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Announcements Mar 27, 2026 at 10:08 PM

What’s cool if you’re 20 but weird if you’re 40?

Posted by BugEven7258

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rick2882 Mar 27, 2026 +8750
Me, in my 40s, reading the comments to see how weird I am.
8750
RadioSupply Mar 28, 2026 +699
Finding out that, for a weird person, I’m disgustingly boring. I’m fine with that.
699
CaptainSparklebottom Mar 28, 2026 +99
Finding out I'm painfully banal has actually helped me with my depression and headspace.
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TheDeclineOfAll Mar 28, 2026 +92
Most of the comments are lame. But, I guess if you're 45 and partying all of the time, and/or dating a 20 year old, that's kind of weird. However, I feel like Americans have a strange notion of adulthood that forces people to live without joy, friends and be shackled to family life and careers they hate when people in other countries have no issues drinking, going to clubs, working to live and having tons of friends. But, I think a lot of these posts are more about trying to define rules, for things that have tons of nuance, than the questions they ask, so if you're in your 40s, and what you do doesn't hurt anyone, who cares? It's not like a house in the burbs and a soul destroying career, in a field like finance, are for everyone, right? I also feel like gen-z is way too judgemental, so maybe they should take a chill pill or two and enjoy life a bit.
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Rashaen Mar 28, 2026 +54
You still give a shit what 20 year olds think? I'm here for the funnies. To be fair, I was like this in my 20s, so I'm not the best reference point.
54
TheFrontierzman Mar 27, 2026 +4768
Asking a 21 year old to buy you a six pack.
4768
MaximusZacharia Mar 28, 2026 +942
This is so friggin funny. I’m 42 and I want to go do this. I’ll tell them it’s a patch Adam’s situation…which is funny because they’re too young to know what patch Adams is
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Comprehensive_Part42 Mar 28, 2026 +464
The fact that I know you actually meant Jack makes me feel so old I want to cry...
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Viper1089 Mar 28, 2026 +202
Lmao I was sitting here thinking, "when the f*** did Patch Adams get accelerated aging?"
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IamEbola Mar 28, 2026 +30
yes or Benjamin Button
30
xCaliburghost Mar 28, 2026 +56
You've described Uber Eats
56
Kundas Mar 28, 2026 +60
As a European i was initially confused about this comment lol
60
Deeevud Mar 28, 2026 +13
It certainly makes it even weirder outside America!
13
OptimusGrime13 Mar 28, 2026 +47
You Americans got it rough, I can't imagine having to wait till 21
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macriosi Mar 28, 2026 +117
Funnily enough ive picked up drinks for my dad so hes 54 and asked me lmao
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NnyIsSpooky Mar 28, 2026 +31
In Albuquerque, we ask people to "pull out for us" when asking them to buy us booze when we can't buy it ourselves. So it's doubly weird.
31
HoosierHoser44 Mar 28, 2026 +24
I would never pull out for you
24
ChibiBladeZ Mar 28, 2026 +21
At 40, asking a 21-year-old for beer is less “fun night out” and more “I’ve peaked, send help”.
21
Fishtacoburrito Mar 27, 2026 +2096
Suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility
2096
Username_TKTK Mar 28, 2026 +224
No but hear me out
224
Individual_Pitch_619 Mar 28, 2026 +76
You owe me a pair of pants for making me pee in mine
76
OldStray79 Mar 27, 2026 +1804
Other 20 year olds.
1804
Meeko6983 Mar 28, 2026 +416
I'm 42. Went to the beach last summer and had a group of 20-somethings next me. I swear all I heard for 4 hours was, "dude bruh, bruh dude".
416
Nearby-Complaint Mar 28, 2026 +158
Someone does not respect the all-encompassing beauty of the word “dude”
158
Meeko6983 Mar 28, 2026 +64
I just shook my head and laughed. Thinking back and trying to remember if I was like that 20 years ago.
64
Cowboy_Dane Mar 28, 2026 +44
Best answer
44
ZealousidealFig7832 Mar 27, 2026 +2300
Drinking all night before work.
2300
AndrewHinds67 Mar 27, 2026 +353
I wouldn't dream of doing that now. I stopped that 35 years ago.
353
seraia Mar 27, 2026 +348
My tired brain did math making you 5 years old when you quit drinking all night lol
348
moral_agent_ Mar 27, 2026 +119
Eventually they stop filling the sippy cup
119
BugEven7258 Mar 27, 2026 +100
Oh we can’t do that at 40+?
100
Few-Bass4238 Mar 27, 2026 +139
Two day hangovers also suck. Eventually your body just says "Could we not do that anymore?"
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homebr3wd Mar 27, 2026 +42
Technically, the first hangover is your body saying that.
42
Few-Bass4238 Mar 27, 2026 +49
True, but multiple day hangovers are just so much worse.
49
Sharkey__Shark Mar 27, 2026 +89
I turned 42 last week, I drank on Saturday.. a lot. I had some morning beers on Sunday, 4 to be exact. I didn’t feel operable until Friday. I also drank about a gallon of Powerade and 3 gallons of water from Saturday to Monday. I asked myself why do I do this to myself
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rrrrrivers Mar 27, 2026 +65
Morning beers? I think that there's your problem..
65
thebigpink Mar 27, 2026 +99
Can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning
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GhastlyParadox Mar 27, 2026 +28
ol' hair of the dog trick
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GIrish247 Mar 28, 2026 +19
In Ireland it's called the cure... E.g. "I'm so hungover, wanna head down to the local for a cure".
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Jacksomkesoplenty Mar 27, 2026 +36
Really staying up all night before work period. I used to stay up until 2am then get up at 7 to be to work at 0745. Not a chance now. I have to be up at 0745 in the morning and I will be my ass in the bed no later than 2300. When I say in the bed I mean head down, eyes closed. All those years of smoking all night then getting up to work 10 hrs in the elements and doing it all over again beyond burns your body and mind out.
36
Moody_Coach Mar 27, 2026 +5729
Going to a university club/bar to meet girls.
5729
Character_Writing_69 Mar 27, 2026 +2071
Even at 28, I recognize I'm getting too old for that shit.
2071
hhfugrr3 Mar 27, 2026 +2310
Me and a mate went to a uni nightclub at his old uni about 8 years after we left uni. We were looking around for the weird old guys that are always in those places, couldn't see any... then we saw a mirror and it dawned on us 😭
2310
Character_Writing_69 Mar 27, 2026 +532
Dude yeah, if that revelation doesn't hit you, then it may just end up you being the creep Reminds me of the song Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan
532
FishSoFar Mar 27, 2026 +428
And if that revelation doesn't hit you, you may just start referencing Steely Dan songs
428
warm_couch_drifts Mar 27, 2026 +61
man, i can totally picture that moment. it's wild how one day you're the life of the party and the next you're just the confused guy trying to remember where you parked your car. steely dan songs are definitely gonna start playing in my head next time i pass a college bar
61
planetalletron Mar 27, 2026 +115
Steely Dan really is peak unc.
115
Character_Writing_69 Mar 27, 2026 +28
Are you implying SD fans are all creeps?
28
FishSoFar Mar 27, 2026 +67
I wasn't, but now that you mention it...
67
Interesting_Wind2512 Mar 28, 2026 +11
Something like this happened to me when I was 19 or 20. I didn't go to college right away after high school and kept on partying in my small hometown after graduation. One night I showed up to a bonfire and looked around, and everyone else there was like 15/16 and I realized I was the 'weird old dude' at the high school party, and that was the night I decided I'd be moving to the city, and I got out of there the following week.
11
OgrishVet Mar 27, 2026 +15
Lol I've seen that joke , two old men in the bar looking at the far end kk kk but it's them in mirror https://www.listnook.com/r/Jokes/s/yYXMqVdZnF
15
hhfugrr3 Mar 27, 2026 +15
Sadly, I wasn't joking.
15
PiperLee43 Mar 28, 2026 +214
I'm 26 and I go to classes with people in their 30s and people in their early twenties. We all drink together at local bars. It's not weird
214
inosinateVR Mar 28, 2026 +180
You can still go to a bar with your friends in your thirties without it being weird to other people. It’s just that as you get older it starts to feel weird for you, especially in a college town. When you walk into a bar where everyone is younger than you it kind of feels like crashing a high school party and like you shouldn’t be there
180
HedyHarlowe Mar 28, 2026 +55
I went to a gig with a mate who is nine years younger than me. I was the oldest there at 45. I then went to another gig from a band from the 90’s and he was the youngest! :)
55
PosiedonsSaltyAnus Mar 28, 2026 +24
That's different than going to events specifically to hook up though
24
WeirdWillieWest Mar 27, 2026 +270
Every man has to settle down eventually. You know why you gotta settle down eventually? Because you don't want to be the old guy in the club. You know what I'm talking about. Every club you go into, there's always some old guy. He ain't really old, just a little too old to be in the club. [Chris Rock](https://www.azquotes.com/author/12499-Chris_Rock)
270
Thatnerdyguy92 Mar 27, 2026 +118
They had to Ban over 30's from our local student bar. Got to the point where it was like 1 student to 3 creepy guys in their 40's
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Kalayo0 Mar 27, 2026 +150
??? At those ratios and with the intent to stay in business I’d ban the students, holy hell.
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Thatnerdyguy92 Mar 27, 2026 +99
It was more that all the creepy guys were scaring off all the student customers, the bar went from 200+ students every night to just 20 very brave girls surrounded by creepers. In the end the ban didn't even save the bar and it went out of business shortly before I graduated.
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ABadHistorian Mar 28, 2026 +36
... I think you just inadvertently proved Kalayo0 right? Lmao. This is some Always Sunny situation here. Their solution to their problem killed their problem, that's for sure... and their bar.
36
Eurynom0s Mar 27, 2026 +27
The guys are only there to leer at the students, no students and they'd stop going.
27
smokeypapabear40206 Mar 27, 2026 +96
There is also that one “old woman” at every bar. 60-something acting like a horny college girl, flirting with any guy that approaches the bar hoping for a free drink or warm body to wake up next to…
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Fearlessleader85 Mar 27, 2026 +60
I once met that woman not in the bar... but, on a public bus... drunk as shit... on a Wednesday... at 11am. Stay classy, Jacksonville, FL.
60
CanOfPenisJuice Mar 27, 2026 +60
....20 years later we're married and super in love....and still get wasted on the Wednesday bus
60
Fearlessleader85 Mar 27, 2026 +24
Holy shit, it actually is 20 years later this year! Sadly we passed like... strangers on the bus. But i do sometimes look at myself in the mirror and think about how she told me i had the most beautiful lips.
24
dirtyrandalfus Mar 28, 2026 +13
Sorry we're gonna have to see those lips now. Thems the rules.
13
Ask_bout_PaterNoster Mar 27, 2026 +60
Ok but her I love, in regular bars. Now if she specifically hung out in the young college bars where half the kids aren’t even 21, THAT would be gross…
60
Joydennix Mar 27, 2026 +2290
Your liver files for divorce at 40 honestly
2290
mentho-lyptus Mar 27, 2026 +299
I’m definitely on borrowed time.
299
Ahrimon77 Mar 27, 2026 +135
Mid 40's, a year in Korea. My liver still hasn't fully recovered 5 years later.
135
ee3k Mar 28, 2026 +162
Ugh, you have to pretend to be a lightweight in Korea or men will literally kill themselves trying to keep up on what would have been a "not really very hard" drinking session back home.  Like I physically can't get drunk on their beer, as I simply can't get it into me faster than I can process it, so you switch to soju to keep roughly at the same level as the rest of the party but then someone takes it as a challenge and you just have to pretend to be drunk before your boss pisses himself, again, trying to out drink the Irish.  And this isn't boasting or bragging.  I'm not a heavy drinker, I really am not particularly alcohol tolerant, I've drank with British people on holiday and American soldiers on leave and they can drink me under the table.   But somehow, in Korea, the baseline I have is somehow an insult to old dudes and every time, I have to pretend, so as not to humiliate someone.  And I'm like 90% young Korean people are doing it too, but I can't prove anything.
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odagari Mar 28, 2026 +8
Man, reminds me of my time in Korea. Back then there was a site made by expat called Black Out Korea, where people post pictures of people passing out on the street. I was on there once.
8
wyocrz Mar 27, 2026 +167
I made it to 49. Covid drinking nearly killed me. I had a vicious, 2 day hangover from a "mere" twelve pack of beer. As far as I know, no permanent damage, coming up on five years sober. The upshot was that bars were my social life, so everything in the post-Covid world remains strange.
167
Saucy6 Mar 27, 2026 +122
A few alcoholic friends have replaced their addiction with endurance sports as they got older (running, biking, hiking…), just throwing it out there for the social
122
wyocrz Mar 27, 2026 +104
Obliged, well intended and well taken. I actually got into playing darbuka (Middle Eastern hand drums). After three years, the Universe sent me a proper instructor, who lived in Turkey and played with some of the innovators of the trendy split hand style. [Example from a different sublistnook](https://www.listnook.com/r/Bellydance/comments/1kan9v8/maksoom/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_buttonhttps://www.listnook.com/r/Bellydance/comments/1kan9v8/maksoom/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) (if you give it a watch, I take a bit of time to ramp up). I've met some great people, headed to another circle tonight. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree that "not drinking" isn't the answer. Doing something else is the answer. There's an old fable about a cottage with a rotted out roof beam. If the beam is removed, it all comes crashing down. The solution is to take a new beam, and to beat the old one out with the new one. I fervently believe it's impossible to "not do something" but not so bad to "do something else." Again, appreciate you!
104
Remarkable-Dark617 Mar 27, 2026 +43
Wow this is actually really insightful advice! I’m only a few days into being sober as a raging alcoholic so my brain is going a bit haywire focusing on the “not doing something piece”. This is a really nice way to reframe it. Thank you!
43
wyocrz Mar 28, 2026 +21
Excellent! I won't drink with you tonight, all the best Internet stranger.
21
InTheThroesOfWay Mar 28, 2026 +13
You can also think of it like, "Never set a goal for yourself that a dead guy can reach easier than you can." I.e., if your goal is to not drink, then a dead guy will always meet that goal easier than you can. You gotta set yourself a goal to do something else instead. Something like, "Instead of drinking, I will \[blank\]."
13
O12345678 Mar 27, 2026 +30
I'm in my early 40s and that recently happened to me. Not actually my liver, but my body. I started realizing more and more that I would get useless after drinking, even relatively small amounts. I finally decided there wasn't much point.
30
Solid-Rate-309 Mar 27, 2026 +21
Almost 40 and coming to this realization as well. Didn’t drink for over a month and then last weekend had two beers (ipas so more like 3-4 beers) and the next day I felt tired and crummy all day. Not even hungover, just like the whole day was clouded. I realized it was the worst id felt in over a month. I think there is still room for some alcohol in my life, but only special occasions when I accept that I will be useless the next day, and I’m so busy it’s rare that I can throw away a day.
21
bottomfeeder3 Mar 28, 2026 +8
I’m 36 and last weekend I decided to drink vodka and tonics. I got on to play videogames with my friends. After 3 drinks I entered blackout territory. I don’t remember anything after 1130. All I know is I woke up in bed the next morning and felt worse than I’ve felt in a very very long time. Basically wasted the next day and the day after I was still feeling bad. Probably 70% better but still. I used to be able to drink a lot in my 20s and early 30s. Would bounce back in 24 hours. Feels like my hangovers last a couple days. Nowadays I gotta pick my spots carefully. Generally if I wanna get drunk but don’t want to be hungover I grab a joint or thc drink.
8
SquirrelCthulhu Mar 27, 2026 +468
Worrying about “being cool.” It’s sort of expected when you’re young, but you should have figured out it’s not important in your 30’s and it’s completely inexcusable to still be concerned with it in your 40’s. 
468
sharpiebrows Mar 28, 2026 +68
I know a 42 year old guy that ive known since our 20s. He still constantly posts and reposts the coolest photos of him through the years, shows off his cars and bikes and shows off all the hot women he knows. He is pretty cool in some ways but he is so clearly obsessed with everyone thinking he's cool that its starting to just be sad. Its like he is trying to create an image of himself as some sort of local legend.
68
Wollie81 Mar 28, 2026 +12
The behavior you’re describing is sad in any age category.
12
SupportCa2A Mar 28, 2026 +35
Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. ~CS Lewis  - Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories
35
MJ_ngkahirapan Mar 27, 2026 +734
sleeping on a random floor at a party is like... a fun story when ur 20 but if i did that now i'd prob need a chiropractor for a month lol.
734
bitwaba Mar 28, 2026 +97
My back was killing me for months, so bad that one day I just threw a bunch of blankets and pillows on the floor and said f*** it. Woke up the next day and felt right as rain. I went to the mattress store the next day and bought a new one.
97
Individual_Mess_7491 Mar 28, 2026 +256
chiropractors are scam artists anyway.
256
UltimaGabe Mar 28, 2026 +32
Fun fact: the guy that invented chiropractic, learned it from a ghost!
32
traws06 Mar 28, 2026 +509
Apparently playing basketball. I play pick up games and everyone tells me I need to stop because I’m too old and my body can’t handle it. Like… I’m a decently fit 38 year old male. Your body actually ages worse if you’re not exercising
509
absolute_poser Mar 28, 2026 +163
People are idiots - the science is clear that physical activity continues to be healthy for us as we get older. Maybe playing intense basketball if someone is couch potato is not the best way to get into it, but that is a deconditioning rather than age issue.
163
Acceptable_Apple4220 Mar 28, 2026 +29
who are these people saying your too old for a game at 38?? there have been so many champions in combat and endurance sports at that age. unless it's injuries that are putting you in pain, screw that noise. is this "trash talk" on the court, or what?
29
gypsyblader Mar 28, 2026 +62
I’m 38 and rollerblade, still grind handrails and stuff. I feel if I stop my body will fall apart
62
t-zilla443 Mar 28, 2026 +15
I feel like 85% of all fruitbooters are 30+. Warming up here, time to dust off my blanks.
15
--Andre-The-Giant-- Mar 28, 2026 +9
In my late 40's and I'm in better condition now than I was in my 20's. So...f*** the nonsense, right? Enjoy the body while the body works.
9
bazoos Mar 28, 2026 +14
38 isn't old at all.
14
Maverizz Mar 28, 2026 +38
I’m slightly older than you and had to give up basketball. The impact on my leg joints started adding up. I had shin pain for 4 months once after a pickup game that didn’t go away. Something happens in late 30s that causes every athlete to retire: running hurts.
38
traws06 Mar 28, 2026 +32
Lebron James still does it! Honestly, if you aren’t doing lower body lifting then it’s makes a huge difference. I don’t mean like lifting 300 pounds. I mean like grab a weighted 30 pound vest and then wear it while doing ingest and squats with no other weight. 95% of your stability in your joints is from muscles. A majority of ppl who have knee and joint pains can reduce it drastically by strengthening the muscles used to stabilize them. All that said: I do get soft tissue injuries a lot more often than when I was younger. The moment I feel anything though I am done for the day and won’t push it
32
codydog125 Mar 28, 2026 +6
Sounds like shin splints to me. Happens if you over exert yourself without having much activity recently and even more so if you have old shoes. It commonly occurs at the beginning of a season if you actively play sports for both those reasons too
6
Interesting-Tree9229 Mar 27, 2026 +1432
Going out every night and partying until 3am. At 20? Legendary. At 40? Heart attack waiting to happen.
1432
ee3k Mar 28, 2026 +364
As I get older, I'm increasingly convinced a number of "heart attacks waiting to happen" are committing suicide , without ever having to be blamed for doing the deed.  Like, one friend had a wife, a kid and just couldn't stop eating frys , crisps, junk food, etc. The doctor told him, his wife told him, we told him. But he never even tried to stop.  Dude died at 44.   But like, about a year before he died we were out drinking and he said that the last time his wife even smiled at him was 9 months before the baby was born, he hated his job and the only thing keeping him going was his child , and not wanting to f*** up her life.  And I just always wonder if he felt that dying to "natural causes" was going to make it ok for her somehow.
364
myname_1s_mud Mar 28, 2026 +103
More than likely, eating like that was just how he choked down the sad. Ive had plenty of self destructive habits to do that. I was never thinking "I cant wait for this to kill me". It was more of "this makes me feel better, and If I die, oh well". Ive always needed more dopamine than a burger could provide, but ive been told that some people fall back into eating the way others fall back into drugs, so I assume it comes from the same unhealthy place.
103
Intelligent-Might614 Mar 28, 2026 +80
Jesus that is heartbreaking. I'm turning 45 and can't imagine being that unhappy.
80
IContributedOnce Mar 28, 2026 +29
Honestly, it probably never crossed his mind as “a way out”. It’s just, culturally, really easy to shrug off people, even family, friends, and medical professionals telling you to stop eating junk food. “Yeah, yeah, yeah… everyone needs to lose weight and eat better. Whatever…” We are animals that evolved to survive in the wild, and suddenly find ourselves not only not needing to survive the wilds, but also with an overabundance of food. Not even just healthy foods, obviously, but food that has terrible nutritional value for the calories it packs. Our brains encourage us to eat calorie rich foods because in the wild that means you live. It releases dopamine. You feel good. It literally comforts you. If this guy is going through years of depression and feeling like he hates his work and his wife hates him, etc, food was likely his comfort. Suicide may have never really crossed his mind. That’s why we need better laws regulating the absolute horse shit we get served in stores and restaurants around the country (sorry; this entire comment assumes you’re in America…). Except that’s kind of an insult to the nutritional value of horse shit. Anyway. Point is I actually disagree. Maybe some people see it as a way out, but I think many just don’t even think about it, or at least don’t appreciate how serious it is.
29
The-Great-T Mar 27, 2026 +198
F***, even in my 20's, that sounds rough. I definitely prefer getting day drunk and going to bed at a normal time anyway.
198
Vagabond_Charizard Mar 28, 2026 +22
As someone who's nearing 40 and has a tough job, I just wanna go home to a nice meal and a comfy bed. If it's the weekend, though . . .
22
BugEven7258 Mar 27, 2026 +67
Ah I think once a fortnight is ok?
67
Hypnotic_Delta Mar 27, 2026 +36
If that's what you're interested in and are doing it in moderation, then sure. Screw the nay sayers. Different people have different interests
36
Good-Operation4373 Mar 27, 2026 +113
Yes playing Fortnite too
113
Navi1101 Mar 27, 2026 +24
I swear there needs to be special old-people servers for Fortnite and Minecraft. I loved Minecraft when it was in alpha, before it became specifically a thing for kids, and I resent that if I now play it in any context other than with a kid or for an explicitly all-ages, adults-welcome event, then it's weird. Playgrounds too tbh; like I know the gym is supposed to be the playground for adults, but why can't it have climbing structures and swings and slides and stuff?
24
dragontatman95 Mar 28, 2026 +68
When I was younger I used to think old was 40. I'm now in my 40s and I'm more active than I was in my 20s. I go to concerts every other weekend. Parties. Camping. I'm getting close to 50. Age is just a number. Life is how you choose to live it.
68
Few_Butterscotch3592 Mar 27, 2026 +408
Falling for ‘bad guys’ 
408
RockThePond Mar 27, 2026 +226
Yeah, usually by 40, the “bad boys” have already done several stints in prison.
226
RJean83 Mar 28, 2026 +113
Bad boys in our late teens and 20's- do graffiti, ride a motorcycle, maybe a wee bit of shoplifting and a fake ID. Not the end of the world. Bad boys in our 40's- there will be a Netflix documentary about him. And if you stay married to him, your credit score is shot, no child support, and your friends that needed his fake id hookups now would not be caught dead in a bar with him. 
113
IronGin Mar 27, 2026 +37
So theyre certified bad boys now? Man I ber I could fix them
37
voidsong Mar 28, 2026 +29
At 20, girls with that kind of poor judgement look like any other girl that age, and maybe even seem a bit more fun. At 40, girls with judgement that bad look like walking trainwrecks made of red flags, followed around by an entourage of feral kids who look nothing alike. It's the same issue either way, it's just way more visibly obvious with age, after the poor choices leave their scars.
29
Dildo-Gankings Mar 27, 2026 +870
mindlessly adhering to constant social trends/fads.
870
NeutralGeneric Mar 27, 2026 +401
It’s not really cool at 20 either, it’s just that most people don’t realize it later.
401
houbatsky Mar 27, 2026 +59
i honestly see a lot of +40 ppl do this as well in a normalized way, it just looks different to how 20 yos do it
59
rick2882 Mar 27, 2026 +54
Yeah we're agemaxxing to framemog GenZ. Six-seven
54
Gonzostewie Mar 28, 2026 +23
My smartass 12yo got me 2 shirts for Xmas. One has an eagle on it and says "Bald and Majestic." I've been shaving my head since 1997 but she insists I'm going bald. The other one says "Skibbidy Best Dad No Cap" and she thinks I'm not gonna wear it in public. She is mistaken.
23
Kraz31 Mar 27, 2026 +406
Having a fake ID.
406
stonedsquatch Mar 28, 2026 +131
It’s not exactly a fake ID, but my(36yo) identical triplet brother’s license was expiring and he was at work so I went to the DMV to renew it for him. Now his license has my picture on it. Not really a fake but not really technically “his”.
131
xSwampxPopex Mar 27, 2026 +86
Super weird if you’re above the drinking age.
86
RogersRedditPersona Mar 27, 2026 +213
My fake id says I’m 65 so I get senior discounts
213
CommercialSun_111 Mar 28, 2026 +39
The bouncer at IHOP hardly even looks at the year
39
SpleenAnderson Mar 28, 2026 +79
Getting fucked up. In my 20s, I could get trashed one night and make it into class/work at 8:00 AM. At 41, I drank 3-4 beers the night before work. Came in for an early meeting, and I ran into the hall and puked in a trash can. I was sent home early. Did I mention I was a teacher? 😒
79
1123Ares133 Mar 28, 2026 +32
Edward 40 Hands. Cool when I was at a party in college, alcoholism now.
32
Traditional_Entry183 Mar 27, 2026 +130
I see this kind of thing posted all the time. So I have to ask, what IS cool when you're over 40? And I don't mean things that are family oriented or responsible. Not what's expected of you, but what's fun and enjoyable.
130
watchyourfeet Mar 27, 2026 +241
Having hobbies and creative pursuits, being open minded and not stuck in your ways, taking care of yourself, building meaningful relationships/ community. Basically the same things that are cool at any stage of life.
241
Curiousr_n_Curiouser Mar 27, 2026 +73
Travel, continuing education, theater and music, art, hobbies and special interests. Pretty much anything that is ever cool.
73
autocorrects Mar 27, 2026 +55
Being a master at a craft
55
yaangyiing_ Mar 27, 2026 +18
^ even something non physical, like writing
18
chaosuniverses Mar 27, 2026 +39
Honestly I am 40 and I do not give 2 shits if anything seems cool. I do what I want and have fun. I went rollerblading the other day. Didn’t care what other adults on the trails thought. One even complimented me doing it and joked with his wife that she should since she used to like to skate. I ride the jet ski and try cool tricks that I used to do as a teen (with respect to other boats). Don’t care what others think. I climb the kid floaty mountain with the kids in the lakes water park. Don’t care what the other boring parents sitting on the shore think. And I have fun. They are missing out on life if they don’t do things that interest them because it’s not ‘cool’. Who cares, really?
39
L_Flavour Mar 27, 2026 +22
perhaps doing something artsy is cool at any age 🤔 at least I think it's cool if you e.g. play the saxophone
22
Rustycake Mar 27, 2026 +13
I was telling my buddy, that every year I understand my father a little more. I think thats pretty cool considering my teens and 20s were pretty bumpy with him.
13
DJS11Eleven Mar 27, 2026 +326
Lots of suggestions that being in a band is weird. I think there are a lot of variables to that.
326
DM_Me_TaTaz Mar 27, 2026 +235
I don’t even want to listen to a a doom metal band unless they are in their 40s
235
kshawfktsk Mar 27, 2026 +123
This comment made me laugh so I'm gonna shamelessly plug my doom band. They're all in their 40s except me (36). https://servantsofthemist.bandcamp.com/album/healing-process
123
dougc84 Mar 27, 2026 +7
gonna wishlist this to check out later!
7
Discohunter Mar 27, 2026 +24
My Doom band are all 30 and still almost always the youngest band on any given lineup
24
watchyourfeet Mar 27, 2026 +235
God forbid people have hobbies.
235
TesticleMeElmo Mar 28, 2026 +70
For some reason people see you making music and they think you’re trying to be a rock star celebrity. Like, do they also go down to the YMCA watching people shooting hoops and go “these losers think they’re gonna be drafted by the NBA”?
70
WatchOdd532 Mar 28, 2026 +13
It’s really strange. Reminds me of the AI d***** that said “the process of creating music isn’t enjoyable” or whatever lol. Have they never met a musician? Or read about the history of it? People have been making music for pleasure since the dawn of human existence and these weird nerds think we all secretly want to be pop stars or something? I guess if you have no personality you wouldn’t understand why people get satisfaction from self expression 
13
DJS11Eleven Mar 27, 2026 +28
Agreed
28
Tribalbob Mar 27, 2026 +45
Nope, you turned 40. Here's your old man pants, new balance shoes and the old folk's home is over there; go wait for death.
45
xSwampxPopex Mar 27, 2026 +50
Sonic Youth was formed when all the members were over 30 and they didn’t see mainstream success until they were all in their 40s.
50
chrisreverb Mar 28, 2026 +21
I love Sonic Youth and I totally agree with the overall point that playing in a band should not be “age gatekept”. However, none of them were over 30 when the band started in 1981. Thurston Moore was 22, Lee Ranaldo was 25, and Kim Gordon was 28. Only listing the ages of these 3 as they are obviously the core members with Steve Shelley joining in 1985 at age 23.
21
Ok-Tie-7184 Mar 28, 2026 +39
Yeah, I really want to see this mindset change. Your life doesn’t stop at 25. Having hobbies and passions and pursuing them and sharing them is such a positive thing. And others will be encouraged to do the same if they see you doing it. 20-year-olds are absolutely not the only talented people on the planet. In fact it makes a lot of sense for people who have been playing their instruments or singing or whatever for 20 more years to be out there sharing their talents. The ageism when it comes to entertainment is so pathetic. I put out music for fun, not trying to make a career out of it or anything but I’ve been singing all my life and really enjoy the creative/self expression aspect and every once in a while someone will make a discouraging comment about my age (I’m 39) and it’s like… why the f*** would I stop singing at 21 or whatever age you have in mind? What do you want people to spend the remaining 60+ years of their lives doing, just being lame and bored? It’s just such a sad mindset.
39
ClownOfGlory Mar 27, 2026 +71
Ah, that’s stupid as hell. There’s nothing weird about being in a band at 40, 50, or 60.
71
Pumpkyns Mar 28, 2026 +29
My dad is over fifty, works at least 50 hours a week, does extra for friends, and is in TWO bands (and sometimes cover for another one). Depending on the seasons, he gets a gig per week. I think it is really bad ass. I still do not understand how he manages to do all that
29
DJS11Eleven Mar 28, 2026 +5
Hell yea to your Dad! If people have a passion for something, they should go for it.
5
RadioSupply Mar 28, 2026 +18
As a musician in middle-age in a city with a boiling hot music scene, the take that being in a band past your 30s is hilarious.
18
ExpensiveNut Mar 28, 2026 +14
Really weird considering how many musicians I work with are older and you get musicians of every age playing every style of music
14
DJS11Eleven Mar 28, 2026 +6
Totally. I think some people don't realize how fast 20 years can go by
6
Pndrizzy Mar 27, 2026 +29
Nah, no variables. If you’re playing for fun, you do you. I guess the only variable I’d consider is if you think you’re going to make it huge and don’t work, but that’s a symptom of something else imo
29
TheWizzie433 Mar 27, 2026 +423
Lots of answers in this thread are either also uncool in your 20s (like being an addict) or fine in your 40s (like being in a band), even if some people might tolerate/judge you. But you know what's really hard even after you're 30? Starting a new career. HR departments won't hire interns at that age and you don't have the experience to work in better jobs. It's especially cruel when technology advancements make some career obsolete; a friend's dad worked as a film developer until the age of 45, when digital cameras started going strong and he found himself with very little professional prospects. Now he's an established optometrist that still develops film photography for the niche hobbyist from time to time, but that took a looooot of pain and suffering.
423
StrangersWithAndi Mar 27, 2026 +206
I started a new career at 34, then started another at 45, and went back to school to do something totally different at 50. Its honestly not that hard. Although I'm sure it depends on the field. 
206
CranberryFree5203 Mar 28, 2026 +46
As 43 starting a new career you give me hope
46
StrangersWithAndi Mar 28, 2026 +19
Good for you! You've totally got this. 
19
xSwampxPopex Mar 27, 2026 +22
I agree it’s not impossible but it’s definitely more challenging now.
22
Gueropantalones Mar 27, 2026 +18
What did you do
18
StrangersWithAndi Mar 27, 2026 +76
I started out as a teacher. At 34 I moved into a creative career. At 45 I became an executive assistant. Now I work in software design.
76
3_34544449E14 Mar 28, 2026 +8
Thanks for sharing. For each of those transitions was it a case of you having to save up enough to live with no income for enough time to retrain? I sometimes think about retraining but the cost stops me. Do you feel like you are taking a pay cut and losing career progress when you're entering the new industries? I feel like apprentices older than 25 are still viewed with a general unfair weirdness.
8
StrangersWithAndi Mar 28, 2026 +8
The career progression thing is real, for sure. I'm never gong to be the most experienced employee at anything! But I weighed that reality and decided the trade-off is worth it for me. I'd rather do different things that suited my needs than have longevity in something that didn't, although i understand why others might choose differently. And I decided I can still be the best, even if I'm not the oldest. I try to think of it as an opportunity to show my skills and adaptability, and so far, employers have been positive about it. Moving into the creative field was slow (as creative success is) but i just did it on the side while keeping my teaching job, until I had enough earning power to switch. There were a couple tight months while I figured out budgeting on a gig income, but overall that went really smoothly. When I got the opportunity to switch to EA work, I leaned heavily on the organizational skills I used running my own business, plus exec support work I had at times done for a gallery owner, and it was enough to get me that job. When I decided to go into software design, I used the creative skills from before, but also went back to school part time for about two years while working as an EA. I got a certification and learned a lot of new stuff, plus my EA work was at a software firm so I got a feel for the process.  The switches all went really smoothly for me! A lot of that was luck, a lot was having decent overlaps, and some of it was finding skills from my previous careers that could transfer.  If you're planning a change yourself, I hope you do and it goes great!
8
Voice_of_the_wildest Mar 27, 2026 +16
I had no problem changing careers after 40.
16
Then-Relief9957 Mar 28, 2026 +8
I was in hotels, at 45 I moved to remote workforce accommodation- building and operating work camps for oil and gas, mining, and forest fire fighters, at 53 I relocated to my wife’s country (US) and consulted for my former employer for a bit, started part time at a big box retail store at 55, and at 56 I’m currently working on their supply chain side as I upskill into what’s next. I don’t think of it in terms of hard or not, I do think people struggle with feeling ungrounded, myself included at times. But I continually surprise myself with what I can learn and master. And you meet really interesting people when you change into different industries.
8
The_Gov78 Mar 27, 2026 +563
Dating 20 year olds
563
Psychedelic_Stingray Mar 27, 2026 +98
Yeah this, 20 year olds look like kids to me now. I was your age when you were born, and it's just so damn weird.
98
AffectionateBig1898 Mar 27, 2026 +114
Just made a post about this yesterday in my city sub, and so many dudes gave me so much shit for it. Like, a few years younger, okay, but when she's young enough to be your daughter you're a f****** creep.
114
Such-Swimming2109 Mar 27, 2026 +30
Eat junk food for most meals
30
ExtraExtraMegaDoge Mar 28, 2026 +28
You're asking listnookors about being cool?
28
Personal-Fan336 Mar 28, 2026 +15
Crashing on a random friend’s couch after a night out feels fun at 20 but kinda chaotic at 40.
15
mobber1970 Mar 28, 2026 +44
Screw all that; I'll dance my ass off, embarrass the shit out of myself, simply to prove I'm not dead yet. I left shame 25 years ago.. I'm just having fun before I die now...
44
cuntitude Mar 28, 2026 +23
Bragging about consuming substances and your high tolerance. So very cringe after 25
23
GooPapa Mar 28, 2026 +8
Another example of something that’s not cool in your 20s either, always cringe, no matter what age you are
8
Tiffxoxox Mar 27, 2026 +136
Drinking. i use to be wild and lose clothes but would never do that now. drinking just doesn't seem like fun anymore
136
LFA91 Mar 27, 2026 +28
I use to stay out all night every night and go to work at 6:30am. Now I have a hh beer and shot and go home.
28
AndrewHinds67 Mar 27, 2026 +108
Wearing tight jeans. I used to look cool at 20, but at 43, with a bigger waist, I look like a weird vegetable.
108
DrTom Mar 27, 2026 +30
Plus they're just not cool now. My students mock my millennial pants. They're not even that tight!
30
TheRealMelvinGibson Mar 28, 2026 +5
Haha yeah the bar for what's considered "skinny jeans" is on the floor. If it's not baggy it's "skinny" (I'm a HS teacher)
5
Twidollyn_Bowie Mar 28, 2026 +4
lol at “weird vegetable.”
4
the-evergreenes Mar 28, 2026 +10
Hanging out with 18-22 year olds
10
Intrepid_Bathroom_48 Mar 28, 2026 +17
Dating a 20 year old
17
ridgebackm Mar 28, 2026 +18
Cutting off your muffler on your 2006 eclipse and putting sticker all over it.
18
Hotdog_Broth Mar 28, 2026 +12
If I see a 20 year old doing that, I think it’s lame. If I see a 40 year old doing that, I think it’s lame. But if I ever saw an 80 year old doing that, hell fuckin yeah.
12
N1c3-T Mar 28, 2026 +8
Collecting liquor bottles as trophies.
8
Random-Hero-91 Mar 27, 2026 +38
not 40, but at 20 I loved going to the club and dancing doing ecstasy, cocaine and getting shitfaced dancing until 5am, now its like I'd love to do that but I don't want to become a overdose statistic at 34. lolol.
38
visk0n3 Mar 27, 2026 +41
Switch to lsd like any responsible adult
41
Casey-Fuckin-Ryback Mar 28, 2026 +7
Driving straight through on a long road trip, and staying in shitty motels. If I’m traveling via car, I’m putting in 6-8 hours a day and staying at a nice hotel with a comfortable bed so I can get a good nights sleep.
7
osten205 Mar 28, 2026 +12
Alcohol bottles as decorations 
12
clobecka Mar 28, 2026 +6
Worrying about what's weird
6
GenericEvilDude Mar 28, 2026 +5
When you score a used couch to replace the lawn chairs in your living room
5
TheNaughtyByte Mar 27, 2026 +62
Being a player in your 40s is weird, sad and often creepy 
62
Physical-Designer69 Mar 28, 2026 +15
Whats the difference between 20 and 40 it's cringy either age.
15
5krishnan Mar 27, 2026 +41
I’d argue it’s cringe for 20 year olds as well
41
LogicalOkra7545 Mar 28, 2026 +11
Blacking out drunk
11
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