Life is full of the unexpected. And there are some mysteries we'll just never know the answer to. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to dissect, discuss and try to decipher some necessary answers.
There are so many murder mysteries I've given up on learning the truth about, but there is always hope.
History is littered with questions, so let's dig in.
Redditor u/Jackielegz8689 wanted to discuss the dynamics about some quizzical moments in life, by asking:
What are some unexplained events in history?
Most of my questions are about death. Who killed JonBenét? Will we know? How was Hitler able to summon an army? Where to begin?
Eddie's End
Altered Carbon Surprise GIF by NETFLIX
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"Edgar Allen Poe's last days. Where did he disappear to? Was he kidnapped? Did he go on a bender? Why was he found in a delirious state? Drugs? Disease? Trauma?"
"I saw a show where they gave doctors a patient's symptoms without revealing who the patient was. Based on Poe's symptoms and behavior, the doctor thought he likely died of rabies. I thought that was an interesting theory."
And Silver?
"The Late Bronze Age Collapse."
"Even though there's simply not enough evidence left to find a clear answer, there's some pretty solid theories around. The videos from Extra Credits about the Bronze Age Collapse are pretty good for example. Not least of all, because they point to several factors and avoid easy if enticing answers like the mysterious so-called sea people."
- Fessir
Last Day on Earth
"On September 10, 2001, Mohamed Atta and Abdul-Azzia Al-Omari drive from Boston to Portland, Maine. They spent the afternoon at the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the former home of author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Al-Omari was apparently so taken with the young tour guide that he shook her hand for an uncomfortable amount of time and repeatedly thanked her."
"Why the two of the 9/11 hijackers took a tour of a 19th century New England author's home has never been explained. Maybe they were killing time. They certainly weren't hiding while in Portland as they are also spotted at a Walmart and a Pizza Hut."
"The FBI spent years reviewing possible leads in Portland to try to link any possible al Qaeda sympathizer who may have met with the two hijackers in Portland. They've never come up with anything. Their best explanation is that Atta believed security would be less stringent at a regional commuter airport. That, however, doesn't explain why two Islamist terrorists took time out of their last day on Earth to visit Henry Longfellow's home."
The Uncertain
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"The Great Vowel Shift. What happened is pretty well understood but not why it happened. There are some hypotheses but nothing is certain."
"I'm not English, but the same happened in German. what I knew so far is that the thesis is that the different local languages mixed as the people did and that is how the vowel shift happened."
Edgar Allen Poe was a genius. I've always wondered about his end. I'm glad I'm I'm alone. And will we ever reach a day when 9/11 isn't always a question?
A complete inventory...
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"How, when and why Gobekli Tepe was built, how old the Sphinx is and how it looked originally, whether there is a library underneath, and how massive stone structures across the planet were built with such precision. And exactly WHAT literature, documents, objects the Vatican holds, with a complete inventory?"
Dance Again
"The dancing plague."
"Ergot doesn't really explain it. People danced for days non-stop in multiple locations. Even if ergot intoxication was present, any psychoactive effect would have worn off within 24 hours. Ergot poisoning also causes physical symptoms (nausea, weakness) which would make it impossible to dance for that long, and it's implausible that every intoxicated person would behave in the same way."
"Upon encountering a group afflicted by the dancing plague, symptomless passers by would feel compelled to join in, and the whole event seems to have started when a single individual started dancing and others joined in. Some kind of collective/mass psychosis or hysteria seems more likely. There are lots of recorded instances of similar episodes."
People Share Which Social Norms Absolutely Baffle Them | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Trade
"The Norse traveled to North America but they didn't stay, they didn't return back and they didn't tell anyone else, that, hey, there's a freakin' ton of good land over there. Maybe we should all join together and return to fight. Or at least start a trade route like we have with all the people on our side of the planet."
"Why? And if that event was so traumatizing how come we don't have Native American oral stories or at least legends of pale people arriving from the East in ships trying to mess everything and everyone up with weapons that no one has ever seen before."
Out to Swim
"The Australian Prime Minister that went for a swim and never returned."
"While we'll never know for sure what exactly happened, it also doesn't require too much guesswork. Harold Holt was a very competent swimmer and free-diver, and frequently went out ocean swimming and spear fishing. To the point one would argue to be too overconfident."
"The particular day he went out was rougher than normal, even his friends that were going decided to pull out and warned Holt against going as well. Holt was also a heavy smoker, very overweight, drank like a fish, and was also just old. Most likely explanation is that he was caught in a rip (very possible given the day's conditions), got carried out to sea and in his poor health got exhausted and drowned. Unfortunate, but very likely given all the circumstances."
Stories of LA
"The Battle of Los Angeles. One night 3 months after the USA entered WWII, there was an attack by the Japanese on Los Angeles. Except it wasn't the Japanese. After the war, Japan stated that they had flown no planes over Los Angeles in the entirety of the war. No one really knew what the anti-aircraft shells and machine bullets fired at, and there were many varying reports of what it was, from weather balloons to airplanes to a false alarm."
- Allorz
Google It
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"Who built Stonehenge?"
"And more importantly, what's the meaning of Stonehenge? (it's killing me that no one knows)."
- Ockniel
So much fascination yet to be discovered. And who and why when it comes to Stonehenge? Now I'm more inquisitive than before.
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When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.