18 Lies All Millennials Were Told Growing Up

There's a misconception that artistic fields automatically equate to a future where you'll be jobless and broke. It might be more challenging to break into that field; but more so, it's just different, and not typically a future we're prepared for. You can absolutely, 100 percent make a good living off of your art. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage for visual artists is $53,400. Some are making close to six figures.

People will try to tell you it's not the norm. Whether or not it's true, it doesn't even matter.

This is something we tend to tell young people; and in some ways, it's true. In other ways, it dismisses all of the many challenges we'll face as adults, sometimes leaving us feel like there must be something wrong with us if we still can't figure life out.

Maybe it's more accurate to say money buys you choices, and choices can bring you happiness. It stands to reason, then, that yes, money can make you happier. Sure enough, some research has found that the wealthier people are, the more satisfied they tend to be with their lives. On a different note, consider the research arguing that money don't really matter. Some studies have found that rich and poor people are generally as happy at their counterparts. The difference between the two? Wealthier people are less sad on a daily basis.

So, it would seem money can bring some kind of happiness or satisfaction. Should you totally rely on it for happiness? No. That would be a big mistake. Other things are important: like love, health, giving back, and your relationships.

They may be "normal" because they're common, since so many people need them. That doesn't mean they work, or it's the right direction to go in. No one seems to warn you before you take loans out that they will haunt you for many, many years after graduating.

People criticize millennials for being self-entitled snowflakes, and often point to participation trophies as an example. But as this wise Redditor points out, we never expected to be rewarded for not winning — until we started being rewarded for it.

Generalizations like this are dangerous to both men and women. It teaches women that we're here to please men sexually, above all else. It puts women in a place where if we "fail" to please him sexually, we're lesser of a person. It puts men in a position that completely devalues their thoughts and feelings and reduces them to nothing but the physical. Bad, bad, bad.

We live in a web of lives. Fats have long been the devil; but the conversation is so much more complex than this. Low-fat, no-fat, fat-free — fats are not the enemy! You need them to be healthy. The human brain is almost 60 percent fat, for Pete's sake.

Newsflash: not all doctors, lawyers, and engineers are loaded. They're not all happy either. For instance, many lawyers make somewhere between $40,000 and $65,000. Is that bad? Of course not. Are they rich? Largely, no. These professions are vulnerable to the same stresses and pressures as most other professions, too.

Does this mean you should pursue medicine or law if they're your passion? No! The point is this: nothing is guaranteed, and all you can do is your very best. If you go after a career simply because you think it's stable or you stand to make a ton of money, you might be in for a rude awakening. Find something you could enjoy doing for the rest of your life.

"When I was your age, I had to walk five miles in the snow to get to school." We've all heard some variation of that story. Should we respect the challenges that people from generations before us had to conquer? Of course. We may not have to walk to school in the snow today, but guess what? That doesn't mean our lives are totally easy and stress-free. Every generation has their own problems to deal with. Just like they want respect, so do we.

The same is often said about college. Honestly, it's a bad "truth" to be told. You're basically saying that those four years are the best it's ever going to be; and after that, it's all downhill. That's it? That's all we have to look forward in life? Not very promising.

If there's anything the current administration has taught us, it's this lie. Not all politicians are evil. Unfortunately, at present time, the ones ultimately making the decisions think they own the right to control our bodies, determine how valuable we are in the workplace, and more.

To this day, we stress that hard work will get you anywhere. Of course, you need to learn how to work hard, because sometimes, that's the only solution. But no one tells you know that there will be times when it doesn't matter how hard you work — you just won't win.

LIES. They won't. Okay, maybe some do. But you definitely should not make this assumption; because at the end of the day, if a company's budget is tight and they need to make room, they will choose their budget over your personal success and wellbeing.

Have there ever been a ton of jobs... anywhere? Has finding a job ever been easy? True, everyone's experience is different. But I suspect most millennials would agree that they're not exactly torn between the countless job offers they have — because they don't have them.

So. Much. Pressure. Owning a home has always been a part of the ~*American dream*~ we all strive for. You graduate college and realize you're broke; so, no home for you. You're 25 and still broke. 30? Still broke. Get used to apartments, friend. (And hey, apartments are awesome too.) Also, let's talk about retirement: is anybody able to save substantial money for retirement? No? Moving on.

The ticking clock in our ears gets louder and louder as we age; and the noise it makes sounds something like, "Why are you still single? Why are you still single? Why are you still single?" Really, there's no set timeline for when (or even if) you fall in love. And what about the people who are happy to be single? We all do things in our own time, and there's OK.

Education is but a fraction of what employers look at today. Of course a degree helps; but over the years, it's become less and less sufficient. Employers like on-the-job experience; so you try to get a job to gain experience, but they won't hire you because... you have none.

Sure, things you didn't understand as a younger person will make sense when you're older. But then when we're older, filing taxes, applying for loans, and finding a place to live are total mazes. There will always be mysteries in life; does that need to be a bad thing? No.