Things you got wrong in your life

66Mustang
66Mustang Online Community Member Posts: 15,399 Championing
in Coffee lounge
I saw this thread on another forum and I thought it would be fun to put it on here.


- Before it started, I thought COVID on the news was just scaremongering.

- I dropped out of computer studies at college (in 2010) as I assumed internet/consumer tech popularity was at its peak and would go downhill from there.

- I didn’t bother learning to drive until I was in my 20s as I thought it was pointless.

- Sold shares in Apple for $12 each, making a nice 20% profit. They are now $140 each.

- Bought shares in a Nigerian company, dismissing warnings from family that “they are all conmen” as ignorant racism. The company then went bust after the CEO stole all of the money.


What about you?

Comments

  • leeCal
    leeCal Online Community Member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    By far the biggest mistake of my life was joining a particular forum. I have spoken about this a little before but it’s worth reiterating. I thought all of my details were private and I was anonymous of course. Consequently when I noticed all was not well on this forum I spoke up about it, two or three times, big mistake. Suddenly I started receiving subtly threatening emails, lots of them. Then lots of scam calls at all hours of the day and night. I even had people park outside my house just to intimidate me. My computer was hacked and they knew everything I wrote or looked at, this I knew from the subtle messages I received in emails,  I could go on but I won’t. This lasted for ten years and resulted in my having serious mental health problems, including four suicide attempts. The worst part of it was nobody believed me it was so subtle and cleverly done. 

    I learned two things from this. One never assume you’re anonymous or that your computer is safe from hackers. Two never rock the boat if you see something untoward keep schtum. I know the latter sounds cowardly but believe me I went through hell and almost died four times because of it and I’m still on medication.

    sorry to burden anyone with this but I hope it saves someone else from going through what I did.
  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Online Community Member Posts: 15,399 Championing
    edited June 2022
    @leeCal

    Yes that’s good advice and I don’t put anything online that I don’t care if the whole world sees. Assume once you publish something that it’s free for anyone to distribute as they see fit.

    I’ve learnt several times (well I suppose you can’t learn several times, I suppose I’ve FAILED to learn several times), though luckily not as harshly as you, that you never speak up about something wrong with the way a forum is. Forums I’ve found are very tribal and have their own little unwritten rules and any breaking of them is dealt with very firmly.

    I think another way of looking at it is that (most) sites are dictatorships - the admins can do what they want, doesn’t matter if it’s “right” or not.

    PS not saying that about this forum, but a lot of forums I’ve been on!!
  • leeCal
    leeCal Online Community Member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    There was a lot more to this story than I’ve posted obviously, I wouldn’t try suicide over anything trivial. 

    Its surprising the amount of detail detail you can find out about people just by asking innocent questions though, and noting it all down. I don’t do that but I think we should all be careful as to what we give away freely. My problem was that the forum had been hacked I suspect which made things far worse. 
  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 63,129 Championing
    Not going to uni and getting  better in life, mainly because uni was never talked about in my days, or anyone pushing me there. 
  • leeCal
    leeCal Online Community Member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    @Biblioklept after every suicide attempt I came bouncing back and they just stopped, just like that eventually. That was after ten years! Someone somewhere said enough and that was it. I consider myself very lucky to have walked away from it alive, so far anyway.
  • leeCal
    leeCal Online Community Member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    edited June 2022
    @Biblioklept It stopped two years ago, but I’m still looking over my shoulder so to speak. I don’t think I’ll ever fully get over it to be honest, it was life changing in a bad way.

    i have changed because of it though, not entirely but in certain ways I’m far stronger mentally than I was, you have to be. I can see some positives definitely. Two things helped me through, Buddhism and Catholicism believe it or not, they share some similarities though one set believe in a God and the other don’t believe in one all powerful deity. Anyway I won’t go on about those things, I’m sure it’ll bore everyone. 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Mine has to be marrying my ex and trying to pretend everything was OK for 3 years when I knew deep down he was having an affair 

    But even though all the signs were there I didn't want to believe it especially as the other girl was his sons partner and mother of his own grandkids I was fearful of how it would rip the families apart 
  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 63,129 Championing
    edited June 2022
    I can't imagine going through that Jane, it's a bit low going after your sons partner. Imagine how the son feels. Not to mention confusing the grandkids, you deserve loads better then that. 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    @Sandy_123 it was like something you read about in  magazine 

    As they say it takes 2 to rango she was just as bad they have since had 2 kids together so lives with his 3 grandkids and 2 of their own bizarre to me 

    Everyone has moved on thankfully 
  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 63,129 Championing
    It is out of a mag, at least you've found better now.

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