Some secrets are bigger than others. No matter how open and honest we might think we are, there are still some things that we prefer to keep to ourselves. After all, people are social beings, and our reputations, as well as being accepted, are vital. Naturally, wanting to fit in, we keep some information about ourselves to ourselves.
Inspired by user u/BoredHypnotist, the anonymous members of the r/AskReddit community revealed the most ‘socially unacceptable’ facts about themselves. These are things that anyone would have a hard time mentioning in public. Scroll down to see what kinds of secrets some folks have. It’s also a reminder for all of us to learn to be less judgmental and kinder to each other.

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I think babies are ugly as hell.
I completely agree, babies are just not fun to look at. I don't know why, but I just cannot stand to look at babies, they gross me out.
Humans are in the small group where our babies are ugly, rather than cute like other animals
Chicks... they're still very ugly just out of the egg....
Load More Replies...6 month olds are adorable. Newborns usually have a face only a mother could love.
I don’t necessarily think all babies are ugly, but some/many babies are uglier than others. Regardless of how they look, there’s something about holding a baby that gives me a huge kick of oxytocin. For that reason alone, they’re adorable.
Wha? Gawd no, I'm with the OP not only are babies ugly but toddlers in nappies need to be somewhere else.
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I am a woman who is willingly sterilized.
Why do people think this is socially unacceptable? It's a very logical course of action if you know you don't want to have any (any more) children, or being pregnant/giving birth would damage your health etc. It's not the sort of thing a person can do without thought and consideration.
Notice how this woman gets to stare out the window and drink her coffee in peace !
I asked my gyno about the possibility when I was 21. He told me I'd change my mind and want kids later. I asked every visit for 18 years. I reach 39. F*cker remarks, "Ya know if you want kids, you better do it soon 'cos you're getting to be geriatric." That was my last visit.
If you don't want children, this is the kindest thing you can do for them
Good for you! Choice people, it all comes down to having the right to choose what we want for OUR OWN BODIES!
I don’t take care of my hygiene as much as I should. Especially when it comes to showering and brushing my teeth. It’s not that I don’t care, but depression makes it hard as hell sometimes.
Hang in there. Hoping you can get some therapy to help you feel better.
I'm just coming out of this. I am proud that i brushed my teeth 4 days in a row. It's difficult.
People say get therapy as if talking is going to cure chronic depression. Not!
Speaking of someone who is looking at probably dentures in the future (and I'm not 50 yet) TAKE CARE OF YO TEEF. Trust me. It is a lot harder to deal with once it's beyond fixing.
Judging others is never going to go away. It’s something that human beings do on both conscious and automatic levels. Analyzing the behavior of the people around us is a way to recognize how we ourselves (do not) fit into our social groups. Used sparingly to make us look at our values and actions more objectively, social judgments can push us to make more positive decisions that end up being good for us and our social group.
However, there’s a darker side to making these social judgments. Some folks judge other people to feel better about themselves, hide their own flaws, or fit into society at the cost of someone else’s reputation. This sort of exclusionary behavior might make you feel safer yourself, but it can also end up destroying relationships and ostracizing individuals.
I’m a 38 year old man who sleeps with stuffed animals.
everyone does that i hug my big chonky squishmallow all the time until i fall asleep
Load More Replies...47 and same.... cant tell people without being ridiculed... but hugging a doggie or polar bear or lion is awesome....
42 and the same. Sorry. Sometimes a stuffed animal cuddle is exactly what the doctor ordered imho
Load More Replies...I'm 45, and I recently bought myself a Care Bear. I never had one when I was a kid, so I got one! It's lovely to cuddle.
Aww I’m jealous..I want to get Grumpy, he’s my favourite
Load More Replies...Mine do! My main bro is a German Shepherd I've had since I was 5 (I'm 42.) His name is Chace, spelled like that because I couldn't spell worth a darn at age 5 XD He gets pride of place in my bed, but I also have (all much newer) ones: Blaze the sabretooth tiger, Shat/Shitten (a cat wearing a shark costume), LONGBOI the long-cat (ostensibly a body pillow in the shape of a cat), and Squidgy, a small black cat that looks like a mochi. I still have pretty much ALL of my childhood plushies, but those are the only ones that share my bed at the moment XD
Load More Replies...As a 30 year old female, I always pick a stuffie to cuddle every night. Whenever I'm sharing the bed and abandon my stuffie to get ready for work, I return to find my mate has taken my stuffie hostage in their sleep.
I have a teddy bear who has travelled all over the world with me. He has even been on holiday with his friend Slasher the Penguin. They went to Cyprus, with Slasher's family. I am sixty-five.
I don’t like talking. It’s not that I’m afraid to talk, I just prefer to stay quiet most of the time. Unfortunately, we live in a world that requires you to talk a lot if you want to make connections.
Yeah, but there are some people where talking is exhausting and better for their mental health than talking. (Autism)
Load More Replies...My motto is: better to say nothing and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.
Mine is if you can't say anything nice say nothing at all. Certain people find me especially quiet.
Load More Replies...I am a quite person. When around friends I wish I could talk more. Most of the time I just don't know what to say or can't come up with things to talk about.
I'm an introvert and talk a lot at work. I prefer my silence when I'm all alone.
I feel this way too. I have a stutter, and while it's usually fine around kids and adults I know pretty well, that's about it.
I'm very very happy to get home after work and stay in bed for the rest of the day, most days of the week.
yep, people see you as "lazy" and "not ambitious enough" and other nonsense
Load More Replies...I do this all the time. I "retired" at an early age, and I'm busier now during the day than when I had my own practice. Plus I've got a draft horse rescue & retirement home, goats, cats, dogs, birds, fosters coming in and out, and so on. I'm tired! Lol When my partner & I get home, we crawl into bed with our furry children and chill.
I don't know OP personally so I can't say for sure, but this sounds like depression
Ehh I could *maybe* see that - potentially - if op said something like "I don't have the will to continue to function" or "bed is the only place I feel safe" etc. But enjoying laying in bed after a long day of work and just chilling?! Nah bro, that's just relaxing and starting your recharge for tomorrow.
Load More Replies...Even though we have free will, it would be naive to think that we have control over everything that happens to us. Sure, taking responsibility for our actions can empower us. That being said, there are so many things outside our control that we can’t really do anything about. It’s important to be honest with ourselves about what we can realistically affect with our actions.
For one, we cannot determine the circumstances of our birth, how we were raised, and what our genetics are. However, many people are judgmental of folks born into broken homes or who have a predisposition to mental health issues. Criticizing someone for their family‘s choices, upbringing, or genetic quirks is unfair. However, someone who’s doing their best to improve their circumstances and fight back against the problems they’ve been handed by (bad) luck is worthy of praise.
I ignore texts and calls. It starts with "I'll respond later" and then after awhile I feel like it's been too long to reply so I don't. It's not malicious but I assume it feels that way to others.
If you think that's your worst side then you have a high opinion of yourself.
I have Tourette's, including coprolalia/swearing tics. I'm very lucky though, because I seem to fit in pretty well in restaurant kitchens, and I love that line of work 😄.
One of my stepsons is blessed with tourettes. It does recede a little with age, but he's learned to own it. Twitch and shout, my friend!
My dad had Tourettes (just the physical tics, no verbal tics) and he was so ashamed of it (this was back in the 80s/90s). He used to not want to go with me on school field trips as a parent-chaperone because he thought I'd be embarrassed by his twitching/tics. I tried my best to reassure him, in my 10-year-old way, that I loved him, that he in NO WAY embarrassed me at all, and I was not ashamed of his tics. I hope he took that to heart. He definitely went on field trips in the future, so I think he did to some extent :) Nowadays I have a dog who has full-body, constant myoclonus from a distemper infection - he is a dog, not a human, so it's not the same, but sometimes I wonder if my dad's spirit is getting a good chuckle XD
Load More Replies...This is great. You can tell people to make their "noisy f*****g kid shut their f*****g mouth" and no one can make you feel bad for doing it.
Kindly fück off, shitweed. That also means yourself and something very big, sharp and rusty.
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I have no friends and am comfortable being alone. Prepared to die that way too :D.
Being comfortable alone is a blessing. Unfortunately it’s not great for long term mental health. But if I have to choose, I choose being alone.
I have found that what is not great for my mental health is trying to force myself to be someone I'm not. I am an introvert who gets exhausted from social interaction. I am perfectly content and happy being alone. What is good for some is not good for everyone. Don't believe the pundits who will tell you there is something wrong with the way you are and try to make you believe there will be some awful consequences for honoring your very valid way of functioning in this world.
Load More Replies...I have no friends and only family is in a care home. My partner died just over two years ago, only people I see are my Carers three times a week. Most of the time I like being on my own with my cat. But other times it can get very lonely
Does your care home have activity groups? Maybe you could join one. For example, a book club allows you to spend time alone with your cat, and look forward to discussing the book with others.
Load More Replies...There's a difference between being lonely and alone :) I like to be alone, but never feel lonely. And then sometimes one can be lonely in a room full of people...
i have no friends either. more by choice. dont make friends very easy never have. mental illnes is a b***h
This reminds me of my mom. 0 friends and although she loves her kids and grand babies desperately, she self isolates. She seems ok though. She just likes it that way.
Same. I own a bookshop with fantastic people coming in all the time, so that gives me whatever social interaction I might need. Otherwise I love being home alone with my cat. I haven't really had any friends in over 25 years.
I don't think that is a failing. I am a friendly person who prefers to have limited, but close friendships, and prefer to spend most of my time alone outside of work. Every person is different.
Load More Replies...Things like attitudes and opinions are within our power to change, however, we might feel uncomfortable doing so just to fit in with the rest of our social group. It would feel like we’re betraying our deepest values if we did so. At the same time, having completely different beliefs than the majority of your social circle can make life very difficult. This might be why some folks choose to hide their true feelings—they don’t want to face rejection or take part in countless arguments.
What kind of behavior is deemed socially (un)acceptable is going to depend entirely on your culture and social circle. Something celebrated in your hometown might be seen as bizarre in a big city or even downright ‘shameful’ in another country.
I had a baby at 17, got pregnant again a few years later, and could not afford another child. My sibling, who could not have children, adopted my baby.
As long as you, your sibling and the kids are happy now, I see no problem whatsoever
Depends on the rest of the family.... some folks are like "no you got pregnant, you're keeping it even if you can't care for it 🙄
Load More Replies...You should be proud of yourself by giving to your child the opportunity to have a better life and you still have contact with him. It's great and also, congrats to your sibling.
And? They ARE cousins. When you adopt a child, IT IS YOUR CHILD, regardless of whose hooha it popped out of.
Load More Replies...Boy if you think condoms work 100% of the time, do I have a surprise in store for you!
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I have no idea how to manage friendships.
I have friends and I'm friendly....
But sometimes I forget to text back and if they don't call or re text I could go months with no contact.
Unless I find something funny to share then I'm sending it to everyone.
You can learn how to do it, if it really is about forgetting, you can teach yourself how to remember or check once in a while. But it sounds more like not caring about having contact. If you don't care about talking to them for months, are they even friends or are they just acquaintances, if you don't actually miss contact with them?
"Cowards" is an interesting take on people who aren't comfortable with or feel the need for regular contact. Some people have friendships that don't need connection that often. I have friends where months or in extreme cases years go by but when we talk again it's like no time has passed. Depends on your relationship.
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I like candy corn.
I have been known to eat circus peanuts, you know the marshmallow confection that comes pre-stale in a bag.
Obvs a US thing and alien to many people around the world, but I have one word of advice for anyone fortunate enough to have never encountered them - if you're ever offered any to try DO NOT!
I love candy corn. If you're ever offered any to try, TRY!
Load More Replies...They are widely hated and reviled. But there must be plenty of us who like them, because they still keep selling them. If no one was buying them, they'd stop making them.
Load More Replies...My wife likes these in popcorn. Sort of a salty sweet thing. It's been a big cause of concern for me since I found out.
I may have to try that. Thank your wife for me.
Load More Replies...Social norms change over time, too. Behaviors that seem odd to us now might have been perfectly fine decades or even centuries ago. On the flip side, what was once judged in the past might be mundanely accepted in this day and age. Social norms aren’t static. While we can guess what might be deemed acceptable in the future, we can never be certain—cultures can change in very unpredictable ways.
If you feel like opening up anonymously, why not share the most socially unacceptable facts about yourselves, dear Pandas? What do you think we can all do to be less judgmental and more accepting of other people? Has anyone revealed a secret about themselves that fundamentally changed how you looked at them? Tell us all about it in the comments.
That I come off as “cold” when I’m not masking
But man….sometimes I really am tired of masking. My reactions feel so fake to me and I can’t stand it. But everyone else seems to love it so…whatever ig.
It's so exhausting masking all the time. :( I wish people would stop taking it personally when we're just existing.
A year or so ago I realized that I have been masking all my life. I tried to un-mask to see how I really am..... but that ended up being a bad experience for my kids and now I am re-masking a lot again. But it seems to be harder to re-mask in some areas than I thought. But at least I seem more balanced and "normal" on the outside again. On the inside, though, I'm a mess. 😕
I haven't heard this term used in this manner before, but I assume it refers to putting on a virtual "mask" to pretend you're feeling a different way than how you really feel? I've felt like I was doing this at certain customer-service jobs, where it was my duty to be not only upbeat, but outgoing, no matter how I felt inside. After I got home, I was emotionally exhausted from having to wear that "mask".
Try to be exactly who you are. You might make enemies, but you’re also more likely to make real friends who genuinely make you happy.
I used to practice facial expressions as a child because i was always told i was robotic and expressionless(by my parents, no less) and studied how the popular kids at school acted so i could make friends. i think i’m autistic but i’m scared sometimes that people would just assume i’m a psychopath.
my parents told me i am expressionless more like cold because i hardly smile, i've had lectures from my parents, relatives, heck even a teacher once. My friends even told me that they taught i would be a bully when we first met. i consider smiling for no reason a chore, especially when i have to do it because i'm forced, but i can't help it
This makes me think of women who are told by men that they should 'smile': apparently it's even more incumbent for women to smile than for men. One woman was so fed up that she routinely would answer to the umpteenth request for a smile that her husband/mother/father/sibling just died, just to wipe off that sanctimonious smile from the other person's face.
Load More Replies...Im autistic, and practicing facial expressions is not unheard of with this diagnosis. I used to do that by mirroring other people. My friends call me a “cyborg” lovingly just because I don’t understand social things. If you’re trying desperately to express feelings, it seems more of a “struggling to express emotions” thing than a “no emotions” thing. Before I got diagnosed, I also was scared I could be a psychopath. (Not that being psychopathic is a bad thing on its own)
Yes and yes. I was diagnosed very early on, so there was no question, but masking & mirroring is almost like a way to cope. People seem to desperately need you to emote to feel comfortable around you, and you feel like you desperately need to emote so that people get off your a*s about your RBF. It can be exhausting 😔. I am in an adult social group with a lot of different types of neurodiverse people and it's helped a whole lot, but yeah, I completely get where you are coming from.
Load More Replies...I learned to be totally cold and emotionless by the time I was 5 because it was the safest way to act around my mother :/
I don't show expression to my parents anymore, because i've trained my mind to not show 'weakness' to my parents as they use that as an excuse to yell at me.
Let's say you are? MOST sociopaths are harmless and even decent people. Not having the same emotions or reactions doesn't automatically make you harmful.
You obviously have absolutely no idea what "sociopath" actually means. Typical traits of a sociopath: disregards others feelings, aggressive and impulsive, manipulative, controlling and a compulsive liar. Yep, totally sounds "harmless". Sociopaths have most of the same emotions as other people. They can feel happiness, sadness, fright, anticipation, anger, and such. What they don't have is empathy or guilt, nor do they care at all about anybody but themselves. None are decent people, but a person who is really good at being manipulative can convince a lot of people that they are "decent" until it's too late.
Load More Replies...I have RBF. Once I met a customer when I wasn't at work and he gave me that super annoying "You should smile!" line. I told him when I wasn't working, I wasn't being paid to shine.
I learned that I am autistic and it is a blessing after being the weird kid my whole life
It’s very possible you could be on the spectrum. You’d be surprised who is
The autism and psychopath link was made by the man who coined the term Asperger’s and is being pushed out into society by “charities” that are “helping” and “informing” like Autism Speaks. I swear, they make us seem like super villains, but we are not. And the puzzle piece symbol they use is wrong, bc there is nothing missing from us. We are all human, and just because we think differently does not mean we are alien. They teach inclusivity, yet most of the time people tend to forget those with special needs. There are many good resources like Embrace-autism.com and others I can’t think of at the moment. Research before you judge, people.
Yeah, I have a really bad RBF. My mom says I look like a bored hot dog.😬
I'm a girl and I grow out my leg hair due to being harassed by an 80 year old man who said I had "pretty legs" when I was 11, so I guess I decided that just never going to happen again.
Leg hair is normal, and it's natural. If an individual want to remove their hair, that's their choice. 80 year old men hitting on 11 year old children - nope, always wrong. It should be reported.
Advertising has convinced women that body hair is ugly, even though it’s very natural.
I have osteoarthritis and can't shave my legs, see no shame in it
I have been wearing 2/3-length leggings for a week now. I never even thought about having hairy legs until yeasterday. But I don'd want to shave them.... perhaps when it's actually Summer? But not now. If I were to get any comments about my hairs on my legs I'll just question why people are looking at my legs in the first place. If we are having a conversation you should be looking at my face (where I have a few black hairs growing. Lol)
Yours is a common and normal reaction to childhood trauma, unfortunately (unfortunate that you experienced childhood trauma and that you believe your response is "socially unacceptable." If your leg hair or any of your coping methods bother you, please seek out a qualified, compassionate and empathetic therapist who understands childhood trauma. You don't have to let that creep continue to influence your life if you don't want to!
I would deliberately pretend that i don’t hear people calling me or asking me stuff in social situations. Also in a crowd when people are chitchatting in a circle, i zone out if im not interested.
I'm just like you, You're just like me...it's something anyone can see
I think I zoned out during this post. It didn't start with anything I needed to be told, then lost focus.
I do this as well. I'm autistic and have been told it is not socially acceptable to say " I don't want to talk to you right now." So, this is the only way I know how to avoid talking to/ having a conversation when I don't feel like it.
I've learned that it also helps to have an incredibly common first name. I will not respond unless they include my last name because there's a really good chance they aren't addressing me anyway lol
I'm half deaf, so in any kind of crowd I literally have no idea what is being said and just stand around like a post hoping I'm not smiling at someone's tale of woe.
It's very useful if you can blame it on your hearing aid. " oh, sorry, I didn't hear you " ...
Being borderline sociopathic for a profession
I've become "jaded" to seeing death, the mentally perturbed, physically traumatic injuries that you would only see in movies, even the downright depressing scenes, the list goes on.
The type of things people should only have to witness behind their screens or even only once in there life; I've adjusted to seeing in person on a weekly basis. It's to the point I can't call myself normal as I end up laughing to the most f****d up jokes.
Call it dark humor or a "coping mechanism" but if the event just happened, normal people would be mortified.
Its a bittersweet profession as a paramedic with high call volumes. I get a peek into everyones emergencies when they're at their lowest and often times these calls rub off on us (even the bs calls), but at the end of the day when s**t hits the fan, It's their emergency and not ours.
Better yet we have a hand in helping them physically and mentally. I have to tell people their loved ones are gone, but I get to convey it in the best way to let them heal the fastest. I have people who try to commit s*****e, but I get to save them when they or a loved one makes the call. I have people living the s**ttiest day of their life, but knowing it would've been their last if I hadn't came, makes it worthwhile.
This is most definitely not a job I would want to have, but I am exceedly grateful for those who do this.
Interestingly I think I am a bit weird in this. I can look at wounds and the most gruesome stuff in a clinical way and find it very interesting. Hell, I would have liked to watch my c-section! I think I would be excellent with that part of being a nurse or paramedic etc actually. What I cannot do though, is mental stuff…. Or rather … sad stuff. Mostly related to children and the elderly. A child crying. A child having pains. Children getting mistreated. I will cry instantly.
Load More Replies...Compassion fatigue is a thing. Teachers get it too. After 30 years you just don't care what the kid's circumstances are, you just want them to shut up and do their work. Let the younger ones whose emotions are still engaged deal with it. They'll understand after being in teaching for a few decades.
Being desensitized to death does not mean that a person is "borderline sociopathic". Being exposed to horrible situations doesn't make a person manipulative or controlling. It doesn't eliminate empathy, they just learn how to control their empathy so that their empathy won't cripple their ability to help other people. Dark humor is a very healthy coping mechanism.
I have an extremely dark sense of humor, I’m also an ex-mortician…I for sure thought that OP was too. Ain’t it f****d up that multiple professions have this similar effect on the ones trying to make the most difficult moments in life a little easier to deal with. It really messes with your mind and body over time. I had to stop embalming and being on my feet all the time because my spine started to fall apart in my 30s. Really, all having multiple spine fusions did was give me another reason to make incredibly dark jokes at just the wrong moment lol
I worked in a job where it could be quite dangerous and, unfortunately, got used to it. I lost my sense of fear and I'm still not sure whether I have it back now (no longer in the job so never tested my fear response) Fear is what keeps you safe, not have a fight or flight response is not good for your health..
I’ll leave. I’ll just go home and love it.
My parents are cousins. Nobody (outside the family) knows.
No adverse effect on the kids (although I AM on Reddit a lot…).
The risk of autosomal recessive genetic disorders for children of totally unelated parents is 3%. This rises to 4-6% for first cousins. Problems really only occur in populations where cousins marrying cousins is the rule, rather than the exception.
Because of my behavior as a child, my parents were often totally unelated with me.
Load More Replies...This seems to be much more of a taboo in the USA than in most of the rest of the world. While not exactly common here it rarely causes any scandal. Also, the risks of congenital defects in children born to cousins is negligible, about the same as a child born to any woman in her 30's. Many sources state that the risk of congenital defects doubles when a child is born to cousins, which is technically correct as the risk doubles from around 1.5% to 3% which is still a very low risk.
Don't really see the stigma here. Must be a US thing. Unless you keep crossing the bloodlines like some inbred hill tribe, what's the problem?
Yeah, you can totally tell because they are barefoot. Only cousins are barefoot.
I worked with a guy who met a lady and they got along really well. Dated for several months and were talking about marriage. Then they each went to a family reunion and saw each other there. I believe they were first cousins but had never met at a family thing before. They ended up eloping in Kentucky where it was legal. They have several kids now.
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when royalty was expected to inter-marry to maintain the purity of the bloodline. True, they did not know the genetic repercussions.
Some did that to keep their wealth and power in the family. If a royal married a person from another family, this family was entitled to a portion of their wealth and they could claim the throne.
Load More Replies...Always had an unpopular opinion on that. Incestuous marriage is fine as long as people involved understand what they are doing and realise they probably should abstain from having kids or be ready for consequences. Its their lives and if they love each other so be it
16 states and District of Columbia is is legal for first cousins to marry.
My father (Quebec, Quebec) married my mother (Ecosse, Michigan). My grandmothers were sisters so my parents were first cousins. My father offered money to a few priests in the U.S.A. (I'm guessing he never went to Alabama). Finally, one accepted his bribe (Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side) and that's why I'm a Canadian instead of an American. One of my father's sisters married her 2nd (sorry, 3rd) cousin. And my oldest brother and one of her daughters went out together for several years. There is no ill-effect on any of us. I'm pretty sure it's only the Roman Catholics who have a problem with this. Let me know if I'm wrong.
You are wrong. It‘s genetics that have a problem with this, as one can see in the royal families of Europe. Well, not anymore, but back then…. It‘s not so much if one pair of cousins has children, but when those cousins marry their cousins snd their kids marry their cousins…. The risk of defects is getting higher and higher.
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I was one of the last kids to have ever been a patient in an insane asylum here in the US. The one I was in closed down in 1993.
I'm fat.
For many, it is deemed socially unacceptable. Even with doctors - like my doctor is. He doesn't believe I have certain problems (or not like high blood pressure) because I'm obese.
Load More Replies...Me too. Before I started on antidepressants I was practically underweight.
No problem with being fat. Being dangerously overweight is a different thing. It will most likely shorten your life and might kill you
I hate working but that doesn’t mean i’m lazy. I live my life by doing a bunch of side huddles and love it. I make about $10k/year but I have everything i need: food, shelter, and a wonderful community. I “work” about two months a year but otherwise i lay on the beach with a joint in my hand and a cat on my lap.
This sounds perfect, though ,maybe lacking in forward thinking. I’m old so my first thought is “how will you support yourself when you retire?”. Hopefully OP has plenty of time to enjoy this idyllic life before worrying about such things.
But don't most of us work our asses off for most of our lives so we CAN lay on the beach with a cat in our lap at the end? Maybe OP is doing it the right way round.
Load More Replies...Never understood rich people that still chose to work. Life has so much more to offer than justify your existence by bossing around and handing out business cards.
"Rich people" choosing not to work and retire early is causing big problems and skill shortages in Western society. It should not be praised.
Load More Replies...You'll find guys living this life everywhere - chiefly in their mothers' basements.
Love me a good nose-pickin!
I once read something that said “everyone picks their nose, whether they admit to it or not.” Really helps when I’m nervous in front of someone, like a higher up manager reviewing my work, to remember that they totally pick their nose lol
Load More Replies...I love to clear my nasal passages in the hot steamy shower. Of course I make sure it’s clean before I get out!
Same Also called out people professing to be grossed out asking if they never ONCE picked the dregs during the snorting years 😆
I'm autistic, and nine times out of ten i forgot that when people ask me for my opinion or input on something that they actually want the opinion that caters to theirs.
Or Germany….. and I‘m guessing some other countries. Not all though. Poland is more like the US. They prefer politeness to honesty. At least from my experiance with my family there. Might not be true for the whole country.
Load More Replies...I feel heard!!!! I do not understand this socially acceptable thing. Asking for an opinion & expecting a certain answer is one of those things that is so hard for me to wrap my brain around. It's so illogical it makes my eye twitch! I'm glad that my friends & family have accepted that I mean no disrespect and that when someone asks for my opinion, it genuinely does not occur to me that you want anything but the truth.
It's called askholing. Some people I know will ask until they find the answer they want.
I see it exactly like the op. Ask for an opinion, get an opinion. Not gonna waste my breath agreeing with bs.
I hate when people ask me for my opinion, because 98% of time it’s the wrong one. You asked me if your hair looked bad and I gave you an honest answer! I’m sorry if that’s rude, but that’s what you asked??
I have taken human lives. Sure, during military service, but just the same.
I did a combat tour, and never once fired my weapon in anger. I am much more glad of that now than I was then.
I regret it, sometimes, because of how it changed me... but the people we had to kill were themselves killers.
I'm sorry, but ever since there were human beings on this planet, there have been wars and there has never been a moment in history in which there was't a war somewhere being waged. There are people, even now, who see positive sides to waging war. The majority of people would prefer not to wage war, but what if your live and the lives of your loved ones are threatened? Indeed, your whole way of life? What if you are threatened with extinction? Would you fight back or just let things happen?
My father, a WW2 British army veteran, who was a liberator of Bergen / Belsen lived with that fact his entire life... don't think he ever forgot what he had to do...he was traumatised his entire fücking life.... what was he to do, ask them to please stop killing Jews?
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I stare blankly a lot during conversations. Like as if I'm zoned out, but I'm paying full attention. Especially if it's a particularly long conversation, I just can't be bothered to keep up with constant eye contact.
Same, except eye contact, i can't keep eye contact to save my life even with close people
omg same!!! I'm not ND in any way, but i cannot hold eye contact for more than 2 seconds at a time. It makes me feel awfully uncomfortable and exposed.
Load More Replies...Well I feel uncomfortable looking at people in the eyes. Because of my abusive dad. But I try to as much as possible. Because people see that as "respectful" thing. But it still do damn hard.
Ask someone a question that needs a little thought - like a maths question well within ability, but needs mental steps rather than automated response. Often you will see the other person's eyes dart up to left or right like they are looking in their brains or something - totally natural. Now try that on someone who has been told lack of eye contact is a problem. Especially potential ASD. Often the ability to do simple reasoning can get messed up while they struggle with the whole eye contact thing. And who thinks eye contact during a difficult or emotional interaction is a must?
My friends know I don't look directly at them when talking because I get distracted by mouth and facial expressions. Explain that to new people though...
I can keep eye contact or face contact but my mind will wander and even for a few seconds when I become focus on the conservation again I think what did my friend just say. Then I have to figure out what they are talking about. .
Constant eye contact is uncomfortable. I prefer to be doing something or looking at something in a deep long conversation. Museums, walks in nature..chopping vegetables.
If I'm not fidgeting with something while listening to you, I'm not listening to you. Got called out for doodling during a meeting in the retail days and was terribly embarrassed, but now I think back on it and I'm really rather mad. People needing to do something else to also listen is not some unheard of thing...
I’m a double dipper.
I am, too. My go to method, though, is dipping the opposite side of whatever if I'm sharing the dip.
But your hands! Are they clean? Did you breathe on the chip?
Load More Replies...I was in a mental health hospital and I still have regular emotional breakdowns.
I hope you have access to help and support when you need it. ((virtual hugs))
I was too briefly. It made me realize that there are people who have it way worse than I do. And that I'm not really that crazy. ;)
I keep a pair of the non-slippy socks as a souvenir. Currently have 4 pairs.
I always have a b***h face but the second someone smiles at me, my whole minute was made.
dude my default facial expression is a cold face, and even my happy or angry or annoyed reactions are minimal, people who are close to me are the ones who actually notice, but i still smile a lot though
They say it takes more muscles to frown than to smile, but I call bs. If I relax all my facial muscles people back away. I've learned to affect an expression of idiotic harmlessness when in public.
My usual face is RBF, not because I'm angry, but I'm so focused on what I'm doing. People always assume I'm pissed off.🤷♀️
I have “resting approachable face.” Somehow I always look friendly and open when I’m just zoning out at the bus stop. Crazies love to talk to me. I often wish I had more of an RBF 😅
I took would like an rbf. I have resting idiot face.
Load More Replies...I am a people pleaser and have learned how to chameleon into almost any social situation. I don’t know who I am so my dating life is: becoming acceptable and try to be the perfect person to my partner so they fall in love with me, then I break and say this isn’t working for me, leaving them in ruins. I hate myself for it but I don’t know how to connect otherwise.
My friend dated someone like this. Accept you need therapy because this is not the way to live..
Accepting you need therapy is not the same as being able to afford and access therapy unfortunately :(
Load More Replies...You need to learn to set boundaries. It's not easy, I'm learning myself. Lots of therapy and practicing. You're allowed to be yourself, to let people know what you like and dislike, what you're willing to do or not. You don't need to please everyone and people who really love you will stick with you and respect your boundaries, those who don't respect or don't stick around just let them go. But communication is important and a skill to be learned.
You try to be super nice as you're scared people will leave you or won't like you as you are. This results in having to admit you aren't who you said you were which is worse, this ends relationships. That is a lose/lose. Be yourself from the start and there's no point at which you have to give up the pretense. You won't need to be scared to lose people..
Professionally this can be a great advantage, however, if you can't draw it back in your personal life you may end up miserable.
I hate certain movies,TV shows, and music for no real reason other than it being popular. It causes me to get really angry when music I hate comes on, in fact I've grown such a distaste for modern country that I get headaches from listening to it. I've been slowly learning to accept that some people have tastes different from mine and that I shouldn't be mad at them or the content they enjoy.
I hate a lot of things for no reason whatsoever. I also hate things because they are popular
Nothing wrong here, a lot of modern country sucks and is obnoxious.
I seriously thought there was something wrong with me!!! If everyone loves something, i end up automatically hating it. It's crazy. There are shows i refused to watch because they were popular, jut to watch them years later and realize it's awesome. I can't stop myself. It makes no sense, but it is what it is.
Hey I hate modern country music too! It ain't country, it's tractor rap.
The thing with something being popular is that you don't know if it's actually that good OR if there is a herd mentality making it popular. Some popular things are worth a try. Others are just garbage that the crowd is following because the crowd is following. [Looking at anything Kardashian or celebrity or influencer]
I feel the same about ads. To me, it's a fight not to be influenced when I know others are trying to manipulate me.
I don't like my Mum.
Different human beings have different personalities. There are plenty of people in the world who are not bad people but don't have any common interest with me and we just don't vibe so we are just not friends and don't hang out often. That includes people in my family. We go to events together and we are friendly to each other, but we don't have to "like" each other. Blood relation isn't a magical connection for everyone.
mums are human and have mental illnesses, strange value systems or other divisive attributes. My mother had an undiagnosed mental illness so I never liked her, or even loved her. My daughter has a mental illness and we have a difficult relationship as a result, as I find her behaviour troubling and manipulative like my mothers. I suspect she doesn’t like me much.
Are you me? Because that sounds a lot like my mother and my daughter…sending hugs to you internet stranger
Load More Replies...If I don’t like someone (never a prejudiced opinion), I sometimes make it very apparent by being cold towards them. Not something I’m very proud of.
Can't stand body hair. From shoulders down, anything not visible is gone. Only keep what's visible because I don't want to be made fun of by strangers. Hate it though. Ashamed that I prefer myself without, because I feel less of a "socially acceptable" male.
It was a game-changer for me. For years I bought into the whole "urgh people who want to get rid of body hair are paedophiles" but since getting rid of certain areas I can say my little sensory overloaded lizard brain is pretty happy about it. I just wish it wasn't so damn expensive/painful!
It's a preference. It certainly doesn't make you "less of a man" to remove hair.
Hair is disgusting to me. I am disgusted by the hair on my own head. I can't explain it.
I love passively snooping if people have their s**t exposed. I also hide my phone and desktop activities from everyone instinctively.
the desktop one is so relatable, i delete my computer history as soon as i'm done with it, all my folders are hidden and you can only get to it with my permission and for what reason, i am not hiding anything that could get me in trouble or anything
Yeah I get so self conscious for no reason about what's on my screen like it's not bad or anything just that I'm weird about it 😭
Journals - I never understand writing down every fleeting thought or panic attack. I get that it works for some people, but for me? No thank you. I know the dark ugly corners of my personality that I hide from everyone, and I know where they're from. There's no need to journal them.
I'm 16 years old, I'm going to college next year, and I've never walked outside of my house alone. Not even to go to the store or someone's house. I didn't even have keys to my house until this year and I still don't know how to use them well.Obviously I go to school alone or go out with my friends by taxi, but I mean that I have never walked on the street, from one place to another, alone. And honestly I'm terrified of doing it. I don't know if I'm not very independent for my age or if I'm simply a teenage girl in a third world country, but if you told me, for example"Walk from your house to the park" or "go from the mall to the gym on foot" I simply couldn't do it.
Children need to learn independence, in a safe manner. Parents aren't protecting their children by cocooning them in bubble wrap, they are making stunted adults. For this 16 year old, I'd suggest they walk to where they stop feeling comfortable, and then just stop, and slowly count to 10. The next day, come to the same place, and take another few steps, repeat. Slowly increase distance. Then do it again starting in other places.
oh my god, this hits hard. i'm turning 16 in a few months, i also am going to university next year, if i'm lucky this year. sure i have been going out to buy stuff, but it was practically just a street away from my home. i go to school with the school bus. i don't go anywhere past 2 streets of my home alone. i only recently went for lessons far way from home alone, it was frightening to say the least, not because i was alone but because i'm scared of people and don't like conversing with people i've never met before. and i'm never doing it again. i don'tt know how i'm gonna survive in uni but let's wait till then
Please don't wait until university. There's going to be so much going on, and so many changes when you get there. Please, start venturing out from home a bit more. Just a little bit at a time. This is not a situation that will get better if you ignore it. You've identified a problem. Slowly, bit by bit, do something to deal with it.
Load More Replies...This is scary! Especially with OP heading off to college at such a young age. I hope they find a true friend quickly who is able to help adapt to college life.
I don't like to be around dogs at all. I worked in PetSmart for 7 years and being around literally 100+ dogs every shift got me to where I can't stand the smell and the noise. I don't hate dogs, they can't help but be what they are, it's just that every normal, natural behavior in dogs really just bugs the c**p out of me. I still help people with dog behavior issues to this day, I just don't want to have a dog or live with one.
You'll probably offend more people with this than saying "I hate babies" but it's your right to like or dislike whatever you want.
I don't like being around dogs either. I can logically understand that dogs are just being dogs but my sound and touch sensory issues just go buck wild. I can force myself to be around them and even treat them with affection and positivity but internally it's riling up my anxiety. I also dislike dogs approaching me on the street, especially unleashed. I can at least walk around a leashed dog. Had various neighbors over the years with unleashed dogs run at me, whether to jump on me or try to bite me. It doesn't matter, either way I don't want an untethered dog running around when the owner doesn't know how other dogs or people might react to it, or worse.. near roads.
I hate all animals being indoors. Love every animal outdoors. I just want to know I can unwind in a clean and predictable space.
I own a reasonably large amount of comic book themed statues. And like, the big ones, that are two feet tall.
Were we meant to be together? 😍😍😍 LOL! I think this is awesome. I'm incredibly envious. Which ones do you have?
I don't respect and not even like my parents, in a good day I tolerate them. I am doing what I can to move asap after college and pretend they don't exist.
i am incredibly clingy & needy :).
I'm a guy and I'm absolutely s**t at making money. I never have enough of it and everyone in life thinks lesser of me because of it.
If people around you think less of you because you do not make enough money... You need new people in your life. But check first because it could also be that this is what you think... And that your real friends do not think this at all!
Yeah, careful with the "just ditch them" advice. That's a constant reaction on the internet to any and all relationship complaints. Without both sides of the story, strangers shouldn't be suggesting a course of action. In this instance, his lack of money could pose real issues for his friends by limiting what can be done, causing logistical issues for things like transportation, or even excessive mooching.
Load More Replies...In the US making money is about being exploited or exploiting others. Not everyone is good with that.
"You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet."
That I’ve hung out with d**g dealers and super, super sketchy people and actually kind of liked those people. Also that I drank a s**t ton of alcohol starting when I was 12.
There was a time in my life I spent time around people like this and it was the first time I ever felt like I wasn’t being judged for being myself.
For a very short period when I was 20yo I hung out with some addicts and pushers. I felt so welcome and I got quite a crush on one of the pushers. Lol. He was the first person who ever made me feel beautiful. But, by very short period I mean 2 days. I still think about some of those ppl now, 20 years later. I hope they ended up having better lives.
When I want to lose weight, I just starve myself and drink water and eat vitamin gummies. Sometimes I lose like 50lbs in 3 months with no exercise. I do not exercise, and my calorie intake is like below 600. Everyone constantly says that's not good for you. I feel fine, and if I feel really bad I just have a cheat day and I eat two medium pizzas from Pizza Hut. And then I just continue to do it. Maybe I'm just built different, maybe it's Maybelline.
Yeah, no you're not built different. Stop deluding yourself. The key to maintaining a good weight is both diet AND exercise.
The worrying thing here is the "when" which implies this is a repeating thing, which is clearly not healthy. You should probably make an effort to sort your lifestyle out before it's too late. You may feel fine now, but you're harming your body and may not feel fine in five or ten years time.
i also do this, except i don't stick with it but the thing is that i have high metabolism so no matter how much i eat, i never gain weight. sometimes people even say i look thinner without doing anything
That I'm a d**g addict.
I kink-shame.
Most people think that being kinky is socially awkward. Except young people in Scandinavia a few years back. If you didn't have a kink, you were a loser, and the crazier the better.
Haha… who would do that?? Certainly not me… I definitely don’t find literally every kink ever disgusting… /j
Nah as long as everything is consenting. I just dont understand a lot of it personally
as my dad and I always say, "im not kink *shaming*, im kink asking *why*"
When i feel bad i leave and don’t come back until i’m okay.
Leave.... where? Your job? Your house? A little context here would help me😭
Basing this entirely on my own response here but when I feel bad or have a bad conflict or bad criticism or a lot of anger I will stand up and leave for a little bit to calm down. I feel its better than reacting with the full brunt of my emotions. I make sure to tell people I have to excuse myself before continuing the conversation and just come back with a clearer head. Unfortunately, a lot of people feel its melodramatic or pure avoidance. I used to do a lot of shutting down so this has been a more positive way of handling things for me.
Load More Replies...Hard to say what this person is talking about. Maybe this is one of those people who makes mistakes but then instead of listening to / discussing constructive criticism, they just quit on it and hide.
I make too much eye contact. I’ve been practicing looking away.
Opposite here: I avoid eye contact as much as possible (In a society that considers that as rude)
I did that too for nearly twenty years. Then I started practicing because people said it's awkward and now I have to always look people in the eyes, which is awkward for some introvert friends lemme I was/am... It's strange...I want a middle way please ....
Load More Replies...I have no clue about how much eye contact i make uts incredibly frustrating
I hate peanut butter.
I also despise peanut butter but on the contrary, i love roasted groundnuts or as americans say peanut but not raw ones
Im extremely uncomfortable around peanut butter to the point where being near it or smelling it makes me want to cry. It definitely borders on a phobia. Even imagining eating peanut butter right now is making me uneasy. Whenever I absolutely HAVE to eat peanut butter (that’s all there is to eat and people are worried why I’m not eating) and even then I haven’t done that in at least a couple of months, I have to drink so much liquid so it doesn’t get stuck in my throat. Whenever I do this, people ask what’s wrong but I don’t want to say it’s because I’m afraid of a food.
I can’t even eat nuts because the taste is so similar to peanuts I can’t enjoy them. They taste disgusting and I just don’t understand how people eat them when mixed in with things, let alone by themselves.
Load More Replies...Hmm. All Human Life is here; the good, the bad, & the ugly. I want nothing whatsoever to do with it.
A lot of these posts are things that a very large amount of people do/say/think/feel, but just don't talk about. I'll chime in with mine cause why not. I downvote every political comments I see if it's on a non-politically centered article, regardless if what is said is stuff I agree or disagree with. It's unnecessary to make a politically driven comment on an article that isn't centered around such topics.
One socially unacceptable thing in the hispanic community is cutting toxic family out of your life. Family means everything in the hispanic culture/community. Cutting toxic family out of your life is sometimes necessary for your own mental health but people still look down on you for not putting up with it cause they are family you know.
I grew up as a life and soul of the party guy, I enjoyed leadership roles, I was gregarious. Mental health crashed, I lost my marriage, I attempted suicide more than once, I lost all of my confidence and hid away like a hermit. Now I’ve lost that gregarious character I haven’t a clue who I am or how to function around people. I have zero motivation and I’ve zero ambition. My meds keep me alive and I’m a great actor, no one would know if I was good, bad or indifferent underneath, I just play the role that’s expected of me, I’m not sure who I am or how to be the ‘right’ me.
That suсks like a motherfuсker :( But you're here, and we like you.
Load More Replies...I am indifferent to cats. I don’t hate them, I’m never mean to them, I just don’t care about them even a little. I find them boring and I don’t understand why people love them so much. I get that people do - I’m *not* criticizing that, I just don’t understand it. I do like dogs, but not enough to have one, so it’s not like I’m a super dog, anti-cat person.
I don't like cats. I don't hate them, abuse them, or neglect them, I just don't like them. I don't understand the draw. Kittens are cute and fun to watch, but once they grow up, I'm not interested.
Load More Replies...I am one of these monsters who take their shoes off in airplanes.
As long as you’re wearing socks, I see no problem. I do the same. But no socks? That’s 🤮- for everyone! I don’t want my bare feet on gross airplane carpet (also they’d freeze)
Load More Replies...i dont like being around groups of people for to long it starts to feel overwhelming for me
social phobia or ASD. Get checked. PS you are ok, just different.
Load More Replies...Is anyone else unable to read these posts? I'm on the Bored Panda app, and it shows only one line of text above the photo. I have to guess what the rest of the post says...haha.
That was happening to me too. I had to go to chrome and stop using the app. I even took the time to actually complain to them BP has done nothing to fix it. Which sucks bc when you use the web instead of the app the lag from their quadrillion adds is worse.
Load More Replies...I don't relate to people and I can never put myself in their situation unless it has happened to me. For example, my partner's father died and I didn't know how to feel or how to comfort her as my parents are both still alive. I feign interest in other people's lives so that it doesn't seem rude but I'd rather never ask any questions in the first place.
A lot of these posts are things that a very large amount of people do/say/think/feel, but just don't talk about. I'll chime in with mine cause why not. I downvote every political comments I see if it's on a non-politically centered article, regardless if what is said is stuff I agree or disagree with. It's unnecessary to make a politically driven comment on an article that isn't centered around such topics.
One socially unacceptable thing in the hispanic community is cutting toxic family out of your life. Family means everything in the hispanic culture/community. Cutting toxic family out of your life is sometimes necessary for your own mental health but people still look down on you for not putting up with it cause they are family you know.
I grew up as a life and soul of the party guy, I enjoyed leadership roles, I was gregarious. Mental health crashed, I lost my marriage, I attempted suicide more than once, I lost all of my confidence and hid away like a hermit. Now I’ve lost that gregarious character I haven’t a clue who I am or how to function around people. I have zero motivation and I’ve zero ambition. My meds keep me alive and I’m a great actor, no one would know if I was good, bad or indifferent underneath, I just play the role that’s expected of me, I’m not sure who I am or how to be the ‘right’ me.
That suсks like a motherfuсker :( But you're here, and we like you.
Load More Replies...I am indifferent to cats. I don’t hate them, I’m never mean to them, I just don’t care about them even a little. I find them boring and I don’t understand why people love them so much. I get that people do - I’m *not* criticizing that, I just don’t understand it. I do like dogs, but not enough to have one, so it’s not like I’m a super dog, anti-cat person.
I don't like cats. I don't hate them, abuse them, or neglect them, I just don't like them. I don't understand the draw. Kittens are cute and fun to watch, but once they grow up, I'm not interested.
Load More Replies...I am one of these monsters who take their shoes off in airplanes.
As long as you’re wearing socks, I see no problem. I do the same. But no socks? That’s 🤮- for everyone! I don’t want my bare feet on gross airplane carpet (also they’d freeze)
Load More Replies...i dont like being around groups of people for to long it starts to feel overwhelming for me
social phobia or ASD. Get checked. PS you are ok, just different.
Load More Replies...Is anyone else unable to read these posts? I'm on the Bored Panda app, and it shows only one line of text above the photo. I have to guess what the rest of the post says...haha.
That was happening to me too. I had to go to chrome and stop using the app. I even took the time to actually complain to them BP has done nothing to fix it. Which sucks bc when you use the web instead of the app the lag from their quadrillion adds is worse.
Load More Replies...I don't relate to people and I can never put myself in their situation unless it has happened to me. For example, my partner's father died and I didn't know how to feel or how to comfort her as my parents are both still alive. I feign interest in other people's lives so that it doesn't seem rude but I'd rather never ask any questions in the first place.
