Mike Chick / Getty Images
People have different tastes and preferences. And there are common dislikes, like telemarketers, and phobias, like spiders, that we're all familiar with. But what if you're bothered by something very common? What if your discomfort is unusual?
Reddit user squalorid asked:
"What common thing makes you oddly uncomfortable?"
Here are some of the most interesting and often amusing answers.
Insincere Sincerity
Opening presents in front of the person who gave it to me. Even if I love the gift, my thank you always sounds so awkward and fake. Dumbledore27
What's the Protocol
Seeing someone you were once acquainted with in the past from work or school.
Do I say hello? Nod my head? Does this person even remember me? And commence the 'pretending not to have seen each other' routine. ZyuMammoth
Facing the Boss
Asking for a raise at work despite rightfully deserving one. [deleted]
Giphy
Search Party
When you're meeting your friends in a bar/club/restaurant and you have to walk around looking for them.
I dunno why, but I always imagine they're watching me and laughing at my confused features as I look for them. MellotronSymphony
Reluctant Recliner
Laying down on a mattress while mattress shopping. I'll sit on it, thank you very much. I feel a deep seated anxiety laying on a mattress in public while a salesperson looks down at me. Nope.
Those places need a lockable room where people can test-lie.
I can't think of a single thing that could go wrong with giving people a private room and bed in your business that you want to keep clean. fauxtato-lay joker38 thisismy25thaccount
Feliz Cumpleaos
The happy birthday song.
Hearing it sung, having to sing it with people to someone, or good god having to sit while people sing it to me. All around uncomfortable, no good way about it. b8le
Giphy
Anonymous
Saying someone's name, or even their title. I never called a teacher by name and instead always just said, "Excuse me" when I needed something, and I don't even like to call friends by their name for some reason. EyesOfEtro
Sympathy
Telling someone my condolences. icecreampopncereal
Happy Happy
Those awful custom birthday songs that some family restaurants require their servers to scream at you if you even so much as whisper the word "birthday" on their property. They seem to be intentionally designed to be as humiliating as possible for everyone concerned.
walks into restaurant
"I'm so happy we could go to your favorite place on your-"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
"-birthday!"
The ground trembles. Children look up in fear. A cloud of dust appears on the horizon. Thousands of waiters, waitresses and bussers descend upon you like screaming demons from the pits of hell.
"HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FROM ALL OF US TO YOU..." LimitedTimeOtter Super_Zac
Giphy
Text Me
Texting new people. I recently changed jobs, and one of my co-workers and I really got along. So we exchanged phone numbers to talk outside of work. But I get so nervous initiating the conversation, so I just sit and wait for her to text me first. twilightsentinel
All By Myself
Making new friends. God I'm awkward. Ananas8
Hands Off
Shaking hands. I have no idea if they want a hand, a fist or a high five! Completely disarm the person by delivering a crisp smack to the face, and then say "how do you do?" When in doubt, I go in for the open-mouthed kiss. Occlpv2 squalorid PopeliusJones
Giphy
Hard Sell
Walking past someone on the street, at the mall, or in the doorway of a large store who is trying to sell me something. I avert my eyes and walk faster while holding my breath the entire time. I hate it soooo much. Especially those aggressive people in the booths at the mall that practically chase you down to try to sell you dead sea minerals, nail kits, or phone cases. Two_kids_two_pugs
*cough*
Calling in to work sick. Outrageous_Claims
Friction
I hate when people rub their hands together really fast. Like as in I freak out if I hear it.
A radio station in my hometown once asked the very same question so I called in and told them on air. Of course, they do it and I scream. I end up winning some tickets for something or other. But the best thing is that they used the clip of my call as an advertisement for their show for at least a year! sophiespo
Cottony Soft
My wife has a mini freak out if you rip a cotton ball in half then yells "How does that not freak you out?!" It's a good way to pass the time. KingGrognak
Flattery Will Get You Nowhere
Compliments. I grew up as a below average looking kid who was bullied a lot for my looks, etc. This led me to believe I was ugly, and I suffered very low self esteem until later in life. I didn't really receive a compliment of any sort until, maybe, 18? Even now, when someone compliments me, my mind sort of tells me that it is a back handed insult of some sort, or some sort of prank. I have to remind myself that this isn't high school anymore and these people don't have any reason to poke fun at me like that. That's one of a huge problems with childhood bullying. You never really grow out of it and it has the ability to impact you for a very long time. Yoinkie2013
Gimme a Meh
Dishonest enthusiasm - No, you're not SO PASSIONATE about changing our account process, Kyle. Ganglebot
Giphy
Tit for Tat
My wife when we buy something with styrofoam and I rub 2 pieces of it together. She gets me back though because I can't stand the sound of someone clipping their toenails. I literally get nauseous and have to leave the area. DaftFunky
Rollcall
Having to say "here" in class, I always over analyze the way I'm saying it and get extremely anxious waiting for my name to be called. Baekahchu
TTFN
Saying goodbye on the phone. "Okay, well, thanks again. See you... uh... next time then. Okay.... Alright... Okay. Bye." UGH Please please PLEASE just let it end. laffydaffy24
Au Revoir
Saying good bye in group settings like family gatherings, parties, weddings, etc. I'd prefer to ghost. evolve20
I Need Space
Having someone i barely know touching me. I mean I love physical stuff but if I don't know you I'm going to assume you're trying to rob me or show dominance. floraisadumbass
Sloppy Chops
When people make that lip smacking tongue flapping sound when they eat. BucketofFeet
Giphy
Supercuts
Haircuts. It's basically forced and awkward conversation hour. K_Murphy
Ding Dong
Doorbells. Can't even explain why, but they make me jump out of my skin.
That's why I prefer knockers. Reddit
Back Off
Hugs from people I barely know. I get that they're being nice or whatever, I just don't like people in my space. Just shake my hand and move on.
"Don't be like that (licks your face) I'm just saying hello!" Optimus_Pitts squalorid
Giphy
Private Pain
Really public Facebook posts about continued grief, like on the anniversary of a death or such. Especially when I'm sharing that grief, for some reason it really bothers me. I know this isn't always the case and that (grief) is different for everyone, but in my head it feels like making a spectacle of that loss or using it for attention. Tinystompfriend
I Can Hold It
Using a public restroom with someone else in there. Mr_Cheddars
Eep Veep
Married couples calling each other "Mom" and "Dad. Even after they have kids, I find it creepy. And yeah, I know it can be a kink, too, but woe the man who ever calls me "Mom". Kay_Elle
Ticket scalpers. How do you the audacity to say that's a job?
Actual burglars have more empathy.
Disrespectful
Out Of Office Summer GIF by Merge MansionGiphy"There are debt collectors who call relatives of the deceased to pay off their debts when they are not legally obligated to."
Top_Gun_2021
Shady. Shady.
"Australian Real Estate Agents. Laws don't seem to apply to them. Just as dodgy in sales and rentals alike. Never seen anything like it overseas."
snave_
"I'm in the US, it can vary state by state but my state is pretty strict on realtor laws. Some states require attorney review and there are definitely penalties for being reported for shady sh*t. It does require consumer reporting though."
ilostmytaco
Etransfer
"Where I live, tax info was leaked and now scammers are targeting low income individuals/families (people earning under 30,000 per year) with etransfer scams. I got one the other day that was an etransfer warning that 240$ 'a family member sent me' was about to expire."
SnowyInuk
"That’s disgusting. The scammers know what they’re doing, they know the harm they cause people and yet they don’t care."
surelysandwitch
Should be illegal...
"MLM managers. Not the low level idiots that get suckered into it, they suck too for trying to bring new people into that sh*tshow, but the people who create them know exactly what they are doing and are pretty much the only ones who profit off of it. Should be illegal. Pyramid schemes are illegal. None of them ever get the just desserts except occasionally by vigilantes I assume."
Wereno
I hate debt collectors. Yeah, you calling me one hundred times a week is going to miraculously make money appear.
Animals
Giphy"Paparazzi."
VictorBlimpmuscle
"I met Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey from Game of Thrones) at a bus stop in Dublin. Really nice guy but he said he quit acting due to people being nasty online and constant hounding from paparrazi. He's happier now but it sucks that he was pushed away from a career he was quite good at."
goobi94
Scumbags
"The pastors at mega churches whom ask their followers for money for private jets. Absolute scum to abuse others faith for your own greed."
ichancho
"Brian Tamaki is a greedy freaking pig, he takes advantage of so many people who are already struggling. Every time he’s in the local news (which btw is often) I get more and more pissed off at him and his wife. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tamaki "
surelysandwitch
it’s a thing???
“'Dating Expert.' Sadly it’s a thing. It’s basically a self appointed title that requires no training or qualifications. What’s worse, is that I have a female friend who uses one. It’s very much a blind leading the blind situation."
Mean_Manufacturer_61
"Most of the self proclaimed “dating coaches” I know are women in their late 30s or early 40s who have never been married or had a longer relationship."
ipozgaj
EVIL
"Poachers. Especially big game poachers who purposefully hunt nearly extinct animals from species they know they are on the brink."
"I know there are poachers that come from rural villages who are trying to just put food on the table, which has my sympathy but poachers who come from money and hunt down animals minding their business in most shelters or restricted areas just to put a head on their wall as a trophy are absolutely heinous."
GetterdoneObiwan
I See It All
miss cleo fraud GIFGiphy"Psychic Mediums. Specifically those who prey on the grieving."
JamesDeadite
"I've always found it interesting how many magicians go after people like this. I think it's because they know what it takes to trick people for the art. The slight of hand and mentalism. And they abhor people who use these tactics for such sh*tty purposes."
34HoldOn
I want so bad to believe in psychics and mediums. What say we on that topic?
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
For some odd reason I love the things burning. Anything, food, pots, pans. You name it. Weird.
Blow
fire burning GIFGiphy"Matches/candles on a birthday cake. I remember lighting matches as a kid purely to blow them out and inhale that sweet match-y smell."
semispooked
"guilty good"
"I work at a Chemical plant. We make a highly acidic product that is dark blue, viscus, highly corrosive, and smells exactly like Fruit Loops. It is incredibly disturbing."
Turin082
"Organic chemistry has many 'guilty good' smells. Thiophosgene (sulfur derivative of a chemical weapon used extensively in WW1) apparently smells like meat. Phosgene is used to make polycarbonate, thiophosgene is used to make some sulfur-containing molecules which eventually end up in therapeutic drugs."
HammerTh_1701
I can't huff it...
"Paint, specifically house paint. I love the smell. But anytime I hear that anyone is painting a room or their house, I volunteer. I just love sitting on the floor in a room that's been freshly painted, closing my eyes and just inhaling that slightly chemically, slightly creamy aroma."
Neowza
A Hint of French...
"A fish and chips shop burnt down as couple blocks from work a few years ago. The whole neighborhood smelled amazing for days. Just the slight hint of French fries. Nothing overpowering. It was so awesome. Until I found out someone was trapped in the fire and died."
stevey_frac
Drag
Drag Racing Vegas GIF by Don Schumacher RacingGiphy"Race fuel. Instantly puts me in a good mood as it reminds me of going to the drag races with my dad when I was young."
garfnodie
Fuel and matches get me too. And they sort of go together. Interesting.
Just like the Movie...
Johnny Depp Drinking GIFGiphy"The water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Mmm, bromine."
Stalkerslovemy
"This is one of my favorite scents of all time, and Disney is very aware that people enjoy it. Evidently it’s a lot harder to recreate than just adding bromine to water."
cash4panties
"black widow".
"There's a chicken wing restaurant near my house that has a challenge sauce called "black widow." The owner claims it to be around 500,000 scovilles. A few years back some buddies and I decided to try them, the sauce was a dark molasses color and smelled almost like a BBQ sauce, no hint of the danger that lurked at all. We each grabbed one wing and it went terribly. I don't know how something so spicy could smell so innocent."
Final-Chapter
Endless Weekend
"Hotel/rented rooms whenever you go on vacation. There's this particular smell that just says 'you are on vacation,' especially on a beach/swimming trips/out-of-the-town vacays."
Yummy_Llama
"Bath and Body Works has a plug-in scent called Endless Weekend that replicates that scent (to my humble nose)."
Exxcentrica
"oh no..."
"Someone you are attracted to's body odors. Anyone else who is slightly unhygienic smells repulsive."
Mini_gunslinger
"I remember back in high school a girl leaned over, sniffed me, told me that I smelled really good, and asked me what cologne I was wearing. I asked if she was joking, and she's like, no, you smell really good. When I told her I had just gotten done with gym class, she gets a small 'oh no...' look on her face and turns away. I think we both had a revelation that day."
user deleted
That Smell
Smell It Season 6 GIF by This Is UsGiphy"The smell inflatable things give off. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s… nostalgic? to me."
crestfxllen
I do love the smell of plastics and inflatables. Ahh....
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
It's hard to imagine how to go on without the lost object–whatever it may be–but over time, it becomes a distant memory and we move on.
That is until we magically find ourselves presented with this opportunity proposed by Redditor mikehotel288, who asked:
"You find yourself in a room with everything you’ve ever lost in your life. What do you look for first?"
There are necessities people cannot do without.
No More Dry Lips Ever Again
"Gonna be a lot of chapstick in that room."
– camefromxbox
There are things that bring us comfort and are irreplaceable.
Safety Blanket
"My baby blanket. It became tattered over the years—to the point where I couldn’t reasonably wash it anymore—so I had to throw it away a little while back."
"I have heavily regretted that decision. I was really attached to it (hence it being in tatters), but I really wish that I kept what was left of it instead of throwing it away. Just knowing that I’d still have it would be a huge comfort to me."
– Uearie
Sentimental Heirloom
"The pendant my dad had made for me with my grandmother’s engagement diamond. It was 2 carats. It disappeared from a Las Vegas hotel room 20 years ago. It was hidden deep in a suitcase where it would not have been easy to find. It was just GONE. Cops didn’t do anything. Didn’t even come to take my statement. Cleaning lady said she thought she saw an elderly man enter my room. The guy I was with was not sympathetic in the least. Entire situation was f**ked. I’m still so upset about it."
– MaritimeDisaster
Lone Shark
"My plastic shark toy I lost when I was 10. Ain't no f'king way it just VANISHED."
– Guilty_As_Charged__
Not everything lost is tangible.
Tick Tock
"The time I wasted."
– shinyfennec
It Holds Value
"My private key with 6 BTC in it."
– Significant_Mirror19
"I didn't lose one, but I'll check my room for yours just in case."
– Smodphan
Finding Purpose
"The reason I walked into the room."
– Lloyd_lyle
Lost Opportunity
"That one girl i spoke to on omegle lol"
– h-amishh
If only we get to reunite with those we've lost.
The Loved Family Member
"My grandpa."
– Splatty_boi_420
Grieving Parent
"My daughter. She’ll be in my brother’s arms. So I’ll find both things I care to look for."
– SeeTheFence
Missing Mom
"My mom. She died of cancer in 2017. She never got to meet my daughter. I miss the hell out of her and wish she was still part of my family’s life."
– X-Arkturis-X
The Animals That Come Into Our Lives
"My pets that have passed: especially my horse, Blue. It's been 4 years, but it feels like just yesterday."
– Baciandrio
While many of these scenarios are unlikely, the thread gave people an opportunity to reflect on the things that made a strong impression on their lives.
Sometimes, the memories of the things we've lost–whether they are random objects or sources of love–is all we have.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
