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“Messing With The Wrong Person”: 43 People Share What May Ruin Lives In A Matter Of Seconds
We often go about our days thinking we’re in control, but the truth is, life has a way of throwing curveballs at us that can shatter our sense of stability in an instant. Whether it's a sudden loss, a shocking revelation, or an unforeseen twist of fate, it’s amazing how quickly everything we thought we knew can change.
A redditor posed the thought-provoking question: “What can completely destroy your life in a matter of seconds?” This simple inquiry opened the floodgates to an array of powerful responses, revealing raw and deeply personal stories from people who faced their worst fears head-on. Keep reading to find out what life-altering truths and events have left people reeling.
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#1
Distracted driving. Dude in my class was k***ed by a girl texting and driving. Of course she survived unharmed.
VVNN_Viking: Texting and driving. You k**l someone else and have to live with the guilt forever.
Maren Villadsen 6 months ago
Phone in hand while driving, has been illigal since 1998 in Denmark. The fine is $300
RELATED:
#2
Just walking in the door. I came home from playing trivia and found my 89 year old grandfather who suffered from dementia standing by the back door. He was crying, which I’d never seen him in my life. I asked him what was wrong. He said “I think your mother left us. She’s on the floor in her room.” Ran into her bedroom and found her dead on the floor from an aneurysm. He didn’t have cognitive function to call 911. 89 years old and finding his daughter dead was more than he could bear.
It's hard to truly grasp the emotions someone experiences during life-changing events. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, or a major health crisis, the weight of these circumstances can feel overwhelming.
However, each person's journey through grief, change, or uncertainty is unique. While some may find comfort in their solitude, others might feel the urge to reach out for support, sharing their struggles with trusted friends or family.
#4
Saw a story of some dudes who put a pair of panties in their fiends car as a prank. Well, dudes gf found them and k*lled herself. Left a note with the panties that said, "now you're free to be with her."
So, a prank.
#5
F*****g with the wrong person. Seriously, you NEVER know if you're someone else's "that's it, f**k this" moment. And once you are, it is too late to try and take it back.
So many people are banking on other people being patient and thoughtful. There are people out there WAITING for a reason to crash out.
Megalodon Meg 6 months ago
The past several years as an American have more than taught me this. You never know of someone has a gun or if they're willing to use it over trivial s**t.
#6
F*ntanyl. I'm outside of my partying prime, but I would be terrified if I were a younger adult experimenting with illicit substances theses day. When I was young bad d***s were just cut with junk but the whole game has changed.
Sometimes, life-altering events can inspire personal growth and transformation. When faced with challenges or unexpected changes, many people find themselves reevaluating their priorities, beliefs, and goals.
This period of reflection can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and a renewed sense of purpose. It’s not uncommon for individuals to develop new coping mechanisms that allow them to navigate life’s ups and downs more effectively.
#7
Wife dying, I miss her.
#8
Not telling someone you love them when you do. They may be gone soon.
If you encounter something that feels overwhelming, keep in mind that change is the only constant in life. Embracing it can lead you to new opportunities. For example, many individuals who face a job loss, though initially intimidating, often find that it becomes a turning point.
This challenge may lead them to explore a new career path or finally pursue a passion they had always set aside. By accepting change rather than resisting it, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities and newfound strengths.
#10
Big bet gambling if you're not setting aside an amount you can live without and instead risking it all.
#11
Being madly in love and not singing a prenup before the wedding
If you didn’t sign one, get a post nup ; mention on a good day and write it up and get them to sign it on a great day
To go along with that - don’t decide to marry them until you see them very mad. If you’ve seen them very mad at someone else, know that same level of anger can and will be direct towards you one day.
#12
For me it was a bullet.
Left me paralyzed from the waist down.
Cultivating gratitude is another powerful tool for shifting our perspective. When we focus on what we have instead of what we lack, we can find joy in the little things in life. A simple way to get started is journaling. You can spend a few moments each day writing down what you’re grateful for. This habit can help you recognize the silver linings in tough situations and foster a more positive outlook on life.
#13
Looking into a laser or, if it's powerful enough, even at the dot it makes on a surface. Lasers are fun but you have to know about their dangers. With enough juice they can blind you permanently faster than any human can shut their eyes.
WindySwede 6 months ago
Same using them as a toy for your cats, don't do that! It could get in their eyes!
#14
A cheating fiancé, with whom you have multiple children, house and car together with.
Yeah…it’s been a c**p year.
#15
Passing out.
Hitting your head from just the tiniest force can k**l or injure you for life.
Mindfulness also plays a crucial role in enhancing our overall well-being. Whether it’s savoring a cup of coffee, taking a walk, or simply pausing to breathe deeply, these moments of awareness can ground us and provide a sense of calm amid life’s chaos.
#18
A false accusation. The moment anyone hears about it (especially if it’s related to SA) your life is over. Even if you’re found innocent, the label will stick forever.
Cathleen Cummings 6 months ago
Anyone who makes such a false accusation should be chucked in jail. You really can destroy someone's life with just one lie.
Embracing failure as a learning opportunity can significantly bolster our resilience in life. When we view setbacks as stepping stones rather than roadblocks, we open ourselves up to new possibilities. For instance, a student who struggles with a particular subject may learn to seek help, becoming more confident and successful in their academic journey.
#19
A police officer, at least here in the US.
They can force you to have an unwanted (by you) interaction with them, invent a reason for the stop, invent a reason to detain you, invent a reason to beat you to a pulp or shoot you or brutalize you in any other number of ways, and then, after all is said and done, if you survive this encounter, it's almost impossible to sue that police officer and get any kind of compensation for your trouble, unless you get lucky and either the department or the state settles your case out of court. That's a best case scenario.
Worst case scenario is (second to being k****d, of course) the local prosecutor actually charges you with a crime to cover up the police officer's f**k up, and they make your life so miserable in jail, and delay the trial for so long, that you *plead guilty to a crime you did not commit* just so you can get out of jail and get on with your life. Except, now you have a "criminal record."
This has happened to many people, is happening right now, and will continue to happen. What has happened to other people **could happen to you.**.
PunnyPanda 6 months ago
Wow, again, exactly what happened to Elijah McCain. "Forced interaction" is exactly right. Cops can harass anyone at any time and find an excuse for it. So if the subject even cops an attitude, now law enforcement can say they had "reasonable cause/suspiscion" and get away with literal murder. And the system is built to protect and excuse them so there's rarely any real accountability.
#20
A brain aneurysm. What sucks is sometimes there are no symptoms that lead up to it. Also, a lot of aneurysm symptoms are shared with a ton of other things.
Claudia Stieble 6 months ago
my little sister died from one 8 years ago. She was at a party, came home and collapsed. She got the best help possible, but was declared brain dead 8 days later. Just a reminder, aneurysms are genetic, if it happened to one of your blood relatives get a CT scan to check that you are ok. She was only 43.
#21
Messing with the wrong person, or at least thinking I had.
About fifteen years ago, I was renting the second floor of a woman's house, and her loser ex-boyfriend was living in the basement. He constantly talked about how he knew people in "The Club" (a certain motorcycle club that is fairly infamous) and that I should respect him for it. I paid this very little attention because anyone who had any say in their operations wouldn't be a basement-dwelling loser who had no job and barely left the house.
One day I heard my landlady screaming for help and went down to the basement to find him trying to force himself on her, so after I got her out of the room I beat the brakes off him and dragged him outside for the police to cart away. He told me I didn't know who I was f*****g with, and I told him I didn't f*****g care.
Which is a fine ideal to have when you're dealing with a no-name loser. Less so when six m***********s in Harleys roll up while you're making some barbeque and the 6'6" head m**********r strolls up in full colours and asks "Hey, you're [TemptCiderFan], right? [Basement Dweller] told us how you f****d him up the other day."
Yes, it was the biker g**g you think it was. Yes, I nearly s**t my pants.
I then said "Yeah, that's me."
Turns out he was friends with the landlady, not the d*******g I slapped around a basement until the police got there. Until he died, he was actually a buddy and he'd come by to have a few beers and shoot the s**t maybe once every couple of weeks or so.
But there is no greater "And this is when he knew, he f****d up" moment than when a f*****g Hell's Angels member you have never met before rolls up on you with five other full patch members and asks if you're the guy he's searching for.
Nichole Harris 6 months ago
Nah... The Angels are aight... Especially the ones that kept it the way Sonny wanted.....
Additionally, investing time and effort in nurturing relationships with friends, family, and even acquaintances can enrich our lives in countless ways. Whether it’s sharing a meal, engaging in heartfelt conversations, or simply checking in on someone, these moments of connection can bring immense joy and support during challenging times.
#22
Being in close proximity of both an acorn and a police officer.
Holiday_Volume: Don't know a lot about it, but somewhere in America, I think it was Texas. An unarmed suspect was fired upon because the policeman mistook a falling acorn as a bullet. Stupid as sh*t, because his hands were up. I think they are alive.
Nathan Lewis 6 months ago
it wasn't just an unarmed suspect. it was an unarmed suspect that he had already checked and detained, who was just sitting in the back of the cop car.
#23
Taken literally? Radiation. Does not take long at high levels to destroy the human body.
Kim Kermes 6 months ago
High energy ionizing radiation. Not photocopiers, not microwaved food, not radio waves.
#24
Any significant medical emergency (yes, we have healthcare), any destruction to our home (yes, we have insurance), losing either of our jobs (yes, we have degrees), or a serious vehicle accident (yes, we have insurance for that too).
But it's tight, and a financial crisis would be hard to overcome.
Finally, it’s essential to treat ourselves with kindness and understanding during tough times. Sometimes, life can throw curveballs that challenge our emotional well-being, but we should try being gentle with ourselves during these moments. Just as we would comfort a friend in distress, we deserve the same kindness from ourselves.
#26
An off the cuff comment by a colleague or manager when you're being considered for a promotion.
"Should we promote soandso to that position?"
Random work person: "I don't know, I heard they're always late."
True or not. Soandso's career path at their current employer is at a dead end.
#27
Heart attack. Even if you're not diagnosed with diabetes or obesity, your arteries or organs can still be affected by an unhealthy lifestyle. People may look just fine, but looking healthy doesn't equal actually living healthy.
These posts remind us of how quickly life can change in an instant. The best thing we can do is to remain adaptable and open to new experiences. Embracing the unpredictability of life allows us to navigate challenges with grace and resilience.
#28
One bad choice.
Whether it's crossing the street at the last moment or punching someone that falls and hits the ground in the worst possible way, maybe take a bet that results in losing everything, or maybe cheating on your partner that finds out and will do something stupid everyone will regret.. It's all possible.
One bad choice.
#29
Getting in a bar fight.
Known too many guys who thought it was worth it to defend their honor or not look like a b***h or whatever.
#30
Just driving. I'm an app driver and the amount of children, bikers and other drivers that try to k**l themselves inadvertantly by crossing in front my car PER DAY is insane. And that's because I drive slowly.
#32
A phone call….
#33
In the US, a car wreck with no healthcare.
PunnyPanda 6 months ago
Even if it's a minor injury, just the ambulance ride could bankrupt you if youre uninsured.
#35
A pack of wild dogs.
Marleina Hershberg 6 months ago
All it takes is ONE vicious/rabid dog (or even another animal) to change your life; let alone a pack.
#36
Details of what happened exactly aren't really documented fully, but making a snide comment at the wrong person.
In my case that led to being cold-cocked from behind (I never saw it coming), knocked out cold, and smashing my head on a cement sidewalk.
Came back to self-consciousness hours later in emergency hospital room, being restrained because apparently I was fighting with nurses. When this level of consciousness returned, the first thing I asked was "what the hell is going on?!" Took them a minute to realize the totality of what had happened to me.
Apparently I had to be revived at the scene, and this is not a fact I learned until years later. Perpetrator was never charged with anything, they treated it as "drunk people fighting," when that wasn't at all the case of what happened.
The Detective assigned to the case never even returned my calls, even though I had found out the guys name, who and where he was staying with that weekend (had came to visit friends), and that the police had questioned him later that night.
The district attorney didn't even know that I had been taken to the hospital and suffered injuries (Severe concussion and basilar skull fracture. I have now permanent hearing loss in my right ear from it as well. They thought that would improve with time).
At least I know my buddies pounded the s**t out of him after it happened.
It was some guy and his friends being a drunken d****e at a competing party at the neighbors place. They had already been kicked out of the party I was at for harassing girlfriends (like, a*s/b**b grabbing, and worse, stuff). He was calling all of us names and s**t from across the yard. I don't even remember what I said.
Kim Gatlin 5 months ago
My cousin was at a party and some yahoo hit him in the head with a chair. He died. No repercussions for the yahoo. It was an "accident." That's what the kids are calling a*****t these days.
#37
A police encounter. Maybe you just finished a hard shift, the day ended bad and you just looked at your checking account which won’t cover the bills. You get pulled over for going 5 over the speed limit even though people have been on your bumper for half a mile. The cop then doesn’t like that you aren’t smiling and being chipper and decides to find other issues with your car so, now you have a few hundred in fines and he’s calling the d**g dog to sniff your car. You get a call from the ex that you are a f*****g s*****g because you are now 10 minutes late to pick up your kid for the weekend. The d**g dog starts h*****g your leg so, you push it off and then are tazed, roughed up, bitten by the dog snd charged with multiple felonies for a*****t on an officer, attempted murder of a police k-9. You have no money to fight it, dcf grabs your kid since you no showed, the public defender is telling you to plead out, no more than 7 years, you’ll be out in 3.
#39
Jerking the steering wheel to the left all of a sudden.
DennyS (denzoren) 6 months ago
Here that would take you off the road into the bushes (we driver on the left side of the road).
#41
A brick with sufficient speed.
#42
A cheating wife.
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Featherytoad 6 months ago
No one mentioned, The Orange Terds Big Corrupt Ugly Bill. If you're American, now you have a reason to have two drinks.
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Rafael 6 months ago
Surprised I didn't see "Posting the Wrong Shíte on Social Media" (maybe I missed, the scrolling is a bit dicey on this page). Be it revealing thoughts or opinions that should've stayed private, confessing crimes, messing with the wrong people... No one got rich from a witty social media post, but plenty of people had their lives ruined by a dumb one. Better stay out of it. ~ and so he wrote, on a social media website :-)
Featherytoad 6 months ago
No one mentioned, The Orange Terds Big Corrupt Ugly Bill. If you're American, now you have a reason to have two drinks.
Load More Replies... Rafael 6 months ago
Surprised I didn't see "Posting the Wrong Shíte on Social Media" (maybe I missed, the scrolling is a bit dicey on this page). Be it revealing thoughts or opinions that should've stayed private, confessing crimes, messing with the wrong people... No one got rich from a witty social media post, but plenty of people had their lives ruined by a dumb one. Better stay out of it. ~ and so he wrote, on a social media website :-)
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