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Older Reddit users share golden advice and life tips

Posted at 6:04 PM, Sep 23, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-23 21:49:56-04

(CNN) — Can the young learn from the wisdom of their elders? If a conversation on Internet forum Reddit is any proof, they absolutely can.

Posted Sunday by a user, purportedly 30 years old, who goes by the name of “shennyepeldon,” the question was: “60+ year old Redditors, what advice/tips would you give someone half your age?”

The thread quickly garnered thousands of comments, many studded with gems of wisdom — proving that the website has a robust community of older users.

A bulk of the answers focused on things we’ve heard before: Attitude. Health. Finances. Exercise.

“Learn something about finance if you haven’t,” wrote user pmac451. “Expect major crashes along the road. We all crash and burn, so help other people. Keep a tow strap in your car. Some cretin stole my emergency bag out of my car and I thought: wow, good for him! Might save a life. Think like that if you can.”

How to treat those you love was also a popular topic.

“If you get mad at your partner or anyone, just shut your mouth and cool off for 10 minutes. After you’ve cooled: Talk to them reasonably without any blame. Once you learn this skill you will rarely if ever get angry and never have outbursts,” wrote user blushRedTail. “Try to keep an openness and willingness to accept/greet all that happens without resistance and fear.”

“I would also say that years go by in the blink of an eye,” user duckdelicious wrote. “Don’t marry young. Live your life. Go places. Do things. If you have the means or not. Pack a bag and go wherever you can afford to go. While you have no dependents, don’t buy stuff. Any stuff. See the world. Look through travel magazines and pick a spot. GO!”

“And, most importantly of all, don’t waste your life on social media. You can talk/write about life or you can live it. You don’t have time to do both well, though,” user TheTramper told fellow readers.

The original poster of the thread edited the post later to say thank you.

“I’m happily overwhelmed with the amount of responses and I hope to read them all eventually. I love reading and this is like a book I asked someone about and they kindly wrote it ‘to me,'” shennyepeldon said.

By Colette Bennett

HLNtv.com

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