There are two types of teens, the ‘ache bache’ and the rebels. The former focus on their schoolwork, get good grades, obey their parents and stay out of trouble while the latter prefer spending time with friends than in classes, break curfew and challenge the rules set by family/society.
Recently, a lot of people who were (and still are) ‘goody two shoes’ expressed their regret about missing out on the various experiences life has to offer. Not attending wild parties or engaging in illegal activities but more like dating, travelling without family and living on their own terms.
I'm a good daughter by Indian standards and now at the age of 26, I'm telling you that it has been a fucking waste. I wish I wasn't such a goody two shoes in my late teens to early 20s.
— from this world but not of it (@sadelokeshi) February 17, 2021
the sad thing is that I don't mean doing any crazy shit.
I mean normie shit like having a large group of friends, going on vacations with them, have a few relationships, go abroad for workshops etc. things I would have been able to do if I didn't have poor mental health. https://t.co/Ew01xE4ecL— from this world but not of it (@sadelokeshi) February 18, 2021
Now in their late 20s and early 30s, they wondered what was the point of playing by the rules if they couldn’t be assertive, have a love life or make their own decisions. They also talked about how it affected their mental health.
Ditto. Being a “good girl” snatched away my ability to ever assert myself, prioritise my happiness because it was always at the cost of being labelled “good” by people who cared about furthering patriarchy than value their own child’s happiness, mental well-being.
— thismadseasonnn (@dismadseason) February 18, 2021
You’ve realised it at 26. I’m a son, 40 and it’s coming to me now that had i stood by my own rules, decades of agony could have been avoided. But I still have ‘TIME’ as I see it.
You have a life.
Grab it by the balls and run away with it.
— YES-MAN Fan Account.(OleBall) (@BaldHeadCunning) February 17, 2021
Yup… pretty much sums up the asian life in one tweet.
— Umair Arshad (@TheUmairArshad) February 17, 2021
Same ya! The way my family made it seem like I was a big rebel growing up but compared to all the shit my friends have done, turns out I was pretty tame all along
— Divya🌸 (@bobachailatte) February 17, 2021
I mean I did alcohol, cigars, get high etc. But after a while it gets boring. I’ve seen ladies who raged in their 20s, they’re now sleeping at 9pm. You can still do all those things & you didn’t miss out on any thing
— Sinned for asking ‘it’ (@Suurpanakha) February 18, 2021
I am a parents nightmare. Every time i breath do auntiyaan behosh ho jati hain. And its been going amazing. I luv it.
— Nawab Khalifa 🍒 (@nawabi_nakhre) February 17, 2021
But people who were the same and later changed offered hope by saying it is not too late. They shared how they had begun standing up for themselves, given themselves permission to make mistakes and let go of the ‘log kya kahenge’ attitude which was the best decision.
I was like that too nice to people and they always say me as a pushover. Now I stand up for myself and people think I am a stuck-up ahole.I love being that ahole
— Arjun (@SinghArjking8) February 19, 2021
I learnt this last year at 23 and I'm finally doing away with the stupid, unnecessary burden of trying to be one. live your life girls. They're anyway going to find faults in you 🥱 https://t.co/oQtGP4ySMO
— Nikita Sharma (@abrowngal) February 18, 2021
I say my teenage rebellion started at 30. All those years of being goody two shoes is a massive massive waste. https://t.co/afaVMynJ6d
— weird angled triangle (@lordkilljoyofNE) February 17, 2021
Well now is when we change. Screw people. Screw society. Do whatever makes YOU happy. I realised this too and now nothing bothers me. You don’t owe people explanation.
— Samaha Amjad (@AmjadSamaha) February 18, 2021
Do what feels right to you, and for you 🙂 Living your life as a reaction to others (parents, society, whomever) is pointless. Allow yourself to seek out what you want, to make your own choices and mistakes. Life can surprise you with how amazing it is sometimes 🙂
— Poushali Bhadury 🌈 (@Saichukan) February 18, 2021
We have all regretted things we have done at some point in life but they dont really get us anywhere. You did what you felt was the right thing to do then. Now when you realize it was a waste, well then just go ahead and stop being how you were..change for better..for happiness
— Sameer Malhotra (@TheIndian08) February 17, 2021
Perhaps this is what Kishore Kumar meant when he sang, ‘Kuchh to log kahenge, logon kaa kaam hai kehna. Chhodo bekaar ki baaton mein kaheen beet na jaaye rainaa’.