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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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jocooper73 avatar
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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flawziedh-123 avatar
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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flawziedh-123 avatar
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

Hard-To-Swallow-Pills

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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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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#15

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dairyfreediva Report

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flawziedh-123 avatar
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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supportivefathers Report

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

If you keep ridiculing people, they will become defensive and stand their ground ever stronger. Just saying.

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

Wait, people believe that they are smart and special because they know that the earth is round etc? I think my comment on this one is that you're not wise and insightful because you know how to follow a meme format.

moconnell avatar
M O'Connell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm all-for challenging long-standing perceptions of how things should be, but arguing with basic scientific observations that have been well-understood since ancient times is just ludicrous. Heck, Eratosthenes calculated the diameter of the earth using basic trigonometry.

diane_patrick avatar
Diane Patrick
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vaccinations work? Bullshit! They are toxic. Educate yourself ignorant one.

jacquelynplace avatar
Mya Lugar
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who would have believed that using talcum powder could cause cancer? I am up in years hen we were growing up that was part of diaper changes. We certainly wouldn't have wanted to gamble our babies future, I think the running dilema is that we never know until it's too late what might come of many things after years or decades, especially as regards medicine.

inkslingerkate avatar
M Kate McCulloch
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"knowing" , however, is better than believing. What you know is yours and unshakable. What you believe is usually someone else's, they gave the belief to you before you had a mind to think, and when confronted with information to the contrary you will (usually) either defend without question (even if you suspect your belief might be wrong) or have some kind of crisis. Better to believe nothing and desire to know...

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

Believing that correcting people by pointing out the earth is not technically round, but more of a craggy oblate spheroid just makes me kinda annoying.

wh4ok avatar
Jon S.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's one of the roundest objects in nature we have measured. It is more round and less craggy than say, a billiard ball. And so spherical that the oblateness isn't visible with the naked eye at any distance.

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

Knowing the earth is round or vaccines work is one thing. Understanding why the earth is round(oblate spheroid) and how vaccines work makes it ok to think you're smart!

inamismo avatar
Ina Maes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

also believing that every medication and also vaccine might have a side effect to it, is also common sense ;)

inamismo avatar
Ina Maes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

speaking out of experience myself. two days hospitalized because of an acute allergy to augmentina. one pill and six hours later almost unconscious to the hospital with an ambulance. things like this are real and it's very dangerous to pretend ALL medications and ALL vaccines are good for everybody.

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

simple curriculum. And curriculum helps you become just a lytl beet SMARTEAR.

matthewowen_1 avatar
matthew owen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Science doesn't require you to believe, its not a religion. You can go out, make your own observations, measurements and then prove or disprove anything.

bobzilla2k avatar
Robert Miller
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It should read : "Knowing the earth is round or that vaccinations work" not "believing"- belief doesn't enter into these things - they are facts .

vandeverlloydw avatar
Lloyd Vandever
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People that believe vaccines are safe have never read the test trial results.

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

They are generally much safer than measles, smallpox, typhoid, malaria, polio, etc., you ignorant twat.

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

There is no "believing" - those are facts. Not a matter of any discussion.

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

Read #8, Non vaccinators know that Pharma did not pay for the over 4 billion in vaccine injuries that their product caused, it is the taxpayer. If Pharm would do a true double blind saline placebo controlled studies to prove they are safe and effective and stand behind their product 100% then maybe….. Oh and take out the retroviruses, the aluminum, mercury, the formaldehyde, the aborted fetal cells, the monkey cells, etc. Always Read the package insert. And don’t believe every thing you read about vaccine safety on the first page of a google search. https://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm https://www.instagram.com/thetruthaboutvaccinesttav/

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Diane Patrick
Community Member
3 years ago

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Vaccine maim and kill. Look up the vaccine injuries page on fb.

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

Yeh, I don't get that one either. Are we attacking people for beliving in the right things now. Espetially on the days we are living were such comon sense seems to be rearer every day.

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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.