Nothing But Poor Decision Making Is What It Was
Is it the right course of action?
It’s a pretty rare occurrence when you come across someone younger than 25 that doesn’t think that they are invisible to the world and it’s an unfortunate, uncalled for punishment. Kids, teenagers, and young adults will forever be the age range that picks up the dumbest ideas and go as far as possible with them without getting caught or severely injured. Whether it be cutting class, hot-boxing a car, driving home drunk after you SWORE you were good to drive, or getting a butt tattoo, these decisions generally tend to stay within the realm of the “young and dumb.” Thanks to Zac Efron and his ink, kids my age and younger started throwing around the phrase “YOLO” to justify their spontaneous decisions to do the most insane things.
Poor Decision Making
And obviously, the very nature of being young means kids have had little to no exposure to the consequences of these decisions. They have a fresh perspective on life, a carefree spirit, and are tricked by the media that these years are the best they’ve got.
Kylie Jenner has made want-to-be rebellious girls all around want to dye their hair turquoise. Just check out your social media trending hash tags. It’s healthy to not be scared of things based only upon the reported repercussions or unfavorable outcomes. I, for one, am terrified of cruises and heights, yet I still force myself to get on planes for the opportunity to travel, and I’m making myself get on my first cruise this spring break.
Living in fear is never beneficial because you’ll limit yourself from certain life experiences and never learn how to overcome obstacles. Making one poor financial decision will hopefully teach you how to budget, and getting a speeding ticket after you get your license will hopefully help you become more aware of your driving.
“Young and Dumb”
This age group uses their age as an excuse for making poor decisions. Yes, there are certain instances where we’ve been young, naïve, and didn’t know any better. Phases of life are all apart of what help shape us into the people we are today.
Where do you think wisdom comes from? Going out to a bar and getting really drunk for your first time and getting your first hangover isn’t a “bad” decision, it’s a decision that may shape your drinking preferences for the future, and totally turn you away from a cocktail for the next few days.
What IS a bad decision is getting into a car when you’re plastered. If you get caught or get in an accident, that is not a consequence of being “young and dumb,” that’s just a consequence of being stupid and careless.
Taking a puff of a cigarette just to “see how it is” may not exactly be an act of stupidity, but making a habit of it is definitely not a result of being 20 and testing the waters of your inner self. You’re consciously making a poor decision that is poor at any age.
The difference between making decisions because of youth and making stupid decisions is the presence of common sense. Using “you only live once” as an excuse for every single decision you make is not healthy and could be detrimental to your life/well being in some instances. Deciding to abandon your better judgment for an adrenaline rush could leave you in all sorts of trouble at any age. Saying “f*ck it” before popping a recreational drug while having no idea what it’s made of, like “Molly” and ecstasy tablets, is not an appropriate situation that can be defended by saying “I didn’t know any better.” Yes, you did.
Certain life lessons can only be learned through experience. That’s just how life works. But blaming stupid decisions on your age and your “young spirit” should never occur. Common sense is there for a reason.
