‘What aspect of adulthood in the UK do you feel you’ll never truly master?’ – 23 eternal mysteries of being a grown up

While every right-thinking person should be allergic to the phrase ‘adulting’, there’s no doubt that there are some parts of being a grown up that are tricky to get to grips with. They’ve been discussing this on the always entertaining AskUK subreddit, after user ms-AB asked this question:

‘What aspect of adulthood in the UK do you feel you’ll never truly master?’

They followed it up with this example…

For me: HMRC tax payments and the whole funking website. I need tax explained to me like I’m 5, honestly. I need the website laid out like an online Fisher-Price toy not the strange labyrinth of jargon that it currently is.

My terrible maths skills and borderline fear of numbers doesn’t help (that and general rage at the system and what the taxes might go towards) but it all just makes me feel embarrassed and ashamed because I’m nearly 40. Is there any supposed adult life skill that you feel strangely incompetent tackling and slightly embarrassed about discussing with other people?

Anyone who has ever tried to file a self-assessment tax return will feel their pain, and there were plenty of people who could empathise with the struggle.

1.

‘The fruit machines in pubs. I can understand the three spinning wheels part, but that top board bit may as well be witchcraft.’
–Harrry-Otter

2.

‘That no matter how hard i try, how much I earn, I’ll never understand how some people afford the lifestyles they do. The big German vehicles, the all-inclusive holidays abroad, the big detached house in great locations etc.

I cancelled my Sky Sports to save £20 p/m then watched as the very next day, the council put tax up by 10%, immediately wiping that saving out. So yet again, I’ve tried to save money, and yet, I’ve ended up in a worse state than I was, and don’t even have the football to watch anymore.’
–lostnov04

3.

‘Fixing an issue with a plumbing or electrical or cars. I know basic as you can get, but I have no confidence in trying to ‘have a go’ at fixing stuff myself.’
–justmoochin

4.

‘Not sure if this strictly applies to adulthood, but playing any kind of card game. I haven’t got a fucking clue.’
–roadsodaa

5.

‘Cleaning. It just seems like a never-ending task, and no sooner have I finished, but it needs to be restarted. I go to other people’s houses and wonder how they manage. So I secretly hope that, just as when I have guests, it’s only in that state because they cleared up prior to having visitors.’
–PetersMapProject

6.

‘Home ownership. I think we all get why. I’ve come to accept I’ll likely live in this council flat the rest of my life, it’s cheap and after having been homeless I’m just thankful to be housed.’
–Kasha2000UK

7.

‘Literally, anything to do with money.

The most I know how to do is check my bank account vaguely round the time I get paid and ‘eyeball’ to see if I need to worry about bills and what not. Considering I work in retail and don’t claim any benefits, you’d think I’d force myself to learn some form of competency, but no. That’s too much maths and therefore too daunting. I’ll just bury my head in the sand and hope it works out.’
–ACalcifiedHeart

8.

‘Socialising. I still feel like a shy awkward teenager. I can’t be charismatic to save my life.’
–slitherfang98

9.

‘Actually feeling grown up. I’m nearly 34, and I may as well be three racoons in a trench coat because quite honestly I couldn’t tell you how I’ve managed to be an adult. I have a house to constantly maintain, a relationship, and three children all of whom I’ve managed to keep alive despite their frequent insistence on doing things that are counter productive to staying alive. I make grown up decisions all the time about managing our household and finances

I still feel like a teenager wondering what the fuck I’m going to do with my life and who even let me leave home, never mind have my own.’
–i_hate_my_username4

10.

‘Keeping a healthy diet. Healthy food tastes bleeding awful and it doesn’t help that it’s expensive. But the alternative of having diabetes and possibly losing my feet is a whole lot worse.’
–Eisenmaus

11.

‘Being nice to fucking idiots. I have no idea how some people manage to stay calm with them.’
–Puzzle13579

12.

‘Lightbulbs. I absolutely hate shopping for them, don’t understand the sizes or brightness, I don’t actually know how to change most of them and even worse, I can see them all flickering. I’ve had some of the fittings changed to just a normal single lightbulb shaped lightbulbs and I’ve inherited incandescent bulbs from my grandma but a couple of years ago, because of the flickering and the noise of the stupid new bulbs, I threatened to switch to gas lamps.’
–PsychologicalNote612