When you’re younger, it’s easy to go along with things just to fit in or avoid awkward conversations. You nod and smile, stuffing your face or staying out until dawn and making small talk, completely miserable but too proud or awkward to show it. But once we reach a certain age, most of us have no patience for that kind of charade.
We surveyed some men to find out about things men stop pretending to like as they mature. So here are 11 things these men have stopped faking enthusiasm for and decided to just be honest.
Fancy craft cocktails
Most men we talked to said that in their younger days, they would sip drinks with rosemary or smoke or glitter just to seem more sophisticated. Many admitted that the older they get, they’d rather just drink beer or whiskey. After all, the appeal of something you have to wait 10 minutes for and mix just to drink doesn’t have the same appeal.
Long, complicated video games
Sitting through 60+ hours of a video game used to be a badge of honor for several men we talked to. Now free time is too precious to waste, and they would much rather play shorter and simpler games, or no games at all.
Pretending to like every sport
Some men said they would watch sports and pretend to know what was going on just to seem like a pro, even if they had no idea what was going on. But the older they get, they got sick of the charade and started to just say, “I don’t really watch that,” without thinking about others’ reactions.
Going to every family event
When they were younger, most said they felt the need to go to every family event and every cousin’s birthday party even if they were dreading it. But at a certain point, they realized they don’t have to spend every holiday with the entire family and can just avoid all the extended family drama and spend more time with people they actually enjoy.
Group camping trips
For most men, camping sounded adventurous until they spent a freezing night on the ground with a sore back. After that, a lot of them stopped pretending they enjoy “roughing it” and started booking cabins or Airbnbs instead.
Super trendy haircuts
Many said that haircuts used to be an adventure in the 20s. After all, trying a new style is fun, even if it took them a YouTube tutorial and an hour to get their hair right using half a bottle of product. But after a certain age, most men just want something easy that looks good and doesn’t require any work.
Expensive gym memberships
For many, it was normal to sign up for a swanky gym to prove how serious they were about getting in shape. But at some point, many realized that a couple of dumbbells at home, or even some outdoor running, works just as well.
Overly complicated dating apps
At first, swiping and chatting with their matches seems fun. But after a while, most found it tiring and they figured it’s better to just meet someone the old-fashioned way and quit pretending.
Loud nightclubs
Some said that they would sometimes go to rowdy bars or clubs to seem popular, yelling over loud music and getting too close to strangers while running up a crazy bar tab. But with age, they realized they’d rather be at a quiet bar or on the couch with a few friends.
Fancy car features they never use
Driving in a car with all the fancy features seems like a lot of fun when you’re younger. After a while, most men found that all they use is the radio and a few other simple things, and they didn’t really care about touchscreens or voice commands or seat massages.
Wearing uncomfortable dress shoes
A lot of men said that they used to wear uncomfortable shoes to look presentable at work or on dates or at weddings. But after a certain point, they stopped that. A majority of men said that those shoes are a pain in the butt and now they just buy some nice, comfy sneakers instead.
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