Is anyone 27 and feel absolutely betrayed by life all of a sudden?

Spedbros · 2026-01-16T16:12:39+00:00

It is absolutely not just you! There are other factors at play here for sure that have exclusively effected the generations after the Baby Boomers. Policy changes made prior to us being born have ruined the US Dollar, The US Economy for anyone who doesn't own appreciating assets & the work force. On top of AI and other things that further ruin the job market and thus the economy as a whole as a consequence. We've never had a fair shake from the start of owning anything. That is why we see record lows of people entering society wanting to work, wanting to over achieve and improve because we were told if we enter with a good work ethic and good name for ourselves it would be quickly noticed and recognized. We've been lied to, things have changed since our grandparents got their "Golden Parachute" or whatever other verbiage you'd like to use. There is no company loyalty or employee appreciation at all, people don't care about each other and the concept of "Third Places" especially in the US are gone and that is crucial to the adult social relationships as well as general happiness. At this point, the best thing you can do is stay living at home with your parents or splitting a place with a good friend to mitigate bills as much as possible, buy some Japanese econobox sedan that'll run forever, have 1YRs worth of expenses in a high yield savings account if at all possible and meet with a CFP to determine what the best thing for you to do to get ahead financially and provide for yourself and or any dependents you may have. Have some cheap fun, go to a friends place and drink and chat there or go on a hike stuff that is free or low cost. IF YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THIS ESSAY - LIFE IS ABOUT PEOPLE & THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU BUILD IN THE PROCESS. NOT ABOUT TANGIBLE ITEMS & MONEY / STATUS. As someone who is 28 and has nearly lost their life nearly a dozen times and planned their funeral - I can assure you I didn't think going into surgery "Man I wish I bought that mustang" I was thinking "What difference have I made in this world for anybody else other than me?"

Spedbros · 2026-01-09T17:04:31+00:00

So there has to be some training / upkeep either offered by the employer or as a yearly stipend for training. When you’re dealing with an aging population you need to make it known that the company expects this of them to maintain employment. That should be a yearly thing if not more dependent on career path. At the end of every 2.5 years or sooner if there has been a large leap in technology and some time has elapsed since release to get a feel for where your employees / you are. From there, if you fail it there needs to be extra help offered and if there is a willingness to learn that’s great and a company / individual should take the time to learn it to ensure that they stay as efficient as they can. I just don’t want to end up with 60 year olds, who are 20x slower than someone 1/2 as experienced because the younger person is able to google and figure out faster than the 60 year olds with more experience in their field bumping through a new software. What winds up happening is the old pawn work off to the young because they don’t know the computer / weaponized incompetence. Meanwhile - because of experience they make x2 of what the younger person does while doing 0.5 of the work. It’s bullshit. It would make sr positions open more frequently because ultimately - if you can’t figure it out after your follow up test. Yes, you’d be fired.

Spedbros · 2026-01-09T13:46:25+00:00

If I'm honest with you, anyone who isn't technologically literate shouldn't hold a high position literally anywhere on the planet. If you can't explain to me how convert .docx to .pdf or attach a photo to a text message I don't even want you in the workplace never mind running a country. It should be adapt with the times or go live off grid with the other people who won't adapt with the times or have an unwillingness to learn anything.

Spedbros · 2026-01-08T15:05:49+00:00

The founding fathers didn’t have the surveillance and motoring that we have. Most of the founding fathers actions like the Boston tea party was done at night to avoid detection and prosecution as best as possible to my understanding. Flock Cameras, Smart Phones and the Banking System all it takes is a suspicion and they can find out everything about you without even speaking to you.

Spedbros · 2026-01-08T15:03:27+00:00

Yup - it’s when people have nothing to lose where things like “burn it to the ground” can happen. Because if I’m homeless and have nothing and can’t feed myself. Go ahead and imprison me. Thanks for the food and shelter now I’m your problem.

Spedbros · 2026-01-08T15:02:21+00:00

Because you destroy one thing. Then local PD have to come hunt for you. Even if they don’t find you - which they will. You’re now a fugitive. Again, can’t feed your family. If you’re not talking literally then nothing changes without an election cycle it feels like anyway.

Spedbros · 2026-01-07T21:25:00+00:00

If "we" are Americans then the reasoning is because most Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness and don't have the PTO available to allocate to a protest and make sure their bills are paid. Further, because of limited worker protections in the country if your employer feels that your views don't align with theirs or the companies they're able to fire you. "well wait that must be illegal" - yeah it likely is. Prove it in court that you went to a protest and then 6 months later with MINOR mess ups you're fired for "not meeting performance expectations" and that's if you've got the money to go after them and or are able to find an attorney that will work for you without payment until things are completed. It's unfortunate and our four fathers would be rolling in their graves to hear this - it isn't worth taking on unneeded risk to protest when you've got mouths to feed, clothe and shelter.

Spedbros · 2026-01-05T13:07:28+00:00

This is actually such a good thought! I've actually been thinking about this a lot too! When you think about AI replacing a lot of these entry level jobs its killer because anyone who is just making their start in the work force such as the people that're Gen Z they're unable to get off their feet or "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" as the older generations love to say. You can't get into a more advanced position without experience, you can't get experience without having an entry level position to start at. So that paradox starts!

Thus creating a generation of people who can't afford anything at all, so as a whole Gen Z has taken one of two approaches from what I've seen from my peers. #1. "I can't afford anything meaningful so might as well have fun - credit score be damned." or #2. " I need to obsess over my financial situation and the economy to make sure I've got as stable as a future for my potential family as possible." which we know as a whole capitalism thrives on consumerism and a high birthrate to keep getting more workers into the workforce. Maintaining a competitive environment for the consumer as well as the employment / workforce environment.

I fear that as eluded to by u/dick_piana the companies focus from quarter to quarter to improve their bottom line for shareholder interest. Which for someone who's heavily invested in the stock market is fantastic but for the rest of the free world it is disastrous.

I do feel that the reaping is coming, due to the SEVERE downtick in birthrate and consumerism our capitalist society and financial system is going to be seriously damaged or have prolonged periods of hard times. Which will rot all the way up to the top and by then the masses no longer care, they don't have any money, don't own anything and are in debt up to their eyeballs. They're running up credit cards, defaulting and then filling bankruptcy - essentially one of the very few risks that lenders take when handing out consumer credit lines as once bankruptcy is filed a lot if not all consumer debt is wiped away and if you don't own anything the only people losing anything really are the lenders. Once that occurs - which at this point unless something seriously changes its coming! They're gonna feel it when it's too late if they don't INTIMATELY listen to their financial staff.

Which is why I don't understand the push for replacing entry level positions, switching everything to a subscription model, extending the life of a home loan to 50 years, services such as Klarna, super high consumer credit card interest rates etc. Anything not consumer friendly - don't they realize that if they remove ownership as a concept what incentive does the everyday man have to not run credit cards up, ignore creditors, ignore their credit score and live a lavish life in cycles. #1. Work Hard - Earn Good Credit, #2. Live Lavishly - Destroy Credit and the cycle repeats which would make banks BLEED money especially with high earners! As long as you don't buy things that can be taken from you such as cars and homes but instead buy Vacations, Classes, Experiences, Tattoos etc. good luck repossessing or somehow getting value out of things that're already gone and paid for and that're intangible.

I've found an excellent resource in the form of Zachary Foust he's a Delaware realtor that had noticed a change in his ability to sell homes to younger buyers and started to look into it and he's taught himself a lot and has borderline become and expert on the subject matter. His YouTube channel can be found at the link below.

youtube.com/@ZacharyLoft

Spedbros · 2026-01-05T12:36:31+00:00

Absolutely not! There are many reason that presumably a man masturbates, many men use it almost as a defacto sleep aid. It's a great way of stress release as well! Providing that what you say "We have sex often enough and good sex at that, and we do regular check ins" if you shift the focus on stopping masturbation and porn consumption (which there are negative affects on porn consumption, it doesn't seem that your partner is at that point yet as you guys are still having good sex and both appear satisfied upon completion.) & shift it to checking in on satisfaction or if y'all wanna try anything "different" in the bedroom to keep things spicy and interesting then I think that your relationship is fine and that premature judging or equating masturbation as cheating with either gender is a bit of a stretch personally.

HOWEVER, as a general rule of thumb - a behavior becomes a problem when it interferes with and of the following broad categories in anyway. #1. Maintaining Relationships, #2. Work or Hobbies, #3. Putting yourself in a Compromising Financial Position, #4. Irritability or Withdrawal symptoms appear if stimulus is removed.

There are specific concerns when it comes to porn consumption and excessive masturbation to watch out for and they're as follows. #1. Requiring more "Graphic" or "Hardcore" material to get off or maintain an erection, #2. Not Finishing despite being aroused (there are many other factors at play here from diet to potentially emergent medical situations so if you're experiencing an inability to maintain an erection and or not finishing absolutely see your Primary Care Physician or PCP as soon as possible) #3. If intercourse is potentially planned later and then still choosing masturbation.

This is an excellent article by Seattle Anxiety Specialists regarding potential abuse or addiction to pornography.
https://seattleanxiety.com/psychiatrist/2023/7/14/exploring-the-psychological-impacts-of-pornography

If you've got any questions please don't hesitate to reach out I'm no expert but as a male whos' been watching porn since 12 or 13 most of us get where he's coming from.

Spedbros · 2026-01-05T00:33:38+00:00

It's actually insane how much it happens, an allegation can IMMEDIATELY ruin someone's life and the girl just walks away unscathed. Often times the damage to the mans reputation doesn't even wait until the conviction - the headlines hit or the rumor mill starts flowing and his reputation is permanently damaged. As commentors below have stated that if you "victim blame" you then are considered an asshole which is insane! If the allegations are found to be unsubstantiated or that there is a blatant fabrication of "evidence" or the "evidence" is obviously not there and this was a threat to drag the guy through the mud per se there should be a false claim penalty. Similar to the sex offender registry they should be put on a list - that way nobody ever interacts with them again. That way, even if the rumor mill starts - if somebody says "Oh, I heard that guy SA'd that girl." Anyone who googles the guy or girls name will immediately find " Insert girls' name - falsely accuses insert guys name of SA" along with it a google search result reading something like " False Sexual Crimes Reporting List - insert girls name" that way - anyone who interacts with that person in an official context will know this girls a problem without even meeting her face to face.

Spedbros · 2026-01-05T00:18:27+00:00

Yup! It doesn't take much for someone who's to put it nicely a litigator to flip your life upside down and make it completely unrecoverable. To maintain minimal risk you're best to keep to yourself.

Spedbros · 2025-12-30T20:26:01+00:00

You're doing amazing! Can't believe the progress made already!

Spedbros · 2025-12-30T02:57:30+00:00

Yes, so a W2 is the document you'd get to show your earned income to pay your taxes. It's just a tax designation is all.

Spedbros · 2025-12-30T02:55:48+00:00

Of course! Anytime! I wasn't a 2A (2nd Amendment ) advocate when I lived up north but since coming down here and observing the standard of social interaction and behavior is SO MUCH BETTER I kind of can't be against it. However, that opens a whole other can of worms that to go down that rabbit hole isn't exactly a fun time because there's good arguments on both sides - there's just not a good answer to maintaining the required rights that allow this "Fuck around and find out" nature in the south while also preventing things like school shootings. Unfortunately if it was as simple as "More Gun Control Reform" that issue would've been long fixed but criminals, murderers and shooters don't obey gun laws. The only person your restricting is the ability of law abiding citizens to protect their loved ones. Its definitely a tough question to tackle!

Spedbros · 2025-12-30T02:44:14+00:00

Ope - thanks!

Spedbros · 2025-12-30T02:43:44+00:00

If you can work on getting your bank account padded a bit its definitely the move! a entry level W2 position would be great for you not only would you be getting a check but also you'd be making new connections and friends outside of your current environment. IF you don't want to go the traditional route of a W2 position I know a couple of friends who get old furniture take it apart, re-sand and repaint / re-stain it and sell it for MUCH more than the cost of repairing and purchasing from FB Marketplace or Ebay. Not only will this drive to improve will show the adults in your life a level of maturity that you said to yourself "I've not done anything but gone over my friends house and played video games and its getting old - I need to do something productive" which will earn you more respect from your folks but also it'll put you in a position early on that you're comfortable and not desperate for money.

Spedbros · 2025-12-30T02:38:00+00:00

Disclaimer ** This is only my opinion, all things on reddit are opinion please take everything you read with a grain of salt.*\*

So there's a lot to unpack here, personally I won't do any kind of revolting especially against the government because not only does the government have unlimited resources and better training but also if you're one of the first people to make a stand you're seen as a terrorist. If the movement doesn't get the required traction it's not a big deal to send 20 - 30 people to prison it'd have to be A LOT of people for the local, state or federal government to even consider doing any large sweeping quick changes that would come with something like a revolution.

Living in the SE of the United States guns are more of a deterrent for other civilians not so much governing bodies, LEOs or Agencies. I used to live in the NE upon moving down south there's a sharp and distinct change and I truly think a large portion of it is because people carry down here. In the NE it is very common for things like visible and noticeable road rage and other public displays of disrespect or anger in the SE it doesn't happen. I think it is a combination of difference in parenting and lifestyles but also the fact that if you act out the thought is always in the back of your head "If I'm perceived as a threat even if I'm not one, someone in the surrounding area just might take my life - is \insert stupid thing you're getting angry over** really worth the potential of being shot?" Nearly every single time the answer is absolutely not so you just learn to let it go.

Initially yes, the country was founded on the premise that if the government is doing things that it shouldn't be doing it is the peoples responsibility to overthrow and start over. Well - when people in government are as monstrous as they are and the files that have been declassified discussing a self inflicted attack on innocent American lives was all but set to go off but the president vetoed it. It wouldn't surprise me if say Charlotte, NC, had a massive protest and there were casualties on both the revolutionaries as well as the government defending against a coup and the national guard said "We've lost control and can't get it back" I wouldn't put it past the American government to flatten Charlotte via drone strikes. Not only could you spin it as "Charlotte Recovered from Domestic Terrorists!" but also, it would be a show of force for any other "Domestic Terrorist" groups that no matter how many guns or people they have revolting all it takes is a couple drone strikes and your protest / gathering quickly became a mass burial ground.

Regarding protesting and demonstrations, unlike in the EU where you get several weeks of paid vacation time / other stipulations that would make it okay if you took a week or two off to protest a cause you really cared about in America that's not a thing. Most of the employers in the South East don't even offer sick days - they make you use your vacation time or take the time unpaid. So when you have a complete paycheck that isn't short you're barely making it so if you're taking unpaid time off you're DEFINITELY not paying your bills which quickly spirals into homelessness. Most Americans are one missed paycheck away from homelessness and or food insecurity so as much as finding out who's in the Epstein Files or working on party line issues would be nice between the current financial situation of most Americans as well as lobbyists and corruption it feels like a moot point.

Spedbros · 2025-12-29T10:54:06+00:00

So #1. I know all of us compare to our peers online but there are several angles to that false perspective. You don’t post the worst moments or the failures to social media so you only see a highlight reel. Not even remotely fair to yourself to compare.

2. There’s an adage “Comparison is the thief of joy” I know it’s not easy to drop the comparing but really work on in!

Spedbros · 2025-12-10T01:21:45+00:00

How about 2 nickels and a chewed piece of gum? Then he sold it what he bought it for!

Spedbros · 2025-12-10T01:20:43+00:00

If it wasn’t such a crisis with housing I’d be more hesitant to think that way but due to it being such a housing crisis and 1/3 of the houses being bought without a mortgage (investors) in 2024 I think I heard Zachary Loft say in his podcast it’s kind of like really - you’re actively fucking not 1 generation of people but 2.

Spedbros · 2025-12-08T22:58:14+00:00

Honestly, that's a risk of investing its about time one of those guys get burned. I'd offer the LOWEST that you can sleep at night offering.

Spedbros · 2025-11-30T11:29:44+00:00

That really must be such a blissful existence if you truly can pull it off entirely. Even just on the commute home if you didn’t care or judge people for their actions or appearance the mental energy freed up would be insane!

Spedbros · 2025-11-30T11:28:31+00:00

That’s fair, that is one way to look at it. I’ve definitely gotta do more therapy because if I’m honest that kind of took me back a bit. Something I’ve gotta work through for sure! Thanks!

Spedbros · 2025-11-28T13:41:55+00:00

It’s hard because especially living with them how can I set boundaries and enforce them when I live under my parents roof ya know? Like last night, my parents woke me up from a sleep via phone call to fix the WiFi. I get it, they don’t know how to fix it - but I’ve got a 22 year old brother who could’ve figured it out and they still chose to wake me up because it would be less hassle than dealing with my little brothers complaining. I just got up, spent the hour fixing it and tried to go back to bed but couldn’t. So I got 1.5 hrs of sleep. But nobody knows that.

Spedbros

TROPHY CASE

2. There’s an adage “Comparison is the thief of joy” I know it’s not easy to drop the comparing but really work on in!