20 Things That Redditors Believe Are The Adult Equivalent Of Finding Out Santa Isn't Real

Some childhood myths disappear quietly, but others get replaced by adult truths that hit even harder. For Redditors, the question was simple: what is the grown-up version of finding out Santa is not real?

That prompt brought out a long list of disappointments, from work and money to relationships and everyday life. The answers are funny, bleak, and uncomfortably relatable, which is probably why they landed so well.

Reddit had plenty to say, and a few of the replies are painfully accurate.

1. Sometimes, all you can do is make the least painful choice that you can endure for a long time.

I_Am_The_Balls

2. In the real world, you don't always get rewarded for hard work and a great job; people are stingy with rewards.

Tripp10000

3. This is the moment when we all realize that life isn't fair, and there is nothing that can be done.

OkBrilliant4136

That first wave of replies set the tone fast.

4. You can make no mistakes and still lose in the end because, well, that's just life.

1vertical

5. And they wouldn't actually be fun to be in.

mcguffers

6. And not in the fun way where you get satisfaction from giving gifts, because there are also bills to pay, even during the holidays.

SabraSevanTwq

7. Some people just stop growing and don't even realize it, even when they're already considered adults.

Ordernew01f

8. We all thought those people were just super talented at spinning on the pole.

Lilium_fur2

Then the thread drifted into the kind of honesty that stings a little.

9. It's a few good days of peace and time to themselves.

slayalldayyyy

10. Sometimes, that is more heartbreaking than any kind of breakup reason.

steroboros

11. In this brutal world, one mistake is all it takes to fall back down the ladder you bled and cried for.

Milk_Man21

12. Nobody is born knowing what to do; we all just have to pretend until we get a hint of what we want.

anjsum

13. They're also humans who keep learning as they grow older and experience more in life.

By this point, the replies were getting more specific, and a lot more relatable.

And if you think reality is stable, these 81 visual anomalies that mess with logic will prove you wrong.

14. Mixing passion and livelihood isn't as glamorous or as fun as they make it seem.

TaiKorczak

15. We're not even going to defend ourselves because, well, guilty as charged.

JimmyReagan

16. Sometimes, it's not the cooking that's the problem, but rather the cleaning afterward.

ghostcybunny

17. You've got to know how to read people correctly.

UnfinishedThings

And of course, Reddit could not resist ending on a bitter note.

18. Say your farewell, take your time getting over it, and try to move on with your life.

Dmdnje

19. This is why many people hold onto their love as if it were the last food source in the world.

fashionablypunctual

20. This is one of the reasons revenge is so hard to let go of; you can't just leave it all to karma.

SnooPuppers58

There are many good things in life; that's a fact. However, there are also many disappointing things that open our eyes to how brutal life can really be. Some of these are even horrifying truths that we face every day but choose to ignore.

In this case, all we can say is that that's just life. We can only control how we react to it and how we work with it.

Some truths arrive late, but they still land hard.

For a harsher “life isn’t fair” moment, see the AITA fight over selling a childhood home against siblings’ wishes.