Some rules exist because they had to be implemented. Like the speed limit or legal drinking age. Meanwhile, some rules have backfired big time and made the people who implemented them regret their decision. Check out our previous post about such instances right here.
But there are rules that need no introduction. They’re not documented in books nor authorized by law, and still, they govern our daily lives. This simple “common sense” is also known as “unwritten rules” and they refer to common behavioral constraints we all take for granted.
Things like not swiping sideways if someone shows a picture on their phone, or never making fun of someone else’s laugh. Sounds random, but people swear by it! Scroll down below for more unspoken rules listed by people online.
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Never ever make fun of someone who is overweight at the gym.
If someone comes up to you that you don't know starts loudly talking about being your friend you play along
If you're wrong, admit it.
So much this. This needs to be higher on the list. Being wrong and learning is a part of personal growth. Even if I am in a heated debate with someone and arguing my point and it all of a sudden dawns on me that they are right, I will immediately concede. Always good to be moldable, being rigid doesn't do anyone any good.
You having a bad day doesn't mean that you have to ruin other people's day.
Don't play your music out loud when in public.
For example: While walking down the street or sitting on a bus one should not be blasting music on their personal device. Buy a pair of damn headphones.
Always let people out before walking in. This applies to elevators, trains, or anything similar.
If someone is giving you a ride, be ready before the person arrives to pick you up.
When driving and someone lets you into the traffic stream, be sure to do the "Thank You Wave."
Don't wear white to a wedding, and don't propose at someone's wedding. I'm sure this sucks to hear, but that is not your day. Don't be a d*ck.
When I show you a singular picture on my phone, don't ever try to swipe left or right.
Dont hit on women when they're at work. They're not flirting, theyre just being nice, it's their job.
If someone holds a door open for you, then please acknowledge them or say thank you. I'm not your servant.
This may may be trivial, but also don’t hold the door open because of gender. Do it to be kind.
Don't [frigging] cheat on your SO. It's not cool. If you wanna f**k someone else, break up with your SO first instead of being a secretive c**t.
Happens way too often.
For the love of God, just return the shopping cart when you’re done with it
If you're walking side by side on a sidewalk and someone comes towards you, f**king make room.
Or if someone comes up behind you, obviously in a hurry, let them pass!!
Don't touch me or stand so close to me that I can feel you breathing if I don't know you!
Seems so simple, but so many people are disrespectful of personal space.
Be patient with the elderly unless they're being [jerks]
If you borrow a friend's car, fill up the tank when returning it as a thank you.
Leave it better than you found it.
Life isn't fair and thank goodness - imagine the horror of knowing that every bad thing that happened to you happened because you deserved it.
Don't bother someone with headphones in unless it's important. They have headphones in for a reason.
For women: always have an extra pad or tampon on you. You never know when another woman might desperately need it. You may not like her, but this is your one exception to be nice. We've all been there.
Always say please and thank you. Good to do it until it becomes second nature. Most people know this, but not everyone does it.
If you're going to ask someone to help you move, please have all the boxes already packed and ready to go.
Always start with the question "how might I be wrong?"
Everyone can figure out a reason to believe they're correct, but if you look for reasons you are wrong first you will make fewer horrific assertions and mistakes.
"How might I be wrong" is the core question of science and the start of all wisdom.
If a bro [passes away] while lifting, put more weight on the bar, then call 911
Common sense ain't that common, so explain things in the simplest manner you possibly can.
We have an ABC mantra at work:
Assume nothing.
Believe nobody.
Check everything.
Should be the rule of life! Just because you read it on social media doesn't mean it's true. How can there be so many legitimate sites to verify facts, but people choose Sally's "Uncle Joe"?
When letting cars into traffic, you let one then you go, just keep alternating.
The first time visiting someone's place you bring something. Anything. Bottle of wine, six-pack, food, origami penguin. Something.
Don’t touch another person’s hair just because you think it’s pretty.
This one right here!! When my son was born, he had bright red hair. Every damn time we went out, people would come up to us and want to touch his hair. Of course I had stupid people accuse me of dying his hair. But they still had to put their "god only knows what is on their fingers" all over my son's head. Even after I asked them nicely. Even after I was rude to them. Even after I threatened bodily harm. They would still try to touch his hair. People are rude!
Especially to your kids, don't make promises you can't keep. Also, don't ever threaten to do something you can't or won't follow up on.
Saw a shirt recently that says “No one is more full of sh*t than a parent who just said “maybe.” Lol
If someone clearly doesn't want to talk to you or needs to be somewhere else, let them be.
Never refuse when someone offers you a breath mint
Because your breath smells like a wet dog after he rolled in his own poop.
Don't touch a disabled person's mobility aids without being specifically asked to do so by the person. Wheelchair, scooter, cane, dog, walker, whatever they are using don't touch it unless they ASK you to. View it as a stranger trying to touch your legs, do you want rando to pick up your leg? Move your leg? Pet your leg? Probably not.
Never say something to someone you love that you can't recover from in the heat of an argument. You love that person for a reason.
and learn to forgive things that was said in the heat of the moment - no use letting them hurt you forever
Ask the person if they are at the back of the line before you join it.
Cover your mouth when you cough with your elbow, not your hands that you will then touch a bunch of stuff with. Applies to sneezes as well. In general, just keep your gross bodily fluid to yourself unless clearly requested to share.
If you're in someone else's home/car/yard- Anything of someone else's, ASK before you do something. No, I don't want you smoking in my car. I don't want you feeding my dog food from the table. Just stop.
Definitely agree with feeding my dog human food. It's my number one rule. He has his own food and treats I paid a lot for. Plus if it's something he is allergic to I'm sure you won't foot the vet fees. Just say no to him and he'll walk away.
If a street performer makes you stop walking, you owe him a buck.
The window seat gets an armrest and a wall, the middle seat gets two arm rests, and the aisle seat gets an arm rest and a little extra leg room. We're not savages, we live in a society.
After applying restraints to objects in the flatbed of a truck, saying "Yep, that's not goin' anywhere" is an absolute necessity.
Make sure you twang the strap when you say it. Otherwise it absolutely will go somewhere.
We don't fight at weddings.
Don't break the rules of traffic in an attempt to be courteous to other drivers. It often just makes situations more confusing and stressful than necessary. Just obeying the regular rules is far more appreciated.
Don't go up to a cashier while talking on your mobile and expect to be served
I worked retail and in restaurants for years and if people were on their phone and trying to get me to serve them, I would just walk away until they are off. Some people would get angry but they couldn't argue with me about it because I'd tell them that I waited until they were off the phone to not be rude by interrupting their conversation. Usually people got the hint that they were being rude. If they had an issue with it, I'd show them the door. Be polite to those who are serving you in whatever capacity, we do not have to be there and we do not need to decode whether or not you are speaking to us. Also, please, please stop having conversations on speaker in public. I don't care what Jimmy wants from the grocery store. But, if people insist on having speaker phone conversations in public, I try to make sure I stare at them and listen intently as they want the public to. Sometimes I even join in on the convo. You make it public, let's play.
Smile at babies. Babies constantly look at their surroundings- especially faces- to learn if they're in a safe place. If you're smiling, babies feel at ease and grow up healthier and happier. If you don't, they're more likely to feel unsafe....and cry...
Call when it's urgent, text when it's not. respond to emails even with an "ok".
If a friend buys you a drink you don’t pay it back you just buy the next round
Don't buy a cheap bed or a cheap pair of shoes. You'll spend most of your life in one or the other.
Alternatively, buy a cheap, hard bed and invest in a memory foam pad. Better back support without cutting off your circulation.
Don't point out things about someone if they can't change it in the span of the next 5 minutes.
If there's one beer left in your friend's fridge and it's not yours, you don't take it. You leave it for him. Unless he offers it to you, in which case it becomes fair game. As a person addendum though: If you are the friend that DOES take the last beer without asking, then you owe that friend a case of beer. But that's my own rule, which you can use as your own.
And with communal refrigerators, just because something doesn't have someone's name on it, that doesn't mean it's yours to take.
If a restaurant has a nearly empty parking lot at what should be a busy time, eat somewhere else.
I don’t care how hungry you are, if a restaurant is about to close, don’t order food.
A word of advice. Worked in restaurants for many years. All ya'll who walk into a sit down restaurant 30 mins or less before it closes are getting the last of the food that's been sitting in a warmer all night. The kitchen has already started to shut down at that point, so nothing fresh is being made. Oh, and also you are going straight to hell.
When you get up from your office chair, push it the f**k back in
If you come across someone with your same shirt/outfit it's mandatory to salute or hi-five
I do this with my car, I just find it slightly amusing to see the same exact make, model, color of my car on the road. I'm like a little kid when that happens
If someone helps you move you help them move, no excuses.
I did this, but with our wedding. So many people helped us out. So when they asked us to help with their weddings, we dropped everything. I've done the flowers for three weddings now, I'm glad I can help with something that would otherwise be very expensive.
If you happen to be walking behind a woman and you two are alone, go to a different route/street or let her go far ahead.
Always wipe til white.
Let the tallest person sit in the passenger seat of the car.
When someone enters the bathroom sniffle or cough to let them know you are in there
If possible, every other urinal.
Nod up for an acquaintance, nod down for a stranger.
When you're finished in the bathroom: Don't shut the door fully! I don't want to be waiting to use the bathroom for ages because it appears it's occupied even though it isn't.
When someone gets banged up and is clearly in pain, just shut up for a minute or two and let him do a proper systems diagnosis. Only then should you ask if he’s okay.
er no? (blood pouring out... gonna wait a minute.... "hey buddy you done your system diagnositcs?")
True love is real......but there is no "ONE"
If you have to get up for a beer, you must ask if anyone else needs one.
If a bro is like, really upset about something, just crushed because of family s**t, or women, or work, or whatever, said bro is required to request one of his other bros to come over/go to the bar. It’s 2019, bro’s no longer let bros be bummed out alone. We talk it out now.
Don’t look over in the urinals. Just don’t.
But how else do you know whether you are the biggest in the room???? /s
We all have to be tough when sometimes the spider does scare you
Never "borrow" your roommate's underwear when all yours are waiting to be washed but you haven't bothered to do laundry.
If two people bump into each other if nobody says anything that's fine
If one says sorry you are a [jerk]
If you both say sorry then no-ones a [jerk]
Am I the only one who initially thought one person was saying “sorry you are a jerk” to the other? Lol
Unfortunately, not all guys follow this, but they all SHOULD: No talking in the bathroom!
Women: its OK to talk by the sinks/in the communal areas but don't talk to someone in a cubicle!
When hugging as a greeting or goodbye, two pats.
When hugging as a genuine, intimate embrace, three pats.
One is rude, four is just weird
What if you count instead of pat? I count to 5 for a greeting or goodbye. For an embrace, I hug until the other person lets go or I get to 30.
If your eyes meet another guys on the bus or train you have less than a second to look away
If bro #1 is attempting to woo someone they are attracted to, bro #2 is to at minimum not interfere, unless there is an emergency situation, which includes (but is not limited to):
The death/serious injury or illness of a family member or close friend of bro#1
A member of the bro group is about to have imminent trouble with law enforcement or venue security
Bro #2 having prior knowledge of the person of affection being crazy/not bro #1's preferred gender identity/being too intoxicated or underage to consent
The venue is on fire/major earthquake (however bro #2 should make an attempt to reconnect bro #1 and the person of affection in the parking lot)
There are plenty of ways to enter a pool. The stairs is not one of them.
You don't hold a door open for another guy. You push all the way out and then it's on the other guy to catch it before it closes.
You must question your masculinity or purchasing habits if you can't bring all the bags in from the car in one trip.
There are a few exceptions to this rule:
If it didn't fit in the main part of the cart it doesn't count as an extra trip.
Things like large bags of pet food, large bags of rice, packages of water bottles (just buy resusable ones), get a pass. Basically if it took two hands to get it in the cart and doesn't fit in a bag you are clear.
If you have to use a flat cart in the store you get a pass.
Fragile items get a pass.
If you had to put down your seats or couldn't close the trunk you get a pass.
If you have luggage of more than one person (especially if you have kids or a female SO).
Multiple shopping stops may require multiple bag trips. You are still required to try and do it in as few trips as possible.
You are exempt if you have to carry a kid.
Idk if this is supposed to be some joke, but it's not really funny. People don't have to question their masculinity because they don't want to break their fingers carrying all the bag in at the same time.
When at a stop sign and you are in the passenger seat, you lean back so the driver can see past you and if the way is clear. Girls seem to need to be told, but guys just seem to do it automatically.
If you're just teasing someone but they get upset by the remarks, stop. I've been through this kind of thing a lot and people don't seem to care or realize when my feelings have actually been hurt. Maybe it wouldn't offend you, but it could offend other people.
Yes, and never tell people how to feel or not feel.
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Oh yes. "It's a miracle I survived that cancer! God is watching out for me!" Er, how about all the doctors, nurses, therapists, scientists, and friends and family that helped?
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If you're just teasing someone but they get upset by the remarks, stop. I've been through this kind of thing a lot and people don't seem to care or realize when my feelings have actually been hurt. Maybe it wouldn't offend you, but it could offend other people.
Yes, and never tell people how to feel or not feel.
Load More Replies... Oh yes. "It's a miracle I survived that cancer! God is watching out for me!" Er, how about all the doctors, nurses, therapists, scientists, and friends and family that helped?
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