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As writer Jeremy D. Larson beautifully put it, relatability is the chief psychological lubricant that glides us thoughtlessly down the endless social media feeds.

One place that seems to have plenty of this substance is Twitter. But with 6,000 tweets made every second (or 350,000 per minute and 500 million per day), it can be easy to miss the good stuff the platform has to offer.

Luckily, there's a subreddit called r/RelatableTweets, an online community dedicated exclusively to collecting those which perfectly describe the human experience, be it through work, dating, or other key areas of everyday life.

Continue scrolling to check out what its members have gathered so far, and don't miss the talk we had about empathy with linguist, writer, academic researcher, and knowledge worker Dr. Karen Stollznow. You'll find it between the images.

#1

We’ve Reached It. The Pinnacle Of This Subreddit

We’ve Reached It. The Pinnacle Of This Subreddit

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The ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place is called empathy. It means that when you see another person suffering, such as after they've lost a loved one, you are able to instantly envision yourself going through that same experience and feel what they are going through.

And there are plenty of commonalities between us. "Research shows that some human emotions are universal to people all over the world. These basic emotions include sadness, happiness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust," Dr. Karen Stollznow, the author of On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present, told Bored Panda.

#3

Yup

Yup

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wendillon avatar
Monday
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I usually add series I've already finished to my "background noise" list for when I need something playing while focusing on other c**p.

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#5

Relatable

Relatable

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"Empathy is an important ability because it helps us to understand how other people think and feel. It allows us to have compassion for others, and for us to be able to relate to family and friends, colleagues, and even strangers," Stollznow explained.

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People often use the words 'empathy' and 'sympathy' interchangeably, but they are actually separate processes.

When we feel sympathy for someone, we identify with the situation that the person finds themself in. This can be a genuine feeling; we can feel sympathy for people we've never met and for a plight we've never experienced, as well as for people we know and scenarios that are familiar to us.

However, sympathy doesn't necessarily connect us to the person. We can be sympathetic to their situation while being completely clueless about their personal feelings and thoughts.

#7

My Life:

My Life:

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Wood Carver
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My wife was the one that taught me the most effective tool in a family that interrupted me constantly. She said it seems to really frustrate you when you can't finish the sentence in one go. It does. Start again when they interrupted you maybe to make it clear. It has worked wonders for me. I now sound like a homeroom teacher sometimes but it works

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Empathy is something else. It consists not just of emotion sharing (a largely unconscious process), but executive control to regulate and modulate the experience.

Both are supported by specific and interacting neural systems. Mimicry is part of human interaction, and it happens on an unconscious level; we imitate the facial expressions of those we interact with, along with their vocalizations, postures, and movements.

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This may have helped early humans communicate and feel closeness. And it's the component that precedes empathy. Neuroscience also confirms that seeing someone in pain activates the parts of your brain that register pain.

#10

Sounds Like He Was Kind Of Being A [jerk]

Sounds Like He Was Kind Of Being A [jerk]

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"There are some people who lack empathy, which is sometimes called 'apathy,'" Karen Stollznow said. "Certain psychiatric conditions may play a role in a deficit of empathy, such as narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.

"Some people with these conditions may be manipulative and deceptive, and not care for other people's feelings. In more general terms, lacking the ability to consider the emotional state of others is on the rise in our polarized social and political culture."

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#15

Things Got Complicated After The Accident

Things Got Complicated After The Accident

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#16

To Be Fair They Are Pretty Spooky

To Be Fair They Are Pretty Spooky

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#17

Relatable

Relatable

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Beeps
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope, I only ever look at old photos and think: “damn, I used to be so pretty and thin, yet I always felt so ugly and fat back then.”

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However, if you can't relate to another person, that doesn't mean you're dead inside. Everyone can experience low empathy at times. For example, it may be natural to have difficulty connecting with someone who has harmed us.

There is some debate on whether a person is born with low empathy or if upbringing, social factors, or life experiences may hinder their ability to develop it. Genetics may also play a role.

Psychiatric conditions aside, other possible reasons behind low empathy include modeling, low emotional intelligence, burnout, and stress.

#18

The Same 2 Brain Cells Are Responsible For Saying “You Too” When The Waiter Tells You To Enjoy Your Meal

The Same 2 Brain Cells Are Responsible For Saying “You Too” When The Waiter Tells You To Enjoy Your Meal

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#20

If You Wanna Be Hotter, You Should Drink Lots Of Water

If You Wanna Be Hotter, You Should Drink Lots Of Water

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#21

U Still Using Clothes At All? Lmao

U Still Using Clothes At All? Lmao

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The good thing is that empathy can be developed. It's a skill that you can learn and strengthen. Here are a few things that you can do:

  • Work on listening to people without interrupting;
  • Pay attention to body language and other types of nonverbal communication;
  • Try to understand people, even when you don't agree with them;
  • Ask people questions to learn more about them and their lives;
  • Imagine yourself in another person's shoes;
  • Strengthen your connection with others to learn more about how they feel;
  • Seek to identify biases you may have and how they affect your empathy for others;
  • Look for ways in which you are similar to others versus focusing on differences;
  • Be willing to be vulnerable, opening up about how you feel;
  • Engage in new experiences, giving you better insight into how others in that situation may feel;
  • Get involved in organizations that push for social change.

Or, you know, scroll through some relatable tweets!

#22

Can Anyone Else Relate To This?

Can Anyone Else Relate To This?

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#23

Scrolling To The Song You Were Listening To Is The Most Frustrating Part

Scrolling To The Song You Were Listening To Is The Most Frustrating Part

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#24

I Would Genuinely Love To Know

I Would Genuinely Love To Know

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Stardust she/her
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My parents think therapy is a waste of time and I’m a minor. The only thing keeping me going is my friends

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#25

Dad Please I'm Trying My Best

Dad Please I'm Trying My Best

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Beeps
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Worst thing was - my father used to do this to me the night before a maths exam, when the one thing that might have helped me to do better in my exam might have been a good night’s sleep and not going into school physically shaking after having vomited from stress and anxiety all morning. Then, once the exam was over, he’d leave me to struggle without ever practicing math or helping me with homework or anything ever again, right until the night before the next math exam. And that’s only one of the many reasons I’m not in contact with him anymore.

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#31

That One Friend

That One Friend

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October
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh yeah. It's raining, it's midnight, it's very cold. I'll even offer to pay her cabfare. And still she insists we should walk to the othe side of town.

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#33

Same

Same

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troufaki13
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in Greece where there are on average 250 days of sunshine and I still manage to have vit d insufficiency!

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#35

They Have To Know What They’re Doing, Right?

They Have To Know What They’re Doing, Right?

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Headless Roach
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like fuckass is not yet on BP's censorship list. Fuckassy Fuckassing Fuckass. [Update 9h later - censored. We had some fun guys, it was worth it.]

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#36

Probably In Your Best Interest To Avoid The Harpy Eagle

Probably In Your Best Interest To Avoid The Harpy Eagle

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#38

How’s The Weather?

How’s The Weather?

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#39

The Baby’s Been In There For 9 Months, It Can Wait A Couple More Minutes

The Baby’s Been In There For 9 Months, It Can Wait A Couple More Minutes

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#40

The Next Billion Dollar App

The Next Billion Dollar App

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Note: this post originally had 72 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.