Thank you, Captain Obvious!
There are plenty of obvious things that people love to discuss, like how the weather currently is and how soon the holidays are. It’s totally fine to bring up topics like this in a self-aware way: “I know this is obvious, but I just really need to make small talk.” But sometimes, people think they’re being philosophical when they’re really just stating the obvious.
Below, we’ve gathered some of our favorite posts from the That’s How Things Work subreddit, which is dedicated to highlighting people who tried to be deep but failed miserably. From explaining concepts that already have a name to sharing “shower thoughts” that they probably should have kept to themselves, this list is full of funny, facepalm-worthy moments that might make you lose a bit of faith in humanity.
Be sure to upvote the posts that you get a kick out of, and then let us know in the comments: what’s the most obvious thing you’ve ever had explained to you before? Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring obvious things people learned embarrassingly late in life, you can find that right here!
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My Cake!
Thanks I Hate Names
Are You Twins In Real Life?
Not everything needs an explanation. When we’re children, we’ll need to have some things spelled out for us because we’re learning everything from scratch, but as adults, we should be able to assume many things are common sense. Unfortunately, common sense isn’t always super common. No one knows that better than the members of the That’s How Things Work subreddit. This group, which currently has nearly 85k members, is dedicated to featuring all of those #deep posts that might make you question humanity’s sanity. Common themes on the subreddit are “Shower Thought”, "Article", and "Deep", but I have to say, Article is the most concerning to me.
Even our news sources are sometimes reporting blatantly obvious headlines, but maybe that should be obvious to me… This list makes it clear that the entire internet is full of painfully obvious statements. Social media, news sites, dating apps, and Wikipedia, we’re all capable of being Captain Obvious. But according to Portland Therapy Center, there might actually be a reason why we tend to say things that can go without saying.
Help Me I’m Drowning
He Blames Pot
Ah Yes. Evolution Has Nothing To Do With Genetics
Religious nut trying to criticise the theory of evolution doesn’t actually know what it is. That’s not surprising at all
This is the same kind of person who hated Obamacare but loved the ACA.
Same happened with fish in Spain. Fishing small infant fish was forbidden so small fish were thrown back in to the see. This caused the species to shrink.
i' m not too sure 'bout this one. it's not the same. evolution will not prevent them from growing in the sea - over fishing will remove the adults to where there seems to be only small ones but they would grow if not fished out. whereas the taking of large tusk elephants would not allow large tusk elephants to reproduce. - that's just what i think.
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Don't downvote this sarcasm, I have not eloquently worded this, but I do believe this.
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Some seem to think evolution happens on purpose instead of being the result of natural selection
I (a 15yo kid dont come at me here) am Catholic and connect with my faith a lot actually. I believe that animals can adapt and evolve. Since the Old Testament of the Bible is mostly figurative stories, the creation story could easily be metaphorical. Not all religious people share the same beliefs and all that stuff. I'm also part of LGBTQ+ and still believe/love God. It's weird but I exist
This is a horrible picture to put with this; a dead adult elefant and a baby trying to wake their elder up. Very sad! 😢🐘
So if evolution is to be believed, why did monkeys stop evolving into humans ?
Short answer, monkeys are good enough. Long answer; evolution isn’t a linear path there are forks that break off and go nowhere, and some that keep running alongside each other. living things don't stop evolving until the entire species is extinct. Even humans are still evolving at a glacial pace considering our generations are about 25 years. So monkeys never stopped, they are just on a different path. Evolution also lacks the ability to make anything better, the only prerequisite is to not die before you reproduce. So as long as you are still able to do that bare minimum your traits get passed down. Monkeys are good enough at surviving until they mate, so there are still monkeys.
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No one should read comments that start as "actually " let alone "actually probably ".
That reminds me of one time, at work, that i made our chemistry technician (also biologist) that didn't believe in evolution to present an idea involving microbiological evolution, about it gaining resistance to one product, while pretending it was her idea and had nothing to do with evolution, just logic. It was really funny seeing her explain evolution to a bunch of higher ups as if it was the most logical thing in the world and denying evolution at the same day.
I instinctively face-palmed with the first sentence. Amazing, how automatic it was.
"Genetic adaptation isn't the same as evolution" argument is... when I smile, and politely ask if they need me to call their carers. (Minders, in other English-speaking nations' slang.) Yes, I've done this. I've also drawn them Punnet squares to explain why, yes, the child has brown eyes despite only one parent having brown eyes. They always look at me like they want to yell "WItCH!" and burn me at the nearest stake.
??? I'm assuming this was Supposed to be directed at me? Evolutionary adaptation, and "TRUE" evolution aren't the same. Humans have survived by adapting, we haven't changed species. Basic genetics happens in all species. My mom has green eyes, I have brown, my middle child has green(1/5). But he's still human. Problem is people not knowing the difference between the two. One is a "Theory", for a reason. Because it's NEVER been proven. I sure as hell didn't crawl out of a pond, or form from an ape. Evolutionary adaptation, is a change of genetics or sharing of. Generational gaps for instance. They're TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. It's not hard to grasp, for the people that came from apes, put those opposable thumbs to use. Flip thru a book, google some s**t. You're on the internet. Actually read MORE than one article or work.
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Because antievolutionists believe that evolution means individual animals changing from one species to another. They do not grasp the vast time involved nor the tiny changes that add up. The inability to grasp or deal with huge numbers shows up in all kinds of unexpected places.
I mean, I DO get the point that the person is trying to make - it's NOT a "natural" evolution, caused by natural changes in the environment - the "environmental pressure" against large tusks is artificially caused by poachers, not by a natural change... but yeah, it IS still evolution...
To give my favorite rhyme: A change in the frequency of an allele in a population over time. An allele is the expression of a gene - small or large tusks, blue or brown eyes, etc
The first commenter is right. It’s not true evolution if it’s selecting from genes that are already in the gene pool. It would be true evolution if there were never any elephants without tusks nor the genetic code to produce one and then ,through a fault in the genetic code, one was born without tusks that then had an advantage over the ones that do have tusks and then if some of its young carried the same genetic ‘fault’ and were born without tusks then they too would have an advantage and so on.
Snakes in northern Australia are evolving to have smaller mouths. They then can't swallow the larger (and more poisonous) cane toads.
ITS A MIRACLE.. PRAISE GOD..HE TOOK AWAY THE POOR ELEPHANTS IVORY TUSK S .. WITH HIS GREAT AND ALL MIGHTY .. HE COMMANDED.. ELEPHANTS FOR YOUR PROTECTION FROM POTCHERS IM CHANGING YOU !! Lol like seriously .. read it and think about how utterly ridiculous it sounds. Don't get me wrong I believe in my high power but come on let's get real people
You can evolve to protect the species. Humans do not have to genetically alter anything for a species to protect itself.
I can empathize with what the original poster is getting at here. Drawing a line between what could be a natural process and an artificially accelerated process due to humans. I get its still technically definied as evolution, but there should be a distinction between certain reason/causes. Or just when it's a d**k human reason at least.
"Thus the selection process does not always result in evolution in the sense of changed genetic codes." Evolution involves changes in allele frequency in a population over time. As shown here.
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……No 🤦♀️ If it was, say, a Guinea pig hunting elephants for their tusks and changing their genes to favour survival, you wouldn’t call it “Guinea pig selection” would you? Animals adapting their genes to survive predators is called natural selection. As in, only the fittest (ie least vulnerable to predators, including human poachers) will survive. What you’re describing with the sweet peas is different:”Artificial or Human Selection, also called ‘selective breeding,’ is where humans select for desirable traits in agricultural products or animals.” If we were using “human selection” on elephants, wouldn’t we want them all to have tusks, because that’s why we hunt them? Similar to how you only cultivate the best sweet peas? Though I’m curious about your train of thought, what is it that makes you think elephants are undergoing human selection?
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Judging by your spelling, I'd say you aren't too sure about a lot of things.
Load More Replies...“It’s so hot outside!” Of course it is, we can all feel it. So why do we feel the need to say things like this? Portland Therapy Center notes on their site that the main reason we want to state the obvious is to feel connected to others. “Language is our way of sharing understanding. In the distant past, all we had to communicate was the sound of our voices and smoke signals, and those important signals warned of war parties and resources,” Dr. Gregory Devore writes. “In today’s hyper-connected world, we now augment our reality by using email, text, phone, and social media apps to share information about just about anything.”
Stating the obvious also makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. “When ideas are shared, creativity and action can occur,” Dr. Devore explains. “Those who are better communicators are more likely to receive support from others.” And if we don’t have support, we put ourselves at risk. So it’s perfectly natural to want to share our experiences with other humans, even if that means stating something super obvious. It’s snowing out, and you know that because you’re experiencing it too, but here’s a reminder that we’re all in this together.
Headlines
They need to arrest death as soon as possible! They can't keep getting away with it!
Low Battery? Charge Your Phone
Opinions Must Be Objective
Dr. Devore also notes that when we bring attention to how we’re feeling, we might work together with others to help remedy the situation. Personally, I tend to ignore something if I think I’m the only person feeling bothered. If I am freezing in my office and having trouble typing because my hands are numb, I’m not likely to bring it up. But if someone else does, I’ll suggest that we turn on the heater we have available and confirm that I feel cold as well. When you and a friend both agree that it’s hot outside, you might decide to go grab an iced coffee or stop in a café for a drink and to cool off in the air conditioning. Rather than responding with a sarcastic and dismissive response when someone states the obvious, use that as an opportunity to validate their thoughts and find a connection.
How Stock Photos Work
What A Question
Yes, That’s How Genetics Work
Not only the obvious of being related in the fictional story but also the Disney "gene pool" is limited due to making their characters fit other formulaic criteria. Like oversized eyes and small noses and such to make them "cute and lovable" or whatever. If you are going to look like Ursula in the Little Mermaid you are going to be a bad person. If you are the 'good' star you have large eyes / small nose like Ariel. Occasional exceptions but for the most part they are all going to look like they might be related.
Many of the posts on this list are people who were attempting to be deep or philosophical on social media, but they ended up just stating the most obvious things. In 2019, Laura Brown published an article on Forbes discussing this exact topic titled “Trying To Sound Smart Could Be Making You Look Dumb”. She notes that for some reason, many people have the idea that if you write clearly and directly, you don’t sound as intelligent as if you use an unnecessary amount of words, particularly buzz words. But the first issue that Laura takes with that kind of writing is that not everyone will understand it. “It’s possible to get your head so deeply into jargon and convoluted language that you’re actually quite hard to understand,” she writes. Just because you’ve managed to confuse people doesn’t mean you sound intelligent.
Amazon Review For A Backpack
That’s Just What It Is
Yes, Doing Things Have Consequences
Another issue with the kind of “eloquent business writing” that many companies try to use is that it can simply make you look bad. In fact, there’s even research to support this conclusion. Carnegie Mellon psychologist Daniel Oppenheimer wrote a paper titled “Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly” (now that’s a mouthful!), and he found that readers actually consider unnecessarily long words as less intelligent than simpler vocabulary. “It’s important to point out that this research is not about problems with using long words but about using long words needlessly,” he noted. “One thing seems certain: write as simply and plainly as possible and it’s more likely you’ll be thought of as intelligent.”
Yes That’s How It Usually Works
Cecil’s Brother, Jericho, Is Also A Lion, Don’t You Know That!?
Humans are so cruel. The wording is kinda funny, but I feel sorry for the lion.
Smh
Just like trying far too hard to write in an “intelligent” way, trying way too hard to sound “deep” can certainly backfire. Pointing out the weather is a socially acceptable way of discussing what goes without saying, but when it comes to trying to explain obvious things to sound intelligent, you’re certain to get called out. But if we really want to channel someone who’s been featured on the That’s How Things Work subreddit, we could dive down the rabbit hole of, “Well, what’s obvious to one person may not be obvious to everyone else.” For example, when there are crumbs, dirt or anything else on the floor in my apartment, it makes my skin crawl. It is glaringly obvious to me, and I cannot rest until it’s been swept or vacuumed up. My former roommates, however, did not feel the same way and thought that I was crazy for seeing these crumbs with my “hawk eyes”.
Kinda The Goal, Right?
Parents: We want your life to be easier for you! Parents when my life is easier: WELL BACK IN MY DA-
That's Why It's Called A Virus
But-
Have you ever heard someone note that their therapist told them something that they would have never figured out on their own, but once they heard it, it seemed entirely obvious? We can’t always see the “obvious” things that are right in front of our eyes, due to our own biases or based on the life experiences we’ve had. If you’re a doctor, a patient might come in extremely confused about what’s wrong with them, but once they explain their symptoms, it might be obvious to you what’s wrong with them. Yes, the photos on this list are not great examples of when we should give someone the benefit of the doubt, because those things are definitely obvious. But just some food for thought: what’s blatantly obvious to you might blow someone else’s mind.
This Is A Fact
He might even be the richest person in the solar system, but this fact can not be derived from the previous statements.
That’s Why Biographies Are Written
If You Know How Old It Is Then You Know How Old It Is
As a kid, I used to get annoyed in school all the time because I would refrain from answering a question or pointing something out that I thought was extremely obvious (because why would I say what goes without saying?), but then inevitably, someone else would say exactly what I was thinking a few minutes later and be praised for how smart they were or what an excellent point they made. After many years of having that experience, I finally decided to start pointing out the obvious (within reason). As it turns out, by stating what seems clear as day to you, you might be introducing a great idea or sparking a new thought in someone else. Don’t be scared to share your ideas, unless they’re as obvious as the things on this list…
R/Showerthoughts At It Again
Yep, The Wind Can Blow Across State Borders
Impossible! We have to complain on Twitter about it so air pollution will go away!
Are You High
Obviously, this list has some facepalm-worthy posts. But it’s not obvious to me which pics you’ll find the most cringey or hilarious, so be sure to make use of that upvote button! We hope you enjoy the rest of these painfully obvious posts, and then if you’re interested in checking out even more of them, you can find the That’s How Things Work subreddit right here! (That’s a link. Click the link on the words “right here”. Was that obvious enough?)
That's Pretty Much It Yeah
Funny How Things Work
Roses Are Red, I Serve My Master-
I translate : A nuclear explosion so far away from us would be a disaster even for us
That's How Currency Works
Yeah, No Sh*t Sherlock
I Am Enlightened By Such Powerful Knowledge
I Mean, Yeah
Thanks I Didn't Know That
That is a cursed hotdog version of Buzz that I have never seen before. Eye bleach Pwease?
Its A Christmas Miracle!
Then imagine the 31st of December 1999. The 1st of January 2000 was both the next day, the next month, the next year, the next century and the next millennium. I was there! It was actually not crazy. No IT crash, the TV worked, no aliens, just some mediocre fireworks and then we were sent to bed.
Thats How Humans Work
A Woman Who Looks Like Her Parents
Frenemies
Glad They Clarified These
"You Won't Look At These Things The Same"
How Dare They Ask
Ok I looked this up because it seemed like the headline was trying too hard to make them seem stupid. The couple left their jackets and whatnot at the table and stepped out to the restaurant's smoking area for a cigarette. They were outside for a couple minutes when the server came out and confronted them about the bill in front of the other customers.
Thats How Vaccines Work
Covid vaccines don't contain whole covid virus. They contain some mRNA from the virus, which is a molecule, not a germ. Edit: mRNA or DNA or spike protein...
That's What Nostalgia Is
Here's an interesting tip-in. One kid is nine years old, but a bunch of them are called nine year olds.
M I N D B L O W I N G
Note: this post originally had 48 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
According to an ancient G(r)eek proverb: to understand recursion, first you have to understand recursion.
Lol, this joke was in my old C book. In the glossary under recursion, it just said "recursion: see recursion"
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As far as I'm concerned, Google has completely stopped being useful. I was trying to look up something specific about low blood oxygen yesterday, and got three full pages of ads for oxygen concentrators. I ended up having to look up the answer in an old textbook.
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I forgot what the title was a third of the way through. That was absofreakinglutely, blindingly, and obviously, written by aliens trying to teach their children about earthlings. If not though, I'm going to start praying for mankind.
When you boot Windows 10 for the first time, it tells you: "You can get new apps from the app store" DUH
All of these could have a response like those nick che memes remember those goooood times...yeah
This helped me remember all those moments I have embarrassed myself only for breathing -talking-
According to an ancient G(r)eek proverb: to understand recursion, first you have to understand recursion.
Lol, this joke was in my old C book. In the glossary under recursion, it just said "recursion: see recursion"
Load More Replies... As far as I'm concerned, Google has completely stopped being useful. I was trying to look up something specific about low blood oxygen yesterday, and got three full pages of ads for oxygen concentrators. I ended up having to look up the answer in an old textbook.
Load More Replies... I forgot what the title was a third of the way through. That was absofreakinglutely, blindingly, and obviously, written by aliens trying to teach their children about earthlings. If not though, I'm going to start praying for mankind.
When you boot Windows 10 for the first time, it tells you: "You can get new apps from the app store" DUH
All of these could have a response like those nick che memes remember those goooood times...yeah
This helped me remember all those moments I have embarrassed myself only for breathing -talking-
