40 Times People Failed To Understand Instructions And It Resulted In Hilarious Mishaps

The photos on this list have been gathered from two subreddits dedicated to calling out the world’s most unclear instructions and the people who follow directions without any consideration for logic. Combined, r/InstructionsUnclear and r/Instructions_Unclear have over 5k members, so there is no shortage of wonderful posts on their pages that might make you involuntarily facepalm. From people seeking help after having trouble following directions to photos of the confusing and misleading instructions themselves, we hope you enjoy this list of photos that might make you lose a bit of faith in humanity.

We know you pandas are smart enough to not have any trouble following directions, but sometimes it’s hard to know just how competent other people are. That’s why it’s crucial to remember that any time you assign a task to a child, student, employee, or your significant other, you go into great detail. Or make sure they feel comfortable asking any questions they may have. Common sense is not always super common, and it’s easier to prevent messes and mistakes than try to fix them later. 

When it comes to providing instructions on how to do something, it can be difficult to know how much detail to include. Being too precise might sound condescending, but leaving out too many details might leave you disappointed in the final product. If you ask for onions on your sandwich at a restaurant, you might want to have your server clarify if the onions are white, red, raw, marinated, caramelized, etc. As easy as it is to forget, all of our minds work very differently, and something that may seem obvious or implied to you might be completely different to what a friend or stranger is thinking. 

Depending on your profession, you might be giving instructions out more than you’re following them. If you’re a manager or supervisor and you often delegate tasks, there are a few things to keep in mind that might help your employees understand exactly what is expected of them. According to Alice Dartnell at LifeHack.com, it’s important not to make any assumptions. “Whilst most people in your office or business will be intuitive and switched on, they are not mind readers,” Alice writes. “An imperative when delivering clear instructions is to not assume the recipient knows what you mean, and this can be for anything from industry acronyms to who to contact in different departments or organizations. It will only take you a few seconds more to explain the details.”

Alice explains that it’s also crucial to be clear and specific when assigning tasks. Rambling on will waste people’s time and allows employees to get bogged down in the details, but being unclear will lead to confusion or many follow up questions. “Personally I prefer not to butter it up, and would rather get straight to the point of what needs to be actioned or delivered, rather than making the instructions too flowery, which will only confuse,” Alice says.

“For example, don’t just instruct ‘send a selection of the briefings to a few key stakeholders’, instead state how many stakeholders and to whom, and what briefings! I often find it helps to bullet point as it reduces the temptation to waffle on and it helps your instructions and actions be more focused,” she added.

When providing details for your instructions, it’s important to clarify time frames. Words like “soon” are vague and can lead to misunderstandings, so make sure your staff is on the same page by defining timelines as accurately as possible. Examples can also be very helpful when you’re assigning a new task that your employees haven’t done before. “This will help to add clarity to your instructions and help form a clearer picture of what it is you mean and want,” Alice explains. And if exactly what you want is not feasible at the moment, providing alternatives can be useful. Alice explains that this empowers your staff to get the job done without having to bother you every step of the way, and it should save everyone time and energy. 

If you’re an educator, you know how important clear instructions are when assigning tasks to students as well. Whether it’s by accident or to spite you, kids have an incredible knack for twisting words and following instructions in the worst possible ways. Thankfully, award winning teacher Nancy Barile, M.A.Ed. created a guide for giving clear instructions to students (that they’ll actually follow). First, Nancy notes that the language used is very important. Avoid vague terms like “a few”, “some” or “a couple”, and clearly articulate your expectations. “Providing a strong, detailed rubric with the assignment can also make both the teacher's and the student's job clearer and easier,” she adds.

Nobody likes to do something that feels pointless, so Nancy goes on to explain that when speaking to students, it’s also helpful to explain the purpose of the task. “When you explain to students why they're being asked to complete an assignment, they're more able to appreciate the experience,” she notes. “Connecting the task to existing student knowledge, previous lessons, or covered material will help students feel more confident about tackling the task.” Having more context can also help if they don’t understand any of the instructions. If they know the end goal, they’re more likely to problem solve on their own along the way.

Just like examples can help employees complete tasks, they can be helpful for students doing assignments as well. “In 1965 (but I remember it like it was yesterday), my first grade teacher had us create an alphabet booklet,” Nancy shared. “I was excited about the assignment and worked hard on it every day for a week. After I handed it in, I realized that many of the students had created clever covers for their booklets. Because I didn't have an example to mirror, I didn't include a cover, and my pride in my work quickly faded.” Examples can answer many questions a student might have, and they’re a great way to ensure students are on the right track with an assignment.  

Feeling confused is never fun. And while it’s important to have critical thinking skills and know how to problem solve, clear instructions help take the guesswork out of any task or assignment. Detailed directions can also help students’ confidence, as they’ll feel capable and competent rather than lost. “Giving clear instructions to students can ensure that they fully comprehend what they need to do to achieve in your classroom,” Nancy writes. “It will ease students' nerves, assuage their insecurities, and help them confirm your expectations so that they can be happy and successful in school.”

We hope the instructions for reading this article were clear enough. When we say upvote your favorite pics, we mean click that little arrow that points up on the photos you like. Who am I kidding? You pandas are way too smart to be featured on Instructions Unclear. Keep enjoying these hilarious pics, and then feel free to share any of your personal “instructions unclear” stories in the comments. And if you’re interested in finding even more horribly followed or horribly laid out instructions, be sure to check out the subreddits dedicated to this topic right here and here!