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The template of the meme consists of two WikiHow stock images: one with someone looking at a bottle of pills with a label that says "Hard to Swallow Pills" and another with the pills already in the person's hand, ready to be ingested.

People download it, slap a text of what they think is a universal truth on the second picture, and upload it back on the Internet, waiting for upvotes. And we often have to give it to them. Quite a few of these memes capture some universal law, most of which we know but don't want to accept. Like, "some of your problems are your own fault, and won't get better until you actively do something about it" or "you can't make someone love you."

Bored Panda has compiled some of the most popular Hard to Swallow Pills, so continue scrolling, check out the memes, and upvote your favorites.

#1

Hard-To-Swallow-Pills

backwards_savage_ Report

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Jo Cooper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my favourite quotes; going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.

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Clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Mary Lamia, Ph.D., thinks that the notion that one is “in denial” seems to have taken on a life of its own as an agent of many ills and as a catchphrase for people who dismiss the implications of their behavior.

"Although denial is considered to be a defense often used by people with addictive tendencies, its attributions reach beyond those struggling with substances," Lamia pointed out. "Denial is also attributed to people who do not want to acknowledge that bad stuff is occurring in their lives, such as those who are attempting to cope with a tumultuous relationship, a life-threatening illness, obesity, a loss, or anything else that one may attempt to disavow."

Sure, we can deny a fact, deny responsibility, deny the impact of our actions, or even deny what is really going on by hiding from our feelings. But according to Lamia, when we use denial to defend ourselves or cope with what we feel, we contradict the reality of a situation or attempt to adjust to a circumstance by neglecting its impact. However, the extent of someone’s denial may not really be the issue at hand.

"What’s important is not that people recognize their denial, but that they are able to accept what they are feeling that leads to the denial in the first place," Lamia explained. "If someone excessively and habitually uses alcohol to medicate their anxiety, for example, we might emphasize their attempts to dismiss the harm that their use of alcohol will cause, rather than focus on the emotions they feel that motivate their denial. If that person stops drinking, one would hope the emotions that were formerly hidden by denial, which often have to do with shame, would be exposed and accepted by the individual."

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#3

Hard-To-Swallow-Pills

theschoolofsocialvalue Report

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postboredom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Poor people have to work even harder than others, just to get a daily meal and shelter

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We not only use denial to hide from any negative emotion, including shame, fear, guilt, or distress but to mute positive emotions as well. "Sometimes feeling positively may be just as threatening as negative feelings. We may want to deny the reality of our emotions, because accepting a reality that is uncomfortable, painful, or incongruous to what we expect means we must also alter our perception of ourselves. Thus, if you are in denial, perhaps you are simply trying to ignore the truth about what you actually feel, rather than about what you are doing or thinking."

But if you want to move forward, you have to swallow the truth.

#5

Hard-To-Swallow-Pills

awkwardpotatoo Report

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postboredom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This applies to both guys and gals. Nobody is as kind as they think themselves are.

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#7

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rexxar-tc Report

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Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's even harder to swallow the problems that are NOT your own fault, but it's UP TO YOU to clean someone else's poop to save your a*s.

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#8

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xrancorx Report

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ChimeraBubbles
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like this one. Re-evaluate your worldview every so often, visit other places, talk to people from other communities, read books, and so on. It's character building too.

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#10

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reddit.com Report

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Monday
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm all for praying for those in need if that's what you believe in, but send a donation with that prayer.

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#12

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petey_public Report

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Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True. And the nearer the end, the more I think of it. Viruses don't plan according to human made calendars. This could go on and on. And even after it's gone, the damage repair will still take a while.

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Brandy Grote
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The flu from 1918 is STILL AROUND and STILL KILLING PEOPLE! It's H1N1. SARS is still around, even though it didn't even kill 200 Americans. This horror show will be around for ages because of entitled idiots.

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ChimeraBubbles
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Years of ill health taught me that pathogens, illness, and disability don't care about your plans. That is a hard lesson. We will get through it though and that's a hopeful thought for me.

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Nadine Bamberger
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Systemic racism is not gonna go away come midnight and neither is the virus.

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S.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The virus doesn't come up with an expiry date, sadly.

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Vicki Perizzolo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If we don't fix the climate crisis EVERYTHING is moot anyway...and it only be a whole lot worse4

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Monika Soffronow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely true. That is because we humans have, quite arbitrarily, decided to give numbers and names to certain periods of time.

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sorlag110
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The best version of this I've seen is: The s**t we're going through in 2020 didn't come out of no where, it's the accumulation of everything that led up to this point.

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Zelda Jones
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For me, 2020 started with my oldest son passing away. At least this was before the restrictions, and I was able to be by his side in the hospital when he passed away, and we were all able to go to his funeral.

susieq601 avatar
Sue Clifford
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sorry for your loss. The worst thing in life is to loose a child.

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Eagle Girl
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is becoming brutally clear. This is more a hard pill with a shot chaser.

verityanderson19 avatar
Verity Anderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The 1st of January will make no difference to anyone's life, at all!

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Lisa Chambers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It also does not mean things will be worse. But I guess that depends on what side one is on.

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Elizabeth Gardner
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So right it may well go on for another year or so the last pandemic lasted nearly three years. The world changed completely as ours will.

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elfin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is possible that 2020 will be the good old days.

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Andy Johnson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

DOES IT MEAN THINGS WILL BE WORSE? CONSIDER THIS..IF THESE PEOPLE/COMPANIES, DISAPPEARED:PELOSI,SCHUMER, YAHOO, WASH.POST, HUFFINGTON POST, NPR, CNN,NYT, MSNBC, NEA. RUBBER ROOMS FOR TEACHERS IN NYC. WOULD AMERICA BE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE?

buzz_covington avatar
Buzz Covington
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very true! People in the US are going to long for 2020.... just you wait and see!

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Robert Miller
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True , but sweet Jebus , talk about kicking a guy while he's down .

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Laura Maeflower
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've been thinking about this. I think people will start complaining about the decade instead of just the year.

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Alexis Barker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everyone thought 2020 would be a good year, and look how it turned out! does this mean 2021 will be worse?

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Sergio Serg
Community Member
3 years ago

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True. Things will only get better when they put the terrorist rioters in their place and people open their eyes it's a communist organization. When people realize the media is paid propaganda and that the government is not the solution. We all need to u it's and not get brainwashed by the media and the racist narrative

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Bill
Community Member
3 years ago

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Things will only get better if you make them. Being in poverty may not be your fault but it's up to you to fix it. I was homeless at one point and this worked for me.

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#15

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dairyfreediva Report

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postboredom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the one thing every teenager (including me) has to understand. Not everyone has to like you, nor do they have to hate you. We just gotta let it be.

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#17

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H Edwards
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Smoking is a good example. Children of smokers are much more likely to take it up themselves.

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#19

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istherenofuckingusernameleft Report

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Ray Martin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Possibly so, but believing that the Earth is flat, or that vaccinations don't work does make you stupid and deserving of ridicule.

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#21

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TheLloydGross Report

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The three big things needed in a relationship are trust, compromise and respect. Of course there are more like having each others back, liking the other person etc. Relationships are hard work, you need to make the effort to help it grow.

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#30

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digitaldegenarate Report

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Daria Z
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A hospital in my city has recently received a complaint from the family of a man saved from covid complications. Apparently, they didn't like that the doctor who saved him had tattoos and a nose ring. Isn't it bizarre?

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Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.