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We’ve all had that smug little "could never be me" thought that we toss out while quietly judging someone else’s life choices. Whether it’s a habit, a phase, or a full-blown personality trait, it always feels safe to assume we’re immune to their situation. Until, of course, life humbles us.
Suddenly you’re doing the exact thing you once side-eyed, wondering how you got here and whether anyone remembers your old opinion (they do). From ironic twists to full-circle moments, netizens shared when their "could never be me" moments actually become reality, and we've scoured the internet for stories from people who ended up exactly where they swore they never would.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Becoming obese with a BMI over 40. And being an alcoholic
Not anymore though! Down 76lbs with 14 more to go. Sober for 6.5 months! Thank the gods for medication.
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#2
Being a cat lover. Was always a dog person. Wife convinced me to get a cat & I love that little guy more than I thought possible.
Serena Myers 3 days ago
My husband then. "I hate cats" ok, a little bit tongue in cheek. My husband now "Good boy, Daddy has a Webbox for you, good boy" as he gives little Vale, a 7 month kitten, a treat.
Robyn Hill 15 hours ago
This is my dad. From “I hate cats,” to “Killer (his nickname for the cat), what are you doing?” While the cat in question is laying on the floor, while my dad rubs his belly with his foot.
Robyn Hill 15 hours ago
Obviously, my dad rubs the cat’s belly with his foot, not his own! 😺
Load More Replies... UnclePanda 2 days ago (edited)
It's not either/or unless you're in a lifeboat. In that case, go with the cat.
#3
Staying in a toxic relationship. Knowing the absolute truth of yourself, knowing the absolute truth of them, and knowing the right thing to do 100% of the time are hard to juggle when you're faceplanted into the issue at hand.
Mel in Georgia 3 days ago
"Just leave them!" is the most useless advice there is for someone in a relationship like this.
According to Life Hack, people often feel comfortable saying "I’d never do that" or "could never be me" because of built-in cognitive biases that distort how we judge ourselves versus others. We tend to overestimate our own moral strength while downplaying how much circumstances influence behavior.
They explain that psychological patterns like naive realism make us believe our viewpoint is the most objective and reasonable one, while the fundamental attribution error pushes us to explain other people’s actions as flaws in their character rather than reactions to situations.
#4
Met the perfect man after a string of bad relationships. We’ve been together for a little over a year. He’s way out of my league- stunning, smart, a great cook, great in bed and for some reason wants to marry middle aged, nothing special me. And no, he’s not a criminal. They’re out there, ladies. Don’t give up hope.
g90814 3 days ago
I keep hoping for something like this, but oh well... luckily I'm an introvert who's never 'lonely'.
Sally Moen 3 days ago
Great that you're an introvert, you'll be perfect for a relationship, as you won't need to be continuously amused and kept company. Quiet times at home are what a lot of folks want out of a partner
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Daisydaisy 1 day ago
I'm a bit uneasy about such an uneven relationship, where she thinks he's god while she's "nothing special"
UpupaEpops 1 day ago
That was probably sarcasm speaking. I've also been told *a lot* that I'm nothing special and it's important for them to keep me humble. It stings, but luckily my sarcasm always stepped in to save the day and help me walk away from such relationships.
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Rali Meyer 1 day ago
well, "middle aged, nothing special you": perhaps you measure against the wrong group? I work with models in their 20s all day, but would never give my middle aged wife up for one of them
UpupaEpops 1 day ago
A lot of small men love to tell women that they are "middle aged and nothing special". She's just probably being sarcastic and maybe a bit smug, now that she found someone who sees her as special. I mean we all want to feel like that, don't we?
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joann fielding 16 hours ago
Had a friend say the same thing, Earthquake903. She's now happily married with 2 kids! Hang in there!
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Angela C 1 day ago
Depends on context. Wants to get married right away vs someday in the future
Load More Replies... SM 1 day ago (edited)
Sounds like a recipe for a lonely life for most women. Yes, a few will get "lucky" but most will never get their "perfect man" and will pass up good "average/normal" men. What's more a lasting marriage takes more than the attributes stated here, like being able to compromise and get along with each other.
#5
Becoming "apostate." I was going to be a good little mormon boy and get into mormon heaven.
Turns out everything was made up and the points didn't matter.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
The only consolation I can offer is, that you now have control over the rest of your life. You may have to work hard at not being bitter about the part of your life you were made to waste, though.
#6
Single mom. Married my high school sweetheart, followed him literally around the world for his job, married 17 years with three kids, was devoted and in love and was fully 100% without a doubt confident that he loved me.
He divorced me via text message and left to another country the same day, hasn't talked to me or our kids since.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
Even better, let him *live* alone and unloved. For a long, long time.
Load More Replies... Sally Moen 3 days ago
Wow. What an absolute loser he was and is. He lost the devotion and love, just took it all for granted. You, however, got to experience years and years of feeling and giving love. Even if you now know he didn't reciprocate what you gave, you still win. You have a full and loving heart. You lack for nothing
Additionally, people often mock certain habits or think "that could never be me” because they lack the context in which those behaviors become useful. Author Ivan Jureta explains that many values are formed early through imitation and social modeling, long before real-life pressure tests them.
Later experiences like illness, job loss, or financial strain, reveal why once-ridiculed habits actually matter. As people age or face health challenges, priorities tend to shift toward security, conservation, and concern for others. He further highlights that parenting and career stress further reshape values, pushing people toward balance, resilience, and long-term stability.
#7
I used to always say, "Things are rough but at least I'm not allergic to cheese."
I must have pissed off a witch at some point because I've got that curse now.
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 1 day ago
Mushrooms for me. And it is an intestinal reaction. I discovered this in my 30's, while eating fried mushrooms at a restaurant, while on date night with my wife.
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
I'm very glad it's just lactose I can't have, which means most cheese is okay. Still didn't expect the change in my mid 20s.
Zig Zag Wanderer 2 days ago
I too, am allergic to cheese. I console myself that it wasn't beer or wine, however! It gives me migraines, BUT i now have some medication that seems to stop my migraines daed, so 🤞🤞🤞🤞
sturmwesen 20 hours ago
for my BF it was soy sauce and some beers in his mid thirties. one lets him run to the loo, one lets him sneeze violently
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Sally Moen 3 days ago
That is something I'm grateful for. There are vegan cheese alternatives that aren't bad, it's fun to try what others eat
#8
Couch potato. Reading is just better than real life.
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
Opposite for me. I have always been a reader and never expected the decline, but 2021-24 I only read a handful of books. Hopefully this year will bring up my total again.
Roxy222uk 1 day ago
Because we are letting social media steal time from us. When we’re scrolling nothings they are literally stealing our attention for their own ends and away from what we really want to spend our time doing. This is a wake up call now to stop scrolling and go and do what you mean to be do instead!
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#9
Becoming the "early bedtime over everything" person. I used to laugh at people like that.
SheHulk 2 days ago
Not quite there yet, but have gone from "night owl" to tired in the morning AND evening, which pisses me off. I have about 2 to 3 hours of being alert a day (at random times) when I can actually get shite done.
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 1 day ago
Once I became a Career Firefighter, this became an off-duty days must.
Vicki Seale 1 day ago
Know what you mean. My head thinks I'm still 40, body tells me I'm 74!!!
Some people then find these transformations amusing in hindsight because they expose how predictable human self-delusion really is. According to Personal Valu, people often find that what once felt like a firm belief or absolute certainty later becomes an ironic punchline, highlighting the gap between who we thought we were and who we became.
This humor comes from the common experience of youthful confidence colliding with real-life pressures, responsibilities, and change. Seeing others share similar "could never be me" moments adds to the comedy, as self-recognition turns personal evolution into something both relatable and laugh-worthy.
#10
Being in university at 35 and still not knowing what I wanna do with my life...
April Pickett 2 days ago
Honey, I'm way older than you and I still don't know what I want to do with my life.
UnclePanda 2 days ago
"Even adults don't know - that's why we keep asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. We're looking for ideas!" ~ Paula Poundstone (paraphrased)
Alexandra 1 day ago
'What to do with my life?' might be one of the most useless, frustrating, infuriating and crippling questions ever. Life is there to be lived. Just that. Live your life, in whatever way makes you feel good without harming others. We're all threads in a tapestry: we all matter in some way or other.
Little Bit 2 days ago
I know exactly what I want to do with my life but I don't have the money to enable me to do it.
#11
Work an office job. Was a chef for 6 years and got burnt out. Now I sell seafood lol.
#12
Letting myself go. I used to have my hair done, makeup flawless, nice clothes on. Two kids, grief, and depression will do that.
Gingersnap In Iowa 3 days ago
I use to have my hair, make up and clothes perfectly done... not so much now.
The Decision Lab notes that there is something such as the "hindsight bias" which is often referred to as the "I-knew-it-all-along" effect that causes people to believe past events were more predictable than they actually were once the outcome is known. This bias reshapes memory by blending new information with original beliefs, creating an illusion of foresight.
Apparently, this sometimes occurs when a person is faced with their new reality. According to them, the process occurs when they are faced with the reality and they begin to recall subtly shifts to align with that outcome. Rather than deleting old memories, the brain reconstructs them using the result as a guide, forming a smoother, more coherent narrative.
#13
My mom always chats up waiters, waitresses, cashiers,etc. she will tell those people the most random of things, often on the edge of TMI, always unrelated to whatever is going on…you get the idea. I HATED it when I was a kid. Swore I’d never do that.
The other day my partner was like, “boy, you sure do like telling waitresses stories about random things.”
Mel in Georgia 3 days ago
Ha! My MiL was like this. She's not your best friend, Pat! Just let her do her job!
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
A friendly greeting often helps take the edge off the day, though.
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#14
Becoming old and grumpy.
Serena Myers 3 days ago
I'm more the old and grunty sort, myself, those odd grunting noises such as ahh and oof whenever I sit down, or stand up, or get out of bed, or bend over to pick something up (why, when you get older, do you have to bend over so much more???) Yes, I know you actually don't, but it seems as if you do! Just you wait, you children!! 😉
Mel in Georgia 3 days ago
Yep - the "get off my lawn!" kind of grumpy. I was always so tolerant when I was young!
Emilu 2 days ago
I was definitely less grumpy when I was younger, but I think I started being a "get off my lawn!!" type when I was in my early to mid-20s and moved out into my own place. Well, specifically, it's "get off my driveway!!" (One particular kid used to ride up and down it, but *touch wood* it hasn't happened for a while now.) Kid, you have your own damn driveway. Go use that, or play on the freeway that isn't too far away.
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Sally Moen 3 days ago
I only became grumpy after starting to listen to me and not look to be approved and loved. Actually I lie, I'm only grumpy when you smoke around me. If I'm not in your private space, it's up to you to move away from store entrances, bus stops, bicycle stands. I'm grumpy about that for sure. But having gotten old enough to voice my honest opinion and not stuff my feelings, that's true
#15
Positive?
Be married in a healthy relationship, not toxic, so much love, trust, and patience. I didn’t know you could feel this way about a person
negative?
I never thought I would ever understand why my mom was the way she was. I do now.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
Don't judge. Especially, don't judge family. You never know the pressures another person is under.
Stan 2 days ago
Respectfully, I disagree with this. Sure, you never know what people are going through, but if the situation is such that a parent is passing down a***e to their children or not standing up for them when they should, they can go to hell. Or if someone is just a total s******d and refuses to seek help...
Load More Replies...At the end of the day, these "could never be me" moments holds a simple truth which is that life has a way of surprising us, and sometimes the thing we swore we’d never do turns out to make life easier, funnier, or just plain more interesting.
Whether it’s adopting a quirky habit, embracing a new routine, or buying that one thing we once mocked, these stories show that personal growth, or just plain irony, often comes wrapped in the unexpected. Some of us change slowly, some suddenly, and some with plenty of laughs along the way. So, as you scroll through these confessions, we hope you realize that sometimes, it "could be you".
#16
As a teenager I used to think my mom was weird for saying she didn't wanna drive anywhere. I thought she was just being lazy.
...I'm sorry, mother. I get it, now.
Jenny Woolard 3 days ago
I used to think the same thing. Turns out my parents were just drunks.
Sally Moen 3 days ago
If I ever got a hybrid car, maybe. Where I live in the western US, 9 months out of the year most of the roads here make for really scenic drives. Would be nice to go to Canada too. Then again, Greyhound goes to places too, so I could just stare out the window and not have to watch the road
ManuelQue 3 hours ago
Sadly, Greyhound no longer exists in Canada. It is missed.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 3 days ago
I was just thinking this the other day. The car I got in March has maybe 1,300 miles on it. I used to love driving so much I'd hop in my car and drive around for the heck of it!
#17
Dependent on illegal substances which cost me everything including my family. Then while clean I turned to into an alcoholic after not being able to sleep, which lasted for a year after starting drinking at 28 years old. Now 8 days sober a month before my 30th birthday, for probably the 5th time. Hoping this time stays true.
Added some details.
Sally Moen 3 days ago
You left out that not EVERYTHING was taken away from the stuff you did. You still are here. There's a lot you lost but then what's to happen next month? Year?
April Pickett 2 days ago
Keep it up. Get busy and keep occupied, you won't think about it so much. Congratulations for your efforts, if it doesn't work this time, keep trying.
#18
Depressed and being in a relationship which makes me unhappy on most days.
Jay Scales 3 days ago
Try to find a way to slither out..... Life is better - not perfect - but definitely better on the other side.
MoMcB 1 day ago
Definitely. I found my bad relationship was feeding my depression, I have only had depression once after- last year, after losing 3 family members in one year.
Load More Replies... #19
Tried to guess the number of candy corns for a work event and I actually got it right for a $100 gift card. First time ever winning anything lol.
#20
Physically disabled. I've been a workaholic for the last decade and herniated some discs in my back. I can't walk now. Livid. .
tameson 1 day ago
No idea why it was hidden. It had a downvote, so I gave it an upvote to compensate.
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#21
I was so skinny for so long but not now.
Mel in Georgia 3 days ago
Yeah, if you make it to adulthood without gaining weight you begin to think you're just lucky with your metabolism and will be slim forever ... Whoa, menopause - what are you doing to me?!?!
Huddo's sister 2 days ago
I always struggled to find clothes because so few stores had AU size 6, then I started taking antidepressants and went up five sizes at my largest.
#22
Being in a toxic marriage, staying for 17 years, then getting divorced.
#23
Being a healthy weight
I grew up in a fat household. I thought there was no way I’d ever be skinny. I had a million excuses as to why it was impossible for me to lose weight.
In my early 20s, I had an experience that made me think, “if I can’t lose weight now, I’ll never do it.” I took responsibility for myself, started exercising daily, and counting calories. I lost 75 pounds within a year and have stayed within a healthy weight range for the last decade.
#24
Growing up I always thought man my dad is mad all the time. Well guess who's mad all the time now.
Sally Moen 3 days ago
Therapy helps with that. Somebody models bad behavior and that seems normal, even if you don't like it. You can do a different way
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
Mark Twain (I think) had a comment about that - "When I was 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in 7 years".
#25
Enjoying running lol.
I always *hated* just straight, pure running and always thought it was the most boring and needlessly torturous form of exercise. Was always more of a dance class or team sport sort of person, at best.
Then one day at an extremely poor point in my mental health, I told myself I was going start exercising more and it was going to be running because I didn’t deserve anything actually enjoyable lol
But turns out, it’s actually really nice when you do it right — which I hadn’t been, for my entire life. Who knew if you get your form down correctly (among a few other things, like pacing yourself), it doesn’t hurt like hell and feel impossible?
Now I’m pretty much depended on it. Runner’s high (which I was absolutely sure was either a myth or something only mild to moderate sociopaths experienced) is real and fantastic. I 100% believe that humans evolved persistence running animals to their last breath. Running hits a button in my brain that rarely ever got hit by other forms of exercise.
Add in the fact that you can do it pretty much anywhere and it needs *loads* less gear than many other sports and forms of exercise? It’s the boring adult brain form of hitting the jackpot lol
So yeah, I’m one of those insufferable weirdos that likes running miles to nowhere now lol. Even three years ago or so I would have been very confused or laughed in your face if you would have tried to tell me that was going to happen.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago (edited)
It's worth persevering for. I took up running at 40 , to increase my fitness, threw up after half a mile first time out, after a mile second time out, third time out I didn't upchuck, after that I could see the improvement and it was relatively easy to keep on keeping on. Recommended. One hint, though - have a BM before you start each run. The alternative is not pretty.
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Mike F 2 days ago
Really, and save the running for those who are being chased! 😅
Load More Replies... nottheactualphoto 1 day ago
Every time I run, I twist one or both ankles in short order. I don't run anymore.
ManuelQue 3 hours ago
Find a good ankle exercise. Even just a standing up-down, up on balls of feet, down flat.
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Andy Frobig 1 day ago
Running was everything to me in high school, 43-44 years ago. I drifted away from and back to it over the years but the last couple of tries were very disappointing
#26
Alcoholic. I didn’t start drinking until around 23 because I have a large family history of alcoholism. I vowed to never be like them and yet here I am. Recently relapsed after 1.5 years sober but caught myself and back on the wagon.
If anyone reading this is unsure about their relationship with alcohol or knows they want to stop drinking come check out /r/stopdrinking amazing sub filled with love and support!
#27
Being in a relationship with someone who smokes.
Sally Moen 3 days ago
Been there, and actually thought I could change them. Or I would just put up with it, until I couldn't anymore
Jayjay 2 days ago
I'm sorry for you that you don't know you smoke too... from cars, planes, paints, bleach in swimming pools, and so much more. Nowadays, the number of people who never smoked getting lung cancer are soaring, as well as colon cancer. The number of death because of pollution and obesity/diabetes are surpassing the deaths from smoking already and rise exponentially. Let me be clear: smoking is not healthy, not a good thing, but in the rapid rise of death through pollution and obesitas? Better be gentle :). Did you know that obesitas rises at double the speed that smokers decline? And the smokers pay taxes on their tobacco, obese people cannot help that obesity but they cost twice as much in health issues.
#28
Being a forever alone woman.
#29
Buying my clothes, glasses, prescriptions etc. at Costco. But dang, I love a deal.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
Might be worth researching "Vimes' boots" though. Sometimes one pair of good boots outlasts three pairs of cheap ones.
#30
Wearing leggings as pants. In my teens and 20s, I was judgmental about other girls/women wearing leggings in place of jeans. “They’re NOT PANTS!! AGGGHH!!”
Now, in my 30s, I wear leggings almost daily. Comfy, stylish, kinda hide my no-longer-flat belly. Highly recommend.
That’s my happier answer. My sad answer is: I never thought I’d be disabled, especially so young. I just turned 33.
I have so many physical AND mental illnesses, I can’t function anymore. Type 1 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic kidney disease, hypermobility syndrome, cervical dystonia, occipital neuralgia, fibromyalgia, schizoaffective bipolar disorder, PTSD… Plus, all the meds I have to take are a double edged sword. Help with some symptoms then give me horrible side effects in exchange.
I used to love hiking, biking, camping, traveling… I can’t do those things anymore.
#31
I was skinny as a little kid and then gained a lot of weight in high school and was huge. After getting done with school and living on my own I lost maybe 100 lbs and was in amazing shape and I was pretty convinced that is develop an eating disorder before I ever got fat again.
Then the pandemic hit. I couldn't go to the gym or play the massive amounts of soccer I used to so we set up a home gym and I bought a spin bike. But it turned out that those things were no match for massive amounts of takeout and work from home drinks.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
Takeout food is not always a good idea, in the long run. Especially if there's a "super-size" involved.
#32
I moved to the middle of no where in rural Georgia. I was a city girl through & through!!😭.
Mel in Georgia 3 days ago
Being a Midwest liberal girl I never thought I'd live in the Southeastern US. I've been here 38 years now!
Mike F 2 days ago
Rural Georgia, where my mom used to live, is absolutely beautiful, but the trade off is having to drive 25 minutes or more for a loaf of bread or a jug of milk. Pleasant people, by and large, but that's because my family goes back to the the 1850s there. It's certainly not a place to live when you get old.
Scott Rackley 2 days ago
not much difference between the rural areas of both places
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#33
Cancer! (I’m fine now.).
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
Congratulations! Maybe find an hour a week to help at a cancer charity?
#34
Having a miscarriage, let alone 3.
#35
Becoming an Atheist.
Michael Largey 3 days ago
Becoming an atheist only tells you what you don't believe in. The next step is much bigger - deciding what you do believe in.
#36
Studying a medical degree.
Andrew Keir 2 days ago
That is probably the most virtuous thing anyone can study. Saving, prolonging, and improving lives. Nothing else comes close. Medics have my utter respect.
#37
Dude who not only takes but actually really enjoys d***s. Also, exceptionally irreligious.
Sally Moen 3 days ago
Dr ugs are known to work on the pleasure centers of your brain. That's why it's so hard to get clean. It's frustrating to start recovery when the stuff is so readily available and depending on what it is, cheap. It's a real time-waster tho. One thing I've seen over and over is that when you get into recovery (treatment, detox, medication, therapy, 12step meetings, etc), you suddenly get a boost of energy and start doing stuff. Softball, hockey, jogging, swimming, knitting, painting, cooking, reading. You get a brand new life and it's wierd being there
Pferdchen 2 days ago (edited)
I can think of one alternative to "Dr ugs" for "d***s" 🍆😀
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Michael Largey 3 days ago
The members of my family in the old country who have been m******d were k****d by religious people for reasons of religion.
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
VioletIndigoMoons 1 day ago
Most of these have nothing to do with the title: Times Life Dragged People For Their Confidence And Made Them Eat Their Words.
Cosmos in your eyes 1 day ago
I never thought I'd lose my "one true faith." But, then I did and now I'm one of the "nones."
VioletIndigoMoons 1 day ago
Most of these have nothing to do with the title: Times Life Dragged People For Their Confidence And Made Them Eat Their Words.
Cosmos in your eyes 1 day ago
I never thought I'd lose my "one true faith." But, then I did and now I'm one of the "nones."
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