50 Sobering Stories That Show How Quickly Everything Can Fall Apart For Good With Just One Wrong Move

Cats may have nine lives but people do not. It can take years to build yourself up into an independent adult and mere moments to burn it all to the ground. Many of us are well aware that we aren't cats, or superheroes, but that doesn't always stop us from taking stupid risks, making dumb decisions or doing things that go against our better judgment.

Whether its partying a bit too hard, dabbling in substances, gambling all our money away or failing to wear a helmet, many a life has been completely wrecked in the blink of an eye. One bad choice, one angry remark, one terrible idea that seemed bright at the time is sometimes all it takes to unravel everything you've worked so hard to achieve. It's in these moments that a very clear "before" and "after" becomes evident, and there's no doubt that things will never be the same again.

Someone asked, "What's the fastest way you've seen someone [mess] up their life?" and Shakespeare couldn't have written the tragedies better. Bored Panda has put together a list of the most sobering ones. Among them: The successful guy who lost everything after driving drunk, the BMX trickster who chose not to wear a helmet and now has a serious brain injury, and the very sad story about a little girl who made one wrong move while out skiing with her family.