Certain types of behavior of any individual can have an adverse impact on those around them without being cognizant of it.
More specifically, when it comes to men who lack self-awareness, the things they say or do in the presence of women can be highly inappropriate or intimidatig.
Unless they are called out for their toxic masculinity, guys will continue to get away with it.
Fortunately for this thread, women pointed out a few things everyone could benefit from when Redditor metallicmuffin asked:
"Women of Reddit, what things do men do that frighten you without them even realizing it?"
For the guys don't have a clue, things were spelled out for them.
Not Up For Debate
"Demanding justification for every no, and when it's given, arguing about how my reasons aren't valid."
– nesapotamia01
Lack Of Spatial Awareness
"Invading my space. I used a massage chair a few weeks ago at the gym, and it’s one of the newer models that will lift you and bring you to a reclined position about three feet off the ground (I’m 5’1 so for some that may not seem too high, but for me it’s pretty elevated feeling. There was this man who walked into the room, kept looking at me, and tapped me to ask me my name and tell me I was 'pretty.'"
"I had headphones in, my eyes were shut, and I CLEARLY was not wanting to engage with anyone. Flashed him my engagement ring (my fiancé wasn’t at the gym at the time) and told him my fiancé was coming to join me. Never saw a man book it so hard."
"It’s so frustrating that no matter who CLEAR you are trying to make the fact you are a woman who is not interested in talking to people it’s not respected. Until you insinuate a more masculine partner is present."
"May have been intentional there, but I feel like a lot of times invasion of space can be unintentional."
– BlooberrySoftServe
In Conversation
"The only things they say to you (even if not inappropriate) are sexually charged or are inappropriate…"
– Lumpy-Actuary8275
Obsessed
"This dude used to come into The restaurant I was waitressing at and would wear this 'Cum & Go' shirt and would offer to buy a bunch of underage girls shots. He didn’t realize he was creepy, you could tell by the way he paraded his friends around with his boom box and play loud music on the patio of the restaurant. Apparently he was a rich pr*ck who donated money to the restaurant all the time."
"After I left, I heard a story that he fixated on one of the waitresses that was nice to him, and he would follow her around and to her car. He even bought her a sh*t Ton of expensive presents for Christmas which she refused."
– Catcrazyfwm
There Are Boundaries
"It's not frightening, per se, but it definitely makes me wary because it could lead to situations that are frightening..."
"When talking to a guy, he's super pushy. Like, asking for pics of this and that (and that) and even saying no, they're still pushy... all that makes me do is not want to meet him. If he's THIS pushy via text/messaging, how pushy is he going to be in person? If he can't take no NOW, what are the odds he can take no in person?"
"I once had a guy DEMAND that I rank my sexual partners. I told him no. I told him 'I can't and I won't.' Dude flew off the digital handle. I blocked him right then."
– erikalg_vo
A Violent Streak
"When men try to show off their 'dominance' over you or anyone really. Like when you mention something to a guy about another guy and he goes 'I’ll kill anyone who talks to you' it’s quite frightening really."
– [deleted]
Just because a woman is by herself doesn't mean it's an invitation to get to know them.
Creepy Ride
"Approaching while in a car and blocking our path with said car. Happened while I was on a walk so he could have parked, approached on foot, and maintained a respectable distance."
– stellacdy
When Not To Approach A Woman
"Please don't talk to or approach a woman pumping gas, especially at night. I'm sure the moon does look amazing but I am not interested right now. Gas stations are creepy enough without having to make small talk with a stranger. This goes for parking lots at night as well."
– museum-mama
He Just Wanted To Be Friends
"Oh god I had one of these guys, he 'opened' the train door for me to get off (it opens automatically) and so I said 'thanks.' Apparently he took that as an invitation, because he then followed me through the station trying to talk to me. I was polite but dismissive. He was creeping me out so I stopped to top up my metro card even though I didn’t need to. He stopped and waited for me. I pretended I didn’t see him."
"He then followed me out of the station asking me where I lived (I lied) and then asked me if I had a boyfriend (I said yes). He then asked if I had Facebook (I didn’t answer) and then asked me if my boyfriend had my Facebook password?? He then told me 'you don’t need to be scared of me, I just want to be friends.'”
"By this stage I was fully freaked and was texting my boyfriend about it. I didn’t want to go to my bus stop in case he followed me home, so I walked to the most populated street I could find, still ignoring him while he followed me. Eventually I went into a supermarket and thankfully lost him."
"I have never spoken to a man on a train or at a station ever again. I don’t even make eye contact."
– lorealashblonde
Please, Don't Follow
"Too many people feel comfortable doing this. I had a stranger do that to me on Hollywood Boulevard once. Ended up going into the CVS and asking a friend to come and walk me home."
"People: A lot of us are not prepared for a stranger to follow us around. Whether or not your intentions are good, it makes us uncomfortable. Find a different way."
– yendysailartsua
Respect My Space
"Standing too close. How do you know if it's too close? I'll back up half a step, DON'T match it."
– JustSteph80
Body Language
"Working customer service, old people always f'king do this. I'll even take a second back step and they'll match that too. It's like 'bro, I'm trying to politely tell you to back the f'k up.'"
– davyjones_prisnwalit
A Tip
"I got really good advice once: take a step back with one foot and kind of lean your body more towards that foot, combined with defensive body language like crossing your arms you’re putting distance between you and they can’t match your step because your other foot is in their way."
– temporarilytempeh
Things don't always turn out to be horrific.
"Horrible Date Plan"
"3 years ago I matched with a guy on tinder and agreed to meet up with him. He suggested going to a park and when I got there it was a heavily wooded area with a trail and I stupidly followed him into the trail. We walked around for a while, sat on some rocks, then it started getting dark and we decided to head out but we ended up getting lost and not being able to find the exit and we stumbled upon a grave sized hole in the dirt and at this point it was pitch black and I was thinking it was all a set it up and that I was going to be ambushed. I pointed out the grave sized hole and he seemed scared too so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and stayed quiet. We finally found an exit after about an hour of stumbling in pitch black darkness. We’re still dating to this day and I’ve brought up what a horrible date plan that was, and how it came off the wrong way lol and he said he didn’t realize it at the time. It was a total curb your enthusiasm moment (I was picked up that day so I didn’t have a car with me to back out and drive home, so that was pretty dumb of me too)"
– Top_Ant40
Lesson Learned
"Guy who I sometimes see at work, has at least 20 years on me, f''king pulled my ponytail to 'say hi' one time. So shocked that I just smiled awkwardly and didn't say anything. Like what world are you living in that you think that's okay??"
"Edit: This got kinda big. Some more details -- I was able to talk to him later that day about how that wasn't acceptable and to not do anything like it in the future. He actually took it pretty well and has been fine to work with since. In this case, since there was no escalation, and I know my boss and other coworkers have my back, I didn't feel the need to do anything further. While some people have good intentions and don't know their behavior is out of line--those actions still cause hurt. Personally, as long as the person is able to acknowledge that hurt and do better moving forward, I'm good with them. Malicious predators are a different story. It can be hard to tell the difference in some situations. Y'all be careful out there."
– almeisan_s
Gentlemen, check yourselves–especially your behavior around women who don't know you.
Some of your actions could be interpreted differently than your intentions, and it's time women's voices are heard.
Just the other evening, I was walking home, and I barely survived.
I tripped on a dead tree branch.
The next thing I knew, I was flying in the air and landing on my back.
My belongings were strewn about.
And my to-go burger was dead.
A simple walk.
A simple dead branch.
And almost lights out.
Redditor Typical_XJW wanted to hear about the times people eluded death, so they asked:
"How did you almost die?"
Don't even get me started on any and every car ride.
We're always moments from the end on highways.
Back in the Day...
Hunger Games Student GIFGiphy"Almost drowned when I was 5 or 6, been hospitalized twice for sepsis between 2016 and 2019, and had a stroke this year. I'm 29."
ChristmasKid88
On the Disk
"MRSA infection in the disk on my lower spine between L5 and S1. Showed up two days after a cortisone shot but the hospital said it was from something else. Was in hospital 25 days multiple emergency surgeries."
EatA**FromBack
"I worked for a doctor who did these in-house and other procedures, and it 100% made me not trust medical facilities, cleanliness, and sterilization procedures. Had about twenty patients all come down with the same gut infection, 'coincidentally,' the same patients who came in for endoscopy procedures the same day."
dimlylit_
Saved
"Saving a younger friend from drowning, he panicked and almost took me out."
loztriforce
"Had that happen with a younger cousin when we were kids. His brother and I went to save him, he climbed on both of us and pushed us under. Lifeguard didn’t even see us until he pulled younger cousin out of the water, then we popped up gasping for air."
coffeejunki
Shucked
"16-year-old farm kid me, stepdad told me to go pick up a load of corn seed for planting. I had gone with him many times before, and driven the truck (full ton dually diesel) and hauled light stuff with it. Nobody told me how different it is to haul 10,000 lbs of seed on a big flatbed trailer on gravel. I had a lot of common sense and was driving slowly and carefully."
"Still… 10,000+ lbs pushed me down a gravel hill skidding, praying to god I stopped before the stop sign at the T intersection to a busy highway. I came to a grinding halt JUST as the front of the truck crossed the plane where the gravel turned to asphalt. A semi was coming from one direction and regular cars from the other. I shudder thinking about what if on that one. Don’t let untrained kids tow potentially deadly, heavy trailers, with zero training."
datnetcoder
Finding Tracks
College Sports Sport GIF by Sealed With A GIFGiphy"Was backwoods camping in Yellowstone and if I hadn’t considered for 30 seconds if I REALLY needed to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I would have walked out of my tent headfirst into a brown bear, which I heard before leaving and found tracks of next to my tent in the morning. Spookiest moment of my life in hindsight."
danvo5
Bears are a no go for me.
Camping is an even bigger HECK NO!!
Several Strikes
Reassuring Jimmy Fallon GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy"Twice. 1. Woke up to my apartment on fire."
"2. Hit head-on by a drunk driver on a small bus, just after everyone got off bus exploded."
lizard_king0000
Oh Barb
"Lmao okay, so I was getting my teeth cleaned, and I got nitrous oxide because I have so many exposed roots. Well, my hygienist at the time was this lovely lady from Minnesota. Kinda flaky, but super sweet, and talked about her family all the time. So I'm in the chair and she hooks up my mask, and away we go. I actually fell asleep! Except not so much."
"Turns out Barb had forgotten to turn the oxygen on and had been feeding me straight nitrous. She only noticed because I started gasping for air while unconscious. So that's how I almost died at the dentist. I never saw Barb again, but I tell you, that was the best nap of my life!"
CharismaticAlbino
Climb Up
"I was snorkeling. I had my other stuff stored on a rock by the water, about 3 meters high. When I got out, I decided to climb straight up. Almost at the top, the rock I was hoisting myself up on came off and I fell back first onto the coral. If a friendly wave hadn’t come in, I would have broken my back, at least."
Yugan-Dali
Blood Loss
"I was diagnosed with a rare fatal blood disorder from birth, doctors projected I’d live till about 6 and then die from massive blood loss. As this was the mid-90s, they tested the idea of using stem cells from my sibling's umbilical cord; administering the first successful stem cell transplant from a sibling donor and I’m still here to tell the tale!"
Material_Cry1697
These were some tremendously close calls.
Do you have any near-death experiences to share? Let us know in the comment below.
People's Wildest 'WTF Is Wrong With You?' Experiences