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44 Things People Never Thought They’d Have To Explain To Another Adult
Most of us have heard the phrase, ‘There is no question that is a silly question’. And while that’s usually true, there are times when you can’t help but wonder if some questions are a little, well, ridiculous. For instance, when Reddit user BlueCaracal posed the question, "What’s something so obvious you couldn’t believe you had to explain it to another adult?" the internet responded in full force, sharing stories that ranged from amusingly clueless to downright shocking. Keep scrolling, Pandas, and brace yourselves—these questions might seem surprisingly obvious, but they’re definitely worth a look.
Discover more in 50 Things People Never Thought They’d Have To Explain To Another Adult
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#1
We cannot hold period blood in
RELATED:
#2
Why a room below sea level on a cruise ship would not have a balcony
Cold Eagle 2 days ago
I wonder if they did, would this little sea view bubble be fought over? Presuming no safety concerns etc
#3
When I was 19, I explained to a middle-aged woman that Jesus was not blonde haired, blue eyed, spoke English and from America.
Ralph Vanloton 1 month ago
I once explained to a GF that Jesus was a Mediterranean Jew, she asked, "Where's Mediterrania?"
Whether it’s at a party, at work, or during a casual conversation, we’ve all encountered situations where someone asks something that makes you want to pause and question the state of human knowledge.
Here’s the thing: asking questions isn’t bad—part and parcel of development and learning. None of us are born with all the knowledge in the world, and curiosity is an essential part of our lives. There are times, however, that people ask questions that seem to defy basic logic or common knowledge.
#4
That no matter how much you might want to put a camo pattern on your walls, you (not the paint) have to determine what that pattern looks like and you will also have to purchase multiple cans of paint tinted differently because "camo" doesn't come out of a can that way.
Drop Bear from Hell 3 weeks ago
Camo wallpaper will fix that! That's, of course, if you can actually find it in the store.....
#5
I work in travel. I've had to explain time zones more than you'd believe. So, if you leave Sydney at 2pm and fly ~14 hours, crossing the international dateline, you arrive in LA at noon - about 2 hours "before you left." I've watched this emoji 🤯 happen in real time.
#6
That the aztecs and incans are not interchangeable, they were in completely different parts of the americas, and that neither of them built the nazca lines. but especially not the aztecs, who were not in f*****g peru
this person kept trying to tell me it was "up to interpretation" like no its not!!! its geography
You might find yourself sitting in a meeting when someone asks if the office will be open on Christmas Day—despite it being a national holiday. Or you may even be engaging in a conversation with one of your friends who, out of nowhere, asks whether brown cows give brown milk. You cannot help but blink at these questions, wondering what planet you are on.
But before we jump to conclusions, it is worth analyzing what makes such questions possible in the first place. There are situations where people are just credulous or ignorant about certain things. It could be, somehow, they never got the opportunity to know it, or perhaps they’ve been given wrong information.
#7
I had to explain to a restaurant worker that eggs are not dairy. Chickens do not have mammary glands. Someone who is allergic to dairy can eat eggs and chicken. Mayonnaise, containing eggs and oil, is therefore not dairy.
She was looking at me like I was the stupid one, the whole time.
#8
That each country does not, in fact, have its own sun.
#9
North is not whichever way you’re facing!
Other times, it could be possible they are nervous or distracted, leading them to ask something they’d usually know the answer to. We’ve all had those moments when we asked something we later realized was a bit silly. Let’s say you finally get to see your sports idol, and out of excitement, you ask rather silly questions like, “Do you like sports?”
#10
I had to explain to my mom that my daughter was growing in my uterus and not my stomach so the hot sauce on my burrito wasn’t going to cause her skin burns. I also explained if she were growing in my stomach, my stomach would certainly cause way worse burns than hot sauce.
It was then that I understood why the school nurse had to explain to me in 5th grade why I kept bleeding through my pants every month at school, and not my mom.
#11
I was picking up Italian Liras one time (1999 - pre Euros) from a bank in Tennessee. The teller brought me the envelope. When I opened it to count the money, she looked at me with total surprise and asked, “Do other countries have different money?” A bank teller. 🤦🏽♀️
#12
I had to explain to 2 teenage girls (15 and 16) that the reason the candle went out was because they put the glass lid back on it's jar. 1 of them said that fire can only be put out with water. I explained that fire needs oxygen and putting the lid back on it cut the supply. When they didnt understand after explaining a few times I had to explain it to them like toddlers. "Fire is hungry, so it eats the air. When all the air is gone, it goes to sleep. Bye bye fire." The double "ohhhh" was too much.
P.S. The look on their mama's face was so funny. She turned to me, threw her hands up, and said "I've failed." In the most defeated tone. That poor woman.
Edit: I would like to point out that we did, in fact, have a serious talk to these girls about proper fire safety, and when to NOT use water on an open fire.
What’s more interesting is how many people are afraid to ask questions because they don’t want to appear stupid. The fear of looking foolish in front of others can stop us from seeking out the knowledge we need. In a way, this fear can be more damaging than asking an ‘obvious’ question. It hinders us from learning, growing, and understanding the world better.
#14
That women do not all have their period at the beginning of the month all around the world at the same time.
#15
Used to work at a daycare. One day a little mouse entered the premises and caused an uproar until we caught and released it in the playground.
After the whole ordeal, one of my colleagues (who was the dumbest person I've ever met) said: "let's hope it didn't lay eggs anywhere!"
I was too stunned to speak and just stared at her, while my room leader/friend said, in the most done-with-this-s**t way: "Mice don't lay eggs, ." and walked off.
EDIT: I love how so many people in these replies are trying to find a different interpretation of what she must have meant, or say that she must have been joking :D but no, unfortunately I have to tell you she was 100% of the opinion that mice lay eggs because she even doubled down about it later.
Consider a situation where you’re new at a job, and during the orientation, the presenter talks about “the cloud.” You know you came across the phrase some weeks ago, but you can’t place what it implies.
Everyone around you seems to know, so you hesitate to ask for clarification. Now since you were afraid to ask, it could potentially lead to bigger misunderstandings later on.
#16
I worked tech support for an internet provider a few years back.
A woman calls in, complaining her wifi isn’t working.
Go through the normal troubleshooting questions, what’s your device, how are you connected, and finally “what can you see on your screen?”
Crazy woman (CW): it’s black
Me: how do you mean? Are you getting errors?
CW: the whole screen is black.
Me: have you turned the laptop on?
CW: I can’t.
Me: …. Why not?
CW: I’ve lost the charging cable
Me: ok…uh, do you have another device I can help you connect with? Maybe a tablet or your phone?
CW: no, you need to get the laptop reconnected.
Me: …can you go and buy another charging cable?
CW: no, you need to send me one.
Me: we don’t supply them…also we didn’t supply you with your laptop, we just provide internet
CW: yes, and now you’re not providing me internet, so you need to fix it
40 mins this went on, as my team around me stared in incoherent disbelief that this woman couldn’t understand why her internet provider couldn’t connect wifi to a computer with now power.
I remember hanging up the phone and putting myself on break. My manager looked at me and told me to take a walk, while barely hiding her unrestrained giggles.
#17
That her power was shut off because she didn't pay her electric bill for three straight months, and the letters on neon yellow paper from the power company were sent to warn her of this happening.
She thought she was legally entitled to free electricity because "it's a requirement for human survival."
Edit to add: She wasn't in need. She worked a very well-paying job, and she enjoyed shopping for expensive things. This was *not* one of those situations where she needed assistance or mercy. She needed a foot lodged firmly in the backside, and the power company put on its boots.
#18
Volunteered in a charity shop. Lady came to the counter with a top and asked if I could look in the back for one of the same colour but a larger size. Tried to explain we don't do that because we're a charity shop. She insisted that other shops, like H&M, have done that for her. Wouldn't take no for an answer.
Eventually I just went in the back for a few minutes, made a cup of tea for a co-worker, and came out saying we don't have any. She got mad at that too.
In reality, making requests, even the simplest ones, should be allowed and even encouraged. It’s easy to forget that at some point, everyone was ignorant of something.
The person who doesn’t know what the cloud is might be an expert in a completely different field, with knowledge you don’t possess. We all have gaps in our understanding, and the only way to fill them is by asking questions.
#19
When I worked at a doctors clinic, I had a lady on the phone wanting to book an appointment to have her flu shot. She specifically asked it to be a telephone appointment.
I could not believe that I had to explain to her that we cannot inject her through the phone.
#20
That you can still get pregnant with the woman on top 🤦🏻♀️ "gravity doesn't work like that!"
#21
People on the internet can and will lie to you
As a matter of fact, these are some of the most successful people in the world; they got to where they are today because they did not care how crazy the questions they posed were. It is the quest for answers—for more information, more detail—that fosters purpose and new ideas.
#22
Africa is a continent and not a country
#23
I hope this isn't too racy for this sub...
I had to explain to a grown (college-educated!) adult that no, a**l s*x does not "cause" AIDS. That no, if both parties are HIV-negative, they cannot "create" AIDS by engaging in this activity. NO, Daniel, that's not how viruses work!
#24
That dogs are artificially bred, and that there aren't wild golden retrievers, wild chihuahuas, and wild Maltese just running about that we're catching to make into pets.
Even if a question seems silly at first, it’s better to ask and learn than to remain ignorant. Life is full of mysteries, big and small, and the only way to solve them is by staying curious and never being afraid to ask.
#25
My husband had to explain to a co-worker that she couldn’t take a train from the U.S. to Europe. She insisted she had to because she didn’t like flying.
#26
I was amazed in my old workplace how many young adults, like early 20s or so, couldn't tell the time from the wall clock.
#27
New England isn't part of Europe (to three different people). Get your s**t together, Arizona public school system.
#28
Orange juice from concentrate doesn't come from a place called "concentrate".
So the next time someone asks you a question that makes you do a double take, just like the ones in this list, remember that we’re all just trying to figure things out. Embrace the moment, share your knowledge, and maybe even learn something new yourself.
#29
A friend asked me how the sun knows the clocks have changed when we have daylight savings.
#30
When COVID first hit the US and there were no real treatments for it or vaccines or anything, I caught it and got lung clots and had to spend a week in the hospital. Numerous people on the floor I was on died. The guy in the bed next to me had it and they had him under an oxygen tent. He fought with every single person that came in to check on him, refusing to believe that he had COVID. He thought literally everybody was lying to him about what was wrong with him.
He wound up dying about the fourth day I was there. To this day I hear people make comments that it doesn't exist or never did or whatever dumb thing they have to say about it. I have to turn around and walk away from them or ignore them on whatever platform I'm on to avoid smacking them up beside the head.
Crystalwitch60 4 weeks ago
I’d just smack em ! people as still deny this deserve it tbh , even in uk there are complete idiots as dint belive it , even some that bloody had it , n say nah was just a bad cold , like NO NO IT WASNT 🤦♀️eugh
#31
That you have to have a printer to print things at home. Tech support, and I wish I was lying.
#32
I had to explain to a doctor's receptionist from Michigan once that Canada was not located somewhere mysteriously "across the ocean?", but rather across the border... from Michigan. My mom and I spent the car ride home in stunned silence.
Ralph Vanloton 1 month ago
Windson, Ontario CAN is directly south of Detroit, Michigan USA. (There is no 'South Detroit')
#33
That driving north meant the whole trip was uphill.
I laughed at her until I realised she meant it, ended up laughing at myself cos there’s no way I was going to explain it to her.
#34
That raw meat juices, especially that of chicken, should in no way come in contact with other foods.
I learned this in 8th grade home ec, so I was 13 years old.
I had to explain to a 40-year old that no, you can't put grilled chicken back on an unwashed cutting board that still has raw chicken juices.
Roxy222uk 1 week ago
Oh my word, you’ve just reminded me. Years and years ago I was working away from home with quite an international group. One day we realised that one of our co-workers had put a takeaway chicken dish on a radiator to keep it warm, and intended to leave it there all day, picking at it when she felt like it. Several of us were very alarmed and managed at least to talk her into putting it in the fridge until she was very hungry, and then to heat it all up and eat it at once. She had no concept of what we were explaining, but I’m not going to judge because life history means some of us pick things up younger and others a bit older. I bet there were other co-workers that kept quiet and learnt something new that day.
#35
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and Italy is not a town in France. Same guy. My sister dated him for far too long.
#36
I had to explain to a 22 year old friend of mine when I was 18 what ovulation was. We’re both women, she had no idea.
Facefullopubes 2 weeks ago
As I man I tried to learn about this. My then wife and I needed medical assistance to have children so having some knowledge was useful. Later, I was surprised that a woman didn't believe that 'mittelschmerz' was a thing because she didn't experience it. At school, all the girls were taken into a separate classroom to learn about menstruation etc, I think it would have been good for us boys to learn as well.
#37
I had to explain to someone that New Mexico is in fact part of the United States, not a part of Mexico. I assume they failed Geography.
#38
Incremental tax brackets. a dude at my work thought he was going to make less money if he got a raise
Cold Eagle 1 day ago
Actually this can happen. You can end up in a higher bracket, from a raise, and end up, taking home less than you did prior to the raise.
#39
When you save a file on Windows, the save window actually lets you save the file into a particular folder. You don't have to go into your recent items to find it and then move it to where you want it to be saved. This person had been working an office job at a computer for more than 5 years at that point
#40
Whales don’t lay eggs.
#41
My bosses wife was learning how to use a computer. She typed in the numbers 1 to 9 and then asked how you typed in a number 10.
We were very diplomatic.
#42
That you cannot give your child a “smaller amount” of medicine that is only to be given to an adult. Boy that was a stressful night of very close observation and many calls to the nurse/poison control line.
Stephanie Did It 1 week ago
My FIL was a tough old bird who grew up on a farm. He insisted on using livestock antibiotics from the local feed store whenever he got sick. We couldn't convince him of the danger. The case old coot lived into his 90s.
#43
That a deranged, misogynistic, narcissistic, s******y a*****e, racist, former reality 'star' ids NOT suitable to be President.
Final score:
2points
Louise Nuttall 2 weeks ago (edited)
I think you needed to explain it to a lot more people than you did
#44
I had to explain to a friend of mine who had grown up with me that no you cannot vote for Trump in the Australian election. He is not a candidate for anything here.
#45
I had to explain to someone you can't buy like two pounds of lunch meat and eat it for a month. The concept of things spoiling was new to him. To be fair, we were both college students and he was living alone for the first time.
I used to work at a coffee shop and had to explain what filling something halfway meant to a woman I was training. She didn't understand the concept of half.
What do you think ?
gvizzle_ 74 1 week ago
We had to ensure all our work was available in English and French and would send documents to a third party translator. One time we received material in French and when I told my boss we had to send it to the translator, she couldn't understand why I just couldn't do it. I told her I don't speak French and she said "but you're writing it in English". I said "but i would need to know what it says in french to write it in english." She doubled down "you're writing it in english." Finally, i said "its like translation, but in reverse" and then she finally understood
gvizzle_ 74 1 week ago
We had to ensure all our work was available in English and French and would send documents to a third party translator. One time we received material in French and when I told my boss we had to send it to the translator, she couldn't understand why I just couldn't do it. I told her I don't speak French and she said "but you're writing it in English". I said "but i would need to know what it says in french to write it in english." She doubled down "you're writing it in english." Finally, i said "its like translation, but in reverse" and then she finally understood
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