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“Make Me Suffer”: 40 Of The Most Painful Images Posted By This Online Community
Interview With Author
Don’t we all like torturing ourselves a little now and then? The most immediate answer will likely be a firm handshake. But when it comes to a tragedy we witness on our morning commute or news of violence on social media, we suddenly feel compelled by a strong, unexplainable pull to stare at the sight.
Scientists have been investigating why we can’t look away from disasters and some have suggested it’s the preventative mechanism that gives us crucial information about the possible danger. Another study even found that we react to and learn more from negative experiences than we do positive ones.
Given those strange workings of the human psyche, it’s only fair that a subreddit like Make Me Suffer exists on Reddit, and that it’s home to a solid 1 million members. The community’s description keeps it simple, yet harrowingly effective: “If it hurts to look at, post it.” Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Scroll down for our interview with the amazing moderator team of the Make Me Suffer subreddit, who were happy to share some insights about their intriguing community.
This post may include affiliate links.
Sad Suffering
They will see again...and laugh, and make party...wherever this would be...
Shelter Workers Organize This Cat’s Birthday Hoping Someone Will Adopt Her, But No One Turns Up
A happy update! https://metro.co.uk/2020/09/12/remember-monique-the-cat-who-found-fame-when-no-one-came-to-her-birthday-party-shes-found-a-home-and-her-happy-ending-13260601/
Blobfish Are Not Actually That Ugly - Most Photos Are Taken After It Has Been Pulled Out Of The Water And Suffered Tissue Damage. Their Natural Habitat Is At Extremely Low Depths
I also looks a mess after being pulled from my natural habitat, the bed.
Bored Panda spoke to the moderators, u/hwhouston517, u/LovelyAGQ, u/DeathAngel11, and u/MattShea of the subreddit. Turns out, the subreddit was created by MattShea, a popular gaming YouTuber with over 2 million subscribers.
“It was originally intended for his YouTube series titled 'Make Me Suffer' for a place for his subscribers to submit posts that would 'hurt' to look at. The subreddit gained thousands of subscribers in the days after its creation, mainly being a place for memes and comics intended to make you disgusted or in shock (but not too extreme),” the mods told us.
The creator of the subreddit, MattShea, recounted: “One day I decided to make a video on an old flash game called 'Duck Life' which for some reason ended up being a very popular video. For obvious reasons, I followed it up with some more videos on the sequels, and made some jokes about how I was only doing it for the viewers. One of them said they were happy to 'make Matt suffer' so one day I decided to invite my viewers to post links and images in my Discord server of things that would 'make me suffer.' After a while, using Discord for the series become impractical, and I wanted to see how things would go if I gave people the opportunity to vote on what they deemed 'sufferworthy' or things they wanted to see me react to.”
My Dad Had A Car Wreck. He Went Without A Bone Flap For 6 Months
I hope he is well now, looks like a miracle he is alive, glad he made it!
P A I N
DIY Fanatic Proudly Shows Off Her Upcycled Drinks Trolley But Gets Absolutely Savaged For 'Ruining An Antique'
Honestly,apparently it's not even actually antique and if she found a dumb way to recycle-reuse it but she's actually using it, who Cares??? Why are people so rude like its her cart and her design lol. I personally dislike the design a lot but to shame them so much is just....
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Even if it wasn't an antique she's still in the wrong for such an awful chavy design! Who in their right mind would want that in their house?!?!
So tacky. I bet she has "Live, love, laugh" stenciled on a wall in her home.
Not every DIY is good. TBH, wasting like 20 cool ties for one ugly skirt is beyond me - cool ties are hard to find already, and making them just one of 20 randomly un-chosen ones in a skirt that doesn't even look any good, neither matches with anything due to various colours forbidding each other ... This is about the same, but even more inconsiderate.
She still managed to turn something ugly into something uglier!
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This looks like the work of someone 21 years or under. When I was that young, I didn't appreciate nor understand "natural wood", antiques, ect. I thought it was all old fuddy-duddy stuff, like my mom would have liked-I wanted to be modern and chic. So I probably would have done something like this, and slapped some paint on it. So I can't say anything about this one. I came into my own appreciation , as I grew up , for the quality of wood furniture and craftsmanship that can only be found from the past. Now I understand what skill it took, how they did it, and when I look at it I now see beauty.
I agree. The design looks like my daughter's style she had as a teenager. Now my daughter crafts beautiful things and has a successful online store.
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that is not an antique. not even close. it's from the 1960s and not worth much as is. what she did is hideous, though and she should have her chalk paint taken away.
Taste is subjective. If it makes the owner happy, that is all that really matters
So what it's cute and it's hers probably saved it from the tip reduce reuse recycle is important it doesn't matter if it's not to your taste she's obviously put in a lot of work and it looks lovely
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Some people just shouldn't DIY.
Good idea.. looks great.. should've found one that wasnt an antique
There are numerous horrible "make over videos" on YouTube where people absolutely devalue and destroy vintage and antique furniture. Furniture made in and before the 1990s is MUCH sturdier and of much better quality than current furniture. When restoring a piece, painting is a last resort, when damage to the piece is so extensive there is little other choice.
Was it actually an ANTIQUE though? They still make those things.
Don't let these people get you down. Do what you like to please yourself. Otherwise you will become jaded, shallow and a bully. See examples above.
Who tf would cover that beautiful celestial artwork with "live in the moment" in glitter of all things 😫
She took something that was never used before and then turned it into something that she loved and uses. I see no issue with this. It's not as if this was a one of a kind item.
It's not antique, so basically it's gone from one style of gakk to another. NBD.
As hideous as it is, calling this piece an "antique" may not be correct. There are a number of identical reproductions available across the market. We can hope this was one of those.
This should be a criminal offence. Bet they bought it cheap from a charity store too
I find this transformation very nice. I think it is better like this than being put to the dump... no???
That was definitely an antique! And the end result is most definitely hideous. And why? What’s the end game? How is that even useful? The globe is still there. Just hideously painted.
OMG!!! That person should go to "Antique" jail for ruining this beautiful piece!!!!
I don't really liek the original veryy much, but, Christ, what a hideous 'upcycle'
I could be misremembering but I believe I read this was done as a wedding gift. 😳
She bought it. She can do WHATEVER she wants with it. Buy your own
I have read all the comments up to the end. I know we are all here to comment on stuff but for the first time, here. I am truly upset? Disappointed at the nasty comments. that I feel were unnecessary. We all have different tastes, some maybe not to our liking. That is not an excuse to be vindictive
i rescued a cherry china cabinet from a second hand store, they were bringing it in to 'upcycle" it DISTRESSED....it was so distressing to me, i begged to buy it as is....whew!!
you know the scene in "Airplane" where there's a line of people to slap the hysterical woman ?......
This is not necessarily an antique. They sell cheap replicas at some stores.
This is the kind of thing that gives "crafters" a deservedly bad name
However, at least it's not a real antique- you can buy them today
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OMG. One of my favorite aunts -- my godmother, actually -- had one of those. All my life I wanted one just like it. We all realize that the world is different now, but that's the reason why you keep something like this.
It's beautiful. Well done you for upcycling something that would have been got rid off.
This makes me irrationally mad! My grandparents had one that was stolen by contractors and it was supposed to go to me.
This really is quite sad. But, she turned into what she loves I guess. Kind of crazy how it went from this beautiful piece to something that looks plastic. Taking something expensive and making it look playskool.
I would have done a couple of things different, but otherwise, this is cool! It's not like we NEED world globes anymore, because he have google earth! And those old globes were ugly anyways. I think the OP did a nice job. I would have left all of that wording off and put some scrolls decals instead. The globe top half can be lifted, right? And you can put things under there. I love this idea!
Nobody was going to use it as a map anyway!this is a vintage decoration destroyed into something you can buy for 5$ at Amazon!
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This is when MattShea realized it’d be great to create something to reach people outside his niche, so the subreddit was born. “I designed the subreddit to be largely independent of myself, so people wouldn't say 'hmm, I don't know this person so I don't want to be a part of this' when coming across the sub. After my viewers got things moving, the rest was history,” he told us.
As time went on, the subreddit strayed from its original purpose and users started posting irrelevant content. The mod u/LovelyAGQ recounted: “At the time, I had noticed that a lot of posts that didn't really fit had started popping up, and a lot of posts from fellow users poking fun at and complaining about how often repetitive, ill-fitting memes would get posted.”
Life
Aaand tears, full flow, check. Come here kitty, we will love you forever!
Good Idea
Siberian Seasons. Frost & Mosquitoes
At the same time, the subreddit was starting to explode with popularity, and Matt, not having enough time to manage the subreddit by himself due to his YouTuber career, added more mods to help the subreddit maintain its quality. “As the sub grew even more popular and as Matt focused less and less on the subreddit, the subreddit slowly strayed from being about him and his YouTube channel, to being about the users and posting what makes you suffer the most,” u/hwhouston517 remembered.
The mod u/hwhouston517 was added as a sub moderator along with a batch of others. In 2019, the subreddit had around 300,000 members then, and was exploding in popularity, gaining 50k new members every month. In comparison, today Make Me Suffer has a solid 1M members and is a constantly growing community with a lot of exciting—meaning compelling, but hard to look at—content.
Bubonic Plague
Nooooooo Jesus Nooo
Don't worry! I am pretty sure that is a teacher with the the twitter name hamacream. He draws pictures for his students and then erases them himself.
Keep Smiling, Nothing To See Here
The moderator team is a close-knit community with great and devoted people, u/hwhouston517 said. “As a moderator of some other large subreddits, I can definitely say I am closer to no other mod team than this one, everyone here is great and I love all of them, the mod said and added that: “We've had our ups and downs of course, but this is by far the most chill mod team I'm part of. We're also part of a very diverse team, more than half our active mods being LGBT+ and even having a couple transgender mods on board.”
Antheraea Polyphemus... Basically A Tarantula With Wings
Jogger's Nipple
True Pain
Most importantly, we tried to figure out just why, according to the moderators themselves, so many people feel that unexplainable pull to look at unsettling pictures. The creator of Make Me Suffer subreddit, MattShea, said that humans are a bunch of weirdos. “We seem to enjoy being uncomfortable when it's something that we choose. Scary/gory movies are a great example of that. And as the origins suggest, people also like seeing other people being uncomfortable. We've also seen time and time again that nothing seems to foster engagement on the internet quite like negative emotions,” he said and added that it’s perhaps that's what made the subreddit so popular.
Meanwhile, another mod, u/DeathAngel11, believes that an answer to the question may forever remain a mystery. “But one thing will never change—Uncomfortable situations are a daily part of life that we all face. Sometimes a little bit of laughter and an appreciation for our morbid curiosity in a healthy way is just what we need.”
Honey Coming Out From Power Socket. Guess What’s Behind It
Yeah.. I Think Face Swap Was A Bad Idea
Well This Is One Way To F*ck Up A Test
The mod u/LovelyAGQ shared another illuminating explanation. “I personally think it is down to human nature. We have a natural inclination toward the morbid in one way or another, and while everyone has different limits, everyone gets some enjoyment out of satiating our morbid curiosity in that sense. Without having to put ourselves in danger or worry about someone else's safety, we can view 'morbid' or unsettling content online.”
The mod continued: “It's like that saying about 'watching a car crash, you want to look away but you can't'; We have effectively been able to replicate that feeling on this subreddit in the most fun and enjoyable way possible. We are all happy to continue doing this, and happy to keep people entertained!”
Fish Skin Can Be Grafted Onto Burns. It Recruits The Body's Own Cells And Is Converted Into Living Tissue Over Time
Scorpion I Just Happened To Find In My Bra Before Putting It On (Teaspoon For Scale)
I Have Become The Cat Toy
On the other hand, the Make Me Suffer subreddit is a lot less extreme than some others: “even our neighbors at r/MakeMeSufferMore are a lot more... well... unsettling than ours,” u/hwhouston517 told Bored Panda. “Since gore is banned here, it helps us keep the focus that this subreddit, as MattShea put it himself, was originally meant for 'fun suffering.' The subreddit was never meant to be too extreme, instead as a place where you could suffer and laugh at the same time. Though it's evolved a lot since the subreddit was focused about him, we are glad that it's kept its purpose of appeasing the people who like fun situations and moderate gore at the same time, as weird as it may sound.”
The moderator team also wants to thank their subreddit users, amazing subscribers and the readers of this article. “We are so grateful that they regularly provide such stellar and amazing content. We appreciate your time and the readers' time in taking an interest in us,” they said and added: “Happy suffering!”
Don’t Like Spiders? How About A Zombified Spider Reanimated By A Fungal Infestation?
I Have Seen Your X-Ray Posts So I Bring You Face Mris
Giraffe With A Damaged Vertebrae
Dr. John Mayer, a clinical psychologist at Doctor On Demand, has been researching what happens to our brains when we see destruction and he identified that a particular process in our brains is the one to blame. “A disaster enters into our awareness—this can be from a live source such as driving by a traffic accident or from watching a news report about a hurricane, a plane crash or any disaster," he explained to NBC News.
"This data from our perceptual system then stimulates the amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for emotions, survival tactics and memory). The amygdala then sends signals to the regions of the frontal cortex that are involved in analyzing and interpreting data. Next, the brain evaluates whether this data (awareness of the disaster) is a threat to you, thus judgment gets involved. As a result, the 'fight or flight' response is evoked."
Baby In Stomach During Mri
Ah Yes, The Drowning Seat
Dental Practice Heads
Incredibly, "Witnessing violence and destruction, whether it is in a novel, a movie, on TV or a real life scene playing out in front of us in real time, gives us the opportunity to confront our fears of death, pain, despair, degradation and annihilation while still feeling some level of safety."
This phenomenon is also experienced in other situations, like standing at the edge of the cliff or when looking through the glass at a lion at the zoo. “We watch because we are allowed to ask ourselves ultimate questions with an intensity of emotion that is uncoupled from the true reality of the disaster.”
My Foot After Wearing A Wet Boot With A Hole In It For 10 Hours
Yikes
Cursed Cutting Board
The Water In Our School
Hooded Seals Inflate The Inside Of Their Noses To Impress Females
I Don't Know About The Rest Of You But I'm Offended
Sacrificed His Hand In The Name Of Science
The Growth Of A Tick In The Span Of Two Weeks
Cockroach Cake
I am kind of impressed at the realism, but extremely relieved they don´t grow to be that big.
No Words Needed
Another potential album cover - you can almost hear the teen angst
The Amount Of Cicadas In My Pool Skimmer After One Day
And to think, they waited 17 years to greet the sunshine then ended up as pool sludge. Awwwwww......
Good Old Cassette
Well, whatever makes you happy, I am sure the dogs dont mind being taped 🤣
Mosquito Collection
Note: this post originally had 61 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
To all of you brave souls who made it through... have some unsee juice D7Mc16BUYAA9gMY.jpg 
What an awful and depressing post... the whole thing. Isn't it bad enough with everything going on in the world, someone puts this garbage together. I come to boredpanda to take my mind off things and this is exactly what I hate seeing.
Does anyone else feel tiny little bugs crawling all over them from all the bug posts?
It's so funny that this subreddit was started by the YouTuber called MattShea as a joke with his community. He wanted his community to post suffer worthy pictures and he'd make videos reacting and suffering. Never would he thought that it would grow this much, let alone make it to big sites like Bored Panda. Time flies, it sure does.
To all of you brave souls who made it through... have some unsee juice D7Mc16BUYAA9gMY.jpg
What an awful and depressing post... the whole thing. Isn't it bad enough with everything going on in the world, someone puts this garbage together. I come to boredpanda to take my mind off things and this is exactly what I hate seeing.
Does anyone else feel tiny little bugs crawling all over them from all the bug posts?
It's so funny that this subreddit was started by the YouTuber called MattShea as a joke with his community. He wanted his community to post suffer worthy pictures and he'd make videos reacting and suffering. Never would he thought that it would grow this much, let alone make it to big sites like Bored Panda. Time flies, it sure does.
