50 Hilarious Pics From People’s ‘Blunder Years’ That’ll Forever Live Online As A Cringy Reminder (New Pics)
In search of our identity, we sometimes make decisions that later in life we aren't particularly proud of.
But instead of burying them in the past, the subreddit 'Blunder Years' invites people to embrace all the regrettable fashion choices, cringe-inducing hairstyles, and just their "personal brand" in general.
We at Bored Panda agree that finding humor in our idiosyncrasies is a refreshing and liberating approach, so we put together a collection of the most popular recent posts from this wholesome online community.
May they serve as an inspiration for self-discovery and acceptance.
This post may include affiliate links.
2008 Senior Photo In The Cemetery With My 1976 Cadillac
2006 And I Was 17. The Cure Was My Life
Clinical psychologist David John Hallford, who is also a senior lecturer at Deakin University, Australia, says that according to current thinking, there are two ways in which we recall experiences from our past.
"One way is purposeful and voluntary," he writes in The Conversation. "For example, if you try to remember what you did at work yesterday, or what you had for lunch last Saturday. This involves a deliberate and effortful process during which we search for the memory in our minds."
"The second way is unintended and spontaneous. These are memories that just seem to 'pop' into our minds and can even be unwanted or intrusive."
First Time Mom Let Me Dress Myself For Picture Day
2004 In 6th Grade. My Best Friend Wanted A Pic Of Her Crush, So We Devised A Plan For Her To Pretend To Take One Of Me As He Walked Past. It Was A Success!
Glamour Shots Photo From 1994. I Was 8 Years Old (Going On 45 In This Pic)
Never would have guessed she was only 8 years old! Before I read the heading I thought she might be in her teens, if that!
However, if you too are sometimes struck with sudden flashbacks from your blunder years, don't worry. Hallford says that involuntary memories are usually more negative than their voluntary counterparts, and negative memories also tend to have a stronger emotional tone than positive ones.
"Humans are more motivated to avoid bad outcomes, bad situations, and bad definitions of ourselves than to seek out good ones. This is likely due to the pressing need for survival in the world: physically, mentally, and socially," the psychologist explains.
When I Thought It Would Be Classy To Wear A Victorian Suit To Prom ~2010
When Someone Asks How Your Life Is Going…
My Wife Gave Me Permission To Share This Picture Of Her From The Early 90s. She's The One On The Left
Me In The 80s. Sadly, The Coolest I Ever Looked
For the most part, this is all fine, and we are usually able to remember our past and experience the emotions that come with it without too much distress. But it may happen for some people more than others, and with stronger feelings, too.
"One clue as to why comes from research on mood-congruent memory. This is the tendency to be more likely to recall memories which are consistent with our current mood," Hallford says. "So, if you’re feeling sad, well, you're more likely to recall memories related to disappointments, loss, or shame. Feeling anxious or bad about yourself? You're more likely to recall times when you felt scared or unsure."
Sophomore Prom Sporting My Hot Topic Best Waiting For My Boyfriend's Mom's Minivan
Gorgeous! I think you are one of the people that can pull anything off.
Senior Year Photo (2010)
Are We Doing Goth Prom Photos? Here's Me In 2007. I Made The Dress Myself, As The Cheap Shiny Satin Does Suggest
Thinking I Was The Coolest 12y/O Cuz I Could Play The Saxophone
The good news is that memories are very adaptable! "When we recall a memory we can elaborate on it and change our thoughts, feelings, and appraisals of past experiences," Hallford points out.
During a process referred to as reconsolidation, changes can be made so the next time that memory is recalled it is different to what it once was and has a new emotional tone.
16, 25 And Now At 34. What A Evolution!
I Looked Like Tommy Boy As A Little Girl (1995)
Cleanest Bowl Cut I Ever Had
I Was Cast As Rudolph When I Was In Ninth Grade! (2008)
For example, we might remember a time when we were anxious about having to play Rudolf in an elementary school play that didn’t go so well for us, and feel sad or ashamed.
Reflecting, elaborating, and reframing that memory might involve remembering some aspects of it that did go well, integrating it with the idea that we stepped up to a challenge even though it was hard, and reminding ourselves that it's okay to feel tensed about difficult things and it does not make us a failure or a bad person.
That way, if our dad unearths an old picture of us standing on a stage with a red nose, we might find ourselves smiling at it and recognizing the growth and resilience that have come since then.
1997-Ish
And then they went to Denny's to smoke cloves and drink coffee. Yeah I was one of those kids.
Apparently My High School Blunder Photo I Posted A Year Ago Was Good Enough That A Bot Re-Posted It So Here's Another Photo From High School. Yes I Wore This Jacket To School, And I'm Pretty Sure I Was On A List With The School Administration For How I Dressed
Grades 3, 6, And 9. Style Has Never Been A Strength Of Mine
Found My Wife’s 1st Grade School Picture
If you need more reminders to reassure you that pretty much everyone goes through this (or simply enjoy this subreddit), fire up our previous publications 50 Times People Who Went Through The ‘Blunder Years’ Phase Posted These Absolutely Hilarious Pics and 50 Of The Funniest Pictures Of People’s Teen Years When They Thought They Were The Coolest.
I Was 14 And Thought I Looked Like Ke$ha. To This Day, My Friend Still Has This Posted In One Of Her Facebook Albums
I Took The Fashion From Clueless A Little Too Seriously
17 Years Old In 2009. I Think I Looked Pretty Damn Good
Me After Fight Club Came Out (2000)
Who Wouldn’t Want Training Bras For Their Birthday?
In Celebration Of Star Wars Day, A Picture Of Me Dressing Up As A Jedi For No Apparent Reason. 2002. Not Halloween. Not For A Showing Of Aotc, Just Wearing It To School Because I Thought It Was Cool
I Sure Was An Angsty Little Firestarter
My Mom Never Displayed This School Photo
It’s Been 14 Years Since I’ve Looked Like This, But It Feels Like Yesterday
Circa 2014 - Watched Goodfellas Too Many Times, Dressed Like This Every Single Day
I Posted This On Facebook When I Was 14 With The Caption “Don't Look Where You Fall, But Where You Slipped” 💀🤦🏻♀️
Circa 2004
My First Day Of School, Circa 2009
Me In 2006ish. Friend From Highschool Sent Me This
My Valley Girl Mom Back In '80s
It Was The Bicentennial And A “Special” Picture Day. Mom Made My Hair Extra Special Too
My Mom In 2003 vs. 2023 🖤
I Had To Wear This Bad Boi Throughout Grade Five. I Had To Develop A Personality Fast
This “Edgy” Photoshoot Was So Cool In My Head
It reminds me of a music video from a band name Ego Likeness. The song is called 16 Miles I think.
I Am Still Upset About This Haircut
I Was So Proud Of This Costume
Myspace Profile Pic, 2008. Can You Tell My Favorite Movie Was Amelie?
You Will Never Be As Cool As I Thought I Was. (And The Name Of Our Band Was "Menstrual Cycle")
Showed This Old Picture Of Myself To My Fiancé, & She Said, “Edward Stopping The Truck From Hitting Bella In Twilight”
My Freshman Year Pic, 2013. Anyone Got A Pair Of Hedge Clippers?
We all laugh now, but you know that fashion is going to come round again eventually.
An Edgy "Photoshoot" In My Grandpa's Flower Garden
Me In 2012 Filming A Horror Movie That Was Filmed In A Backyard With A Camcorder And I Got Payed With Potato Salad
Back In 1983 When I Was Still A Stud Lady’s Man
16 Year Old Me Really Thought I Could Be The Next Numa Numa Guy/Star Wars Kid. This Was In My Myspace Bio [2005]
My Hair Has Never Recovered
Word of advice: If you decide to dye your hair red or orange, be prepared to live with it because those colors are very hard to wash out.
When Your Family Makes You Do Family Stuff With Them But You're Emo
2003, 19 Years Old, And The First Time I Met A Palm Tree
I was a bit like that when I met a redwood at 50, no shame. I loved Muir woods
Eternally Grateful To Jostens For Capturing That Star Quality. 199-Something
10 Year Old Me Was Way Too Excited To Get A Gophone As My First Phone
I Used To Be Convinced That Marilyn Manson Was My Soulmate. Anyone Else Remember Those Sticky Club Floors And Smoking Indoors?
One of my old GFs dated Manson briefly. She dodged a bullet there.
My Dad Age 17 Clearly Not Digging The Family Photo
Every other 17 year old would have behaved in exactly the same way
Me, Age 12, Drawing Supernatural Fanart For Tumblr In My Doctor Who T-Shirt Wearing 3D Glasses With The Lenses Popped Out. I Think I Was Going For A "Cute Nerd" Look...ended Up A Bit More "Austin Powers"
Friend Gave Me Permission To Post This: “I Cried The Entire Way To The Picture Place Bc I Didn’t Want To Wear The Blazer . Mom Made Me Anyway”
My Mom Loved This Haircut
My 7th Grade Photo. Life Was Hell!
I'm 33 Now, But Here's Me At 16 Convinced I Could Be A Special Effects Makeup Artist
13 Yr Old Edge-Lord Me Pretending To Be Dead In A Tub??? 🤦♀️why?!
Scene Me In 2007 vs. Today
He sells real estate. His face is likely on a bench somewhere 😁
My Last Post Here Was Well Recieved, So Here's Some Classics From My Middle School Instagram
15 Yo Me Circa 2013. I Loved Chopin, Tim Burton And KFC. Thrift Store Army Jacket + Half The Bottle Of Hairspray And I Was Ready To Hit The Street
In 2008 My Best Friend (16m) And I (17f) Swapped Clothes And Took Pictures
11 Year Old Me In 2005
In My Photoshop Era
When I Had Fake Dreads And Hated Everything Mainstream. From 2005 I Think
No Idea Why We Needed So Much Leg Room (1998)
If anyone asks what '98/99 looked like, please just show them this picture. This is it. Though these homies must have forgotten their puka shells.
It's 1999, I'm 14 And Mom Let Me Decide My Own Haircut
Freshly Home From My First Anime Convention, Where I Did Not Shower The Entire Weekend And Spent Every Dollar I Had On That Hat And The Dvds> I Wore That Cheap Hat Til It Basically Melted
I Thought I Was Hardcore. I Thought I Was A Member Of The Band. Couldn’t Even Play An Instrument
Not being able to play an instrument has never precluded anyone from being in a band
Facebook Reminded Me Of My Twilight Phase In 2009
This is probably an unpopular opinion but I don't think Edward is handsome. I just don't see it
I Present To You My Peak Emo Years Circa 2006. I’m On The Left. Zero Regrets
Me At 14. Really Thought I Had Something Going With The Cravat, Wasitcoat, Bullet Belt And The Cheap Emo Sneakers
Why is the bullet belt upside down? That's the cringiest thing in the whole picture.
Blue Lipstick To Match My Blue Box Dyed Hair, Circa 2016
Going Through That Weird Transformation From Bsb To Korn. Probably 1998
On Christmas Day My Dad Gifted Me A Shirt He Designed To Advertise My Youtube Channel At The Time. The Channel Was About Me(Bosh) And My Dinosaur Puppet(Arnold) Who You Can Both See Together In The Following Picture
Honestly, I love all of these! Such a variety of clothing styles and people enjoying themselves dressing the way they feel has something really energizing about it for me! I wish we'd see more diversely clothed people nowadays, and not always people in dark coats or office suits. The world would be so much more colorful and vibrant!
Load More Replies...It disturbs me that so many of these "ancient" photos were taken this century :(
We all thought we were all that and a bag of catnip. Ohbladee ohbladah, life goes on.
I think it’s absolutely hilarious how many people get their panties in a bunch over a bit of harmless roasting here. After all, these were ALL self posted by people who were laughing at themselves and fully expect to get ribbed in the comments. Otherwise why post them? And take note that every one of them posted “I was” type statements followed by “my lack of taste” or “my silly angsty pics” type statements. Yet total strangers who don’t know how to take a light hearted joke become offended for the ops while failing to recognize they are simply projecting. Honestly, these dandruff flakes are worse than snow flakes in all ways but one. Dandruff flakes can be brushed from your shoulder and left to languish on the ground behind you. All OPs should recognize that all but the dandruff flakes had a good chuckle at their own self reflection. They posted these for our amusement. And any mention of anatomy and physiology, even when using proper verbiage for a&p, is not offensive or vulgar.
These look like they are lifted from the "blunderyears" subreddit. Everyone posts their own photos voluntarily to laugh at themselves. Don't feel guilty
Load More Replies...Honestly, I love all of these! Such a variety of clothing styles and people enjoying themselves dressing the way they feel has something really energizing about it for me! I wish we'd see more diversely clothed people nowadays, and not always people in dark coats or office suits. The world would be so much more colorful and vibrant!
Load More Replies...It disturbs me that so many of these "ancient" photos were taken this century :(
We all thought we were all that and a bag of catnip. Ohbladee ohbladah, life goes on.
I think it’s absolutely hilarious how many people get their panties in a bunch over a bit of harmless roasting here. After all, these were ALL self posted by people who were laughing at themselves and fully expect to get ribbed in the comments. Otherwise why post them? And take note that every one of them posted “I was” type statements followed by “my lack of taste” or “my silly angsty pics” type statements. Yet total strangers who don’t know how to take a light hearted joke become offended for the ops while failing to recognize they are simply projecting. Honestly, these dandruff flakes are worse than snow flakes in all ways but one. Dandruff flakes can be brushed from your shoulder and left to languish on the ground behind you. All OPs should recognize that all but the dandruff flakes had a good chuckle at their own self reflection. They posted these for our amusement. And any mention of anatomy and physiology, even when using proper verbiage for a&p, is not offensive or vulgar.
These look like they are lifted from the "blunderyears" subreddit. Everyone posts their own photos voluntarily to laugh at themselves. Don't feel guilty
Load More Replies...