Messing up is a normal part of life. Whether it’s in our work environment or our relationships, every single one of us makes mistakes at some point. Living with our errors, however, can be difficult as even the most minor ones tend to damage our pride, cause embarrassment, and leave us with an overwhelming rush of panic. But if you think accidentally smashing a vase or spilling coffee all over your work is bad enough, today’s list may make you feel incredibly validated.
Let us introduce you to the 'That Looked Expensive' subreddit. This online community is dedicated to documenting mistakes, catastrophes, or disasters that are sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious, but definitely very, very costly. Think flooded bitcoin mining farms, historical paintings ruined by security guards, and many other things that break the bank.
Below, we wrapped up the newest batch of pictures from the group for you to enjoy. Buckle up and get ready to witness failures of such epic proportions that you may want to immediately cover your eyes! Keep reading to also find an in-depth interview with licensed psychotherapist Aliza Shapiro, LCSW. Then make sure to upvote your favorite entries as you go, and if you have any expensive blunder stories you want to share, let us know all about them in the comments.
Pssst! Be sure to check out our earlier pieces on this feature here: Part 1 and Part 2.
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Remember To Always Tip Your Server
If You're Going To F**k Up, Make Sure You F**k Up In Such A Way That It Leaves People Asking How You Did It
Yikes
Every mistake is a lesson to be learned, isn’t it? No one is immune to the occasional slip-ups — they are a guarantee in life that cannot be avoided no matter how much we try. Life throws curveballs to give us valuable learning opportunities that may hit us hard at first, but allow us to improve and become more rounded human beings. So by now, we should know to accept our blunders for what they are and treat failure as a growing experience. But in reality, how many of us see our mistakes as such?
Well, it depends. We humans are a curious species that sometimes find it hard to let go of the fear and stress that comes from messing up. We stumble, fall, and manage to tangle ourselves in our failure, unable to get up, learn from it, and continue with our lives.
What matters more than any misstep or its magnitude, however, is our response afterward. To find out from an expert how to best handle these situations on an emotional level, we reached out to a licensed psychotherapist and founder of Therapy In The City, Aliza Shapiro, LCSW. She runs her own private practice where she provides evidence-based care for adults and adolescents and helps them overcome an array of mental health challenges, including depression, OCD, and anxiety.
Pipes Burst Underneath Basketball Court
Lemme Teach This Kid How To Draw!!
The Costa Concordia Disaster
According to Shapiro, justification and self-deprecation are two of the most common ways we respond to mistakes. "It is hard, and often scary, to admit to our mistakes, and unconsciously, we will try to do anything to avoid doing just that," she told Bored Panda.
"For some, messing up in a high stakes scenario generates an enormous amount of cognitive dissonance, and instead of accepting the difficult reality that being imperfect is simply a part of life, we justify our actions instead," the psychotherapist added. "Others have an equal, but opposite, reaction to mistakes. If our self-esteem isn't intact, one error can quickly turn into a cascade of self-doubt, judgment, and deprecation. Again, instead of accepting that human beings are by definition imperfect, a single mistake can turn into a spiral of 'I'm not good enough.'
Diamonds Are ... Not Forever
Aahahahahaha, and i just finished the previous article here how he implanted it and was wondering... Why, just why would he do that
lol I just came from the same article and this is hilarious! I mean I'm sure it hurt, but sometimes stupidity hurts. Let's hope mister "goldilocks" with gold chains for hair doesn't go crowdsurfing...
Load More Replies...ripped out by fans at a festival everybody knows that it was Thanos who took it
When you have so much money you don't know what to do with it ... You could HELP PEOPLE you dumbass!
Funny, I just saw the diamond in another post and thought, who could be so stupid? So easy to steal! Serves him right! 🙄
Not 5 minutes ago I read about him getting that gem implanted. My first thought was: "Someone's gonna rip that thing right out."
It's not. Putting jewels on yourself doesn't mean people are entitled to grab them, that's stealing. It's the same as piercings, necklaces, rings etc. Just because diamonds on a forehead look stupid doesn't make them free loot.
Load More Replies...It’s like the scene in infinity war where vision gets the mind stone ripped out of his forehead.
Oh man.... I can only see Thanos riping the Stone from Vision forehead right now lol
Check out the previous article of rich people flaunting their money. Dumb dumb implanted that because he got $$$
Load More Replies...What kind of f*cking MORON has a diamond embedded in his forehead? And worth $24 million? Adopt a small country or something, you jack*ss.
What is it with overly rich American musicians? The idiotic narcissism is outrageous!
Getting his comeuppance, as previous reader said about having just read previous article that he had had it implanted to show of his wealth 😡 Hope he was so arrogant he hadn't insured it and hope it left a lifelong scar to remind him what a pretentious pr**k he had previously been. Boasting to the world it was worth more than all his cars jewellery and mansions. Disgusting human being...
Have we really gotten to a world, where somebody pays more than several NICE houses to get a pink bauble in his forehead? I've got hot glue and a Michaels addiction, I can help him out, probably for less pain and I only charge 1 million.
It's not lost, it just now belongs to someone else. A happy fan.
Sorry, I am not sure why you were down voted. I agree with you. Not sure how one stone is worth $24 million USD. Was it the Hope diamond?
Load More Replies...Absolutely Shattered
When You Use The Wrong Cheat Code
Well, we're going to let you in on a little secret — nobody is flawless. Intuitively, we all know that perfectionism is an unrealistic trait that often blocks our road to success. Yet, whether it’s out of fear or to avoid encountering uncomfortable feelings, we still strive to be perfect and avoid making blunders at all costs.
811 Call Before You Dig
Grape Juice Overflowing. Looks Like A Volcano
Belgium (1990)
But making mistakes can be beneficial, it all depends on the perspective. "Not only do mistakes lay the groundwork for some of the greatest lessons we learn in life, they are also a necessary part of any person, team, or company's growth," Shapiro explained.
"Facebook's corporate office famously bears signs that read 'Fail Harder,' embedding into the corporate culture that failure is not just OK, it is crucial. In our personal lives as well, when we look our mistakes in the eye, we also learn exactly where and how we need to grow."
Scaffolding Smashes Into Elizabeth Towerjust Days After £80 Million Makeover Was Revealed
How The Hell Does Something Like This Happen
My Bad, Boss
But many of us often choose the path of avoidance, even if it can lead to even more suffering and inflict unnecessary stress on us and the people around us. That’s why apologizing, forgiving yourself, and seeing your mistake as an experience you can move forward from instead of constantly beating yourself up about it is a great confidence-building tactic. Plus, it can also make you more resilient to any future challenges.
Delivery Robot Tries To Walk Across Undried Cement
You Left Your Hazard Lights On!
Wind Turbine Fell Over
Psychotherapist Shapiro agrees with this line of thinking. "Self-compassion is the single most powerful tool to combat self-judgment and blame, and also becomes the fuel for positive change as well," she told Bored Panda. "When we respond to ourselves in moments of setback with a mindful, compassionate understanding of how/why we made certain choices, we gain strength to move forward in healthier ways."
"In contrast, when we respond to ourselves with blame and judgment, we lose the strength and motivation necessary to resolve the mistakes that were made." Moreover, this can also put us in danger of repeating the same errors. Thinking "I’m worthless" and telling yourself that you are a failure won’t get you very far in fixing your error. However, it can have dire consequences and even lead to negative thought spirals when one harsh critique leads to another, with no end in sight.
How Not To Handle A Multi-Million Dollar Satellite
Flipped Tesla Carrier
There Was A Small Fire At My Apartment Building Last Night
If you think your oversight feels like the end of the world is just around the corner, Shapiro was kind enough to share a few pieces of advice on how to become better at handling mistakes (especially when they’re painfully expensive). "Do not expend your energy on self-judgment, spend it instead on how you will rectify the mistake, and create systems that ensure it won't happen in the future," she suggested.
"Oftentimes, serious mistakes are building blocks for new and important structures, and when we use our energy to create something that will be more effective in the big picture, mistakes start to feel meaningful instead of painful," the psychotherapist concluded.
Brazilian Ship In Ecuador
Macau Grand Prix Crash
The 2013 Saltsjöbaden (Sweden) Train Crash. A Cleaning Lady Accidentally Starts A Negligently Parked Train, It Eventually Derails And Crashes Into A House
This Picture Of A Flooded Bitcoin Mining Farm
That Looked Stupid
One Of The Reasons They Close The Ramp At An Airport During A Storm
F**k You Tesla
Today On “Air Crash Investigations”
Mv Rena Aground Off The Coast Of Tauranga, New Zealand, October 2011
Snowbirds Are Back In Florida
B**ch, I Believe I Can Fly
«perfect Outside And Inside Wash» Middle Of Nowhere In Sweden
"Should I Move The Excavators Out Of The Pit Boss?" Boss:"Nah, They'll Be Fine" Pittsburgh Pa
Wind Was A Little High In Colorado
Smaller Yacht Caught Fire Which Spread To The Larger Yacht In Shanghai Last Night
While Reversing In A Canal Of Amsterdam, The Ship Struck Ground
Nice Weather
That'll Buff Out
This Ferrari Enzo That Crashed This Morning While Making A Testdrive In Baarn, The Netherlands
Looks Like He Thought It Was A Road, Or He Just Needed To Cool Off
Altenburg (Germany) Before And After The Ongoing Severe Flooding Due To Excessive Rain (2021)
New Hyperloop Being Built In Novosibirsk, Russia
That's at the very least four washing machines big. Why do they measure sinkholes with washing machines and not cars?
Had A Bad Storm Come Through Recently
Highway 2 North Of Ponoka
I Alone At Forgot About This One!
That's One Hot Ferrari
Wonder If He’ll Have To Pay A Parking Ticket?
Insurance: "You Hit What!?"
That’s One Way To Load A Motorcycle Onto A Tow Truck
Note: this post originally had 75 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I feel sorry for the workers, but I have little compassion for owners of luxury cars and yatchs.
Why do you say this? Some people have actually worked hard for their money and decided to spend it on a luxury item, or several. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Load More Replies...Was on an island in Greece and a yacht pulled into port and tried to dock in the area ment for smaller boats. Their propeller grabbed a chain off the seabed and punched a hole in the bottom. There's a reason you're not supposed to dock there.
Where I live there are tons of wannabe skippers but they don't know how to handle a sailing boat on an ocean with some of the strongest and unforeseeable winds on earth (when their motor dies lol), so things happen all the time here during summer season. Also, people on SUPs being taken away by currents into the wide ocean because they go out too far.
Load More Replies...In marching band yesterday, we were practicing outside in a slightly hilled parking lot and a car pulled in, we thought nothing of it bc it wasn't close. When we were bringing the instruments back in, I forgot that the marimba I was pushing was on a hill. When I heard someone call my name, I looked up and let go of the marimba. It rolled down and hit the car! Luckily the marimba was not damaged but it did scratch the car. I felt really bad about it until seeing this list!
I feel sorry for the workers, but I have little compassion for owners of luxury cars and yatchs.
Why do you say this? Some people have actually worked hard for their money and decided to spend it on a luxury item, or several. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Load More Replies...Was on an island in Greece and a yacht pulled into port and tried to dock in the area ment for smaller boats. Their propeller grabbed a chain off the seabed and punched a hole in the bottom. There's a reason you're not supposed to dock there.
Where I live there are tons of wannabe skippers but they don't know how to handle a sailing boat on an ocean with some of the strongest and unforeseeable winds on earth (when their motor dies lol), so things happen all the time here during summer season. Also, people on SUPs being taken away by currents into the wide ocean because they go out too far.
Load More Replies...In marching band yesterday, we were practicing outside in a slightly hilled parking lot and a car pulled in, we thought nothing of it bc it wasn't close. When we were bringing the instruments back in, I forgot that the marimba I was pushing was on a hill. When I heard someone call my name, I looked up and let go of the marimba. It rolled down and hit the car! Luckily the marimba was not damaged but it did scratch the car. I felt really bad about it until seeing this list!