Congratulations on your life awareness at age 25! Good luck!

If you have not already done this, in addition to maxing out your 401(k), start a Roth IRA and max it out every single year. I regret not doing this.

Compound interest is everything for most regular people to build net worth. Compound debt is the worst.

As the saying goes, there will be friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. Friendships will run their natural course. That being said, do your best to maintain friendships you want to try to keep as you get older.

Don't get stuck in the friend zone. Be bold and ask that person out umambigously.

As many dentists say, floss the teeth that you want to keep. I recommend flossing then Water Pik then brushing with a mechanical toothbrush like an Oral-B.

If you don't know, learn how to cook. There are so many resources out there. While not knowing how to cook might be cute or excusable by a potential partner in your 20s, by your 30s or 40s it is no longer funny and definitely a liability.

Don't sit all day. Even standing desks aren't enough. Do some light calisthenics every hour. Push-ups, wall-sits, squats, knee bends.

Make the time to see friends in-person. We are all hardwired to crave IRL social interaction, even the most introverted of us.

You might want to skim Sahil Bloom's book. While it might not the best at being actionable, it might make you think about the next 25 years in better context.

https://www.the5typesofwealth.com/

Don't give other people advice. They probably don't want it. They don't want you to fix their problems. Shut up and listen instead.

> While not knowing how to cook might be cute or excusable by a potential partner in your 20s, by your 30s or 40s it is no longer funny and definitely a liability.

And the generalization of this -- work 'a bit, regularly' towards the big things you want in your 30s during your 20s.

There isn't enough time in the day (or willpower) to overcome 10 years of missed regular practice.

In your 20s, because everyone is somewhat similar, people focus on current state (in a skill, socioeconomically, etc) rather than growth rate.

In your 30s+, you will start to see serious differences in your peers' outcomes as a consequence of that growth rate (and luck / clever risk mitigation). By then it will be too late to start growing.

So identify your goals and start making small amounts of progress towards them daily.

Think of it as the life version of compounding interest. ;)

> As the saying goes, there will be friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. Friendships will run their natural course. That being said, do your best to maintain friendships you want to try to keep as you get older.

I am at point right now where this statement definitely rings true. My generation as a whole is struggling with friendships.

A friend of mine once said "the warranty expires at 25."

Your body peaks in your late 20s or early 30s. It will get a hell of a lot harder to lose weight, and undo any bad choices you make now the older you get.

Build a sustainable base of eating habits and exercise and *never* let it drop. You don't have to do anything crazy at all, just be consistent. Oh, and use sunscreen.

Make a habit of spotting things in your life that you can say you are grateful for. A lot of good things in life are taken for granted and you only realize you had them when you lose them. It takes some practice and effort to start noticing these, but when you do, it enhances your enjoyment of the present moment.

Take care of your body. It's easy at 25, but it will get harder, and now is the right time to build the foundation for a long and healthy life. Exercise. Eat well. Get enough sleep. And if you find yourself in a situation where those aren't possible, find another situation.

Learn what makes you happy. Deep collaboration with others, feeling that I'm helping to make a better world, and spending time outdoors are some things that do it for me. Don't prioritize money over happiness.

Value people. Make their lives better. Work to create and maintain relationships with people who matter to you, both in and outside of your working life.

Good marriages are built on aligned goals : what kind of family you want, the balance between spending now and saving for the future, how you spend your time . Focus finding a partner who is aligned on where you want to go : rest will follow.

To this, consider the services of a skilled relationship therapist before a serious relationship goes bad.

Candidly, they can only do so much to save a relationship, if both people aren't invested in that.

What it will do, if you lean into it, is ensure you introspect and realize mistakes, so you don't make them in your next relationship.

The only thing worse than making mistakes is ignorantly making the same ones over and over again. And in the heat of a troubled relationship, it's far too easy to assign blame to your partner rather than yourself.

My grandfather said:

Stay away from (1) alcohol, (2) gambling, and (3) loose women.

Extrapolate (1) to all harmful substances (including "mild" recreational drugs like marijuana); (2) to anything with a negative expected value (this could summarize the entire list, but includes lottery, sports betting, speculation on crypto, etc.); and (3) to anyone who hasn't established trust or who has a motive to take advantage of others for a quick personal benefit.

Read Taleb re: ancient, "grandmotherly/grandfatherly" wisdom; and heuristics / rules of thumb.

Read Munger re: invert (think through things backward) and avoiding probable misfortune instead of trying to be "happy". (See my granddad's list above.)

If you're male, the truth is that men in the United States still don't have anything close to equal rights when it comes to marriage, family, and especially children and pregnancy/reproduction. Therefore, I would add: always distrust any casual sexual partners (see Rule 3) and get a very good prenuptial agreement (although avoiding marriage altogether may be the optimal strategy for men nowadays).

Lastly, find and develop tight and trusting professional relationships with a competent attorney, a competent accountant, and a competent financial adviser. Use them frequently and take their advice seriously. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Godspeed.

Keep in touch regularly with your friends and acquaintances after you no longer are in the same school or company. When 25, it feels like you will know and remember them forever, and vice-versa.

I'm here to tell you that you won't, unless you make an effort.

(Of course, I remember the guy who was in a group I ate lunch with in grad school who ended up running Google 25 years later; I don't know if he remembers me...)

You should be investing some fixed or growing percentage of your income into retirement. Ramit Sethi's book I Will Teach You To Be Rich is a great source for learning the basics of personal finance.

You should be focusing on doing the basics for health including strength and endurance training and eating a diet high in protein and fiber: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/where-should-my-priorit...

Some people in power will tell you they welcome and encourage critical feedback. They won't really, but they're nevertheless better to work for than the opposite.

Every government is bad at it, it's just to varying degrees.

Be willing and able to move country will open opportunities; learn one second language to business level that will enable more opportunities.

The Sam Vimes theory of socioeconomic unfairness is real and important; have a lifestyle such that you build up a savings pile sufficient that you can afford to spend less: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_theory

I think my best single bit of advice is: think it through.

Decide why you're doing things. You'll be able to pull off things you never expected, with a some deep thought and a good plan. Plan your career, your finances. If it's your thing, plan what kind of person you'll meet and share a life with. Plan to maintenance your relationships.

Plan for problems, and disasters, because you will have many. Friends will die, plans will fail, money will be lost. A little planning will help you survive those storms.

Take pictures of yourself and what you're doing. I wish I had more.

> Take pictures of yourself and what you're doing. I wish I had more.

Seconded. Taking yourself out of the moment to take photos gets a bad rap, but do it.

Not to share on social media now, but to build a memory bank for later.

I really like this idea. When I was a kid I learned to play chess. The number of people who take action without thinking what will happen next is staggering.

Early 30s is the sweet spot for travel.

You have the budget and growing maturity to experience things a 20 year old backpacker can’t, and the body, freedom, and tolerance for discomfort for experiences that won’t happen if you wait until you’re 40 or have kids.

It’s a waste to only allow week-long sugar hit breaks from work over the next decade to experience it. Decide now when you’ll take six to twelve months to travel without working.

Keep a journal, and take lots of photos.

I took photos once digital cameras were available, but I strongly regret not keeping a journal, I could have easily done so.

+1 for taking as many photos as possible. I actually think physical photos are way better for memories and less risky long term. Hard drives fail all the time.

I would recommend getting a 35mm film camera and taking a LOT of pictures. Capture yourself, family, events, travel, life milestones.

You will only REGRET the ones you did not take.

Alternatively, something I am looking into, is printing a few hundred photos you have on your smartphone at the end of each year. Get the best ones in physical form to keep safe.

In the spirit of saving memories. There is an amazing app I like to use, "1 Second everyday" "1SE". You can capture 1-2 seconds of your day and at the end of the year it will make a whole video for you.

I think its a beautiful way of capturing your year. You don't have to post it anywhere, just keep it for yourself, family, and especially future kids.

Video example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-G2K7Ll_R4

Listen To the Baz Luhmann song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)". A lot of it is pretty good advice. I regret not having invested in index funds at that age. I'm very happy I backpacked the earth for 1.5 years as soon as I could afford it. When looking for a job: do the things you enjoy most, aim high and go for it. Do not try to find your calling: try different things and your calling will find you.

I am in my early 20s too so can't provide the depth you're probably looking for but here is what I know so far:

Move to a country/location/environment where you can actually achieve your goals/dreams ASAP. Location is the number 1 determining factor imo. This is step zero, nothing happens without this.

Build a lean, aesthetic physique (assuming you're a guy). Workout and stay healthy.

Get skills ASAP. Stack as many real tangible skills as you can. Skills will pay your bills and will be the foundation of your career.

Don’t know why this is voted down . This is probably one of the most important advice. Location , location , location .

Absolutely. People have no clue how much where you live determines so many aspects of your life. Career, salaries, current/future opportunities, relationships and people you have access to.

If you have it, do NOT take your geographical luck for granted please.

Thanks for your comment, really insightful and practical. Hard agree on moving and stacking skills!

I will reluctantly agree. Moving to Silicon Valley increased my career trajectory by 10x - 100x. I second the athletic physique thing. Stacking skills too.

Make a successful career plan for the next 10-15 years. By then you should be financially very well, not now. Women, marriage, jobs, money will come some time until then. But NOW you should plan the career.

Note: for a woman except of the above you should keep some breath, time, effort and preparation to create a family. For a man, it will be woke up for you from one of your girlfriends.

From 2020 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23225072

Your body will move to middle age when you're about 31, 32.

There's a lot of things you can only do when you're physically young.

Get them done now, while you can, because it will go away.

I feel this so much. I want to pack everything possible in my 20s because I know there are certain things that I just would not be able to do later on.

Daily exercise extends your youth. Everyone should noticed how fit a 50yr old woman coming out of a yoga studio is?

For me it was about 39, 40. And even that I believe is due to my neglect. No more coasting.

You know, there was a time I’d have agreed with this, but yesterday at nearly 51 I walked up the emergency stairs of the UK’s 2nd tallest building 5 times, passing people well under half my age each time… never could have done that when I was physically young.

If you don’t completely destroy the joints, heart, kidney, liver, and lungs when your mind is young and stupid the much wiser and (hopefully) smarter mind you’ll earn can push the slightly more knackered bits further and faster then you’d earlier have thought you could go.

Take care of your mental health proactively. Do not let depression run unchecked, or it will end up robbing you of everything you hold dear before you realize it.

I overlooked this at first (like most people) but now I am more in tune with my mental health.

Never too late to lose your virginity.

Don't discount how hard it can be to make friends in your thirties and beyond.

As a man at 25, start to think seriously about settling down with someone if you want a family. Men and women exist on different timelines. While you may think "Oh I'll wait until 30-35 for that stuff", you'll look around at that point and realize you've missed the boat. Of course plenty of people still get married and have kids at that age. But the vast majority of women are either married, engaged, or in long term relationships heading toward marriage by 30, and you won't realize that until it's too late.

Well aware of this and proactively working towards it.

The timelines part is really hits. Many people have told me to wait until 30-35 but the issue is the women that you're interested in are not going to wait for you...

A real dilemma ngl.

FWIW, this is the exact opposite of what my most important advice would be. Don't settle down in your 20s. Your life ends as soon as you have kids. You do get a new life, but it's radically different from the life you had, and not really yours.

Also, when you're 35, you will likely have a much better understanding of what really matters to you, and what kind of partner you really want for the long haul.

It's often said that "60 is the new 50" — and it is, if you do it right — the corollary is something like, "25 is the new 19". That's a gift! Take advantage.

>Also, when you're 35, you will likely have a much better understanding of what really matters to you, and what kind of partner you really want for the long haul.

Indeed you will, and she'll be married with kids at that point.

>It's often said that "60 is the new 50" — and it is, if you do it right — the corollary is something like, "25 is the new 19". That's a gift! Take advantage.

Again, it certainly can be for men if you're willing to date younger. But human biology has not changed. Women are well aware of the fact that their fertility drops off a cliff starting at 30. Plan accordingly.

Go to the gym every day.

Read books.

Brush your teeth.

Become a better person.

Stop drinking. If you can consistently stop after one, you can do that, but zero is way easier than one. Bad hangovers are brain damage. Don’t ever do one again.

The most important relationships in your life are the ones where you’re naturally your best self. Prioritize those. My best relationships are the ones where I’m a good friend to them. You might be thinking of it backwards. (I sometimes have made that mistake). A betrayal of a good friend will haunt you forever. Think carefully about how to be true to those most important to you.

Save for down payment and buy a house. That’s the path to generational wealth.

Spend less than you make.

Create a habit of daily exercise. This becomes increasingly important in later years.

Everyone should work for a big successful company at least once (I used to say FAANG, but obviously with the renames that’s not true and also the world has changed. Start by making your list of the most important companies in the world). Learn as much as possible from the smartest people possible (also keep track of what NOT to do and how not to behave). Don’t stay so long it eats your soul.

Get off this site. It's too late for me, but save yourself.

This is not Twitter or Instagram

It's Twitter or Instagram for people who think that virtue signaling only talking in complete sentences without memes and jokes makes their ideas any more valid or substantive.

Ditto. This is not a community, but a bunch of soapbox orators shouting at each other. You get the feeling of socializing without any of the consequences or calories.

Ultimately, threaded discussions with upvote-based sorting are the death of meaningful conversation.

Get some property. Something you own as much as possible. Maybe in one of those states eliminating property tax.

Everything else you will lose if the economy turns against you.

Also, a bit ironically don’t trust HN advice so easily. I feel for a lot of advice that was common on this site a decade ago that turned out to be utter bullshit.

1) Emigration is really hard when you're older and tied down with local connections, obligations, sick family members, etc. Also, most countries don't have any interest in immigrants over the age of 40 or so, and even when you're a prime candidate, the entire process can take years. If you're potentially interested in living abroad, start exploring and planning now. There are a lot more options when you're young.

2) At some point in the near future, all your friends will suddenly start marrying and having babies. You don't have to do the same, but make sure to cultivate the kinds of friends that will keep you in their lives when that happens. People have a tendency to disappear into their families. Make yourself part of someone else's family.

3) Hold humility and empathy in the highest regard, and don't let anyone take them away from you.

Set aside a few thousand bucks in an IRA.

You don't pay taxes on that money -- but also, since you're young, you can let it sit there earning interest. It'll double in value roughly every 10 years, so if you start with, say, $8,000, it'll be $128,000 by the time you're 65. (And you can also tap the money for medical emergencies or college expenses.)

> You don't pay taxes on [IRA]

I'm pretty sure you do--now, or later.

Yeah, I'd meant to say "You don't pay taxes on that money (now)" -- so it's nice to see a lower tax bill. And when you do finally pay some taxes (in retirement), your tax rate should be much, much lower...

Travel. See the world. Meet people where they live. Invest in learning how to be uncomfortable. And never, ever, ever, EVER drop a coin into an elephant’s nostril.

Yep, really looking forward to travelling more. I am now really intrigued by what would happen if I drop a coin into an elephant’s nostril though....

A concussion. A very bad concussion. A probably not-survivable concussion.

If you live, you just might learn that Lord Ganesha can really sock some sense into you.

And cents as well, if you’ve really pissed her off.

Single most important lesson of my life: elephants are not vending machines.

1. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself. Try to love yourself in the good way. Try not to love yourself in the bad/destructive ways. The less you are kind to yourself, the more you will try love yourself in the bad/destructive ways. You are going to mess up/fail, you are human. Be kind when you do.

2. Don't go to court in your head about others (especially your partner). Deal with issues in the real world. Really try to not get to in your head about anything. But definitely don't go to court in your head. Tangential: The tally won't always come out in your favor. Figure out how to not resent that. Especially as you get to points like 'the honeymoon hangover', the seven year itch, that 10-15 year place that can feel so indifferent, roommate like. If they routinely f up on doing the dishes, but are good everywhere else, you WON THE F'ing lottery, so don't get hung up on the friggen dishes. Your going to do them, and it's actually ok and not a big deal.

3. If you have to tell yourself you deserve it/it's just a treat/just an escape/whatever, leave 'it' be/behind!

4. Take extra care of your teeth.

5. Skin cancer is real and 40-50 year old you is going to still want to live and have all their body parts (such as a nose/ears) and minimal facial scars.

6. Money isn't everything, but having enough prevents a LOT (majority) of problems/stresses those that don't have it have. If you choose money, you can choose something else later. If you don't choose money you are most likely hit for the rest of the ride and are picking hard mode.

7. If you are going to play the game, play the game. If you aren't, figure something else out because again you are choosing life on hard mode. We are a society of monkeys. Life is way easier if you play the game. Don't chose 'not to play' because of others or because others you know aren't playing, especially if you run in a crowd of people who 'don't play the game'. They unlike you might have fallbacks, or might just not give a shit if they ruin their lives, or if it's a partner just have unrealistic expectations that you can somehow magically live as if 'you played the game' later on (you most likely can't). If you partner doesn't want to play the game in their 20-30, they are most likely going to want to play from 40 on, and if you can't somehow win at that point they are going to blame you. It's way easier to play the game, even if you have to tell yourself you are playing it ironically or some meta shit.

8. There's a reason why everyone says it, kids grow up really really quick. When you are in it, it seems overwhelming and like you have been forever with the stresses, but it goes really really quick. There will be a last time you read them a book goodnight. A last time you tuck them in. A last time you pick them up. A final hug. A final goodbye. You are going to leave them all alone in a fucked up world world in the end, try to do right by them while you can. Plus the memories they give you are going to sustain you through your life so make them good ones (remember that good memories for a kid could be that one time you make weird 1960s jello together, something that costs $1 and is that simple just might be a lifetime memory for them. For me there used to be stuffed croissant place in Capitola. We couldn't really afford them, but my mom knew when to get there to get day old ones half price. I felt like we were royalty when we ate a day old chocolate or ham and cheese croissant, in fact it was way more special than the extravagant meals we later ate when she had money).

9. As I get older and slowly turn invisible I've learned life is way different when you are attractive. Get as fit as you can. Groom yourself well. Wear clothes that fit. Get a haircut picked to flatter your face. Also a flattering haircut > a trendy one (unless you are amazingly attractive. An attractive woman can pull of being bald, but most of us especially men can benefit from a little help). If you are male and are playing the game, a nice watch is worth it. If you have no budget get something used and classic that will last. I have many life changing interactions where having really nice shoes/a nice watch made a difference. It's horrific and shallow and just the way the world works. If you are going to play the game, play the freaking game. Don't get 'trendy'. Like the haircut, get classic nice. Unless you have money to constantly replace 'trendy'.

10. Don't lie. You will get trapped telling more and more. It will come back on you. Just don't lie.

11. Find things to look forward to. It can be life events, vacations, a nice meal on Friday, whatever, but you NEED things to look forward to. Even now when I have nothing, I hype to myself shows/books coming out to look forward to.

12. The dead parents club is a thing. If you had a relationship with them you never get over your parents dying.

13. At some point, unless you die young, will be disabled in some way. Appreciate/exploit the health you currently have. Take advantage of it. It will go away. Have compassion for people who aren't so lucky.

14. Ignore the 'I'd rather enjoy life than live forever' bullshit. My dad preached that. And he's still alive. But my mom, whom he influenced? She died way way to early, very very painfully from cancer. Live life, but see point 3. If you are justifying then maybe slow down/cut it out/pull back a bit. But do live. I bought a boat when my kids were little. On credit. Because if I waited until it financially made sense, my kids would have already have moved half way across the world. But I KNEW it was insanely stupid and came at a pretty big cost. But the reward was worth it on a much higher level (to me) than 'i'm going to smoke, drink, and eat steaks every day'.

15. Be kind. Be especially kind to those that have a hard go of it.

16. If find yourself buying lottery tickets/getting road rage, you need to figure out what you need to adjust/change in your life.

Don't save for retirement, you might not live that long.

So, don't save?

Save on something you can achieve in your lifetime. People saving for two plus years doesn't make any sense. Maybe you should have gotten something else instead.

My only two advice:

    while (alive)
    {
        If (You are truly passionate about some hobbies or career paths)
        {
            do_not_marry_and_especially_don't_get_kid();
        }
        else
        {
            focus_on_making_as_much_$$$_as_possible();
        }
    }

IDK about this one tbh. I am passionate about many things but I also want to get married and have a family soon. Could you perhaps unpack this please?

As far as stacking cash is concerned, I totally agree!

I mean you don’t need to take a stranger’s advice so I’m glad you asked the q.

I just think the time and energy anyone owns is a very limited amount, so if you are really really passionate about something that is not family or kid, I just can’t see the logical argument that you want a big chunk of that time and energy taken away by something else.

But you do what you want to do.

Yes. Many older folks (30+) have said something along these lines. Definitely something to think about. Thanks for responding.

NP. Not to say you should shun from family and kids though.

You forgot the call to dieAnyway() immediately after the while loop. Focussing on hobbies or money making will not save you.

Everyone is different. OP should think before taking an internet stranger’s advice.

I only fulfill my own end of the bargain — honestly give my advice.

And I appreciate your response Markus!

NP good luck with your life.