Even those with great people skills at times have trouble interacting with others. We all know how awkward and painful it can be to go through misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and lost opportunities.
But every once in a while something beautiful happens; we connect to another human being. We know exactly what they mean, and — even better! — we're certain they get us too.
Since these magical moments are so rare, we need to treasure them. Which is what the subreddit r/OddlySpecific is trying to do. Kinda.
From the fantasy equivalent of pangolins to fast walkers passing other fast walkers, it collects very specific comments that also somehow feel really relatable. Continue scrolling and check out some of the stuff they have.
This post may include affiliate links.
Miracle Whip N Slide
u/UndeadCaesar, a moderator of r/OddlySpecific, thinks this online community is really focused on separating out the oddly-specific content from the just-general memes. "Since implementing the 'does it fit here' bot comment at the top of every post, I feel the quality of content has really improved, as usually if enough people are passionate enough about something not fitting in to open the comments and downvote the bot comment, the community is usually right," they told Bored Panda.
"I don't have to do a lot of manual moderation of the community even though it's fairly large now (Top 150 if I recall correctly), usually only stepping in to remove frequent reposts that aren't caught by the repost bot."
Sometimes, Sometimes Sex Is Cooler
Why Pangolins Are Cute
u/UndeadCaesar took over r/OddlySpecific after the original creator abandoned the sub and it got overrun with t-shirts saying 'This dad was born in AUGUST, loves GUNS AND BBQ, hates COMMIES, and has a CRAZY WIFE WHO BOUGHT HIM THIS SHIRT' and reposts. "I think it's a much better place now, higher quality content and a more active community," the mod said.
"I think what separates posts that go viral from ones that don't are the ones that hit that fine line of being specific enough that it's striking but about a topic general enough that anyone can relate to it."
From what u/UndeadCaesar has seen, they believe people connect to oddly specific content because it can accurately convey an emotional state with all that "extra" info and seem almost irrelevant at the same time — this duality is really entertaining.
The Different Types Of Badgers
Yes but once they do they turn out to be serial killers and bury you in their garden.
Existence Is Pain
It’s Just Me
With 676K members, r/OddlySpecific is an excellent example of just how well we humans talk to one another. A sentiment philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who studied how easily communication between people goes wrong, would probably still be wary of.
While living in Norway, he wrote a book that was published in 1931. The book, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, asked a really big question: how do human beings manage to communicate ideas to one another? According to The School of Life, Wittgenstein's answer was that language triggers within us pictures of how things are in the world.
Seems Like This Fits Here
Now I Have This Fear
Annoying
Wittgenstein thought of this while reading about a court case. During the proceedings, in order to explain with greater efficacy the details of an accident at a road junction, the court organized a visual representation of the accident using models.
In Wittgenstein's view, much like in these r/OddlySpecific posts, words enable us to make pictures of facts. Something tells me he would be a member of the subreddit were he still alive.
Hmmm
Cementry Job
Doggo
Why Do I Feel Attacked
Three years of therapy to break the cycle. Cheaper than medical school.
I'm academically gifted and a super anxious high schooler who has thousands of abandoned hobbies and spirals into self hate whenever I make a basic mistake. It sucks even more than it seems because I can't talk to anyone around me about it. Maybe my friends since we're all super smart, but I can't see them right now.
Hmm.... does it count that I'm still in the academically gifted child stage of this and get anxiety raising my hand to ask a simple question about anything because I'm afraid of looking stupid even though I know they're here to help me...? Like I almost cried writing a simple email to my teacher asking for help in my math class that's 2 grades ahead of my current grade.
I still go through that. I'm n my 50s. it comes from everyone around you expecting you to somehow already have all the answers. I remember a teacher asking me a college level question I did not know the answer to, and making fun of me for it. It was 6th grade. The best thing I did was realize I can't change how other people act/speak, all you can do is control your reaction, including the way it makes you feel. I just refuse to allow myself to react, either negatively or at all. It does not always work, but it can help. I found it also works with garden variety bullies, no reaction=nothing for them to feed on
Load More Replies...
Just an idea.. it's because we *could* do anything we want but intense anxiety and fear of making mistakes coupled with a mind that constantly seeks stimulation prevents us from effectively achieving (or completing) a vast array of things. In the process we fail to appreciate what we do actually achieve.
Load More Replies...
This is true for Gen Z .It's so tiring living like this and I feel like such an imposter when someone praises me.It scares the s**t outta me when people do that or think I am better at something than them like noo,I am a loser and I know that.It's like you could diss me and I'd agree and you say nice things and that will make me nervous.What kind of Psychology is this?Is this too long?
I was in the "highly capable" program at school bc i was "so smart" and "so fast" at everything, so now whenever I can't keep up with the classes or I don't understand assignments I start to cry and I want to die, i would've much rather stayed in normal classes so I didn't hate myself so much when I make a single mistake, I can't even say anything I think is right or references bc what if its not right, what if i made it up in my head, then I'll be so embarrassed.
Yep. I'm the first one. The anxiety of medical school would have killed me before I even cracked open the first book.
Academically gifted kid grew up to be a computer systems analyst & programmer. Better than being a doctor because I don’t have to deal with people all day.
Accurate. I'm into 3D printing, repairing turntables, graduated as an engineer but also as a car mechanic (having repaired 0 cars to this day), decent trumpet player, I have a gaming PC but I don't game anymore, etc.
Oh the glories of being trailer park trash, even my grandmother told 10 year old me that I was going to be barefoot and pregnant in a trailer park just like my mother. Bought my own house at 24 and put myself through graduate school while working full time as a research manager overseeing 7 employees. Take that grandma! Plus, I read, paint, play piano, and everyone always says how impressed they are with me when they find out I was a homeless high school drop out. When expectations are low you can only go up, still have crippling anxiety and feel like a failure. No escaping that.
*me watering garden with one hand while drawing with the other* why, whatever could you possibly mean
Meeeee. In primary school my teachers always said I was so smart and creative, but when I reached secondary school it dawned on me that I was totally average and that most people were miles ahead of me. My self esteem plummeted and hasn't recovered since.
I wasn't academically gifted and am not a doctor, but I got everything else. Fun times.
Not always the case, so there is in fact an in between.
well, i plan on being a doctor, but it could turn out the other way. i'm not like crazy smart or anything, but i'm smart enough to be a doctor if i work at it, and medicine is so incredibly amazing!
Found This Guy On Facebook. Thought It Belonged Here
I Also Can't Stand Them
That's usually when I realize my windshield is particularly dirty and needs a spritz.
Okay, Then
Yep. All my vehicles have names. Some even have vanity plates with their names on them because they deserve a little bling.
Specific Indeed
Such A Specific Fear
Respecc To All Teachers
We are sadists. We get to mess with your minds for a whole year, you never know if I'm actually telling the truth because I'm also the one making the test so you'll just have to trust me I'm not lying to you. Nah, just kidding. I love teaching because young adults are the most amazing people out there. They're kind, curious, talkative, epic fun, and just naive enough for me to have a little fun with every now and then.
Catholism
Dad's, Start Taking Notes
I Like Frank The Spider
Hoas Violate Your Property Rights
Hopefully He's Ok
Oh Whale
I Mean He's Not Wrong
I pretty much always eat alone. I have noticed that when the hostess asks how many, I say "just one" and I am trying really hard to stop using "just".
Adam Sandler
This I Found From Another Subreddit
The Bison *will* Kill You
Is this for real? If it is, it's pretty terrible that there are people stupid enough to go into the animal enclosure. Although I shouldn't be surprised.
Pretty Accurate
This Is Quite Specific
It's their snack though. As long as they're not giving it to some kids but not others I don't see a problem.
Not A Bad Gig
LOL, that must be true seeing all those mystic album covers where some guys are in the middle of a forest looking like boy scouts who got lost.
Or, You Know, Something Else
My father's father was Adda. Because I tried to call him Dadda (my father was away on national service) and that was all I was prepared to concede. Because I was first grandchild, all the others called him that too.
I'm Ashamed To Say I've Done This Before
Well... That Is A Description
Too Meta?
That's Actually Good To Know
Roooxaaaaanne!
If he shot you to the beat of Roxanne you would get the 16th bullet about the time the guys laughing in the song.
Found This Gem Today On Instagram
Of Course We Do Bro
Aight Who Wants To Do A Triathlon With A Shark
In real life the deadliest animal is the mosquito, followed closely by humans who are the deadliest mammals on this planet. Just one example; The tangerine toddler with a dead count of over 500 000 people.
Worse Than A Breakup
That's A Good Plan...
This is such a stupid comment, and it's made so often I just wish it would die. Shows like Friends and The Big Bang Theory are recorded in front of a live studio audience. It's not a "laugh track" like you would hear in MASH, for example. Any actor playing comedy learns to pause when there is laughter, and to not say the next line (or punchline) until the laughter is starting to subside. If you take a show like this and deliberately and artificially remove the laughter, of course the show seems weird and unfunny, because the pace seems wrong. Secondly, laughter is a shared experience and is always greater than when alone. Seriously, if you don't like the show, then don't watch it. Don't bitch about it on the internet.
Note: this post originally had 118 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
