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The template of the meme consists of two WikiHow stock images: one with someone looking at a bottle of pills with a label that says "Hard to Swallow Pills" and another with the pills already in the person's hand, ready to be ingested.

People download it, slap a text of what they think is a universal truth on the second picture, and upload it back on the Internet, waiting for upvotes. And we often have to give it to them. Quite a few of these memes capture some universal law, most of which we know but don't want to accept. Like, "some of your problems are your own fault, and won't get better until you actively do something about it" or "you can't make someone love you."

Bored Panda has compiled some of the most popular Hard to Swallow Pills, so continue scrolling, check out the memes, and upvote your favorites.

#1

Hard-To-Swallow-Pills

backwards_savage_ Report

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Jo Cooper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my favourite quotes; going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.

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Clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Mary Lamia, Ph.D., thinks that the notion that one is “in denial” seems to have taken on a life of its own as an agent of many ills and as a catchphrase for people who dismiss the implications of their behavior.

"Although denial is considered to be a defense often used by people with addictive tendencies, its attributions reach beyond those struggling with substances," Lamia pointed out. "Denial is also attributed to people who do not want to acknowledge that bad stuff is occurring in their lives, such as those who are attempting to cope with a tumultuous relationship, a life-threatening illness, obesity, a loss, or anything else that one may attempt to disavow."

Sure, we can deny a fact, deny responsibility, deny the impact of our actions, or even deny what is really going on by hiding from our feelings. But according to Lamia, when we use denial to defend ourselves or cope with what we feel, we contradict the reality of a situation or attempt to adjust to a circumstance by neglecting its impact. However, the extent of someone’s denial may not really be the issue at hand.

"What’s important is not that people recognize their denial, but that they are able to accept what they are feeling that leads to the denial in the first place," Lamia explained. "If someone excessively and habitually uses alcohol to medicate their anxiety, for example, we might emphasize their attempts to dismiss the harm that their use of alcohol will cause, rather than focus on the emotions they feel that motivate their denial. If that person stops drinking, one would hope the emotions that were formerly hidden by denial, which often have to do with shame, would be exposed and accepted by the individual."

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#3

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theschoolofsocialvalue Report

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postboredom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Poor people have to work even harder than others, just to get a daily meal and shelter

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We not only use denial to hide from any negative emotion, including shame, fear, guilt, or distress but to mute positive emotions as well. "Sometimes feeling positively may be just as threatening as negative feelings. We may want to deny the reality of our emotions, because accepting a reality that is uncomfortable, painful, or incongruous to what we expect means we must also alter our perception of ourselves. Thus, if you are in denial, perhaps you are simply trying to ignore the truth about what you actually feel, rather than about what you are doing or thinking."

But if you want to move forward, you have to swallow the truth.

#5

Hard-To-Swallow-Pills

awkwardpotatoo Report

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postboredom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This applies to both guys and gals. Nobody is as kind as they think themselves are.

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#7

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rexxar-tc Report

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Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's even harder to swallow the problems that are NOT your own fault, but it's UP TO YOU to clean someone else's poop to save your a*s.

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#8

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xrancorx Report

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ChimeraBubbles
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like this one. Re-evaluate your worldview every so often, visit other places, talk to people from other communities, read books, and so on. It's character building too.

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#10

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reddit.com Report

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Monday
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm all for praying for those in need if that's what you believe in, but send a donation with that prayer.

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#12

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petey_public Report

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Daria B
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True. And the nearer the end, the more I think of it. Viruses don't plan according to human made calendars. This could go on and on. And even after it's gone, the damage repair will still take a while.

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#15

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dairyfreediva Report

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postboredom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the one thing every teenager (including me) has to understand. Not everyone has to like you, nor do they have to hate you. We just gotta let it be.

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#17

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supportivefathers Report

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H Edwards
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Smoking is a good example. Children of smokers are much more likely to take it up themselves.

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Dilly Millandry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many factors at play in this though. I have five siblings. Parents smoked. Only one child took up smoking. Loads of families where all the children smoked or none did.

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Zophra
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Humph... they should be cleaning up the house more then. Unasked.

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Giles McArdell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children grow up to be the way they are both because of, and in spite of, anything we do as parents.

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miten sasmita
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly! I started buying fruits instead of processed snacks and my toddler who never eat any fruit now loving them.

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Mya Lugar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Too many adults aren't taking responsibility for the examples they set. They speak without respect to their spouse as well as their children, and then expect the children to have respect for them. Those children find it difficult to feel secure in life, to give trust, or to value themselves.

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Kent Fishburn
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children will try not to notice that the seemingly young hands in the illustration have old-age spots.

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Fernleaf6505
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Marnie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a weird son. He actually does what I said more than he does what he saw me do. Thank god.

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Marty Sunderland
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Child abusers were often abused as children. They never learned any other way to react.

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Bent. O. Jensen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No matter how good you raise your child, it will behave like you.

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Laura Maeflower
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How do people not know this!? I don't even have kids and I know this.

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Vicky Zar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And some parents don't get that but instead will get angry at their child for it

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#19

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istherenofuckingusernameleft Report

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Ray Martin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Possibly so, but believing that the Earth is flat, or that vaccinations don't work does make you stupid and deserving of ridicule.

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#21

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TheLloydGross Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The three big things needed in a relationship are trust, compromise and respect. Of course there are more like having each others back, liking the other person etc. Relationships are hard work, you need to make the effort to help it grow.

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#30

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digitaldegenarate Report

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Daria Z
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A hospital in my city has recently received a complaint from the family of a man saved from covid complications. Apparently, they didn't like that the doctor who saved him had tattoos and a nose ring. Isn't it bizarre?

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Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.