Wisdom From a 18-year-old: Things I Know

I'm 18 years old, and constantly hearing older people tell me to take advantage of my youth, because, apparently, I won't appreciate it until it's gone. I want to take advantage of my youth, but I notice that older people always seem envious of me, like they wish they could return to the time when they were as young, and naïve, and uninformed about the world as I am now. I want to be a tremendous writer, and want to share what knowledge I do have with the world, but I'm young and not yet college educated, and realize that I have very little to share outside of my own personal experience that's even going to scrape the surface of relevance for an audience like this. So, I figured, in celebration of my youth, naïveté, and foolishness, I would make a list of things I know. I hope these things touch you, make you smile, and make you proud of your age, wisdom, and experience.

I know that there is a lot of suffering in the world that I don't see, and can scarcely comprehend.

I know that half of the people reading this are sad, and there's nothing I can do to help them.

I know that when you smile, even if you don't mean it, it cheers you up.

I know that sunlight is one of my favorite things on earth, and that it might kill me someday.

I know that by the time I'm 50, the world will be a much more dangerous place than it is now.

I know most people my age don't want to have kids, because we were raised to be selfish and afraid.

I know I am afraid to have kids, because when they are 50, there might not be a world at all.

I know that things that seem important now really don't matter at all.

I know that we're not all as unique as we hope we are.

I know that creating things and helping things grow are very fulfilling parts of life.

I know that sharing our lives with other people is part of what makes us human.

I know that one determined person can change the world.

I know that our country has done some unspeakable things, and I know that I would defend it with my life anyway.

I know that I could never hate any person enough to wish their death.

I know that capital punishment, as a principle, doesn't bother me much.

I know that reports of casualties in war don't bother people my age the way they should.

I know that I won't receive social security, even though I pay into it.

I know that today's television shows and video games are corrupting our youth.

I know that men in military uniforms are among the sexiest men alive.

I know that I will disagree with half of these points within a year, because I am young, naïve, impressionable, and foolish, and I have very little to offer the world at this point except for these few things which, right now, I think I know.