Society has some weird, outdated customs.

In several states, for instance, it is illegal for more than three women to live in a house together because it is then considered a brothel. And we all know that's outdated and kind of misogynistic, but for some reason, nobody seems in any hurry to change those laws. So when ruj00 took to the internet to ask:

What social custom needs to be retired?

We were excited when it forced us to take a look at some of the dumb things we do as a society.

I quit a warehouse job recently due to sh-t pay and terrible working conditions. $10/hr after taxes and union fees are taken out brings it down to around $8/hr. Only scheduled for 10-15 hours a week despite me being promised 30. Running around in a 100° F warehouse while covered in dirt and dust. Sweat + dirt + dust = constantly runny nose, sneezing out black stuff, breaking out in acne from touching your face, not to mention how it ruins most of your clothes.

My dad gave me sooo much shit for it. "You're f-cking pathetic. You're always looking for the easy way out. You don't know how to work hard."

You're g-d damned right! If I can earn the same amount of money doing an easier job in an air conditioned environment you bet your -ss I will. My dad is so old school it hurts. He told me he wouldn't work for a different company even if he was offered a 40% raise, as leaving would be "disloyal" to the company he currently works for. The same man that complains about how much he hates most of the people he works with.

"When I was your age I was working in a factory doing the same sh-t you were doing."

Cool, but like shouldn't you be glad that it isn't necessary for me to do that in order to live?

Being shamed for turning down overtime at work.

Sorry, but if I only have one day off this entire week, I'm f-cking taking it. If you ask me to come in on that day and I say no, asking "Are you sure? Think of the money" over and over won't change anything. It normally ends up so that they keep badgering me until I flat out give a made up excuse. Now I feel bad for lying, you clearly KNOW I'm bullsh-tting, but it's the only way to get you to stop.

I just need a day to myself. Gimme a break.

People not getting that sometimes you want some alone time and there is nothing wrong with that.

Having to post yourself doing something good on social media or it never happened mentality. I just went through the scariest storm of my life here in Houston with Hurricane Harvey. Tons of people were posting pictures of them helping demo walls in houses which is totally fine and dandy. But people were actually complaining about how others "waited too long to start helping" as if just because I didn't post the DAY after the hurricane that I was inside a house busting down walls that I never helped. Sorry I just dont need to film myself or document myself to prove that I was helping, not everyone needs to give themselves the ol' social media pat on the back. It's so f-cking annoying the type of society we live in now.

Extremely expensive prom dresses.

I built a $1200 Computer few months back and people where like you spent 1200 on a computer you crazy. Then my sister spent well my Dad spent $800 on my sisters prom dress and no one bats a eye.

Honestly she only used that dress once and a computer i can use for years to come.

Opening gifts in front of the gifter.

I was exposed to the opposite custom while in Asia, where gifts are opened in private. It's so refreshing. You don't have to feign delight over something unwanted, unneeded, or that you're just going to return or regift later.

Having experience for entry level jobs. If I'm applying for a job at Mickey D's, a cart associate, or anything that is going to pay me minimum wage, require nothing of me customer service wise, I should never lose an opportunity to get a job because I don't have enough experience. I had to deal with this, and my brother is dealing with it. I shouldn't have to know people to get a job at fast food joints. Service industry, low pay jobs, exist because you can literally hire people who have no experience for them, yet my brother hears he doesn't have work experience and that they're hiring a person with one more job worth of experience before him.

Men are too tough to have feelings. Everyone has feelings, it's part of being human.

Not discussing your wages/salary with co-workers. The only reason this custom exists is to keep people getting screwed from knowing they're being screwed.

Public apologies that mean nothing. A company/public figure would be forced to release an apology and it would just be the most passive agressive and non-apologetic letter.

Helicopter parenting. This is not a healthy parenting style, but is sadly becoming the norm.

Since not everyone knows this term, a helicopter parent is a common parenting style (in the U.S., and I believe other western countries) were a parent is overly involved in their child's life, makes the child the center of the universe, and shelters the kid from any negative life experiences or consequences. Examples: older children not allowed to play anywhere unsupervised; parents applying for jobs on behalf of their kids and attending interviews with them; parents making teens download an app that tells the parent where they are at all times; parents flipping their shit when their kid gets a single bad grade, blaming the teacher vs. the kid. Then, these kids are magically supposed to grow up to be competent, well-adjusted adults, but have never experienced consequences and have been spoiled and sheltered their whole lives. Parents who don't helicopter are accused of child abuse and neglect, in extreme cases.

The expectation that if you go on vacation that you need to bring back gifts. I was on vacation. I enjoyed myself and spent my hard earned money doing it. Why should I bring a gift back for people? They are more than welcome to go on their own vacation.

The CNN effect.

We are bombarded with information about everything that happens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have no time to process what happens and understand it before the next story breaks. We don't have time to make our own opinions and just accept what our preferred media tells us, assuming they are non bias.

Might just be local, but forcing kids to hug people they don't like/aren't comfortable with.

"Oh, honey! That's your great-aunt's cousin's daughter's mom! Give her a hug!"

"Hug your grandma, you'll hurt her feelings if you don't."

I HATED this as a kid, i hate seeing it pushed on other kids now. I'll flat out tell the kid, "You will NOT hurt my feelings and i won't be upset if you don't want a hug." My nephew is on the spectrum, and as a kid we'd high five because that's what he was okay with.

Seriously, my son is going to grow up being told that it doesn't matter if it's his cousin, grandma, mom or dad, future wife-NOBODY gets to guilt or threaten yoi into physical contact.

Diamond engagement jewelry.

The entire mined diamond industry is filthy.

Artificial diamonds have a much nicer sheen because better purity (just like cultured pearls) and can be made for a few bucks a pop.

The fact that "mined" natural diamonds still command a premium is entirely based on perception and deceit. This too will pass though.

Funerals. $10k to see a corpse. It's so odd and a bit morbid IMO. Why not just get together and reminisce at a house or restaurant?

Having to have every room in your house spotless for people coming to visit during holidays. I don't mind sweeping and vacuuming common areas, but why does my room need to be spotless. We aren't selling the house. Since I was away at college my mother decided to clean my room since relatives are visiting next week and now doesn't know where she put my coin collection, my german crystal whiskey decanter that was a gift, or half of my vinyl records.

Schools telling kids that college is for everyone and acting like trade school and community college aren't legitimate.

When I was in high school a couple years ago, not only did they require teachers to devote a full day to pressuring people to go to a university, but we had an assembly where everyone who's been accepted to college got called up individually to walk to the center of the gym and be applauded.

I'm sorry if this is taboo, but some people are not emotionally prepared for college at 18, and some people simply don't have what it takes. I sure wasn't, and I'm naturally pretty Intelligent.

There's no reason my slacker best friend who counted his sick days so he could take the maximum allowed every year, and challenged himself to never read a single book for English his entire scholastic career, should be pressured in to taking $20,000 in debt simply because our culture says to before he decides it's too hard and drops out, or knocks a girl up and drops out, or any number of permutations thereof.

That said, we really need to teach civics in high school to create an environment where someone can leave high school ready to go in to a trade or whatever and be prepared to be a citizen of our country.

Guys always having to make the first move in a relationship. Women (at least most I personally know) complain so often that men are horrible at picking up signals. Well then why don't they make the first move and be up front? It's too scary? Afraid you'll look creepy? Afraid of rejection? Yeah, welcome to our lives, shits terrifying, but give us a break pleaaaase

My girlfriend made the first move when I was taking it too slow. That was 3 years ago. Just go for it. Having someone openly and blatantly express interest in a guy is so rare it will likely make their week

Someone telling you to smile. I surprised no one has mention this yet. There this one annoying front desk lady at my gym that constantly ask me to smile when I'm coming in to scan my ID. I don't want to smile, so stop asking. It's pretty rude to tell others to?