If it sounds stupid, looks stupid, quacks like stupid, but also (kinda) works, is it still stupid? The jury’s still out on this one. What we know for sure is that in the world of life hacks, even the weirdest ideas can still have merit. All it takes is a bit of creativity and the willingness to stick a broken key into a potato to make a new grip. Genius and madness are often two sides of the same coin, after all.
Our team over here at Bored Panda wanted to share some of that peculiar worldly wisdom with you, so we’ve compiled this list of the most bizarre life hacks that (sorta, kinda, surprisingly) work. Scroll on down and remember to upvote the ones that impressed you the most, as well as the ones that got you giggling so hard, you had to take a five-minute break. Got a particular fave hack that you can’t wait to share with all of your friends semi-seriously? Let us know which one it was in the comments.
Who better to help navigate the world of silliness than a comedian? Comedy writer and musical stand-up comedian Ariane Sherine put an end to the age-old discussion about whether or not something's dumb if it works. "It’s actually very smart, and it’s a shame if people don’t use it through fear of looking dumb!" she told Bored Panda. Read on for the rest of our interview with Ariane.
In the mood for some more hacks and even more laughs to boost your mood? You’ll find our earlier posts about silly but functional life hacks over here and right here. Bon appétit.
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Relationship Hacks 101
Get Your Roommate To Clean The Apartment
Solve Your Problems
British comedian Ariane explained that human beings tend to look down on ideas that sound dumb on a theoretical level because we want to appear much more intelligent than we might actually be. It's all to do with our (perceived) reputations!
"Everybody wants to think they’re smart (even if they’re actually Donald Trump!) and people hate feeling stupid or being duped. If a piece of advice doesn’t sound helpful, I guess people who see themselves as clever will automatically reject it rather than try it and risk feeling dumb," she shared with Bored Panda.
How To Get A Free Gift For Your Wedding
If It's Stupid And It Works It's Not Stupid
My Dad Apparently Sneaks His Remote Into A Local Bar So He Can Change The Channel When He Doesn’t Like What’s On. I’m Equally Embarrassed And Impressed
Meanwhile, Ariane, just like us, is a huge fan of avocados. Not surprisingly, her favorite life hack has to do with them and how they have an "inbult ripeness sensor" that lets you tell if the avocado is overripe or still green (yes, yes, they're always green, but you know what we mean!).
"You know how hard it is to tell whether an avocado’s ripe before cutting into it? Simply twist the stem. If it doesn’t come off, it’s underripe; if it comes off and is green underneath, it’s ripe; if it’s brown underneath, it’s overripe. Voila—no more rock hard or mushy grey avocados!" she shared, adding that she has, just us, found that supermarkets promoting 'ripe' avocados tend to lie about just how ripe they really are.
Life Hack 100
Unethical Life Pro Tips
If You Stain A Shirt, You Can Simply Outline The Stain With A Sharpie And Give It A Name. This Will Make It Seam Like You Visit Islands
Life hacks come in all shapes and sizes. From tiny modifications to how you go about your day for increased efficiency to some seriously out-of-the-box thinking that stays with you, changing your entire perception about life and how you’ve been living it.
Learn When To Cry
Modify Your Online Workout By Turning It Off
Shark Attack
In short, life hacks are concentrated bits of worldly wisdom that people have picked up during their lives. We’ve all got at least a few pearls of wisdom that we can share with others, but we’re sometimes not aware that it’s something that others wouldn’t know about.
If It Works It's Not Stupid
How To Hack Life
How To Be "Productive"
While some life hacks we pick up from others, improving them to fit our needs, others are, as Bob Ross would say, “happy little accidents.” It just goes to show that even when we think that we’ve got life all figured out, a small slip or mistake can actually be an opportunity to live life better. I mean, I probably won’t use a potato as a key handle until I absolutely have to, but it’s good to have the idea about how flexible I can be somewhere in the back of my head.
Smart
Gym Tip
How To Avoid Conversations
For the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, practical wisdom (also known as practical rationality or ‘phronesis’) was the highest intellectual virtue. “Phronesis is the complicated interactions between general (theory) and practical (judgment),” one paper explains.
I Figured Out You Don’t Actually Have To Assemble These Things
My Brother Wanted To Measure The Trees In His Yard. This Is How Did He Did It
Well If It Works It Works
While we might not immediately link life hacks to something as profound as Aristotelean philosophy, they do hold some things in common, specifically the practical and correct application of theoretical knowledge. And considering that some of these life hacks help solve real-world issues (however small they might be), they shouldn’t be dismissed despite how dumb they might sound on a purely theoretical level.
Zip It Up
Test Your Hairstyles On Your Kids
If You’re Broke And Can’t Afford Coasters Grab Some Flooring Samples From Home Depot. They Are Free And Come In A Variety Of Colors And Finishes
Life hacks might not be as mighty as author John Bradshaw explains in his book ‘Reclaiming Virtue’ (i.e. practical wisdom being “the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason”), but they are a reflection of humankind’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges, from the tiny and ridiculous to the profound and consequential. There’s nothing wrong with MacGyvering a solution if conventional knowledge fails us!
Life Pro Tip
Started Staining The Deck And Needed To Keep The Dog Off The Deck Boards. Solution Found
When Your Landlord Says "No Dogs!"
But what life hacks do you have to share with all the other Pandas? Are they something that you discovered by accident or did you see them somewhere? Do you believe that life hacks can be considered to be successful if they’re really dumb but work? What’s the absolute stupidest life hack you’ve ever seen that still (kinda, sorta, surprisingly) works? Let us know what you think below.
If It's Stupid And It Works It Ain't Stupid
How To Have Fun As A Parent
I would be the last one except it wouldn't be intentional. Never been good at skateboarding.
Meanwhile This Person Is Living In 3018
I wanna try this now!! Edit: i tried to do this, but it doesn't work well
Finally A Useful “Life Hack”
5 Second Rule
Vaccinate Your Computer
A Flood Can Be A Great Opportunity To Turn Your Home Into An Aquarium
Stay Thin Y’all
Because It’s Sunny I Want To Work Outside But It’s So Bright I Can’t Really See The Screen. Putting Your Laptop In A Box Blocks Out The Light, So Your Laptop Screen Is Bright. It Also Keeps Laptop Cooler
But its blocking the fans on bottom of lap top therefore overheating it
Hmmm
In Todays Episode Of Slavic Science
The car is Italian, and the plates are Brazilian, so I guess the car's also been made there. What's Slavic about this?
Efficient Way To Get Drunk During Quarantine
My 12 Year Old Son Modified His Bike With Carpet For Barefoot Riding
Whilst it is a clever idea, riding without shoes is not. Accidents happen a lot more than you think.
Independent Fact Checkers Show This Is True
Afraid Those Lottery Tickets You Got For Stocking Stuffers Might Actually Be Winners?
You Have The Power
The Man Sitting In Front Of Me On The Train Is Using A Twix As A Pillow
Steal Big
I stole pens from my last internship and never paid in the coffee machine. They made me work extra hours, never taught me a thing (I needed to follow an online free R course because the tutor wouldnt help me programing it), wanted me to also work in the weekends (not allowed in the university). And when I got ill and needed to go to the hospital they were mad at me. At the end they graded me with a 6 despite going to work there for months with big health problems and labeled me "inmature and irresponsible". Because apparently being ill is inmature now.
Shopping Life Hack
If Your Key Breaks In Half, Just Stick It Into A Potato Like My Friend Did This Morning
But what if the bottom half is already stuck in the lock. Do I mash some potato inside and it work like normal again.
Cool Your Backside Off On A Hot Day By Pressing It Against The Cold Door
The Real Aristotle
Cutting Your Tennis Balls In Half Allows You To Store Two More Balls In Each Can, Saving Space
Thanks for this tip, always struggled to fit my balls in the can.
I Guess It's Not Stupid If It Works (Planted 300 Bulbs In 2 Hours)
Pistachio Nut And A Dab Of Glue Saved The Day
A Tube To Prevent Phone Distractions During Conversation
New Workout Plan
Car Hacks #1
It's Not Stupid If It Works!
Some Of My Succulents Don’t Like Full Full Sun... So I Bought Them Some Shade. It’s Not Dumb If It Works, Right?
Pretend That Money Isn’t An Issue For Becoming A Responsible Adult
Fake Your Height, Get The Vaccine Early
Play Vacuum Sounds On Youtube When You Don’t Feel Like Vacuuming
Life Hack
DIY Smoke Detector
*Pop Pop Pop* "FIRE!! FIREEE!!!" "take a chill pill man i'm just making some popcorn :\"
Store Your Gum In Your Pill Bottle So People Don't Ask You For Gum
Use A Fork In Case You Haven’t Mastered Chopsticks Yet
Put Your Beer In A Coffee Mug So Nobody At Work Knows You’re Drinking
If It's Stupid And It Works, It Ain't Stupid
Keep The Gas Turned On So Your Partner Doesn't Have To Make Too Much Effort While Heating Their Dinner
Claim You’re Under 21 To Avoid Paying For Alcohol
How To Make Your Double Bacon Cheeseburger Healthier
How To Make Your Child Live Longer
Knowing When To Shower
Just do it on Christmas and on your birthday. And use the t-shirt trick.
Take An Item That Is About To Expire And Place It Into Another Container Without An Expiration Date To Make It Last Forever
Can't argue with that logic. Just don't open the container a week later.
Dad’s “Life Hack” Didn’t Make Mom As Happy As He Hoped
Ah I see it's probably because the blue tape didn't match the décor. Shoulda used duct tape instead.
If You Wear Contacts, Leave Them In A Cup Of Coffee Overnight. Instant Sunglasses
Well that's an infection just waiting to happen. But a sure way to get your caffeine fix lol.
My Daughter's Job Only Allows Black Pants And No Rips. Her Normal Pair Was Still In The Washer So She Hacked It. Will It Work?
Husband's Bedside Cup Holder
If It Works It Aint Stupid
If It Works It's Not Stupid
If You Don't Like The Sauce You Used On Your Pasta, Just Wash It In Washing Machine
It's Not Stupid If It Works. Two Dollar Bumper Buddies
If It Is Stupid But It Works, It Ain't Stupid
If It Looks Stupid, But It Works, It Ain't Stupid
This Is How My Auntie Blocks Ads From Her Computer Screen
Surely there is a better way without screwing hinges onto the computer.
Store A Paint Brush With Your Paint To Keep It From Drying Out And Have One Handy
An Easy Way To Take Sneak Your Gameboy Into Class
No More Tears In The Kitchen
Best Way To Make Money
Getting Windows
This is very true. I got my Windows license from one of my workplace PCs.
Turn A Double Light Switch Into A Single With An Extra Wide Bag Clip
Want To Get The Covid Vaccine In NC Sooner? You Have 22 Days To Smoke 100 Cigarettes
Wife Hack
Work With Everything
A Backboard “Fix” Done By One Of My Neighbors
Swap Out Tires From A Rental Car
How To Have A Clean Break Up
Not sure if this BF is trying to be nice although he's leaving her....
Don't Have Any Money? Check In Your Wallet - You May Have Left A Couple Of Bucks In There At Some Point
Saved Myself From Having To Wash A Bowl
If It Looks Stupid But Working, It Ain't Stupid
I know this is supposed to be the handle but I first thought of using it like a utensil and my tongue retracted into my esophagus on reflex
My 11-Year-Old Sister Put A Plastic Ziplock Bag Over Bowl So She Doesn’t Have To Clean It
That’s all this world needs, more plastic that’s needlessly thrown away.
If You Run Out Of Mobile Data, Just Snap Out That Emergency Sim Card From Your Credit Card
Use Your Retractable Armrest For Maximum Driving Comfort
Charge Your Phone Twice As Fast By Plugging It In While It’s On A Wireless Charger
That's how you(sing it with me) seeeeet your house on FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIREEEEEEEEEEE
It's Not Stupid If It Works
Get Shoes Polished Free In An Airport
It's Not Stupid If It Works
Its Not Stupid If It Works!
The Perfect Towel Holder Doesn't Exis...
Neat Cable Holder
Judging from the comments on some of these they should remove the “that actually work” from the title before we get some fatal r/whoosh cases here.
Quite a lot of people here seem to believe these are genuine tips. Quite worrying actually.
That cart is really not at the grocery store though...
Load More Replies...why do so many say: it's not stupid if it works lol, some of these were really funny though
Best tip from my supervisor is to remember this saying:: boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That's why I poop on company time.
Very good. How I could live all my life without knowing this ?
Judging from the comments on some of these they should remove the “that actually work” from the title before we get some fatal r/whoosh cases here.
Quite a lot of people here seem to believe these are genuine tips. Quite worrying actually.
That cart is really not at the grocery store though...
Load More Replies...why do so many say: it's not stupid if it works lol, some of these were really funny though
Best tip from my supervisor is to remember this saying:: boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That's why I poop on company time.
Very good. How I could live all my life without knowing this ?