdFart
Libidon't
"Dating a nymphomaniac."
"I thought I had a hard sex drive, but after this girl wanted to spend practically every waking moment in bed with me, although fun at first, started becoming more a chore than something fun. ."
"I could barely be away long enough to make dinner before she was calling me back there. Definitely one of those be careful what you wish for kind of scenarios."
– creative_name_idea
"lol i had one encounter like this. this girl at university was OBSESSED, she wanted rounds after rounds. I thought i had a pretty high sex drive until she wanted to do like 3 rounds back to back. for the first time i ever i genuinely said no to someone. I was like HOLY SH*T BRO."
"I still have her on facebook and sometimes look her up to see what shes doing. God help the dude thats currently with her. I couldnt hack it."
– theEvilJakub
Tech-Averse
"I thought I liked Tech. I became a programmer then technical manager, architect and so on … only to realize that I don’t care about it that much."
"I was very certain I was a computer nerd… and I’m not at all … I enjoy agriculture more but it pays well so I will waste my life crafting overly complicated systems that aren’t really needed."
– AdSenior3709
Game of Thrones.
I started watching it based on the hype during season one.
While the production quality was impressive and it was very clear it was cinematic quality with the storytelling, acting, and special effects, it didn't resonate enough with me to commit to seeing the rest of the season.
My expectations were way off as I was looking for something more fantastical with dragons and mythical creatures, not political corruption and bloodshed and too many characters I can barely keep track of when they refer to others in the dialogue.
As a fan of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises, should I have given GOT time for me to get into it?
I haven't fully closed the door on that one.
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