21 Truths I Wish I knew when I was 21

Reflecting on life as we enter 2022.

1. “The Rules” do not apply equally to all people.

2. The statement, “We’re like family here,” is a lie meant to distract you from everything that isn’t quite right about the group.

3. Document everything as it is happening. Write down the date, time, and names of witnesses.

4. Wage theft is a real possibility, and it can happen to you. It is the #1 crime in terms of financial cost in America, dwarfing the monetary value of all other crimes combined.

5. Narcissists (unknowingly or subconsciously) admit to their crimes by accusing others of committing them.

6. Narcissists are extremely dangerous. Avoid at all costs.

7. Negative self-talk is viral, don’t start.

8. The more you earn, the higher your expenses.

9. Half the people really are stupider than the average person.

10. The only rights you have are the ones you have the time and money to defend.

11. Amazon and Walmart are neither convenient nor cheap. They are destroying middle America.

12. For too many people, what things look like is more important than what they are.

13. “The News” is not objective and does not seek to inform, but to manipulate.

14. Corporate America will try to eat your soul. Don’t let them.

15. Everyone lives in their own world. They don’t think about you as much as you think they do.

16. All innovation is first met with resistance.

17. No matter how inoffensive, innocent, bland, or widely accepted as true a statement you make is, someone will misinterpret what you’ve said, question your intentions, or take offense.

18. Assumptions are wrong 90% of the time, including my own.

19. No situation or event is intrinsically “bad” or “good”. Something that initially seems great can lead to a horrible outcome. Something that seems bad initially can lead to unexpected goodness.

20. Expectations are the enemy of happiness.

21. Nothing is as you expect it to be when looking at it from the outside. The grass is never greener on the other side.