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The internet is full of folks who want to act like smarty-pants. Online, anyone can be a know-it-all with a simple visit to Google and even their opinions. Granted, there are times when others get humbled by someone better informed and versed in one topic or another.
There's a group that collects such interactions, titled r/Don'tYouKnowWhoIAm. Medical, science, and other experts lurk on the internet too, waiting for their chance to put jerks in their place. So, here we present to you the newest collection of cases when folks didn't quite know they were talking with a person they were talking about. Get ready to feel some mild second-hand embarrassment!
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Facebook User Encounters A Genetics Expert
RELATED:
#2
A Comedian Gets Called Out For Stealing His Own Joke, But It Ends Nicely
#3
American Academy Of Pediatrics, Where Are You Getting Your Information?!
Skogsrået 7 months ago (edited)
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." - Isaac Asimov -
Embarrassment is a funny thing; some people would be mortified if they were on the receiving end of these interactions. Others, however, probably wouldn't even flinch even if they were as wrong as the people on this list.
Experts say that, in general, we humans are a pretty easy species to embarrass. True, it's an emotion most of us feel on an almost daily basis. But is there any point to embarrassment? We'd probably not feel it at all if we could, but there is a purpose that being embarrassed serves in our social interactions.
#4
Musk Challenges Yann Lecun
#5
Candidate For Jersey City Mayor Just Embarrassed Some Dude 😭
#6
Guy Talking About The Military Is Actually A Vet 🤯
We're social animals; we've lived in groups for as long as we've been around as a species. Embarrassment is nature's way to correct our course when we transgress in a social situation.
"Group living has been important to us for a long time, and even if you don't intentionally want to violate a social norm, you sometimes do. Embarrassment serves the function of immediately and strongly displaying, ‘Oops, I didn't mean to do that,'" psychologist Christine Harris, PhD explains.
#7
Gail Simone Could Be The Spokesperson Of This Sub
#8
He Practically Is The Spiderman
#9
Yakuta Not Kimono
Robert Millar 7 months ago
2) You ignorant nobody pretending to be put out over a cultural issue you know nothing about.
Surprisingly, being more prone to embarrassment makes people like you more. In 2012, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that people who are more embarrassable tend to be more prosocial. What's more, they behaved more generously than those who didn't get embarrassed as easily.
#10
Simple Answer To A Simple Question
#11
Martin Scorsese Is Not A Real Cinephile
#12
Explain To The Author Of "The Handmaid's Tale" Her Inspiration For Her Own Book
Kat Alison 7 months ago
Islam: in extreme forms, very misogynistic. Christianity: in extreme forms, very misogynistic. Two things can be true at the same time.
It's hard to tell whether a person online gets embarrassed. In real life, a red face and avoiding eye contact are pretty telling signs that a person is feeling embarrassment. Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University Mark R. Leary explained to The BBC that blushing is how bodies show we're uncomfortable with unwanted attention.
#13
To Not Know Who Made Wurm
#15
Director Chimes In
People's trust for easily embarrassed people translates into romantic relationships as well. Researcher Matthew Feinberg, the co-author of the Berkeley study, says that people find embarrassable people more attractive. "If they are looking for a long-term partner, it could show that you are prosocial, cooperative – someone who isn’t going to cheat."
#16
Telling Stephen King To Get A Job
#17
Commenter Doesn’t Recognize Top Female Chess Talent
#18
Scolding A TV Anchor Talking About His Own Work
David Morgan 7 months ago
Good for Kyle to acknowledge the work of his colleagues and contemporaries. It's easy to accept unearned praise, harder to divert it to other worthy recipients.
Still, many of us hate feeling embarrassed. So much so, that there's apparently even a case of lethal embarrassment. There's a case, published in the British Medical Journal of 1860, of a housemaid reportedly giving up the ghost after getting caught stealing food. However, today doctors think that it was a sudden rush of adrenaline that made her leave this mortal coil, not embarrassment per se.
#19
Regarding Oppenheimer
#20
Does This Go Here?
Lady Eowyn 7 months ago
It's a UK thing. I went to university, not to a university. I was in hospital, not in the hospital.
#21
Twitter Never Stops Giving
This all sounds great, you might think, but what should you do after experiencing an embarrassing moment? Leadership Rachel Beohm suggests developing a ritual to regain composure after embarrassing yourself in public. It can be an index finger miniature bow, flicking the embarrassment away as a piece of lint, or some other gesture. A physical act, according to her, acknowledges the mistake and makes it easier to move past it.
#22
Twitter User Tells Known Anthropologist To Study Anthropology
#23
Might Want To Freshen Up On The Bible
Kat Alison 7 months ago
Maybe a badly-edited collection of fiction stories is not meant to be used as a non-fiction guide to everything forever and ever.
#24
Guy Doesn't Realize He's Talking To Andy Weir, The Author Of The Book
You might've heard about the starfish power pose that people recommend for public-speaking jitters. When you're recovering from an embarrassing faux pas, something similar works too.
- Take deep breaths;
- Lift your head up high;
- Straighten your posture;
- And speak in a loud and confident voice.
#25
I Wrote The Bug😄
#26
Rip
Morgen Stern 7 months ago
Well, she is the daughter of American screenwriter, novelist, and director Michael TOLKIN (yes, she knows how to spell her own surname) who wrote (amongst other things) screenplays for various TV series (Ray Donovan, Escape at Dannemora...) and films (Deep Impact, Changing Lanes...). Not to be confused with our old pal JRR who had a thing for bling and hairy feet f****h.
#27
Asking The Literal White House If They Read The Fema Fine Print
Kathy Brooke 7 months ago
These days I wouldn't count on the White House Account to know the law.
What if your embarrassing moment happens online? Then your best bet is trying to cope with self-compassion. Marissa Moore, MA, LPC, writes that it's better to confront the situation and admit your faux pas. You might even feel better if you're able to find the humor in it. It doesn't have to be self-deprecating, but it can be an exercise is taking yourself less seriously.
#28
But He’s Like 99.9% Sure!
#29
It Really Did Work Too Well
BrunoVI 7 months ago
And in the U.S., many states say you must require ID; merely knowing a person is over 21 doesn't cut it.
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ANGEL M 7 months ago
I asked this in a supermarket in Scotland when buying non alcoholic cider where i a 50 year old had to have the bottle approved r where it stated that it was zero alcohol . I was told that its was a moral responsibility clause that supermarkets have that states that they cannot be seen to be encouraging under age drinking even if the actual product is the non alcoholic equivalent. And what someone else said was that there is always a possibility of an error in the level of alcohol in a drink like this. The interesting thing in Scotland is that if the bottle or can is displayed within the aisles of beer,cider,wine and spirits it will ask for approval but is displayed with in the soft drinks aisles it will not. As a result the the assumption would be that case they can verify if with soft drinks it is non alcoholic
Load More Replies...
BrunoVI 7 months ago
Like most things, this is controlled by state laws. I'm not shocked if some states legally see "NA beer" as "beer" without legally recognizing the alcohol has been removed, especially since it's not really "no-alcohol," but "reduced alcohol."
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Julie S 7 months ago
In the UK we accept any valid photo ID doesn't matter what country it is from.
Bobby 7 months ago
Maybe now? When I was there back in 2012 they wouldn't accept any US ID other than a passport. I was there while in the navy and neither my driver's license nor military ID were considered sufficient. Had the issue in portsmouth, London, and bath
Load More Replies...
zerofoxgiven 6 months ago
29 year old me just got IDed yesterday walking into a tobacco store trying to buy a bus ticket... I did not have my ID on me (it was in the car a few blocks away) so they wouldn't sell me the bus ticket. In Hungary, btw.
Chris the Bobcat 7 months ago
They wouldn't accept his English ID... and the guy speaks with an English accent. I'm losing more and more faith in my countrymen, one day at a time.
Kat Alison 7 months ago
Reminds me of the Beavis and Bùtthead episode where they bought non-alcoholic beer…and actually thought they were drunk! https://youtu.be/VYAQAR4RrHM?si=zOEcbgLLo8-ASblT
#30
Women Can Only Be Of Models
How many of these screenshots were satisfying moments where someone had to eat a nice portion of humble pie, Pandas? Let us know your favorites by upvoting them so they make it to the very top. And if you want to see more people embarrassing themselves by not knowing who they're talking to, check out these posts here and here!
#31
I Love AI ‘Artist’ Tears
#32
Do You Think A Founder Of Twitch Wants To Sell His Twitch Account For $500?
Chris the Bobcat 7 months ago
Jacob asked politely. In this time of division and unpleasantness, that alone should be recognized as a good thing.
#33
What A Joker
#34
Same
#35
Twitter Doctor Tries To Argue About A Player's Injury With The Player's Dad
#36
Ask Women Who Writes Superman Comics If She Knows He's Not Real
#37
This Guy Is Creator Of Buckshot Roulette Btw
Blackmoon The Dragon 7 months ago (edited)
Buckshot Roulette, a fun game :) although it is kinda violent... it is kinda funny that he got copyright blocked for his own game rofl
#38
Former Battlefield Dev Hasn’t Played Battlefield Apparently
Lady Eowyn 7 months ago
So many of these refer to people/ things I've never even heard of. I don't have the energy to google every unfamiliar person/thing.
#39
“He’s Stealing Content!” It’s My Content
#40
He Played The Games So He Would Know Better Of Course
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What do you think ?
Cherise/Bunny (She/they) 7 months ago
My brother tried to argue with me about whether there would be a train strike on the 29th of April or not. He said it was yet to be confirmed on the website. Dear reader, I work for the railway company
Jane Doe 7 months ago
OOOH, I have one of those! My brother told me that my assessment of our mom's book collection was wrong. I am a book dealer. He is a historian. Yes, when mom bought those encyclopedia in 1967, they were valuable. Not in 2015.
Load More Replies...
QijianSanek 7 months ago
My best friend was doing a presentation on Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of here main talking points was how it was just barely landlocked. Me and my other best friend spent weeks trying to convince her otherwise, even showing google maps. She still never conceded that Neum (Bosnian sea town) existed
PandaPadi 7 months ago
When man who have nothing, no background or experience in women health, try to explain to you how womens' health work. I explained to a man that I have terrible pain mid cycle which is called Mittelschmerz and for me its worse than the discomfort I have during period. He said that women only get pain during their period and that I am lying to get sympathy.
Forrest Grump 7 months ago
The fact that a person works in a certain profession doesn't mean they will always be correct about that topic.
Gavin Johnson 7 months ago
My Dad worked in the nuclear industry for a while, he designed elements of Windscale / Sellafield then subsequently he became a project manager and then procurement manager in the nuclear industry. We, as a family, went on the BNFL tour of the Sellafield site and the guide had been waxing lyrical about design elements of the chimneys on site, my Dad respectfully tried to correct her at the end of the tour, he didn’t do it in front of the coach full of tourists, she queried his knowledge and told him he didn’t have the authority to say what he had. He gently told her that he’d designed the original chimneys and that he’d procured their replacements. But hey, what did he know?
Apatheist Account2 7 months ago
Closest I've come to this is when I argued with my brother as to where Tropic of Ruislip was set. He claimed it was Moor Park because someone who lived there told him it was; I knew it was Carpender's Park, because I read it in an interview with the author, Leslie Thomas. This was long before social media.
nottheactualphoto 7 months ago
I gather that these are fictional places ... ?
Load More Replies...
Dan Flo 7 months ago
A coworker in saies had a bigshot customer visiting, and he was looking at one of our new products. I was in workshop clothes because I had just assembled one so we could let him try it. The client then started to explain to me what the different parts were, and how it works - untill my coworker tapped the guy on his shoulder and gently said "you are talking to the engineer who designed it". Wasnt a "put in place-moment" but it was kinda funny.
Marie BellaDonna 6 months ago (edited)
When I worked a drive-through, I had a situation like these. I had a long line. Nothing I could do about it, it was just one of those things that happens sometimes. And I had a customer pull up and complain about his wait. That happens too. I apologized politely, of course, because customer service. He asked me very snippily what was taking so long. As I took his money, and he continued with the rude attitude, I proceeded, still in my CS persona, to explain to him exactly what the holdup was, why it had happened, and what we were doing to rectify it. Usually this is enough, and most customers are understanding, and if not, they at least accept my explanation. Not this guy. He snapped. "That's not how it works!" I blinked, as my brain literally tried to process this ahole telling me he knew how MY job worked. That also happens, way too often. We get a lot of abuse, in the food-service industry. But I'd been in the industry for 20 years at that point (25 now), and I refuse to take it anymore. I have a great CS persona, and I can be sweet as pie. But the second someone treats me as less than, the switch flips. I've just got no fúcks left at this point, and no patience for people who disparage the job I bust my àss at, while still expecting me to bow down and serve them when they're hungry. Fúck that noise. So I dropped the CS smile, handed his change, and told him, "Actually, yes it is. I'm here 40 hours a week DOING it." And then I shut the window on him. I hope 1)his fries were cold, and 2) that he spilled his soda all over himself and his car. Jerk.
Roxy222uk 7 months ago
So two people are engaged in what to all intents and purposes is a debate about fictional characters and then one pulls out the ace card "I wrote it!" I don't see what the other person did wrong. Anyone can make a fake account with any name and photo, so that's no proof.
Kalevra 7 months ago
"16 Bean" Pasta E Fagioli ~ Directions The day before you plan to make the soup, place the bean mix in a large bowl, add cold water to cover by 2 inches and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Place the beans in a large pot with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that rises to the top. The beans should be very tender and the skin will peel away when you blow on a bean. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium (10-inch) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onion and saute over medium to medium-high heat for 12 to 18 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for one minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, 4 cups of the chicken stock, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and turn off the heat. Drain the beans and add two-thirds of them to the soup. Pass the remaining beans through a food mill,
Cherise/Bunny (She/they) 7 months ago
My brother tried to argue with me about whether there would be a train strike on the 29th of April or not. He said it was yet to be confirmed on the website. Dear reader, I work for the railway company
Jane Doe 7 months ago
OOOH, I have one of those! My brother told me that my assessment of our mom's book collection was wrong. I am a book dealer. He is a historian. Yes, when mom bought those encyclopedia in 1967, they were valuable. Not in 2015.
Load More Replies... QijianSanek 7 months ago
My best friend was doing a presentation on Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of here main talking points was how it was just barely landlocked. Me and my other best friend spent weeks trying to convince her otherwise, even showing google maps. She still never conceded that Neum (Bosnian sea town) existed
PandaPadi 7 months ago
When man who have nothing, no background or experience in women health, try to explain to you how womens' health work. I explained to a man that I have terrible pain mid cycle which is called Mittelschmerz and for me its worse than the discomfort I have during period. He said that women only get pain during their period and that I am lying to get sympathy.
Forrest Grump 7 months ago
The fact that a person works in a certain profession doesn't mean they will always be correct about that topic.
Gavin Johnson 7 months ago
My Dad worked in the nuclear industry for a while, he designed elements of Windscale / Sellafield then subsequently he became a project manager and then procurement manager in the nuclear industry. We, as a family, went on the BNFL tour of the Sellafield site and the guide had been waxing lyrical about design elements of the chimneys on site, my Dad respectfully tried to correct her at the end of the tour, he didn’t do it in front of the coach full of tourists, she queried his knowledge and told him he didn’t have the authority to say what he had. He gently told her that he’d designed the original chimneys and that he’d procured their replacements. But hey, what did he know?
Apatheist Account2 7 months ago
Closest I've come to this is when I argued with my brother as to where Tropic of Ruislip was set. He claimed it was Moor Park because someone who lived there told him it was; I knew it was Carpender's Park, because I read it in an interview with the author, Leslie Thomas. This was long before social media.
nottheactualphoto 7 months ago
I gather that these are fictional places ... ?
Load More Replies... Dan Flo 7 months ago
A coworker in saies had a bigshot customer visiting, and he was looking at one of our new products. I was in workshop clothes because I had just assembled one so we could let him try it. The client then started to explain to me what the different parts were, and how it works - untill my coworker tapped the guy on his shoulder and gently said "you are talking to the engineer who designed it". Wasnt a "put in place-moment" but it was kinda funny.
Marie BellaDonna 6 months ago (edited)
When I worked a drive-through, I had a situation like these. I had a long line. Nothing I could do about it, it was just one of those things that happens sometimes. And I had a customer pull up and complain about his wait. That happens too. I apologized politely, of course, because customer service. He asked me very snippily what was taking so long. As I took his money, and he continued with the rude attitude, I proceeded, still in my CS persona, to explain to him exactly what the holdup was, why it had happened, and what we were doing to rectify it. Usually this is enough, and most customers are understanding, and if not, they at least accept my explanation. Not this guy. He snapped. "That's not how it works!" I blinked, as my brain literally tried to process this ahole telling me he knew how MY job worked. That also happens, way too often. We get a lot of abuse, in the food-service industry. But I'd been in the industry for 20 years at that point (25 now), and I refuse to take it anymore. I have a great CS persona, and I can be sweet as pie. But the second someone treats me as less than, the switch flips. I've just got no fúcks left at this point, and no patience for people who disparage the job I bust my àss at, while still expecting me to bow down and serve them when they're hungry. Fúck that noise. So I dropped the CS smile, handed his change, and told him, "Actually, yes it is. I'm here 40 hours a week DOING it." And then I shut the window on him. I hope 1)his fries were cold, and 2) that he spilled his soda all over himself and his car. Jerk.
Roxy222uk 7 months ago
So two people are engaged in what to all intents and purposes is a debate about fictional characters and then one pulls out the ace card "I wrote it!" I don't see what the other person did wrong. Anyone can make a fake account with any name and photo, so that's no proof.
Kalevra 7 months ago
"16 Bean" Pasta E Fagioli ~ Directions The day before you plan to make the soup, place the bean mix in a large bowl, add cold water to cover by 2 inches and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Place the beans in a large pot with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that rises to the top. The beans should be very tender and the skin will peel away when you blow on a bean. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium (10-inch) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and onion and saute over medium to medium-high heat for 12 to 18 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for one minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, 4 cups of the chicken stock, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and turn off the heat. Drain the beans and add two-thirds of them to the soup. Pass the remaining beans through a food mill,
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