Life advice for guys in their 20s (I'm 40)

Some things I've learned.

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HASHTAGS: #advice #life #wisdom

[roaringfork]

face of a 25yo, mullet of a 55yo, 40 adds up tbh

also happy birthday

[lombre]

Bro doesnt look 40 he looks like a 30 year old in 1980

[Rtroguy]

You are a whole enigma: collecting habits of a 25 year old anime fan, mullet of a 30 year old lesbian, moustache of a 50 year old uncle, and a fashion sense that lives forever. God bless you

[ryan]

trying to improve yourself a little every day leads to big results over time. If you're unsure where to begin, I found unveiling your hidden potential by bruce thornwood super helpful

[Sam_on_YouTube]

Here's advice from a 43 year old, related to one of your points: Embrace being wrong. Celebrate it. That's how you learn. I recently learned at a 6th grade science fair that something I believed and repeated about the history of video games was wrong. That was my favorite project at the fair. If you enjoy it when you are wrong, you will remember the corrections and incorporate them better into your beliefs. I find I'm wrong less and less often.

There are TONS of things I don't know. I'm not counting those things. I mean things I actively think are true but aren't. There are fewer and fewer of them over time.

[zugabdu]

Speaking of regrets, one thing I'd advise as a 40-something is to be kinder to yourself about them. Regrets are the natural by-prodect of a life lived with imperfect information. Think about how you did the best you could, with what you knew, when you knew it.

[hastaman]

I'm nearly 27 now and ill be honest, ive never experienced any of this freedom you're talking about. No money for a place to stay, no time to socialize, all opportunities for a better job out of reach. The best i have now is living with my parents out in the middle of nowhere. Don't know if it's just me or if it's common for others in my age group.

[nicholasmanila]

I’ve been watching your videos for awhile now and they all are very meaningful for me. I had a job as a delivery driver last year that I absolutely hated. I would daily listen to your videos for 3+ hours a day in the truck. It was overall a sad time in my life with a lot of changes and your videos helped me through the 9-5, so I thank you for that. I also find it very inspiring that you value helping younger people to the extent you do. So many YouTubers are such bad role models, but you are definitely not one of them. A few months ago I wrote to you about a YouTube channel idea I had about Hungarian culture. You and another YouTuber took the time to respond to me, which was so nice. It just shows you aren’t just on this platform for a job, but as someone who just genuinely likes being there for others. So, thanks for being there, especially for when I was stuck in a FedEx truck 😂

[bruhboon]

I married and had kids at 21. Now im 29 with a wife and 3 kids. It wasnt my plan as a kid but I am SO grateful for marrying the right person early. We may live in a trailer park but we are happy, and that's all that matters

[_hadoken]

I think the biggest piece of advice, especially for young men, is to stay humble. You don't know everything. It's not important to be the best at everything. You don't have to be admired by everyone. If these are the goals you set, you can only expect disappointment or catastrophe.

[AslanKyoya]

It's scary how fast your 20s go, but at the same time, you think that you're young forever. I would know, I'm 30 now, and I could've sworn I was 22 yesterday!

[tiredox]

I'm already exhausted in my 20s because I spend more working than anything.

[kilyos]

I started lifting weights in my late 30s and I am doing much better than just "maintaining". I really look better than ever. Thanks JJ, happy birthday.

[bozodubbedover]

As a mid-20s woman a lot of this advice echoed with me still and you’ve definitely been an inspiration to keep trying and failing. I appreciate your insights J.J! happy 40th!

[alfieboseley]

as a 19yo man, this is just the perspective i’ve been needing in my life right now. i’ve been going through a hard time and having just a projection of what life can be like for the next decade or so is just what the doctor ordered. thank you so much JJ, you’re the best dawg! happy 40th!

[Sam_on_YouTube]

I turned 40 during the pandemic. Really limited the celebration options. My wife rented out a local movie theater (which, in a small town in 2020 when they were desperate for revenue, was a lot cheaper than you'd expect). We watched TENET in the theater with just the two of us.

[FrankJames]

Great video, J.J. Your final point about advice is true. Many 20-something guys will hear your advice, intellectually comprehend it, perhaps remember most of it and know it is "good advice." But it is not until their lived experience lines up with it that they will truly understand its value. Throughout my 20s I heard the advice "this is the time to travel and see the world." I wanted very much to travel. I even got my passport when I was 26. But I never used it. I guess I thought it was a waste of time and money, as you mention. Finally when I was 34 I went to Italy on my honeymoon. It was special to have that first international travel experience with my wife. But it was not until then that I realized how good the advice to travel in my 20s truly was, and I am kicking myself for putting it off for so long.

[englishtachanka]

As someone who is now 23 and has been watching you since his mid teenage years, it's hard to overstate how valuable you have been in helping to form my life and opinions. I started watching you in college (I'm english so age 16-18) until now and in that time I've gone from failing my A-levels to now working finishing up my first year on my History PhD. While it feels weird to credit you with all this, your approach to life and learning was, and continues to be, extremely influential. So yeah, thanks JJ and thanks for even more unsolicited life advice 😂

[mcmann]

When you commented about being modest in your claims about the future, I remembered a saying that my tennis coach told me once, "Keep your words short and sweet, because you never know when you have to eat them".

[frankthetank]

This partners VERY nicely with Jreg's video about mentors being the most underrated relationship a young man can have