We often hear the notion that you should try everything at least once, especially when peer pressure comes into play. But it's not really valid, or healthy. Still, there's some expectation that people should just universally want to do some things that are considered 'milestones'.
Well, one user on Reddit was wondering what people absolutely refuse to try even once, aka their "anti-bucket list" items. There's no need to have an excuse not to do something - "No" is a full sentence - though these people still made some very valid and interesting points.
Maybe they're missing out on the hype, maybe they're protecting their sanity, but over 4k people shared their biggest 'nopes' in this thread, and Bored Panda selected the most popular answers. Scroll down and and let us know if you find these relatable, or maybe they are actually on your bucket list? Either way, don't forget to upvote your favorites, and make sure to share what you would never ever try in the comments below! And if you want to read more stories on a similar topic, here's our post on things people actually did, but would never do again.
This post may include affiliate links.
Having children. I'm not passing on my fibromyalgia or any of my sucky genes. I have my own under control very well, but I just can't put someone else through that. I refuse. Plus I'd rather have freedom, than take care of children. I don't hate them or anything, but mom life isn't for me. Neither is married life.
Climbing mount Everest. Too cold, not enough oxygen, too many dead bodies. I don't get why people feel the need to do it/try, but I sure don't, ESPECIALLY after watching Everest. Nope.
I’m glad I read this cause I was thinking I’d do this but this list changed my mind ;)
Cave-diving. Crawling through very small, dark spaces and chances of getting stuck and suffocating down there. With almost no way of calling for help, if u did it alone. Even if you were with someone there is still not much time to get help if you are stuck. No sir, I am never gonna do that.
Cigarettes. My grandfather passed away from lung cancer and was a heavy smoker back in the day. The fact that he didn't smoke for so long before he was diagnosed really shows how bad smoking is. The thought of cigarettes and even seeing others smoke repulses me and I never want to try one.
As an ex-smoker, I can say this to whoever feels like trying: don't. It's the stupidest vice ever. You'll be literally paying to slowly make yourself sick and possibly have a gruesome death. All just for a short stress/anxiety/boredom relief. Smoking will always hunt you. It is always lurking around your subconscious mind waiting for the right trigger to come back with full force. It will never leave you; you just learn to ignore it and replace it with something healthier. But it's there. I willingly paid for it to be there. My biggest regret. Get a hobby instead. Learn EFT or meditation or other ways to deal with stress and anxiety peaks. Thank you for reading my TED-talk. Merry Christmas!
Spelunking! I'm so claustrophobic that even thinking about being in a tight cave gives me the chills.
SURSTRÖMMIMG
Or as others know it, the Swedish rotten fish.
It really just tastes salty, smells more foul than I have words to describe though
Going on a cruise. I get seasick really easily. Like REALLY easily. I’m also very introverted so the idea of being stuck on a boat with a bunch of strangers while barfing myself to death sounds like torture.
I also don’t want the ship to sink. I’ve had a fear of being anywhere in or near a body of water ever since I was 5
Drunk driving. I live in Wisconsin and the number of people who do it is astounding to me.
Anything involvinf height like bungee jumping ect
Drinking alcohol. I don't like saying this because it sounds whiny, but i've had too much problems in my life and i'm afraid i would find alcohol as a solution and get a bigger problem.
Energy Drinks.
Main reason: they smell awful to me. I don't care if they taste better than they smell, they'd still probably taste horrible.
Sky Diving
I did skydiving twice. You are attached to your instructor's front side. You take off the plane backwards, so the instructor literally "pushes" you out of the plane... like "ok, set ready GO!" And off you are. Yes, terrifying. The first few seconds when your body is registering that is falling are the most violent. You can feel all the cells in your body screaming, and there's nothing you can do to help them. Then... then you feel nothing because suddenly you... float. In other words, you reached constant acceleration so you no longer feel you are falling. And that feeling is amazing, it can't be described. It's like being in a rollercoaster: adrenaline, speed, body sensations, the vacuum in your stomach. But it doesn't last long as the parachute needs to open after a minute or so. Then gliding with the parachute is just... out of this world. You see the world below so big, so magnificent, so green, so pure... and all is silence around you. Pure crystal clear silence.
Deep sea diving. I know whats down there, and id rather not go say hi.
As a diver...i'm going to say that you don't know what's actually down there. It's amazing, peaceful and just another world. I've introduced so many people to diving and even just snorkeling that regret ever having the view that the ocean is a terrifying place and that they would never dive and they couldn't wait the go again. But yeah yesterday's dive with sea turtles was truly terrifying and horrible experience 😛
That stupid amusement park ride where you look like you're bungee jumping to your death. No, thank you.
Weed. My roommates are major pot heads and they're always trying to get me to smoke with them. But I'm just not interested. That's some of the grossest s**t I've ever smelled in my life. To each their own, it's just not for me.
Lobster. Not vegetarian but the thought of how its cooked and breaking it open to get to the meat gives me the heeby jeebys.
Karaoke. Not enough alcohol in the world.
To be clear, I have nothing against karaoke, I just know full well that I would suck at it. Ergo, not on my bucket list.
Contact lenses. Eyes are not meant to be touched.
You don't have to touch your eye to put in contacts. If fact the optometrist specifically tells you not to touch your eye like come on why would you poke yourself in the eye
Load More Replies...
I wear them on (almost) a daily basis, compared to glasses they're a real life changer.
Yes! I remember finally getting contact lenses and it was so amazing to not have to worry about my glasses fogging up or getting wet in the rain. I have been wearing glasses since I was 9 years old and lasik is not a viable option as I would need two procedures in each eye. So contact lenses are great.
Load More Replies...
Well. This is when the list starts to include regular activities that millions of people do everyday and they really can be overcome easily, so...I'm out
I had cataract surgery on both eyes a month apart. Going in for the first one was the hardest thing I've ever done...I was voluntarily letting someone poke me in the eye with a very sharp object. But, I survived with no complications so the second one was much easier.
I'd rather not think about that even tho it's obvious. Ew.
Load More Replies...
You get used to it. I've been so tired I've forgotten I already took them out and just dragged my finger all over my cornea and then tugged on the membrane only to realize my mistake.
Technically you never touch your eye. You touch the contact which then touches your eye. You never touch the eyeball.
I've worn them for 10 years or more. Never had a problem once I learned how to get them in properly.
I wish I could, but I can barely get eyedrops in my eyes. Putting my finger on my eye just isn't going to happen.
Idk if something’s wrong with me, but I can totally touch my eye without flinching or anything. It really creeps people out lol
Hehehe when I had contact lenses I used to tap them with a fingernail to worry people.
Load More Replies...
Oddly, I'm fine with this, but I respect the no-way-no-how people have about it.
Never could wear these blasted things. Several cornea abrasions later, I resigned myself to wearing glasses.
6 months ago I had a cornea transplant due to contacts. Throw out your case every 30 days.
i have contacts and for some reason i love touching my eye with my contacts on, its soothing
My eyes are just too dry...I tried them for awhile, but could only leave them in up to 4 hours, so it wasn't worth it.
Dailies are a game changer if you've never tried them. Throw them away every night & your eyes will get more oxygen so they aren't as drying.
Load More Replies...
I started wearing contacts about a month ago and I kinda miss my glasses, I developed a nasty eye infection because of them
I had them for years and after getting used to them for a few days, you don't really feel them. But now my allergies have changed and my tears are more acidic (I think) and soft lenses tend to turn opaque after a few days. So glasses for life I guess.
Get dailies. You throw them out every night, fresh ones every day. So...no clouding & they're way healthier for your eyes.
Load More Replies...
Yea no thanks. Can't even look at my friend doing it and even the picture here gives me slight anxiety
I wish that I could still wear them. There are so many problems with my eyes now that contacts can't begin to correct them. I seem to be farsighted and nearsighted in the same eye, and at the same time.
Never never never. My glasses are half my personality.
I really really hope for you that your retina never starts to detach. Traumatic.
I’m being serious, not snarky. It is the ultimate in having your eyeball touched and it is dreadful.
Load More Replies... I got them once even today, almost 25 or 26 years after i got them, i still cry the 120€ that i spent on them ( well not 120€ but the equivalent to )
I can't even look at this photo, it makes me literally hyperventilate. Eyes definitely cause so much anxiety for me, I'll keep my glasses, thanks very much. Plus, extra protection!
I can easily touch my eyes but I’m afraid that if I blink too hard I may break it while it’s still on my eye
Dumb. I wasn't meant to be blind, and it's not always possible to wear glasses. "You" can't even feel them once they're in.
Coffee, I hate bitter things and I know by the smell I won't like it.
Having kids. I don’t want to f**k up my body and my mind. I have terrible anger problems when it comes to dealing with people and I don’t want to physically abuse any future children so it’s best that I don’t have them
And I will never try pineapple. It’s a very scary fruit for me
Load More Replies...
I’m not making fun of anyone or anything, but the I find the phrase of an anti-bucket list very funny.
I call my anti-bucket list my "rhymes with bucket" list
Load More Replies...
New Year's Eve at Times Square. You're locked in with a bunch of people for hours, you can't leave even to pee, and it's probably gonna be cold AF. I'll watch the ball drop on TV at a friend's house, merci beaucoup.
My anti-bucket list is as long as or longer than my bucket list. And I'm okay with that. Then I'll live long enough to maybe get to everything on the actual bucket list!
If you don't do any of those stuff you are also restricting your view but somethings like smoking and Instagram are real s**t
Weed. I have a chronic psychotic illness akin to schizophrenia. Psychosis is very easily triggered by marijuana. So as much as my curiosity wants to try it, it could absolutely unravel my brain from the inside out.
My anti-bucket list: 1) Travel to the USA. David Bowie summed it up nicely "I'm afraid of Americans." 2) Get a driver's license and own a car. Public transport has been good enough and the more I hear about the struggles people with cars are having it's becoming less appealing and attainable. I'm not even the first person in my family to forgo it. 3) Plastic surgery (elective). I hope to never need surgery in my life, let alone an elective one that alters my appearance for life, and could potentially end up botched or fatal. 4) Own a big house. That kind of upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, anxiety about what could go wrong at any moment would take up any quality of life I have left to spare.
Never ever going skiing again. The last time I went, I broke my leg and was in a cast for around 10 weeks and a boot for another two weeks. That first week in a splint was the most painful week of my life. I don't care what you say or what you offer me, I'm not risking going through that kind of pain again.
Never skied, but I did surf. Not after riptide tried to end me. Dragged me over coral, shredded skin and suit. It was a bloody long walk back.
Load More Replies...
Wow. I have to agree with nearly 100% of this list. I'm far too old now to have babies, plus I had to have an emergency hysterectomy when I was 26. I had two children, but both are dead now, and there are no grands. Doesn't bother me in the least; I never want to get married again, not after the disaster I was married to for nine years. As for the rest....yeah, I can do without those things in my life, and very happily without them.
A lot of the comments down here would have been so much better entries than how this list wound up. For a largely liberal leaning site, I'm really disappointed to see poly/open relationships even appear as a "line item to try." Might as well put "being gay" on here as well. *To be clear, being gay is perfectly normal and natural* and so are other relationship structures. I'm at least encouraged to see that a lot of the readership have better suggestions about things one may not want to try
Having kids. I don’t want to f**k up my body and my mind. I have terrible anger problems when it comes to dealing with people and I don’t want to physically abuse any future children so it’s best that I don’t have them
And I will never try pineapple. It’s a very scary fruit for me
Load More Replies... I’m not making fun of anyone or anything, but the I find the phrase of an anti-bucket list very funny.
I call my anti-bucket list my "rhymes with bucket" list
Load More Replies... New Year's Eve at Times Square. You're locked in with a bunch of people for hours, you can't leave even to pee, and it's probably gonna be cold AF. I'll watch the ball drop on TV at a friend's house, merci beaucoup.
My anti-bucket list is as long as or longer than my bucket list. And I'm okay with that. Then I'll live long enough to maybe get to everything on the actual bucket list!
If you don't do any of those stuff you are also restricting your view but somethings like smoking and Instagram are real s**t
Weed. I have a chronic psychotic illness akin to schizophrenia. Psychosis is very easily triggered by marijuana. So as much as my curiosity wants to try it, it could absolutely unravel my brain from the inside out.
My anti-bucket list: 1) Travel to the USA. David Bowie summed it up nicely "I'm afraid of Americans." 2) Get a driver's license and own a car. Public transport has been good enough and the more I hear about the struggles people with cars are having it's becoming less appealing and attainable. I'm not even the first person in my family to forgo it. 3) Plastic surgery (elective). I hope to never need surgery in my life, let alone an elective one that alters my appearance for life, and could potentially end up botched or fatal. 4) Own a big house. That kind of upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, anxiety about what could go wrong at any moment would take up any quality of life I have left to spare.
Never ever going skiing again. The last time I went, I broke my leg and was in a cast for around 10 weeks and a boot for another two weeks. That first week in a splint was the most painful week of my life. I don't care what you say or what you offer me, I'm not risking going through that kind of pain again.
Never skied, but I did surf. Not after riptide tried to end me. Dragged me over coral, shredded skin and suit. It was a bloody long walk back.
Load More Replies... Wow. I have to agree with nearly 100% of this list. I'm far too old now to have babies, plus I had to have an emergency hysterectomy when I was 26. I had two children, but both are dead now, and there are no grands. Doesn't bother me in the least; I never want to get married again, not after the disaster I was married to for nine years. As for the rest....yeah, I can do without those things in my life, and very happily without them.
A lot of the comments down here would have been so much better entries than how this list wound up. For a largely liberal leaning site, I'm really disappointed to see poly/open relationships even appear as a "line item to try." Might as well put "being gay" on here as well. *To be clear, being gay is perfectly normal and natural* and so are other relationship structures. I'm at least encouraged to see that a lot of the readership have better suggestions about things one may not want to try
