30 Funny And Confusing Pics Posted By The “Images That Require More Context” Twitter Page (New Pics)
A picture can really be worth a thousand words. But sometimes, they're "written" in a foreign language.
As you might've learned from our previous article on 'Images That Require More Context', there's a reason why people should provide captions for the photos they post online. If there isn't one, the rest of us might have more questions than answers.
"Why is that duck riding the subway?" "Did it pay for a ticket?" "How does the bird know when to get off?" "Can it read?" And so on.
But in case you missed the memo, let's take another look at what the Twitter account has been posting lately.
(Spoiler alert, it continues to stay true to its name.)
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If you feel uneasy when browsing these pictures, don't worry. There's nothing wrong with you. In fact, Dr. Clay Routledge, who is a social psychologist and professor of Psychology at North Dakota State University, points out that we humans need meaning. So whenever there is a lack of it — as it seems with many of these images — we're triggered.
"According to terror management theory, a prominent theory in social psychology, humans are like all other animals in that we strive to survive. Our bodies consist of systems that work to keep us alive. And as conscious beings, we deliberately engage in efforts to avoid death. We are motivated to live. However, unlike other animals, humans are intelligent enough to realize that death is certain. That is, we are uniquely aware of our mortal nature. We understand that despite our best efforts to stay alive, death is inevitable," Routledge writes in Scientific American.
Terror management theory asserts that this juxtaposition of a desire to live and an awareness of death can cause a significant amount of anxiety, and that humans need to manage this terror in some way if we want to keep functioning.
"We would not be a very productive species if we lived our lives in constant fear of death. Thus, according to the theory, people seek out a sense of enduring meaning that makes them feel more than mortal," Routledge explains.
Everyone talking about the truck no one talking about how strong the wires are
Um...I am not sure this is what Jesus meant when he said to carry your cross..
To put it simply, we know our lives are brief and so we try to be part of something that transcends biological existence. "This sense of death-transcendence can come from having children, creating works that will leave a lasting legacy, investing in a group or organization that outlasts the lives of any individual member, and so on," the social psychologist says.
Naturally, spirituality is a particularly powerful meaning-making tool as most religious beliefs explicitly afford humans with an afterlife.
"Research supports terror management theory," Routledge highlights. "Specifically, studies find that when people are exposed to stimuli that remind them of their mortality, they exhibit increased investment in the social and cultural identities that provide meaning and perceptions of death-transcendence."
For instance, if someone actively contemplates mortality, it increases their desire to have children, level of patriotism, religious faith, and commitment to romantic partners.
"In short, heightening the awareness of death heightens efforts to find and preserve transcendent meaning"
Park the van under a tree in a parking lot, and leave it there for a few hours. Then tell us that birds aren't real.
Similarly, Routledge says that meaning mitigates the threat of death awareness. In fact, studies show that having people think about death increases their fear of it, but this effect is only observed among those who do not perceive their lives as meaningful.
"People who have meaning are not as terrified about the fact that they are mortal," Routledge says.
Gun or photoshop? I hope it's photoshop, otherwise this is a waste of a perfectly good billiards table.
Research suggests that the realization that life is finite is the driving force for our efforts to feel that our lives are purposeful and meaningful.
People want to be more than mere mortal beings who, at some point in time, disappear forever. To feel meaningful is to feel like you've made a lasting mark, and that your contribution will endure.
I know it's a stretch, but maybe, just maybe, viewing seemingly random pictures with no apparent reason behind them somehow challenges our notion of a greater purpose? But maybe that's just maybe. Maybe you're completely unfazed by this list.
A truck carrying hagfish crashed on a road with the car in the picture. Hagfish release slime when disturbed, car covered in slime. Think I’ve got that right?
This is from a meme the girl in the picture made. The joke was about short girls having to develop levitation powers to be able to get things from the top shelf.
The cool thing is that now short people can get cabinets that pull down from the wall so they can reach them. They're expensive though. I am thinking of getting them when I finish my reno... if I ever finish.
Load More Replies...Yes, then you go to the moon and this is what happens... Now she's floating.
Load More Replies...No, Sorrow floats (Hotel New Hampshire, by John Irving).
Load More Replies...I see what looks like stilts or skinny metal legs of a stool (they almost blend into the background) that’s probably barely supporting her.
This is dangerous because she'll fall as soon as she looks down! (à la Wile E Coyote)
The only short person who can see things from a different perspective. 😂
The Asians have invented yet more technology to make organizing your house super easy. (No, really. There are a ton of videos on YouTube showing a lot of awesome Asian technology to make housework faster and more efficient.)
Some people get good super powers but fart floating is pretty much not desired.
The daily life of the cast of the Crouching tiger, hidden dragon after the movie..
Am I the only one who sees the outline of the stool? Could be a light source making it look like though
You can just make out the legs of the chair that she's standing on. It's not an illusion and doesn't need more context
I'm not sure if it's photoshoped. If you look closely, there appears to be a black stool, possibly with thin metal legs. However, this would be so easy to photoshop with how much the stool already blends in.
Load More Replies...Research indicates that people who report having a strong sense of meaning in life are better able to cope with mentally and physically taxing experiences.
"Meaning can give people the inner strength they need to overcome many of life’s hurdles. Meaning motivates. It makes people want to productively move forward in life," Routledge says.
I don't want to sound overdramatic, but I hope you found your meaning. If not, let's keep searching. Whether it's a dumb image on the internet or something bigger.
Minimum wage worker in the US forced to work with no air conditioning. Understandable to me.
It's Vecna! Quick what's your favorite song? Edit since I got so many responses mine would be brain damage by Pink Floyd I think. I love music!
Note: this post originally had 64 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I love this website, because where else can you find an extremely deep article about death anxiety interspersed with the most chaotic pictures ever taken in the history of the camera
I will laugh out loud no matter where I am at. Scared a lady at the salon last week looking at bp while waiting.
Load More Replies...One should never doubt human ingenuity, or the tragic lack thereof, and this list has some perfect examples why.
I love this website, because where else can you find an extremely deep article about death anxiety interspersed with the most chaotic pictures ever taken in the history of the camera
I will laugh out loud no matter where I am at. Scared a lady at the salon last week looking at bp while waiting.
Load More Replies...One should never doubt human ingenuity, or the tragic lack thereof, and this list has some perfect examples why.