What's the most valuable lesson your life taught you?

Woah! sounds like an interesting epiphany. Mind sharing the details?

@gwynnblade: so I started playing video games when I was five, but I truly became addicted to the virtual world around 12- 14 when I got hit hard with social anxiety. I skip so many days of school because I never felt comfortable around people so I spent all my time playing video games and being on the Internet chatting, browsing, watching show but mainly watching porn.

At the time those things really made me happy. I had my neighbour that I was spending most of my time gaming with, but eventually he got tired and he made new friends and move on with his life. I was just spending most of my time alone, not giving a damn about the world. At school I was like a ghost, always keeping things to myself.

It's not to say I didn't do anything else at all, but a good 90% of my time were around those things. I became a bit more social around the age of 21, but my life still revolved around my computer and gaming. Instead of hanging out with people outside of school, I declined every invitation and stayed home with my electronics.

So at 24 I get injured. I get some herniated dics in my neck due to spending all my time sitting down consuming electronics. Meanwhile my interest in the virtual world was going down and down. Video games are not as fun, it's same shit over and over again, same with porn and the Internet.

Some games like gta v can make me spend a whole day in front of my ps3, but most game didn't. I felt as if I was forcing myself to be in front of electronics out of habits and not having anything else to do.

By 26 I'm bored most of the time, but I got nobody to hang out with because 1) I don't know many people, 2) the people I know all have there group of friends whether it's my married best friend, my married sister, my friend that I used to game with ( we didn't talk for four years but now we keep in touch) or my cousin with his go I'm basically left by myself.

People are too used of me being this detached guy that I only care about technology that they don't ask me anymore. It feel weird to ask.

So now I'm 28 bored out of my mind, having a hard time adjusting to not living online or in the virtual world. I even have my computer chain down so that I don't spend my days online complaining that I'm bored (for some reason I don't do that with my phone) Right now I'm focusing on my health more than anything else. I'm still not very at ease with people, but I got a lot better at it. I'm going back to school in September after getting a useless degree and taking two years off accumulating debt.

I just hope someone younger doing the same thing read this and decide to do a 180 on his life now rather than later. Technology is helpful, but it cannot become someone's life because it will never satisfied anyone in the long run.

@da_illest101: That was an interesting story. Reminds me of this topic : http://www.gamespot.com/forums/offtopic-discussion-314159273/are-you-glad-that-you-are-living-in-the-21st-centu-32052616/#69

People often forget that our lives aren't dictated by technology. We command technology, not the other way around. Live five days without any of these so-called 'necessities' and you'll forget about them all. It's all a delusion that "I can't live without the internet" and blablabla. Glad you got over it. I hope your life gets better.

@gwynnblade: the real reason why most of us are caught in is because our real life sucks. Instead of trying to improve it, we go for the cheap and easy way out. There is nothing wrong with getting distracted from time to time, but life can't be a freaking distraction. I had to learn that the hard way, but I'm glad I acknowledge it now and not when 40 something.

@da_illest101: That was truly inspirational. All the best wishes to you man!

i wish i had did this with this girl i was trying to get with. i did not know she was joining the army till the last minute.

i would have to say i have learned that you will have your good times in life and your bad times. you just have to learn to take the bad with the good and learn from it. we create the realities that we live in so be careful about what you do and say.

sounds like my life story now that im 32. sometimes i wish i had done things differently but i also realize that if i had then i would have never met the most unforgettable person i have ever met in my life.

it's the best to get something positive from something negative. Are you doing better with technology nowadays?

I'm aware of many valuable life lessions, as well which are most important, but I don't really follow them perfectly.

Everything in moderation is a good one (except for weed, intake as much weed as possible given the circumstances, very few drugs out there where there are many positives and few negatives)

Better to work towards something gradually than all at once.

Stick to the people you care about, avoid people you don't care about.

Don't trust a pretty face.

It feels better to give to someone you care about than keep for yourself.

Address problems directly (if someone or something is bothering you, work on correcting that rather than releasing that stress elsewhere)

Live in the moment - appreciate your current state. Don't make giant sacrifices to work towards an end-goal (goals change).

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

i dont play games as much but im still in front of the computer most of the day.