“It’s Ruined Me Forever”: 30 People Share What They Became Obsessed With Once They’d Tried It Once
Every time we try something new, we risk a bad experience. But there is another, less commonly talked about danger, that this new thing will be so good that we now just have to make it a consistent part of our lives. Anything less feels disappointing and downright terrible.
An internet user wanted to know what things people could not live without after experiencing them just once. Answers ranged from life-changing personal experiences to the comforting utility of a new device. Be sure to upvote your favorites and share your own examples in the comments.
This post may include affiliate links.
A cat purring and curled up in your lap.
Or on your chest or arm curled up when laying in bed. Always easier to fall asleep at night that way due to the calm soothing vibrations of the purr
A really good mattress. Getting a good night's sleep is one of most important things in life.
I'm saving up for an adjustable bed so I can sleep in a zero gravity position to help ease fibro pain.
One of the most popular answers that often gets overlooked due to its less-than-pleasant nature is the bidet. If this is a foreign concept, here is a break explanation, a bidet is a sort of bowl that sprays water upwards, similar to a water fountain, to help wash your nether regions after using the toilet. It originated in the Arab world and can also be often found in Southern Europe, stereotypically in France.
The name, which like many French words has some annoying silent letters, literally means pony, referring to the way the user “sits” on the equipment before use. While it might seem strange to some readers, as this one internet user said, once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back.
Air conditioning.
Especially at night, set really low, so you can snuggle up in your bed.
I don’t know how people sleep with temps 80+.
Books.
Couldn't agree more. Just finished a book called under the whispering door. It's about a dead guy realizing he's dead and falling in love as a ghost
Further on the topic of hygiene, wet wipes or baby wipes are often overlooked despite their great effectiveness at cleaning most regular household messes. Most things need liquid to be dislodged, but a wet surface will quickly disintegrate paper towels and similar items unless you use them en masse. Wet wipes, pound for pound are probably significantly more efficient. The only downside is that many people will flush them, creating sewer blockages called fatbergs.
A decent income.
Daytime nap. Seriously,I am addicted to it.
I'm either 3 hours with existential confusion for the rest of the day or I end up waking up at 3am.
Blackout curtains for me. The noise-cancelling headphones of light.
I can't sleep with blackout curtains because they make me believe it's 3am when in reality it's 9am and i'm late for work.
In general, many responses were focused on household items that gave a bit more utility than it might seem on the surface. We are, after all, creatures of convenience. And one good example of this is the rice cooker. In theory, all you need to cook rice is a vessel, heat, and water. But in much of the world, cooking rice never goes beyond some boiling water and a packet. Making anything more complicated, such as sticky rice or rice pudding requires additional equipment, skill, and time. But a rice cooker solves all that and is very common in parts of the world where rice is a staple.
GPS. I can’t navigate to save my life so it’s a godsend for me.
Fast internet.
I always felt constrained by whatever internet connection I had in recent years, until about 10 years ago when I got fibre to cabinet (street cabinet, the last bit is still over copper) which gives 80 meg down, 20 up, and I can live with that. There aren't that many things that I download that are over a gig, and it still only takes minutes to pull those. I still can't get anything better, as full fibre is only just starting to roll out round here.
One netizen mentioned a decent income, which most will no doubt heavily agree with. Obviously, being rich is probably nicer than being poor, but just having enough already brings a myriad of psychological benefits. As common sense as it sounds, science states that worrying about finances is the first step to constant emotional distress, which considerable mental and physical health risks. Stress is pretty bad for us, after all.
Having sex with someone that’s in tune with your body. My husband knows exactly how to touch me and I can’t imagine having sex with someone else.
Sugar. Been trying to live without it but damn, it's more addicting than drugs.
Try allulose. It's a natural sugar, no side effects like sugar substitutes. It doesn't make your blood sugar spike. I have been using it a few months and finally started to lose weight!
Ultimately, we do like our habits and don’t like to change routines. So if we get used to a certain comfort, it can be hard to live without it. It’s the same with a lot of emotions, leaving safety and security behind is not just difficult, but often deeply stressful. This fear can even prevent some people from ever trying something new or breaking out of their comfort zone. But, as the many examples here demonstrate, just outside of your safety there might be something life-changing. Even if it’s just unlimited data.
A bidet.
TheBigC87 replied:
Was gonna say the same. I explain to people that once you use one, you'll feel like a peasant when you wipe your a** with TP.
Internet.
I've been on it for so long, that I can't breathe without it. I just need that reach into the other world since the real one sucks.
Kids today will never know the struggle of using a card catalog to write a research paper. When I graduated college, they had just wired the dorms for Ethernet! OH! And having dial-up internet 🛜
The internet is a great tool, but can never replace the real world, despite it's problems ... the internet has plenty of them, too.
Unlimited data on your phone plan; you don’t realize the kind of prison you’re in without it.
I think it's the other way around, if I'm out, unless I need to look up directions or contact someone, my phone is just a glorified watch. I have a 6Gb data plan and most months I don't even use 10% of it. Ok, I don't go out much.
Baby wipes. Damn, they are good at cleaning up so many things! The kids are 10 and 15 now and we still buy them by the case. Clean the counters, clean your shoes, get stains out of your clothes, bring them with you when you go eat ribs. Better than a napkin. Clean the table. Clean the desk. Clean the island. Wipe up the spill.
Biodegradable bamboo ones, so many of the others contain microplastics.
Air Fryer.
YES!!! When I first got mine, I told EVERYBODY they needed to get one! I use it for so many different things! The versatility is remarkable!
Filtered water. Bought a Brita when I got my house, can't stand the taste of tap water now. But filtered? Love it.
Reasonable exercise.
If you're going crazy and overexerting yourself, yeah I think that puts a lot of people off exercising at all because you're doing more than your current level of fitness can handle, but once you start doing regular low-impact exercise appropriate to your level of fitness like walking or swimming you realise you feel so much better doing it and so much worse/less energetic when you don't for a day.
I'm going through this realisation right now.
I need a personal trainer to come to my house, hold a gun to my head, and tell me to run for my life, because that is the only way anyone could probably get me to exercise.
For me, it’s noise-canceling headphones.
I can't do it... Too paranoid .. always need at least one ear without a headphone..
Hygiene products that work well for you specifically instead of just using whatever. My hair is so much better since I made a point to use the right type of shampoo and conditioner for me.
I bought a $90 "beauty pillow" that encourages back sleeping or lets you side sleep in a way that doesn't smoosh your face. I am a vain b***h and I take that thing on all my trips. My weird forehead wrinkles disappeared.
Note: this post originally had 58 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Power windows on your car. Car alarms that lock/unlock doors. Cell phones. Microwave ovens. Vaccines. (yes, I'm old)
I still would get manual windows if I could - mechanical window workings are less breakage prone than electrical ones and easier to fix.
Load More Replies...
Am I the only one who thinks most of these require a sometimes large monetary output?
You're totally right. Went back and read them, and almost everyone required one big investment and/or regular smaller investments - except maybe blackout curtains, good sex, and garlic. I'd include afternoon naps, but that assumes one has a certain lifestyle that allows for that
Load More Replies...
Bone conducting headphones. Earbuds hurt the insides of my ears (even the smallest rubber tips hurts after less than an hour) and the big over the ear type hurts the outside of my ear. Wireless bone conduction headphones are expensive, but I've used them almost daily for years, so the money was well worth it.
Oh! I didn't know this was a thing! Headphones hurt my ears too but I always thought it was something I would just have to deal with! I'm going to have to look into bone conducting headphones now. Thanks!
Load More Replies...
kitchen tongs that are used to open bottles. Sometimes even official men™ can't do it without help.
Warm towels. Freshly pressed pillowcases. Freshly pressed robes. Silk pajamas. Quality foundation and lipstick (well worth the money spent. Doesn't feel cakey and lasts longer). A cup of cinnamon, ginger, lemon and honey tea made with fresh ingredients (or milk without the lemon or teabag). Freshly picked fruits and vegetables. A garden in the backyard. Pet rabbits. This is not the entire list, but a few things I don't ever want to give up.
no pea under the mattress. You forgot that.
Load More Replies... 
Diet Dr. Pepper and Marlboro Lights...and weed. Can't forget weed!
Why weed? I've tried several different kind, and I really don't understand why people use it recreationally
Load More Replies...
Power windows on your car. Car alarms that lock/unlock doors. Cell phones. Microwave ovens. Vaccines. (yes, I'm old)
I still would get manual windows if I could - mechanical window workings are less breakage prone than electrical ones and easier to fix.
Load More Replies... Am I the only one who thinks most of these require a sometimes large monetary output?
You're totally right. Went back and read them, and almost everyone required one big investment and/or regular smaller investments - except maybe blackout curtains, good sex, and garlic. I'd include afternoon naps, but that assumes one has a certain lifestyle that allows for that
Load More Replies... Bone conducting headphones. Earbuds hurt the insides of my ears (even the smallest rubber tips hurts after less than an hour) and the big over the ear type hurts the outside of my ear. Wireless bone conduction headphones are expensive, but I've used them almost daily for years, so the money was well worth it.
Oh! I didn't know this was a thing! Headphones hurt my ears too but I always thought it was something I would just have to deal with! I'm going to have to look into bone conducting headphones now. Thanks!
Load More Replies... kitchen tongs that are used to open bottles. Sometimes even official men™ can't do it without help.
Warm towels. Freshly pressed pillowcases. Freshly pressed robes. Silk pajamas. Quality foundation and lipstick (well worth the money spent. Doesn't feel cakey and lasts longer). A cup of cinnamon, ginger, lemon and honey tea made with fresh ingredients (or milk without the lemon or teabag). Freshly picked fruits and vegetables. A garden in the backyard. Pet rabbits. This is not the entire list, but a few things I don't ever want to give up.
no pea under the mattress. You forgot that.
Load More Replies... Diet Dr. Pepper and Marlboro Lights...and weed. Can't forget weed!
Why weed? I've tried several different kind, and I really don't understand why people use it recreationally
Load More Replies... 