German People Reveal How They Learned About The Holocaust In School
[rebelmouse-image 18350327 is_animated_gif=_The Holocaust and WWII is one of the touchiest topics once can broach. The Holocaust is up there with racism and homophobia... so think twice before you speak. The main perpetrators of the Holocaust are the German people. Haven't you always wondered what modern day Germany thinks about that part of history. _
Redditor _\kelhamh _**reached out asking.... **\Germans of Reddit, how were you taught the holocaust in school?
TRUTH FIRST...
I am actually doing this in my history class now (again, because you basically talk about it yearly at least from 8th grade upwards).
I'd say that we are taught about the holocaust in very truthful ways. We read texts, that were written by victims, as well as Nazis and 'normal' People, political opponents... Thus we get a very detailed description of the holocaust, acknowledging a variety of perspectives and experiences. Of course we also study texts and essays written by historians - also covering a lot of topics here.
It is quite common to visit a former Concentration Camp during a field trip.
We also discuss in length and depth the claim of a lot of people: 'To have not known about the holocaust or at least not to it's real horrible extent'. Most of the people my age would say that this is some real bs.
Summarizing I'd say that the holocaust is a huge part of our education. Also it's a very common topic on TV - there really is the drive to never forget and to understand how this could happen, to really understand the 'mechanism' and social construct of the whole NS period.
THE GERMAN STRUGGLE...
[rebelmouse-image 18350328 is_animated_gif=Over and over again, in my school time we had it three times. We learned everything, you will struggle to find a german who isn't able to explain to you why the nazis had the power, how they got it, how many people died exactly, how the industrialized killing was planned etc. My class for example made a trip to the House of the Wannsee conference where the nazis planned the industrialized mass murder, this house is now a museum with alot of facts around the nazis. But to your question how it's taught I can just say the right way, the teachers tell you it was one of the most tragic and gruel capitals in the german history and that we all have to fight fascism so it may never occur again, and can't ever again take our families and hope
DESPERATE TIMES....
[rebelmouse-image 18350329 is_animated_gif=Desperation played a key factor in this. When faced with very few options, you begin to start considering things you would normally consider outlandish. If you are trapped, alone with nothing but your dog, as you begin to get hungrier and hungrier, Fido begins to look a lot tastier. The German people were facing a collapse of their civilization, their money was worthless, making a decent living was nearly impossible, and they had no where to turn to. Hitler was the loudest voice and the only option they saw as viable. Normally the people wouldn't have gone along with it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Of course, none of them fully realized what they were doing. Hitlers propaganda kept the people blissfully ignorant while he took power and used it for his terrible crimes
THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IS FAILING...
[rebelmouse-image 18350330 is_animated_gif=Don't forget about the fragmentation of political parties to serve niche interests. this allows for groups that specifically serve more extreme ideologies. without this fragmentation a party like the nazi party could not have existed and certainly wouldn't have come to power. this is part of the beauty and the pain of the american two party system. it never satisfies anyone completely but the mere fact that there are only two main parties means that neither can be too extreme or risk losing a majority of voters. obviously this only holds when the promises of candidates are something they adhere to when in office and not mere talking points aimed at getting elected.
IT IS WHAT IT IS...
[rebelmouse-image 18345410 is_animated_gif=We learned it just like normal history. We went through the time line and got to WW2. We learned how it was possible that a regime like that could form and how Hitler got to the position of "Der Führer."
We learned all the political implications and the progress of the war. Also some important battles and some mistakes that were made.
The Holocaust was part of the whole political mess, how ghettos were formed, the "Reichsbrand" and the tactics of the NSDAP and SS.
After we learned everything there was in classes, we visited the concentration camp in Dachau and saw the horrible stuff that took place in the past right were we stood.
And thats about it.
HANDS ON APPROACH..
[rebelmouse-image 18359914 is_animated_gif=We went to concentration camp Bergen-Belsen for history class, which started out as a prison camp, but then became one of the last camps that was freed by the Allied forces. While it wasn't intended as a _"death camp" _what happened there at the end of the war was just horrifying. There are hardly any buildings left anymore because when the Allied soldiers arrived there were over 10,000 unburied corpses and the rest of the prisoners were on the verge of starving to death, and in order to prevent diseases from spreading they had to burn down the buildings.
We watched a video footage that was filmed by a soldier/camera man, and I have to tell you that it was one of the most disturbing thing I had ever seen. The entire class was silent. It was said that the one who had taken the footage never watched the video he had taken in the concentration camp ever again.
It's also the same concentration camp where Anne Frank and her sister died in. Just really heavy stuff. I will never forget what I had seen that day.
TAKE A TOUR...
[rebelmouse-image 18978251 is_animated_gif=It is a big part of history class and you usually go visit a place where things took place like former concentration camps etc. They try to explain to you how something like that could have happened and that it's not so certain that it will not happen again. We watched some movies about the topics or went to exhibitions and so on. It wasn't until those history lessons that I really became aware of how those events might have shaped the way that we Germans are seen by other countries.
I NEVER LIKED MUSEUMS...
[rebelmouse-image 18978252 is_animated_gif=Everyone in my school did a school trip to the mauthausen concentration camp in 8th grade, its just a thing since its only like half an hour away.
it still haunts me. there a museum where they show you photos and survivors' stories, but the worst thing is how most of the original buildings still stand. the prisoners barracks with the tiny beds, the cremation oven, the cooler they used to store bodies, the hook that people were hung from, the quarry where thousands of people plummeted to death. the original walls too. theres a ton of monuments and art installations too, but going inside the gas chambers is just... a lot. still, i think its an experience you have to make. my friend whose a bit more sensitive called in sick the next day, i don't blame her.
There also an insane asylum turned extermination facility (dunno how to call it) where sick and disabled people were gassed and burned. did two school trios there. you can go into the gas chambers too, but its mostly a museum documenting disabled peoples rights over the centuries. honestly quite interesting, though the huge wall of names of people who were murdered there i still remember.
JUST FACE IT...
[rebelmouse-image 18978253 is_animated_gif=Don't remember thoroughly anymore, but it is taught in middle school and high school at least. Usually, classes also visit concentration camps. I think you are supposed to visit at least once during your time in school. However, for my classes, I think during my school career, it was planned like two or three times and always cancelled.
Anyways, we get taught in steps, thus there are classes in middle school and high school. Cause the older you are, the more complex issues can be comprehened. Actually, I think even in elementary school we are confronted with it. I think it is dealt with in all details. Where the hate against Jews comes from, the historic circumstances, the growth of the NSDAP, the plans of the nazis etc. How the NSDAP started assassinations against leftist politicians and Jews, how they used Jews as symbol for everything bad. Iirc, originally, the Nazis did not plan to necessarily kill them, just get them of from German ground. Over the time, they got more and more radical and planned to eradicate the Jewish race. Initially, it was even planned that soldiers kill Jews on sight. However, many soldiers expressed concern about killing unweaponized people. Thus, the plan was made with the Concentration Camps to "industrialize" killing and take away responsibility from the soldiers and the population. Officially, inside Germany, the media never reported the truth about the concentration camps. Thus, many people that supported the NSDAP and trusted them did not know that they were killed there. However, especially in the Southern part of Germany, the NSDAP did not receive as many votes as in the North. So, after they were elected, the nazis came and placed their SA everywhere. If the elected politicians of other parties did something the NSDAP did not agree to, they were fetched by the SA overnight and never came back. Since this happened in some places and the fetched people were well-respected personalities in these regions, I think many people in the Southern part knew what the nazis did to them and the Jews. My grandpa always told me how about the mayor of my town how the nazis got him and that he knew who the snitch was and how everyone suddenly was careful what to say and what to do. He said he always believed the nazi would not reeducate people but kill them.
Well, there are many things to say about it, but I guess it is better to have someone who is actually in school right now... Cause I went kinda off-topic.
BE HONEST...
[rebelmouse-image 18978254 is_animated_gif=We were taught about it every year since 6th grade but I knew about it since I can remember because it's nothing you can avoid. There are just so many traces of it and museums everywhere. You can even see the aftermath just walking around the city. Newer buildings between old buildings because of bombings and we also have golden stones embedded into the streets, called _"Stolpersteine" _(stumbling stone) that show you where murdered jews used to live.
As for school: we get taught about it extremely rational, there is a lot of material on that topic and as far as I can remember we were given everything uncensored and as soon as possible. So every movie about concentration camp, euthanasia, brutal photos were shown to us when we were about 12. It was pretty traumatizing but I think it's the right way. Also every class will go to a concentration camp at least once, some even go to Berlin and there are still a lot of survivors here in Germany so some classes get the opportunity to visit them and ask them questions.
I like the way this topic is handled here now. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to educate myself about something as horrible and unfortunate as this and not to hide it and pretend nothing happened.
THE NEW AGE...
[rebelmouse-image 18978255 is_animated_gif=A little bit off topic, but interesting nonetheless: In addition to all comments about how often and detailed we learn that period of time at school, our current minister of justice plans to make the nazi era part of the obligatory curriculum for law school. So what legal steps and ideas made it possible, what part did the constitution and judicial organs play etc.
LESSON LEARNED...
[rebelmouse-image 18978256 is_animated_gif=History class from like 6th grade or something. To understand how Hitler got in that position we first had some lessons about different forms of politic (democracy, communism) as well as the positions (Reichskanzler, Reichspräsident). Then we got to Hitler himself and how he planned to get both of those positions (which historically proven should never be occupied by only 1 person).
After that came the war plans that were made as well as the circumstances that led to WW2. And since that wasn't the tip of the iceberg we then moved on to the holocaust. By that time everyone was aware of how bad stuffwent back then so only a few were joking about it. I guess that's the idea behind all that: Make them understand that it's no topic to joke about andthenmove on to the nationalism, holocaust, genocide.
Also we had a trip to a nearby concentration camp as well as a guide there who had some stories about the most striking fates. Needless to mention that this trip had a immense impact on what you think about the circumstances that prevailed there at that time.
OH ANNE...
[rebelmouse-image 18978257 is_animated_gif=It wasn't just taught / touched up in History classes, but was a topic in others as well.
For example, we read Anne Frank's Diary in my 5th grade Religion / Ethics class and discussed it at length. Later on in 12th grade Religion class we talked about the resistance to the Nazis or lack there of in the Protestant and Catholic church.
Politics class covered how the state functioned before, during and after WW2. And in 10th grade we had a trip to our local former police station where they detained countless Jews, subjecting them to terrible living conditions, torture etc.
In German class we read several works by prominent authors that were writing against the Nazis whether it was to discuss how to write a speech, how to do poetry etc and this happened several times during my time at school.
Even in English class we talked about it since _"The Wave" _was on our reading list.
BLAME IT ON HOLLYWOOD...
[rebelmouse-image 18978258 is_animated_gif=As many others have posted already: It's been taught multiple times, of course not every time in full detail, in history alone. Many other subjects also touch on the topic.
Moreover, we watched many documentaries showing the horror of what happened in concentration camps. Pretty horrifying stuff...
Maybe this is also important: at no point was germany not portrayed as the one accountable for the war or the Holocaust.
As I just finished my final exams and had one in history I'm open to try and answer as many questions as possible.
MAKE ME A WITNESS...
[rebelmouse-image 18978260 is_animated_gif=We have this subject in history class at the moment (I'm 15 years old.). In the last couple lessons we visited so-called "Stolpersteine," which are stones embedded into the pavement together with the normal padding. They're shiny golden and are located in front of houses from which jews were deported by the nazis. Personally, I think this is a very good way of reminding people of our history. Otherwise we are studying how hitler came to power. This is not the first time this subject was touched in school, but mostly not very in-depth and only certain aspects of it (For example, we did this subject in R.E. under religious aspects). So this is the first time we are studying it really in-depth and from beginning to end. We are mostly analyzing it without being emotionally involved in it. Oh, and something very important which I forgot: Our school invites every year "time witnesses" people who either have lived in the WW2 or the generation after that. They often come from Israel or from America and tell us how they experienced it, which is very informative, but often emotional, too. Generally speaking, we never really get the feeling that we personally have something to do with it differently than people from other countries.
LEAVE ME OUT OF IT....
[rebelmouse-image 18978261 is_animated_gif=Friends of mine;
1, absolutely hates the perpetual guilt trip. Every single comment about the war is a massive blame game in Germany. They accept responsibility, which is commendable, but they forget that other nations are culpable too. This friend gets very tired everytime she has to hear about how she, personally, has to carry the burden of something that ended 50 years before she was born. Academically, she doesn't mind discussing it. But when people start preaching about German guilt, she'll walk out.
2, another friend finds it so funny when non-Germans get shy about talking about the war in front of her. We were working as a tour guide and both she and I were shadowing a colleague. Colleague completely skipped over the WWII aspect of the tour. I asked her why at the end and she said that she didn't want to mention it in front of a German. God knows why.
SO MANY OPTIONS...
[rebelmouse-image 18347819 is_animated_gif=It was taught in a lot of different ways.
We discussed this in multiple German language classes - from poetry to speech analysis.
We discussed this in History lessons - fairly comprehensive overview of what happened
We discussed this in English classes - what was the propaganda and response in Britain? Speech analysis etc.
We looked at artwork in art class.
We talked about it in Roman-Catholic Religion class.
We did a school trip to Buchenwald and Auschwitz.
We saw Schindler's List a few times.
For me - the holocaust was the center of many subjects for a substantial amount of time. They tied it to certain aspects (like analysis of text and art) but if you think about it - talking about this over the course of 4-5 years from different angles drives the point across really well. There was also a dude in class that took this whole thing in a bad way - he was way too fascinated with it and I suspect he took a right turn along the way.
THINK OF LIVED PAST...
[rebelmouse-image 18978262 is_animated_gif=i [ a jew] was for years a 'host' of young adults from Germany in a program that served jews. they all knew a lot, and learned more from their clients. some of them were quite literally atoning for their grandparents' sins. i cannot imagine how they felt.
SAVE A GENERATION!!!
[rebelmouse-image 18978263 is_animated_gif=We had a German exchange student at my school and one time he said something along the lines of that he hates what Nazis have done to his country. He wants to be proud of being German but it can come off that he is a Nazi. He talked about visiting concentration camps in school from elementary school onward.
DON'T DWELL...
[rebelmouse-image 18978265 is_animated_gif=Prerequisite I am not a German citizen, however I've asked this very question to a friend of mine who grew up in Germany, perhaps its changed since he was a kid but boiled down they're taught about it in a way that almost expects them to feel guilty and apparently German culture as a whole works this way always feeling like the mistakes of their fathers are theirs and trying to make amends, I think it's an extremely unhealthy way to think about it. I don't know if it's still that way but that's what it was for him as a kid.
Sometimes the most outlandish ideas sound totally plausible.
In this day and age when 'Saturday Night Live' and 'The Onion' sound like credible news sources, anything is possible.
It feels like a lot of humans will believe literally anything.
Redditor Jeffery_DahmerTV wanted to discuss the ideas that sound too crazy that they have to be true, so they asked:
"What is the most believable conspiracy Theory?"
In this day and age of alternative facts, it all seems like lies and truth.
Enlighten me.
Infection
Sick Computer Virus GIF by Achievement HunterGiphy"That computer viruses are made by antivirus companies to test their antivirus software."
astarisaslave
"Parents bought a new computer recently, the McAfee stuff was in there pretty deep to remove. The staff bogged it down, way faster afterward."
lt12765
War
"We are being goaded into waging culture wars that don't matter to keep us from waging class wars."
virgilreality
"Is this a conspiracy theory though? It would be if you assume it was engineered from the start, but this would also make it very unbelievable. But that existing conflicts had been fueled and taken advantage of by people in the position to for millennia is well evident I'd say."
Leseleff
Double Down
"Mattress Firm is a front for laundering money. There is no other reason for there to be so many. No one is ever even in there."
Free_Bingo
"Double down on this one! I have a Mattress Firm next to my job and I have never seen anyone in there ever. It’s been six years!"
cbcmama781
"I’m not convinced of this. Our local Mattress Firm is clearly baking $1k+ into their margins and then aggressively selling credit-based financing. Selling two or three a month probably covers everything."
Agloe_Dreams
Weather Issues
Climate Change Earth GIFGiphy"Those climate protestors that glue themselves to the road are hired by oil giants to make climate activists look stupid."
milanvlaman
"I feel this way about a lot of 'extremist' groups on both sides, that there are plants from the other side doing really stupid stuff just to discredit the idea."
Herr_Poopypants
The climate is changing. We have to come together. How is that a conspiracy?
That's All
Meryl Streep Pursed Lips GIF by 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentGiphy"That the fashion industry purposefully doesn’t put pockets in women’s clothing so they have to carry purses."
diceunodixon
Financial Clean Up
"That the only reason that the US government doesn’t do anything with student debt loans is because then people would stop signing up for the army."
Brotastic29
"That and healthcare.
"When you join up you get healthcare fully covered for you and your family, and you can get a full college education.
If the government started providing either of those for civilians, no one would need to join the military anymore."
redF5veStandingBy
"I think so too. I know and agree with what that dude was saying but when I see or hear people use 'Army' as a way to generalize the military, it usually means that what they said is something they’re just repeating what they heard."
chefboiortiz
The Commission
"There's definitely more to JFK's assassination than the Warren commission made it out to be. Whether or not LHO was the sole killer, I find it fishy that the CIA was so desperate to hide information from the public."
Bitter-Record-3831
"There is a very well-done documentary that concludes it was an accidental discharge from a Secret Service agent in one of the cars ahead of him."
Babstana
"CIA probably considered the assassination a declaration of war against Russia. They’re probably covering up that they were about to start WW3 over it."
tangcameo
Dairy Pounds
"The Great cheese conspiracy. Each year the US government buys more and more milk to make more and more cheese. The US government is sitting on something like 2 billion pounds of cheese. Just to artificially inflate milk prices."
worfhill
"Not even a conspiracy, just an example of the government controlling the economy in favor of dairy farmers."
Glass_Pies
"I watched a documentary about this. It's actually true."
PreferredSex_Yes
They're Listening
government agent GIF by South Park Giphy"That the CIA posts questions like this on Reddit to measure their past and current work, brainstorm for future projects."
ZRX1200R
Ominous
"I have a conspiracy theory about conspiracy theories. I believe the governments and 'leaders' of the world are actually rather incompetent, so much so, that they require the illusion of them being an ominous all-powerful all-seeing entity in order to remain in power."
"And to accomplish this they allow conspiracy theories like the Illuminati and etc to spread around to add a bit of urban myth to how 'powerful' they are."
"It's probably all a bunch of garbage Europe can barely communicate within itself you expect there to be some secret global order??? Oh, stop it haha."
SparkNoJoyThrw01
Sifting through what could and could not be true, could take forever.
Life is full of mystery.
When we were in our early twenties, most of us felt like we were officially adults, untouchable, and essentially unstoppable.
But looking back, most of us made some pretty cringy decisions when we were that age.
Redditor ALLEYWAYwithanS asked:
"What's the dumbest thing you've done in your twenties?"
Free Money
"Decided against contributing to my company's matching 401k. It cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars."
- orange_cuse
"This can't be stressed enough. If your company is matching 401k contributions, the single best thing you can do is contribute up to their match. That is an instant 100% return on your investment."
"Social Security benefits will not be enough for you to retire comfortably, and when you're over 50 it gets real tough to find work that pays more than minimum wage. Make saving a priority now. The sooner the better, because it is a cruel world for unprepared retirees."
- gishnon
Much-Needed Routines
"Everyone wants to hear about dumb stuff like driving eight hours to get with someone you liked only for it to end up being a booty call."
"However, I personally think it was my general lack of effort to build any good habits like exercise. Your body likes routines, and my routine of gaming for 15 hours a day was not one I should have cultivated."
- stormscape10x
"This is such an important one! I'm 25 and have wasted the last eight years of my life being a typical Asian young adult, focusing solely on education and career instead of doing more to take care of my fitness and mental well-being."
"My culture brainwashed me into thinking of it as a good thing to sit at my desk and study for six hours straight instead of building a good habit of eating a balanced meal and exercising every day. I'm paying for that mistake now."
- ListernerSaraf
Dental Hygiene
"Not looking after my teeth."
- pgraczer
"Second best time is now! Start taking care of them and get into the dentist, a dental school even for free cleaning and check-ups."
- Weazy-N420
"I'm still playing catchup. I let my teeth go in college and didn't get them looked at until after I finished AIT in 2020. I had them in a good spot for a while, deployment in 2022 f**ked them up again though. It's so godd**n hard to fix your teeth once they're on the downward slide."
- MonsieurLinc
"I have weak teeth, too. That's not a reason to give up, it's just a reason to absolutely lock down your routine. You'll save yourself a lot of time, money, and pain!"
"Here's what I do:"
"I only eat two times per day (intermittent fasting is not for everyone but it's great for limiting acid exposure on your teeth). And don't drink anything sugary. If you have to, do it while you're eating and not between meals."
"Swish with water and/or mouthwash immediately after meals/drinks."
"Wait 30 minutes before brushing. Your enamel is softest directly after eating so brushing too soon can be harmful."
"Get really good toothpaste with fluoride or hydroxyapatite for remineralization. Your dentist can give you a prescription high-fluoride toothpaste."
"Do your brushing routine in this order: floss, then mouthwash, then brush. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and don't scrub too hard. Don't rinse after brushing so the fluoride can stay on your teeth and do its work."
"Get a tongue scraper and do that once in a while too."
"If you're away from home (work, friend's house, driving, etc) and don't have a toothbrush, xylitol gum is great for a quick cleaning and breath freshening. Xylitol helps kill plaque-causing bacteria because they think it's sugar."
"Might seem like a lot but it's worth it! My mouth always feels clean and I get compliments from hygienists."
- pmvegetables
Deep Burnout
"I worked way too hard and burnt out. Sacrificed family time. Sacrificed health. Need to pace yourself at the age of 20-30."
- big-bad-bird
"This is me right now. 29 and totally burned out. I refused to pace myself even with my chronic illness, I refused to address my traumas because 'I am a functional member of society so why would I seek a therapist,' and I refused to say no to things because I was afraid people would dislike me."
"Last year, I slowly started collapsing under all that. Things I repressed wouldn't stay repressed and because of nightmares, I had constant panic attacks when I got home from work and eventually bordered on agoraphobia where I would try and flee the grocery store because 'everyone can see you are feeling unwell and is judging you' and started making excuses to work from home because the office would overwhelm me."
"I really wish I started addressing stuff sooner. I tire so easily now and am constantly anxious about not being productive enough now that I'm at home. Which is super counterproductive when your body is saying, 'Yo, slow down. Please go find a nice hobby and relax.'"
- Melvarkie
Chasing Love
"Begged to be loved."
- SystemNovel7112
"I’m still in my early twenties and I feel like this is what I’ve been doing. The worst part is that other people are good at detecting desperation so they move away from you, which just hurts more."
- Jakov_Salinsky
Roommate Status
"I moved in with a girlfriend before finding out more about her preferences. We had been dating for a year but I didn’t realize how much of a problem she had sharing until we lived together."
"We lived together for five years and never shared a bedroom, had everything split down the middle, including the pantry and fridge. Even when it came to spices, she insisted on me getting my own. She hated it when I would be in the same room as her unless it was on 'her terms.'"
"Whenever I asked to make our relationship more of a shared experience, I was gaslit into believing I was wrong for not allowing boundaries. She moved out a month ago, and I couldn’t believe how quickly my mental health improved simply by not having that toxic influence around anymore."
- Char10
Sobering Up
"Fell into a debilitating drug addiction. I have 26 months sober on the fifth!"
- pumpe88
Motorcycle Insurance
"I took a $12k loan to buy a motorcycle. I didn’t want to pay for comprehensive insurance, and the bike got stolen four months later."
- toyotasquad
Mental Health Assistance
"Not getting help for my depression sooner. Spent the entire first half of my 20s in the darkest place I can imagine, and all I needed to feel better was some meds once a day."
- badgirlkayy
Lackluster Love
"I got into a half-hearted relationship and wasted three years of my life."
- plutorollsvanillaice
Receiving an Education
"Not studying properly."
"At the time, studying for two to seven years seemed like a lifetime, but now at 30, I wish I had done it. Don't have the money or flexibility to do it now."
- MarmateW
Early Alcoholism
"I drank my way through my entire 20s. After 25, it wasn't really fun anymore, but that didn't stop me. I drank for another five years."
"My 20s are a total blur splattered with some fun times here and there. But mostly it was just me running away from things with alcohol."
"Almost 17 years later and not one drop. My 30s and 40s are exceptionally better."
- Blackbeltchicken
#GolfCartLife
"I crashed a golf cart at 29. I was so f**ked up with road rash, both ankles were rolled and f**ked up, and one Achilles was messed up pretty bad."
"It took two years for one ankle to feel normal again. I still have a bunch of scarring. I have never f**ked myself up so badly before. The road rash and treating it all over my body was one of the most painful things I’ve ever dealt with."
"I am so careful in those things now and honestly just everything in general. I'm lucky I didn’t hit my head."
- ochief19
...But How?
"I went to Italy and forgot to eat pizza."
"I still can't believe that happened. I had pasta there, gelato, took some amazing photos, explored a lot, and when I came back, I was like, I missed something?"
"Then I was like, 'F**K! I forgot to eat pizza, IN ITALY!' LOL (laughing out loud)."
- TheStraightishGuy
An Unexpected Life
"I remember when I was that age and desperately wanting the kind of job you work for the same place your whole life. Instead, I was in a dead-end job, working the third shift, going to school, and worrying constantly about what I was going to do with my life. I was lost and without any real direction."
"20-some years later, I still don’t have many traditional accomplishments. I’m a stay-at-home dad, and I was diagnosed with Crohn's at 21/22, so that ended school."
"All the things I thought I’d need to get through life, I don’t have."
"What I DO have is a wide array of experiences. I’ve worked in retail for decades, childcare/teaching/mentoring/etc., had kids for almost as long, worked on a shrimp boat, and tree farms, I’ve seen and been around every state except for Alaska."
" I know a ton of people and I’m generally on good terms with them, I’m healthy enough to exercise every day, I have a loving family, and all our basic needs are met. I’m still directionless but I’m no longer lost."
"Anyone else out there feeing like I did, just do the best you can with what you’ve got. Never stop trying to be better, and if you need to, just point in a direction and go that way."
"If you need a degree but you don’t know what you want, just pick something you think you’ll like. Some jobs that need a college degree mean they need someone with a Bachelor's degree."
- altxatu
When we think of mistakes made in our twenties, we might think of dating mishaps and drinking or partying too much.
But the reality is that the mistakes made in our twenties are far more serious, like creating routines that help us take care of ourselves or completing tasks that will help us reach our dreams.
Fortunately, we're young in our twenties, and we have a lot of time to come back from those mistakes.
It's also never too late to commit to doing better right now.
Time and time again, people spreading lies about others for no reason has demonstrated the lack of humanity in our gossip-obsessed society.
People have nothing better to do other than to bring down others out of spite.
What's even more disappointing is that some of us have at one point played a part in perpetuating these rumors without even knowing it.
And other times, we are the subject of a rumor, and that's never fun.
Curious to hear examples of the situation, Redditor PieNo17 asked:
"What’s the worst rumor you ever heard about yourself?"
Kids can be so cruel.
Introduction To Antisemitism
"I was bullied in elementary school for being Jewish. I very much am not Jewish. Apparently there was a rumor going around school that I was a 'Jew boy.' I was utterly confused and didn’t understand why being Jewish would even be something to be bullied about."
– goobermuslim
The Racist
"Ah, I used to get bullied for being Asian....I am not Asian. Turns out it was a rumor started by a kid who was actually half Asian. I think he just didn't want to be the only Asian kid at school."
– tn00bz
Seeking Pleasure At The Buffet
"When I was in sixth grade our whole grade (~100) was on a field trip out of town. We stopped at an Old Country Buffet to eat. I had to poop while we were there, and another kid in my grade was peeking through the stall at me while I was on the toilet. He then yelled that I was pleasuring myself in the stall. This turned into everyone talking about it outside of the bathroom, and now I was the kid who m*sturbated in an Old Country Buffet."
– slob_johnson
Teacher Killer
"When I was a kid, I was in the (for lack of a better term) special ed program at school due to a muscular condition that affected my fine motor skills, which meant I got bullied mercilessly. Determined to change my rep, I worked ridiculously hard to improve my skills so I no longer needed that program in middle school. Somehow, a rumor got started that I'd been kicked out of that program because I'd tried to kill the teacher, and that became the rumor that defined me until the day I graduated high school."
– jessthefacts97
These Redditors' friends thought they'd seen a ghost.
Wreck Survivor
"I had a car wreck on a country road. Black Cow and calf in the road, and I hit both of them. My mother called into school the next day but pretty much just told them I was in a wreck and nothing else. Word got around that I was dead in a car wreck."
"Showed up at school 2 days later because car wrecks hurt and a couple of buddies actually cried when I showed up saying they thought I was dead."
– DisGruntledDraftsman
Name Mixup
"Once, at work, we came across the obituary of a former coworker. Due to the long hours we were working on this project none of us managed to go to the wake or funeral, but we sent flowers. Months later the dude turned up on another job site, very much alive. Apparently this dude that died was totally unrelated, had the same name and was also an industrial painter… we sent flowers, that must have been confusing for his family."
– trijkdguy
Different Coworker
"Similar story happened to me. Had severe covid at the very beginning of the pandemic. Was out of work for 6 months. Someone with my exact name and in the same town passed away my coworkers thought it was me. Some people didn't even know i was alive until I was back to work for three months"
– ZombieLebowski
The Friendship Test
"That I had died. I woke up one morning to find about 50 messages on my phone and dozens of missed calls (my phone was on silent). It was my ex girlfriend of all people who I spoke with first as she was freaking out because (as it turns out) someone with my name had died. It got lost in translation and next thing you know a lot of my out of state friends thought it was me. It was nice to know they cared so much."
– Yeeaaaarrrgh
Rumors about crushes, love and relationships seem to be a commonality.
Some "Friend"
"My friend introduced me to a girl at his high school and we were into each other. She was having some friends over for a sleepover and took the opportunity to invite me over, cuddle and make out while everyone else was asleep. The next morning we groggily hung out for a bit and made plans to hang out again soon. I’ll never forget how she hugged me and kissed me before I left. I ran into our mutual friend while walking home and I told him where I’d been. I didn’t know that he had a crush on her and he was pissed. By the time I got home, she had blocked and deleted me. I found out later from another friend that our mutual 'friend' had told her that I had an STD and only wanted to use her for sex."
– regnarbensin_
Friendship Destroyer
"Hey, this same thing happened to me! I moved around a lot as a kid and ended up in the same place for 7th to 12th grade. The first few people I met were some kids in the neighborhood, 1 girl and 1 guy. They weren't mutual friends, but I became good friends with both of them and ended up introducing them to each other. The girl and I would stay up late texting on old flip phones and sneak out with each other over the summer. Then, almost out of nowhere, she just stopped talking to me. Turns out the guy developed a crushed and spent literal weeks trying to convince her that all I wanted was sex. Luckily, I was able to find out and defend myself, but unluckily, I found out later that he did that with many, many people. He probably ended up ruining at least 30 friendships with people throughout my time in high school."
– LycheeTrash
A Bad Romance
"i think the only rumor that i ever really heard back in highschool was that i communed with satan. and when a few people asked, i just went with it. i was just like ya, satan and i talked last night, hes doing well. we have dinner plans for the weekend. just stupid stuff like that."
– another-redditor3
We never know how the rumor mill picks some of these out and seemingly distributes them to everyone in our community, no matter how big or small or far away. But we're glad these Redditors were willing to share!
It's a teacher's job to leave a lasting impression and set a good example for their students.
With this in mind, particularly in this age of viral videos and social media, teachers have to be very careful of what they say during class hours.
Even so, there are very few teachers who haven't said something they've regretted when teaching a class.
Sometimes to control unruly students, other times when they've simply had enough.
Then too, sometimes teachers leave their students baffled and perplexed by what they say in their classroom, well aware of what they were saying.
Always making for a memorable story.
"What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever heard teacher say in class?"
And Anyone With Such Closed Minded Views Shouldn't Be Teaching...
"Had the Head of the Department in college claim in class that anyone who actually needs accommodations for mental health issues should not be in college to begin with."
"This was while we were discussing 'Death of a Salesman' and the discussion had veered over to unhealthy pressure and social standards for success."- RavensQueen502
Wait what?!
"My very well-respected Biology teacher in college spent almost an entire lecture telling us that Jamie Lee Curtis was a hermaphrodite."
"It seemed oddly personal to him."- Urbane_Cowboy
Sad On So Many Levels
"Not heard but my freshmen year high school teacher once pulled a bottle of Jack out of his desk and took a shot during class."
"He was dying so towards the end I think he just stopped caring."- Mangothefello
Can't Take The Heat, Then Stay Out Of The Classroom...
"High school science teacher told my class that a kilometre was longer than a mile."
"Refused to budge when refuted and kicked out several students for doing so."- SupersonicDebris13
"5th grade teacher: 'Mount Whitney in California is the tallest mountain in the world'."
"5th grade me blurts out: 'No it isn't, Mount Everest is."
"Whitney is not even the tallest mountain in the USA, which is Mount McKinley in Alaska'."
"I got in trouble for 'contradicting the teacher'."- gtmattz
get out GIFGiphyIt's Not Just Students Who Are Bullies...
"I had a teacher ridicule a fat kid about his lunch choices in front of the whole class."
"He ran out crying as she was making fat guy blimp gestures and telling him he was going to be huge as an adult."- SnooOwls5859
Some Dramatic License It Seems...
"I had a literature teacher who told the class that he didn't believe in dinosaurs, because the universe is only a couple thousand years old."
"The bones were put there by Satan."
"Thank f*ck he wasn't a science or history teacher."- AllBadAnswers
of montreal dancing GIF by Polyvinyl RecordsGiphyEveryone Deserves Nice Acomodations...
"My English teacher told us that he genuinely believes that the Rothchilds own a hotel for aliens in the Bermuda triangle."- TroyLear77
Well, Then...
"We had this kid in our 6th-grade class."
"Very dark skinned kid from Africa."
"His name was Tajak."
"Every now and then when we'd line up to go to another class or lunch and the lights would go out some of his friends would go 'where Tajak at?'"
"Anyway one day we had a sub and we we're lining up for lunch, the lights went out and there went the 'where Tajak at?' and the SUBSTITUTE TEACHER who was also black went 'Boy you darker than night'."
"6th grade was f*cking wild."- 11221mikew
Sad Premonitions
"Psych teacher in high school told us that 1 in 10 of the people were friends with in high school would be dead within 5 years of graduating."
"At the time I thought it was hyperbole, but it turns out he was being conservative."
"3 of the people in my high school friend group were dead by the time I was 22."- Reddit
Do They Really Need A Reason?
"'Now girls, don't you let them boys touch your breasts'."
"'It'll give you cancer'."- jondru
Maybe Should Have Checked With The Geography Teacher?
"A teacher in Elementary school claimed during history class that the Colosseum was in Greece, as an Italian kid I was very confused, this was in Mexico."- Spascucci
So Much For Instilling Hope...
"Didn't hear this personally, but read in a book about a guy who recalled his teacher skipping chapters in a textbook and saying 'You will not need to know this when you are down in the mines'."- futanari_kaisa
The mark of a good teacher is that students will take everything they hear from them with them for the rest of their lives.
Though, the less-than-wonderful teachers may also say things their students will never forget.