
Usually, nobody knows when or why they started to do it. But the strange routine, tendency, or personality quirk surely dug its heels in long ago and shows no signs of going away any time soon.
Many people assumed the habit was normal, just something everybody did and never talked about, like some untapped, relatable example for an observational comic to call on sometime in the future.
But then they had a revelation. Someone, often innocently enough, asked why they did that thing. The question, above all, identified the habit as a thing of its own.
A uniqueness just minor enough to straddle the line between alienating tick and point of pride, the quirk was exposed but doomed to be repeated nonetheless. After all, it was now fully engrained.
The facade of normalcy was destroyed, and the only place to go was a Reddit thread where the other crestfallen weirdos ended up.
BIG_Sensei asked, "Reddit, What's a weird habit of yours you didn't think was weird until someone mentioned it?"
Vampiric Slumbers
"Shared a hotel with a buddy during a trip and he told me I sleep like I'm embalmed... arms crossed, on my back, stiff as a board." -- kukukele
"I do the same thing but sleep on my stomach. I call it reverse coffin." -- kellzyeah__87
"Anytime I travel with friends, my SO reminds me to warn them about my sleeping habits as it's caused some alarm in the past. I don't move, I don't make a sound, and am a very deep sleeper, same position, on my back, arms crossed."
"I've had multiple friends think that I've passed away in my sleep and freaked them right the fuck out." -- AliCracker
Moley
"I sniff every cup before I use it. Don't know why."
"Burrowing in my sleep as well. I have to have my head covered for me to be comfortable. Didn't think it was weird until a college roommate pointed out that he always could tell when I was going to sleep because I just put my pillow or my covers over my head beforehand."
"I've had people come into my room when I'm asleep and thought nobody was there so I guess it's a nice defense mechanism against predators."
-- CinnaSol
"Engage Retraction"
"I sometimes use my tongue like a CD slot when eating chips. Didn't even realise I was doing this until my friend suddenly burst out laughing while we were hanging out." -- Exact_Potato
"I don't quite understand how one uses their tongue like a CD slot." -- SaruCharmed
"You mean catching the chips like a frog would a fly?" -- Maleoppressor
While You're In There
"One day I was taking a shower with my wife and I discover that she washes her underpants in the shower and uses the newly washed underpants as sponge to help to clean her body. I said 'wtf?' and she said that her mom taught her to do that."
"And just like that I found that females on her family have this weird shower tradition."
-- CidVerte
Homeostasis
"Whenever I touch or bump something (especially on accident) I feel like I have to repeat that action on the same spot on the other half of my body. Now it's getting to the point where my brain just does it without consulting me first, and it's gotten me some weird looks/comments." -- Legoleaf125
"Hoooolyyyyy sh** I thought this was just me. I don't do it much anymore but as a kid if I got an itch on my right knee and scratched it, I'd have to scratch the same spot on my left knee or it wasn't 'fair.' " -- icecoldmax
Some Casual Slinkin'
"I sneak up and scare people, unintentionally. I've been given the nickname 'Ninja Nate' because I move in and out of rooms without being detected."
"I close doors quietly. I don't hum, whistle, single, or generally talk when I walk through the house. And I walk so silently that no one can hear my footsteps."
"This has lead to repeatedly scaring people who don't hear me coming, especially when they suddenly turn around or I ask them a question with their back turned to me. I try to get into people's line of sight before approaching them, but inevitably, I will give someone a fright because they didn't see or hear me approaching."
"Sorry to all my friends and roommates that I've surprised over the years - it's something I've picked during my childhood to avoid being seen or heard because I don't want a verbally abusive parent to shout at me for doing something wrong like waking up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water."
-- yakusokuN8
A Good Way to Identify French Speaking Dogs
"I talk to every animal I meet/see in French (my first language). I don't know why I do this, but someone pointed it out when I met their new dog for the first time." -- whyImcalledqueen
"Maybe because it's how you're most comfortable speaking and animals make you comfortable and bring out your authentic self?" -- forestfluff
"My Dad always talks to any animal like a dog. We were at the zoo once and my dad saw birds and started going... COME HERE BOI PAT PAT PAT COME HERE" -- Agustin42069
The Last Laugh, at Those Prices
"One of my favorite snacks growing up was cold canned green beans. My mom would just open the can and hand me a fork. I continued eating them like that until my sophomore year of university when my roommates just stared at me and pointed out how strange it was."
"I just thought that was the only way to eat green beans."
-- usd2krw
Fly on the Wall
"In a group conversation I sometimes stay silent for literally 30 minutes and start talking again like nothing."
"Realized with quarantine, were I suddenly talk and people get surprised I was still in the voice chat after 15/20/30 minutes of not even a word."
Pay No Mind to the Interlude
"Someone will say something to me like at the end of a work shift and I won't respond until the next time I see them and then they've forgotten about the comment they said just because it took me a few hours to process what they meant."
"For example coworker and I were talking about the gym and I said 'yeah you're just as thin' and she replied 'no, I'm round' and it took me the next day to tell her she wasn't round smh"
-- angelarocky
Skin and All
"Eating kiwi fruit with its skin until i saw my friends eating without its skin then i turned on the incognito mode and searched 'how to eat kiwi?'" -- Mahdi_D
"I had a friend who would eat the entire kiwi (skin included) by fitting it entirely inside his mouth, chewing, and swallowing. In about 5 seconds. He'd sometimes take kiwis to eat in class and we were all bewildered" -- but_uhm
Empathy
"If I bump an object into a wall or a table etc. I say 'ouch' for that object. Not sure when I began doing it and obviously I know my toothbrush didn't feel pain when I hit the faucet with it's head but I can't stop myself from saying 'ouch' on the toothbrush's behalf." -- RAVENMADSAINTSFAN
"I apologize to my car whenever it takes a nasty bump, like a pothole or whatever. I pat the center of the steering wheel like oh baby I'm sorry, and then rub the dashboard soothingly to make sure it knows I didnt mean to, it's doing a good job, and that everything is okay." -- nathanielKay
Screaming at Loved Ones
"Apparently I talk too loud. My hearing is rather poor so I never really noticed, and most of my clients are seniors so if anything they're asking me to speak louder. It was only a couple of years ago that a friend mentioned that his partner at the time was scared because of how loud and deep my voice was."
"My whole life I was unknowingly yelling at friends and strangers."
Bring it Around Town
"Something I didnt even realize I was doing until someone pointed it out is I eat burgers/other sandwiches in a circle shape. So if I have a burger, I eat all the way around the edges and then do another circle and another until I only have one bite, the very center, left to eat." -- KeeShlab
"I do that too! I like saving the middle bite (which has the most stuff in it) for last." -- GlassAlgae
"You're a monster" -- ravendarklord76
Primitivism
"I sh** nude. Also rarely use public toilets" -- tewchainzzz
"My exboyfriend could only sh** nude. Literally the only way he could sh**. I feel vulnerable and scared if I try to shit nude LOL" -- cymobymo
"Humans are the only mammals that defecate with clothes on I can respect the nude freedom" -- SnakeBaconator
All This Unnecessary Shaking
"I shake milk jugs before pouring a glass or over cereal. I was raised on a dairy farm so it was necessary with fresh milk. Was about 30 before someone asked why and I had to think for a minute before I realized I didn't need to with store bought milk." -- philosophuncultistish
"I shake everything that isn't carbonated. No idea why. Even like bottled water I'll 'shake well' before I open it" -- dackinthebox
"I always shake milk, even if I don't need to. I like the frothiness." -- AROSES524
In Case Anything's Hiding Under There
"I tap the lid of the can three times before I open it when I drink coke/beer/etc."
"I have no idea why I do it or even that I was doing it until I was at a ring dunk and someone handed me a beer and I tapped it and got asked about the habit. They assumed it was for luck so I went with that instead of me being a weirdo."
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I would love to know how people don't fear death.
I mean, it's the end. Life will be over. That kind of sucks.
Yet there are people who find tranquility in it.
Can you teach the rest of us?
Redditor deensuk wanted to hear from everyone who has a calmness about the heading to the afterlife. They asked:
"People who are not scared of death, why?"
I have a constant fear of death. I wanna perfect the ending of "Death Becomes Her" so I can live forever.
Before
"I'm not scared of death because of working in health care I was around it so much. I AM scared of what leads to death, however."
Full-Mulberry5020
Why now?
"Why should I be scared now of something that's only going to happen at the end of my life?"
User Deleted
"I did this cult thing called the landmark forum and I actually did like their “meaning of life”: the meaning of life is that there is no meaning. Life is empty and meaningless. There is no answer."
"Life is what you make of it and every persons answer is equally valid because there is no meaning to life. Life exists as, basically, an accident, we are all here by complete accident, there’s no great mystery, it’s all biology and you are 100% free to make life about whatever it is you want."
Conservative_HalfWit
Death and I are good friends...
"I was very sick as a child. Spent ages 7-20 in and out of hospital due to kidney issues. Lost a kidney at 28. Almost died during the surgery to removed the dead kidney due to blood loss. Had 5 surgeries back to back during the next 2 years. Twice they had difficulties bringing me out of anesthesia."
"Found my favorite aunt dead in her bed when I was 22. Watched my best friend die from a brain tumor at 30. Death has been a constant force in my life. Sometimes just on the edges waiting, sometimes unexpected staring me in the face. I'm not afraid because it's always been there. I now work in healthcare. Death and I are good friends."
Tiny_Teach_5466
No Worries
"Because it's coming for us all, sooner or later. So there's no point in worrying about it. I am much more concerned about day to day minutiae. The Lars von Trier film Melancholia starring Kirstin Dunst portrayed this perfectly. If there was an asteroid hurtling towards the earth, I'd probably be more preoccupied with worrying about whether I left the back light on or not."
Giallo_submarine
It's Over
"Because no one has ever made it out alive, and I was dead for an eternity before I was alive, and didn't suffer the slightest inconvenience because of it."
MarshallApplewhiteDo
I never thought about the before much. I hope the before is quick.
The Effects
"I hope that when my times comes it will be merciful. My uncle had a stroke, he is paralyzed. My grandmother is 91, but is losing all her memories of her life. Death does not scare me, what could be left of me before I die is what terrifies me."
M1ssy_M3
No Terror
"It’s like when the writer Nabokov said that he saw a picture one time, a picture of before he was born. It was a picture of his mother, his brother and sister that were older than him, but he had not been born yet. He said that when he saw that picture there was no terror in him, even though he was looking at a picture where he didn’t exist."
im_on-the_can
state of nonexistence...
"I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of dying. Death is just the state of nonexistence I experienced before I was born. I don't remember it because I didn't exist yet. Death will be the same way. I just don't want the transition to be marked by pain and sorrow at things left unfinished. I want it to be quick, painless, and with me surrounded by love."
Wazula42
I'm Gone...
"Because once I die, I won't know it. I won't miss people or regret things or feel pain or sadness about anything. I might fear being sick and slowly dying, just having to live with the knowledge that it's all going to end and this is the last time I'll ever see the people I love or taste good food or hear good music. That sounds almost unbearable. But death isn't even a thing, it's just having done something (died)."
"It's like virginity, it's a made-up state of being that just says whether or not you've experienced a specific occurrence. Once I die, I'm gone. My corpse will be the empty wrapper I used to be in, just garbage to be disposed of in whatever way makes my survivors feel better. I'll be switched off. If I don't worry about what the light feels after the bulb burns out, why would I be afraid of being dead?"
SallyHeap
At Peace
"I’m scared now because I have young kids. Once my kids are old enough to be on their own I imagine the fear will subside and I’ll have a more relaxed approach."
User Deleted
Some very interesting perspectives. May it all calm peacefully and with great mercy for us all.
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Dating and the search for love and companionship... What a nightmare.
This journey plays out nothing like in the movies.
Every Prince or Princess (or everything in BTW) seems to have a touch of the psycho.
The things people say during what should be simple dinner conversation can leave a dining partner aghast.
Like... do you hear you?
Redditor detroit_michigldan wanted to discuss all the best ways to crash and burn when trying to make a romantic connection. They asked:
"You're on a date and it's going really great. What can another person say to ruin it completely?"
I once had a guy ask me if I was willing to follow him into the woods, depending on the price of the meal.
Yeah. No steak is worth that.
Plans After...
"Thanks for the ride but I have a date with someone else, I figured you wouldn't drive me if you knew I was going on a date with someone else and I really needed a ride."
"Online dating, talked to her for a while, finally got the courage to ask her out and then she said that as we got there."
iareyours
Mirror Image
“'You look just like my wife!'”
catalinachild
"I did have a guy tell me I reminded him of his son. I don’t believe English has a word to adequately describe my feelings at that time."
UnicornMagicRainbow
"That would definitely do it."
chaotica78
Third Wheel
"'Hope you don't mind if my mother joins us.'"
ofsquire
"Actually had a girl do this on a first date because she had anxiety issues. Honestly wasn’t bad except that 90% of the time she was silent and her mom talked over her."
"I didn’t mind that much and wouldn’t have minded trying again when she was more comfortable except that she was let go at the company we worked at and she deleted her social media profiles and she never responded on her number. Ah well."
Seightx
Liar
"'Hey bro aren't you gay? I made out with you last night.'"
"Random dude I've never seen before in front of my (f) date."
JHXC16
Was he lying though?
Filter Issues
"'You looked better on Tinder.'"
waqasnaseem07
"Isn’t it basic knowledge that everybody looks slightly worse than the worst picture you can find?"
no_user_ID_found
The Past
"'My ex used to do that too.'"
xxIvyOF
"Yep. I’ve definitely had two otherwise-decent-guy date-situations sour because the ex-comparisons just would not stop flowing. No woman wants to be seen as interchangeable—I’m not here to perfectly fill that ex-sized hole in your life. Focusing on the present moment and a future we could build together is a courtesy we need to grant each other in earliest dates of dating."
LarkScarlett
Powerless
"'I'm an alpha, you cant handle my top energy.'"
Midnightgay28
"I actually left a dude in the middle of dinner, in part, for saying this. I ordered an Uber under the table while pretending to listen to him. Went to the bathroom, and never came back. That was when I was young. Now I’d just say, 'How about we enjoy this meal in silence, before we head our separate ways.'”
UnicornMagicRainbow
Mommy...
"'Mother says I should be back by 9.'"
"Saying 'mother says' just feels weird."
bunnyrut
"That gives me Norman Bates vibes."
Werewolf_lover20
"'Mother says alligators are aggressive because they have an overabundance of teeth, but lack a toothbrush.'"
sodaextraiceplease
Obvs...
"'If you were going to be murdered, what method would you prefer. Purely hypothetical. Obvs.'"
Specific_Tap7296
If it looks anything like a Dateline NBC episode... RUN!
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Despite the advancement of technology rendering people left to their own devices–literally–to entertain them, there are some leisurely activities that will never go out of style.
Or so you would think.
Do people still knit to pass the time? Are people actively collecting stamps?
It depends on who's asking.
Curious to hear about hobby trends, Redditor gizehgizeh asked:
"What are once popular hobbies that are slowly dying these days?"

Before we've become conditioned to living on our phones, these activities used to keep people occupied.
Before Texting, There Was This
"Letter writing."
– littlekingMT
Literal And Tangible Joy
"Well the internet killed pen pals for sure. I do remember I had a Japanese girl for a penpal maybe back in 2007 or so. I honestly don't remember how it started, pretty sure some website, but that was a fun experience. But now I can just straight up talk to foreign people real time, lol. But yea getting a physical letter that someone took the time to write and mail still is hard to beat feelings wise."
– skyburnsred
Model Trains
"When I was growing up, every town had a model train store in it. Now I have one in region and everything else has to be bought online."
– Hairy_Effective1172
Pretty Rocks
"Don’t see anyone playing marbles anymore, I had an awesome collection in school."
– sheeple85
"I had some marbles as a kid in the 90s. My grandma got them for me and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them. I always imagined them as a thing kids in the 40s played with."
– Ryoukugan
People Were Moving Canvases
"Paintball has been dying a slow death since 2006. Sad, really."
– hobo_recycler
Before the general population began hating clutter, collecting was once a "thing."
Precious Coins
"Coin collecting... I'm a silver/gold nut and I'm always hunting for precious metal coins. whenever I go into a shop they get all excited because 'no one under 70 collects coins anymore.'"
– ThatFishySmell99
Post It
"Stamp collecting."
– spooky_scully_mulder
"Collecting in general, really. Of course there are still prominent collectors but it's slipped more into enthusiast and niche territory than being a popular hobby that you might expect anyone to have."
– iuytrefdgh436yujhe2
What A Gem
"Rockhounding was immensely popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Personally, I think it's a fascinating and fulfilling hobby, but when I go to a meeting at a rock and gem club, I'm usually the youngest one in the room by several decades."
– filthy_lucre
People once enjoyed making things.
Admiring The View
"Stained glass. I learned how to make it from my old man, and my junior high art class teacher also taught it. Very few artisans are still around."
– brobeanzhitler
Metal Vocation
"Black smithing."
– kenworth117
"I bought a forge to try. It’s insanely hard work, and crazy expensive. I still haven’t finished a piece."
– DSentvalue
Scrapbooking
"Yeah. I'm watching the arts and crafts stores around me completely uninstalling their racks for specialty paper. Now the only thing they have is mega packs of repeating colors/images. To boot all the inclusions like papercraft/die-cut things, washi tape, scissors, stickers, etc have gotten so expensive I would rather go buy $5 bags at value village to get an assortment of things versus buying anything new. I really, really miss yard sales for the same reasons."
– Phantasmai
I envy people who have jobs that are basically their hobbies.
Not everyone gets paid doing what they actually enjoy and have a profound level of passion for.
If they do, kudos to them.
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When we first meet someone–whether through mutual friends, at school, or in a new work setting–we generally feel people out to determine if they're worth getting to know.
While the process could take time, some people make our jobs much easier after spotting instant red flags.
Curious to hear about our general radar of people, Redditor xxFluffie asked:
"What is something that makes you immediately dislike someone?"

Some people just think they are absolutely hilarious and never realize they're the only ones laughing.
Next In Line
"They laugh about having screwed someone else over. If you think you're not next, well, you'll learn."
– whiznat
Unfunny
"when you mention you don't like a thing and they immediately do that thing 'as a joke.'"
– wayfinder
Playing Devil's Advocate
"Kneejerk contrarians. People who, no matter what you say you like or believe, just have to dismiss it and say they like or think the opposite."
– BubbhaJebus
People who put others down get slammed here.
Bad Parents
"When they treat their kids sh**ty in public. I don't mean handling tantrums, setting a rule, having to hurry to the train etc. I mean perfectly normal-behaved kids getting in trouble for trailing along peacefully, looking at things, asking questions etc."
"If you don't like tiny humans who learn the world, why have them??"
– raxeira-etterath
Public Humiliation
"Treating people sh**ty in public for laughs. Like being rude to service workers because they think it’s funny. Big red flag."
– Ok_Personality_1080
Simply Uncalled For
"Someone who is a d*ck to other people or animals for no reason."
– xebt1000
Those with ulterior motives rubs people the wrong way.
The Scheme
"If they try to get me to join their MLM scheme."
– spazmcgee1
Hard Sell
"A guy I used to be friends with in high school reached out a couple of years after graduating about a business opportunity he wanted my opinion on because 'you've always been smart', then he set up a Skype call and brought some other dude into the call and they started trying to sell me on what was clearly an MLM scheme. The guy went from friend to 'I'm never talking to you again' in a matter of 10 minutes."
– Mental-Afternoon-164
A Timeline
"Good gawd, this! I've had more than one exposure to this abject bullsh**tery..."
- Back in the late 80's/early 90's I was invited to a meeting of literally the OG "Pyramid" where you're recruited to pay in, and then you go out and recruit others to pay in, and the last in line got f'kall.
- In 1995 I had a coworker try to reel me into Amway, which was a hard no.
- In 2000 it was Pampered Chef, though to be fair they did have useful products.
- In 2009 a coworker tried to get me into some stupid video calling service that was obviously stupid from the description. He even got offended when I called bullsh*t.
– Mystical_Cat
Too much ego is a no-go.
I Can Do Better
"Being a b*tch just to stroke their own ego."
"We get it, you can lift 5lbs more than the 12 year old, you don't have to rub it in their face just because you're slightly better"
– Livia_Pivia
Can't Top This
"Oh, you did <story that's been told>? That's nothing! I did <implausible story>.
"I get the whole empathy through relating common experience, and I'm someone who does that (which drives some people crazy on its own), but there's a big different by empathising through common experience, and one-upmanship."
– Tisarwat
Lacking Conversational Etiquette
"Starting to talk over me when I was already talking."
"Stop it you rude, arrogant jerk."
– R33Gtst
If one or more of these traits sound familiar to you, you're not alone.
We don't have time for braggadocios, pyramid-schemers, and conversation interrupters.
And that's just for starters.
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