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Odd eating habits or little OCD quirks are one thing, but lying about childhood traumas or hiding a nanny camera in the bedroom to spy on your partner could be dealbreakers.

A Reddit user recently asked: “What is the most disturbing thing you found about your partner?” and people did not hold back.

Studies have shown that keeping secrets in a relationship can weigh on your well-being, and they often have a way of coming out even when we don't want them to.

Below are some of the responses Reddit users shared, each highlighting a different experience or situation.

#1

Woman smiling and waving during a video call, illustrating moments when people found out something terrifying about their partner. He put a nanny cam in our bedroom so he could spy on my therapy sessions during covid. He made a big show out of putting on headphones in the other room because he knew he could just listen in later.

TheGreatElChubbo , Unai82 Report

Paul C.
Community Member
36 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩Controling or what?

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    #2

    Couple having serious conversation at home, woman looking upset as man tries to comfort her in tense moment. My ex and I connected over very severe and alarmingly similar childhood trauma experiences. almost a year into our relationship, he revealed (extremely casually, like it was no big deal) that he’d made it up. He’d heard about my past from a former mutual friend, and felt it’d be easier to get to know if we had this in common. He genuinely didn’t see an issue with doing this.

    He then proceeded to ask, “since it bothered me”, if I wanted to know everything else he’d made up, too.

    turned out, about 75% of what I knew about him was fake. weird funny stories and experiences, childhood memories, things that had allegedly happened to him at work - he was just making things up. When I asked him why, he reiterated that he didn’t see it as a big deal, and then explained he felt I “needed to be humbled a bit” because “my life wasn’t *that* interesting”, so he’d made up things to “match” my stories/experiences.

    ThrowTAaaaaaaa , freepik Report

    Miriam Insidecor
    Community Member
    57 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pathological lying is often associated with psychopaths.

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    #3

    Person eating spicy chicken wings from a black bowl with seasonings on a rustic wooden table. When he orders wings he eats the whole thing….bones and all. The plate is sent back empty.
    I think the first time he did it to get a reaction out of me but it’s been 4 years and he’s still crunching away. .

    MorbidlyScared , Chatham172 Report

    kzys59pcrp
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How?!? Chicken bones tend to splinter when broken.

    #4

    Two women embracing closely with one whispering to the other, hinting at a terrifying partner secret revealed. That she is still in love with her ex girlfriend and has been having an affair with her since before we even got married. But didn’t tell me that it was her ex girlfriend for real until this year and everybody on her side played along with it as they were only “best friends” which in turn had this girl pretending to be MY friend and my “wife” allowed it for 5 years.

    Don’t worry I’m leaving lol.

    icdedpeeples , Curated Lifestyle Report

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    #5

    Young man in blue hoodie eating alone, reflecting on a terrifying discovery about his partner in a quiet setting. They bite their fork when they eat. My soul leaves my body every time.

    Vaibhav_codes , Michael Burrows Report

    HF
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    better than biting the knife, but still weird

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    Mental health is now part of everyday conversation, and many countries are facing what’s being called a growing “loneliness epidemic.” But one surprising cause, according to new research from Columbia Business School’s Michael Slepian, might be something as simple as keeping a secret. And with it, often comes isolation, shame and anxiety, according to the professor.

    #6

    He handled the finances. He died. I found $36,000 in gambling debt.

    glycophosphate Report

    Crystalwitch60
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rule no one ! NEVER let one person take solo control of the finances , you should always both know everything , COS OF THIS for one always protect yourself ,

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    #7

    Man in a blue shirt sitting on a couch reading a book, reflecting on terrifying partner secrets discovered. My fiance doesn't use bookmarks, he just memorizes what page number he stopped on. .

    Bestlifeever_ , freepik Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    50 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Okay, let' see if this is the most benign. So far, it is.

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    #8

    He had a years-long affair with his stepmother.

    starsfor_eyes Report

    Paul C.
    Community Member
    33 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did she keep getting trapped in the washing machine? I may have seen the film!

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    #9

    Open drawer filled with mismatched socks, illustrating a terrifying discovery about a partner's messy habits. He keeps all his socks in a single giant drawer with zero pairs matched. just a chaotic ocean of fabric. disturbing? a little. fascinating? also yes.

    BumbleMew , getautomated Report

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    #10

    Organized refrigerator with clear containers holding fresh produce and drinks, illustrating surprising partner habits revealed. Nothing truly scary, just their obsession with organizing the fridge by color. It’s disturbing… but also kind of impressive.

    kabbiochlor , hgtv Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    49 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nope, guaranteed this shows up elsewhere. Also likely causes poor use of space.

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    #11

    Close-up of feet wearing beige toe socks on speckled floor, illustrating unusual discoveries about partner experiences. She likes feet gloves or whatever they’re called. Just seeing her wear them, wiggling her gloved toes, gives me anxiety.

    Eborys , CoquinaAsesina Report

    Child of the Stars
    Community Member
    2 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Compared to some of the others, this one is totally harmless.

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    #12

    My ex wife spent the last decade of our marriage accusing me of having multiple affairs and/or being gay. I've since found out that during that decade she had 2 boyfriends and a girlfriend (not at the same time) so turns out it was all projection.

    CanadianExiled Report

    #13

    The most disturbing thing I found about a partner once was how they handled conflict, they’d go completely silent for days instead of talking things out. It wasn’t dramatic or explosive, just unsettling.

    Other_Wolverine_2197 Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    48 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unsettling and very manipulative.

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    #14

    Person holding a fern leaf covering their face in a forest, symbolizing discovery and terrifying partner secrets. Doesn't like nature. At all. It took me a while to accept this one. I had assumed that intentionally being in nature would be a source of spirituality, awe, and peace for everyone. My partner is not one of those people and only experiences extended time in nature as an annoying and inconvenient experience. But they find sources of awe and wonder and spirituality from other things such as art, music, literature, etc. We're all just different.

    HotMessSundae , Lucas Allmann Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    44 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Benign. Though he may have areas of nature that he prefers. I used to think I wasn't a big nature person, b/c I associated nature with green spaces, hills, mountains, forests. Turns out, my home is the sea.

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    #15

    I found out a few days ago that my wife has been texting inappropriately with her boss, kissy emojis, going out for drinks and sushi, calling it date night. Still trying to understand the full scope of it and how to proceed.

    FartsSoldSeperately Report

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    While there are white lies or private thoughts we keep to protect ourselves, for some people holding back might also be a way to maintain a sense of independence or personal space within a relationship. And sometimes, keeping a secret simply feels safer than risking judgment or conflict. Some experts say that as long as we are clear about why we keep a secret, we can avoid obsessing over it.

    #16

    When she eats Kit Kats , she doesn't break off pieces, she just eats the entire thing like it's one bar.

    mrsunshine1 Report

    #17

    Metal wall decoration spelling Live Laugh Love above framed family photos and flowers, conveying a partner's comforting home atmosphere. She hung a Live Laugh Love thing on the wall. 


    I don't understand how someone who is otherwise 100% awesome does that. Disturbing for sure.

    slartibartfast64 , albertpullinger Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    47 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Okay, this and the toe-socks thing and the bookmark (though I'm iffy on toe-socks and def iffy on LLL signs).

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    #18

    Young man wearing glasses reading Jordan B. Peterson's 12 Rules for Life book, reflecting on terrifying partner secrets. He used to crack book spines intentionally so they would be "easier to read." I got him to stop by introducing him to audiobooks.

    amandemic , Matt Lillywhite Report

    Child of the Stars
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm with him. But then, I firmly hold that books, like toys, are meant to be held and manhandled, not kept in pristine condition. A well-worn book tells a story as much as the text inside it.

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    #19

    Hand holding fresh asparagus with sliced zucchini and Brussels sprouts on a dark surface, highlighting partner terrors concept. My husband only eats the bottom half of the asparagus.

    Needless to say, I didn’t know that when I agreed to marry him.

    Skorpion_Snugs , Louis Hansel Report

    #20

    Was gonna say that my bf sometimes does calf raises in the shower and has a whole mini shower work out routine but i guess that’s not so bad after reading comments….

    Euphoric-Purpose-162 Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    42 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another benign one. I'm liking all these benign habits and quirks. Not signing off on the color-coded fridge though.

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    #21

    He had such a history of using his mother and his sister, while also regarding them with scathing contempt. Both of them were flawed and selfish, but loved him deeply and unconditionally.

    When he casually remarked that his forty-year-old sister (who, incidentally, was gorgeous then and still is) was a "fat old woman covered in tattoos, and she needs to start being realistic about how she wants to be treated by a man," that was when I knew our days together were numbered and that I would never be able to un-see what that said about his regard for women.

    cattheotherwhitemeat Report

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    #22

    Partially used toothpaste tube with two different brands combined, illustrating something terrifying about a partner. He squeezes the toothpaste from the middle.

    Walmartian_Beta , reddit Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    42 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nope, nope and nope. Though it might be salvageable, but only if each person keeps their own tube, which is what I'd do.

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    Experts point out that the types of secrets people keep also vary by gender. Women are more likely to keep secrets because they are worried their partners would not understand, while men are more likely scared that their partner would criticise or disapprove of their behaviour.

    #23

    My ex wife poisoned me for about 4 months.

    apocalypsepops Report

    kzys59pcrp
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless there’s more to the story this doesn’t say anything about the partner.

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    #24

    He told me stories about the two affairs he had (that his wife found out about). He was quite the storyteller and this was many, many years after the affairs and in fact he had been widowed for six years. As entertaining as these stories were, they didn't make me think more highly of him for sure.

    SnootyManatee Report

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    #25

    His relationship with his mom. First when we moved in, big drama that she doesn’t get enough attention. Then constant messages good morning and good night. Then visits every week for coffee, tea, goes to her for lunch etc. I’m living with a man and i’m loosing respect for him. I see him as a mamas boy now and having hard time imagining our future together, and it’s breaking my heart.

    I fell in love hard, for the first time in my life. And i’m broken that i’m starting to see him differently.

    No_Philosopher_5148 Report

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    #26

    My ex told me he was the victim of a lot of terrible trauma. It was how I explained away a lot of his bad behavior to myself.


    He made up a lot of it! If not all of it. I can't know for sure if it's all made up, but the fact that at least a good chunk of it was made up doesn't fill me with hope. 


    I think he was very afraid of rejection and would twist the truth in horrible ways trying to make it impossible for me to leave. It makes me sad to think about, honestly. Must be harrowing to live in his brain. But good god am I relieved not to be around him anymore .

    Silly_Accident3137 Report

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    #27

    He didn't like cats .

    ProudNinja111 Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    40 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe that 'didn't' is past tense.

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    #28

    She pours the milk before the cereal. I’m sleeping with a psychopath.

    ParticularSyrup5760 Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    39 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Definitely weird. But still benign.

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    #29

    She has never, and will never watch Star Wars.

    TremontRhino Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    37 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I watched the first one, no interest in anything subsequent. Ditto the Godfather - just not my style.

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    #30

    She says "excape." We've got two kids so I'll stay.

    NsubordinatNchurlish Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    38 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh lord, that's a hard one. Right up there with nucular and aks.

    #31

    Hand holding a bowl of popcorn while sitting down, symbolizing watching 32 times people found scary partner secrets. He actually likes popcorn MORE when it is stale. The man is a freak! But he's my freak lol.

    the_bird_and_the_bee , Lisa from Pexels Report

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    38 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one is okay, again, as long as no evangelizing. Keep that religion to yourself.

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    #32

    My girlfriend had a secret online persona, it was weird seeing her completely different personality online.

    burger69man Report

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