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Girl Suggests Threesome With Boyfriend, But Now Wants To Sleep With Someone Else Because He Did

Ahh, threesomes... the roulette of monogamous relationships. You spin and take your turn never knowing if this is going to end in a fizzle, some fireworks, or a freakout. Spoiler alert: unless you're both experienced players, there's been a LOT of talk and clear boundaries drawn, or both - it's pretty likely to end in freakout. Bummer, cause fireworks fam. Fireworks.


Enter our the lovelorn hero of our tale.

He let his girlfriend talk him into a threesome. At first, he thought it had ended in fireworks. Alas, getting away unscathed was not in the cards. His girlfriend soon came to him with an idea. Now that he had been intimate with someone other than her - she should have the right to be intimate with a man other than him. According to her, it didn't matter that she was also intimate with their third partner since she was another woman. There had been no discussion of this before the threesome. Had our Reddit Romeo been hoodwinked? Perhaps his lady love is just more adventurous than he previously thought and wants to try out all of her fantasies now?

In His Words:

My girlfriend was the one who suggested a threesome. At first I wasn't sure if she was serious, but when I found out she was, I was pretty ecstatic. I never thought there could be an ulterior motive.

I'd never known her to be bi or anything like that, and she still identifies as a straight girl. But she seemed keen to experiment and "open up" as she put it. So I was only happy to go along.

The other girl was an acquaintance we only loosely know, and we see her every now and again. My girlfriend knows her better than I do, and she's the one who set most of it up.

When we had the threesome, it seemed fun for all of us, and I feel I should point out that it wasn't just me who was having sex with this other girl, but my girlfriend who also having sex with her and doing stuff with her on the day.

Now here's where things get messy. About a week later, my girlfriend comes up with a new proposition. She asks me that since I got to have sex with another girl, if she can have sex with another guy. She said its only fair, since I got to have sex with a girl outside the relationship, she gets to have sex with a guy. (edit: Details in case of confusion. She suggested either a MMF (male/male/female) threesome, or just her plus another guy, whichever I'd be most amenable to)

I instantly said absolutely no, it was out of the question. I pointed out to her that the threesome was for both of us, not just me. And it wasn't just I who had sex with someone outside of our relationship, but she did as well, with the same person, so its fair and even. I said it shouldn't matter if this other person was same sex or opposite sex.

What's more, I said that when she proposed the threesome, at no point did she suggest, mention, or imply, this would mean she'd be able to try somebody else.

I feel like the whole threesome was a set-up so she could afterwards push the issue of having sex with another guy. And I'm pretty sure she has a guy lined up in mind, it sure sounded like it.

So I'm pretty obstinate about "No", she can't have sex with someone else. She thinks I'm being unfair, and maintains the position that she should be allowed to, since I had sex with the that girl in the threesome (even though she also had sex with her)

I feel like I was manipulated, used, and set up. Part of me fears she's going to go and cheat with the other guy anyway, even though I said no. For this reason I'm strongly considering ending our relationship now and going our separate ways. Although personally I'd prefer we settle this in a way without her cheating and without ending our relationship.

I'm not interested in an open relationship or a f^ckbuddy situation or anything like that. The threesome was fun, but I don't want to do that too regularly.

Oh BOY did Reddit have a lot to say about this. Here are some of our favorite responses, edited for language and clarity when needed.

She'll Do It Regardless

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Honestly, I'd say she already had a guy lined up and if you adamantly say no she will do it regardless. I am usually hopeful on this subject, but this sounds like she wants to have her cake and eat it too. Like she wants to be in a steady relationship and still play around while she's young. I'd say just leave now, she won't admit she has a guy on the mind but will shortly after you agree.

- Kumbackkid

Different Boundaries

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If you don't want your girlfriend to have sex with another guy, you shouldn't have had sex with another girl.

IMHO you've screwed up. You overstepped a boundary that you implement on her. How can you have a good relationship if the other is treated unequally and has different boundaries?

I would always put myself into my partners position before I'd do something like this.

Also did she want you to have that threesome, so it would give her leeway to do it with another guy?

- tomputer

Retroactively Insecure

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Honestly, it sounds like she is retroactively insecure that she saw you with another woman so she feels like the only way she'll feel okay inside is to do the same. Really you should ask if this is about her feeling insecure/jealous more than if it has anything to really do with fucking another guy.

- 0909a0909

We Need To Talk

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"Have a seat. We need to talk. I am really not happy with how things went down after our threesome. I feel a lot like you set that up because you want to have sex with another guy and that you have some one in mind in particular. It feels like you initiated this to try to manipulate me into saying yes to this situation, and I'm pretty pissed off about that. Now I also have the concern that no matter what I say, you're going to go cheat anyway and try to justify it to yourself. You've put up enough of a fuss about this that I really don't feel like I can trust you to stay faithful to the boundaries of our relationship. It's to the point where I'm thinking of ending things altogether, but before I go that route I wanted to give you a chance to say anything you feel that you need to."

At that point, you're watching for her reaction. If she continues to try to justify and convince you, proceed with the dumping. Very importantly though, if she back pedals and tries to save the relationship, you absolutely need to pin her down on who it was she had in mind. Even if it was several some one's, I'd probably insist that she cut contact with all of them as a condition of moving on together. She is no longer interested in their friendship platonicly and you would be completely justified in cutting persistent threats out of your relationship. You avoid cheating by not placing yourself face first in the middle of temptation, and you're honestly never going to be comfortable with her hanging around them from that point forward. While you're on the precipice of ending things anyway, don't allow the future to be set up in a way that's going to have you riddled with anxiety. Get what you need full bore from this conversation or find some one who can respect your boundaries more than she does.

- Falxen

It's A Wildcard

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Having had threesomes before while in a relationship, I can say that it's the kind of thing that you just can't plan for. Even if you have the strongest relationship in the world and both of you seem completely on board and there are no ulterior motives, you never know what might change when you're in the middle of things.

My last ex ultimately ended up cheating on me about six months after we had a threesome with one of her friends. She told me post-breakup that she really had gone into the threesome all excited and ready (it was her idea), but that she couldn't get the image of her friend giving me oral out of her mind afterwards. That was pretty much the only thing that night that she wasn't directly involved in, and only for a period of about a minute or two, but she said that image overwhelmed all of the good experiences for her. I think a desire to "even the score" prompted her cheating, and while I'm sure your girlfriend is a better person than my ex, I just have to reiterate: threesomes are wildcards. Even with the best possible preparations and situation, you still never know what the fallout will be like, especially if it's your first time.

- AngryPurpleTeddyBear

Different Mentalities

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This issue you're talking about is a big reason why I'm (f) not into the idea of a threesome. Because between my boyfriend and I, I would be down to do MFF or MMF, but he would only want MFF. What that tells me is that he doesn't actually believe pleasure should be shared and we shouldn't be tied sexually to one person.

Rather he's just cool with a threesome because he doesn't see a girl joining as a threat. So we would be doing a threesome based on different mentalities, which seems way too risky and like it wouldn't be fair.

- GrandadsLadyFriend

Learning An Important Lesson About Yourself

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If you're not comfortable with her f^cking another male-identified and penis-equipped individual in any capacity, under any circumstance, then the relationship is over. If you say no, she's going to do it anyway because by her logic, you fucked another woman.

If you are, then take a few days to envision a scenario you'd be comfortable with. Maybe she just goes out one night and does her thing, without you knowing anything. Maybe you're fist-bumping your bro as you hook him up with some quality trim. Whatever. Write it down, think it out, and tell her what you're comfortable with. After all, the first threesome went down as she proscribed, right? Get it done, and see how you feel. If you're super skeeved then it wasn't meant to be and you've learned an important lesson about yourself.

She wants to do it without ending your relationship. That's worth noting.

- bostick

Long-Distance Camping

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I enjoy them a lot--but you have to be damn careful the first few times. You have to be really communicative before and during the event, you have to slow it down or stop entirely if anyone is having any problems, and you have to stick fast to the boundaries laid out before everything gets going, no matter how much you think it's okay to go past them because she's having a good time. Like, if she says "No an*l with the other woman," even if she says "Go ahead and do an*l" during the thing, DON'T DO IT, because afterward she might think "Yeah, that was stupid of me, I wish I hadn't given him the go-ahead." Passionate decisions are frequently hurtful decisions, and I think that causes as much trouble as any other part of a threesome could.

It's a lot like...long-distance camping, I guess? For the people who do it regularly, who are accustomed to all the work that goes into it, it's not that difficult, and generally it only gets easier with time. For the people who are completely new at it, there's a couple of different types--the ones who do all the reading, lots of prep, think carefully about "What would I do if (bad situation) happened?" set milestones where they'll check in, and make sure before and during that their companions are all on the same page.

And then you get the ones who go in completely inexperienced but thinking "This isn't a big deal! I don't need to tell anyone what's going on. I don't need to make sure I've prepared, it's not like it's going to be that much different than what I've done before."

But a threesome is not like a two-person overnight! And unfortunately there's no such thing as park rangers or search and rescue for sex...

- RememberKoomValley

A Little Introspetion

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Ultimately, if you aren't comfortable with a MMF threesome, there isn't anything wrong with that. There are a few things you may want to consider, which could impact what happens from here or just be good introspection.

-You aren't OK with her having sex with another man, but you were OK with her having sex with a woman. Why is that?

-Why do you assume that she's the sort of person who would deliberately manipulate you like this, instead of thinking the most likely scenario was that the urge for a MMF threeway came after she fulfilled her fantasy of a FFM one and experimented with that woman? Has she behaved in ways before that indicated she's a manipulative person? If so, this could have been the latest red flag. If not, consider why that's what you think of her and why you jump to that assumption first.

-If you're happy with a sexually adventurous girlfriend, and end up staying with this one, why don't you think of some things you'd like to experiment with and bring them up to her as well? She may be feeling like it's all up to her to spice up your sex life and that's why she got a little stuck on this.

-Have a conversation with her about how relationships aren't about being "even", they're about being "happy". Bringing a woman into the bedroom made you both happy. Bringing a male in only makes her happy. The ideal solution isn't a tally system of getting what each of you wants - it's finding things you both want and enjoying them together.

-Don't bother with the manipulation tactics people have suggested here. If she was in fact being a manipulative person with this, it brings you down to her level. If she wasn't, then it makes you the manipulative ass in this situation. There is not a "win" condition possible in that scenario.

- Reddit

Jumping To Conclusions

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I'm going to be honest: I don't see the girlfriend as immediately wanting to cheat. He should NEVER do something he doesn't want to, and his girl is wrong in trying to pull the "you got to f^ck another girl, now I do" card. However, immediately jumping to the conclusion that she's already emotionally invested in another guy is... Jumping to conclusions. If and only IF you're actually open to a threesome with a guy, then insist that you'll be the one picking the guy. Or insist that your both pick a guy TOGETHER. That should alleviate some of your worries. Don't try to make it a petty revenge and purposely pick a guy she would be totally turned off by though, just to make sure that it's truly a fun time.

There's still a possibility that she simply went about the VERY wrong way. She's still very wrong for trying to guilt you into having a threesome with a guy if you're truly not into it, but I think that doesn't immediately mean she wants to cheat on you. Honestly I'm pretty interested in threesomes with all sexes myself, and I can see myself saying "hey, what do you say about trying ___ out next?"

That wasn't what your girl did and it's really too bad, but it's possible that the sentiment behind it was similar?

- magikarpcandosplash

Establish Dominance With Uber Gay Sex

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I have two things I would do. Ask her if she has chosen a guy or if you could chose a guy since she chose the girl. This lets you know if she had this planned all along.

Once you 3 are all alone it would be the perfect time to say "shotgun" and get first dibs. Have uber gay sex with the guy and make her sit there as you have having it while keeping stern eye contact with her. Once you guys are spent, just collapse in to a huddle and fall asleep with a grin on your face.

- DarkCircle

Different Meanings

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It's possible you both thought that the threesome meant different things. So, you thought it was a one-off and she thought "Okay, so we're trying option 1 and next time we'll try option 2."

She thus might think its unfair because she expected that, but that doesn't mean that bending to that would be fair to you.

Obviously, you shouldn't have to do anything sexually that you don't want to, ever. I just wanted to put that out there.

- wafflesthewonderhurs

Why Is She Being Demonized?

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Haha wow. So if a girl wants a MFF threesome with her boyfriend, it's all cool, but if she also wants a MFM threesome, it's obvious that she's shady and just looking for an excuse to cheat? It's totally not possible that she's just interested in the other kind of threesome, and was using the "fairness" argument as a weak tactic to try and convince OP. Like seriously, just as much chance that the first threesome was "an excuse to cheat" too... except dude was ok with that one.

There is zero indication that if he says no that she's gonna go do it anyway. I'm sick of the knee jerk reaction people here have to any woman who suggests a "devil's threesome." Why do we even call it that? That's so stupid. Do all guys who want a MFF threesome already have a woman picked out too? Is that why you're so suspicious? Why is expressing a desire to do one type of threesome an indication that a girl is planning to cheat, while the desire for the other kind is normal?

OP, don't do it if you're not comfortable with it, but don't dump your gf over it either. Recognize that she probably did do the original threesome more for your pleasure than hers. Honestly, if the situation were reversed, and the MFM threesome happened first, wouldn't you also ask for the other kind? She should have been honest about wanting a MFM threesome before you had the other one, but really you'd have just been posting here a week ago and the comments would be exactly the same. "She just wants to f*** another guy, so she's gonna let you f*** another girl for leverage". Completely ignoring that you also wanted to, and did, f*** another woman. So why is she being demonized for a desire you actually acted on?

- sillypuppy215

Hypocritical

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It's not that you don't want to that's hypocritical. It's that when she asked about a fmf, you were happy, and when she asked about a mfm you were pissed and suspicious. She's asking for exactly the same thing in both instances--a threesome--but one makes you decide she wants to cheat and one makes you happy. That's where the problem is. (I'm not saying you should feel guilty for saying no, I'm saying you shouldn't be pissed that she asked. That's a huge difference.)

- socksforbdays

Clearly This Is A Plot

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I've read a few of the comments. I just want to say something about them. People this isn't about his girlfriend wanting to experiment or have another threesome. She asked to have a MMF threesome or f^ck a guy alone.

If it was just a "can we have a MMF threesome now" that would be fine. She specifically said she should be able to f^ck another guy because of the FMF threesome. She has already picked a guy and wants to f^ck him either in a threesome or alone. This is her manipulating the OP through the initial threesome. Clearly this is a plot that has been in the making for a long time.

- Reddit

Incompatible

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First of all, yes this does seem like an underhanded move and was manipulative. She shouldn't be pressuring you into a threesome because that was never agreed upon.

Second of all, if you're that afraid of her cheating, then there isn't a lot of trust (or honesty) in this relationship and this issue is moot. You shouldn't have to agree to a threesome to keep someone from cheating. If it's that important to her to have sex with another guy, she should break up with you first.

But relationships can't be 100% about tit-for-tat and legally binding verbal contracts and whatnot. There's more questions here:

  1. Who picked the girl? If both of you had a say in it, you should have a say in the guy.
  2. Just to make things clear, she's not asking for a MMF (where you'd have to interact with a guy) right? Is a MFM (where the men don't interact) uncomfortable for you? Or is it just because you can't handle her being with another man at all? For threesomes it really doesn't matter if anyone is bi. It's not correct to say that a FFM is okay cause your gf is bicurious but a MFM is not because you're not bicurious (unless she's forcing you to interact with him).
  3. If she really has another guy in a mind specifically she really shouldn't have been this underhanded. She should've said "hey I really want to f^ck this one guy, it's not an emotional thing at all, I won't leave you for him I just think he's hot. Can we talk about it? Would a threesome situation make you feel more comfortable since you're involved? Why don't we do a FMF to spice things up too and fulfill your desires?"

I guess you might end up saying no more threesomes or sex with anyone else for anyone. Maybe you guys are incompatible that way. She needs to understand that she should be open with her intentions and fantasies rather than trying to do something underhanded. But if it's still that important for her to have sex with another guy and you're not comfortable with that in any context (even if you get to pick the guy and are present) then I guess it's not meant to be.

Good luck!

- throwthebar

Obvious It Was A Set Up

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It's so obvious it was a set up. She's been banging this guy or emotionally cheating on you with him behind your back already and now she wants to legitimise it.

Break up with her. You can't both grow through this problem together, she wants to fuck other people already and now you're the gatekeeper, something women aren't used to. Guarantee you she's going to go behind your back if you say no anyways.

- Silva_Shadow

Try Communicating

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I think you might be over thinking things here. I'll try to shed the light from the opposing side. Maybe you should talk to her and see if the threesome ended up hurting her feelings. I mean, she did watch you bust a nut inside of another girl. That's not easy for any SO to watch. That's probably why she feels justified in having another man in the mix.

Also, if she wants to experiment and you were okay with another girl coming along, it shouldn't be wrong for another guy to come along. That's pretty unfair to be okay with a two girl threesome because you got the better cut than with a two guy threesome. Maybe she's watched some porn or heard about an awesome two guy threesome scenario and wants to try it out. Everything doesn't have to have an ulterior motive! Also, if that happened to be her alternative motive, that's pretty jacked and you should dump her.

"Colon pounding" some other guy in a threesome like another user posted not only would make things worse all around, but would be a pretty jackwad thing to do if she didn't intend none of that to happen. Also I think the man there would want to involve her too. Point of threesome. You should communicate with her. Most problems I see on here is lacking that HUGELY. Ask her, try to understand, and if she's twisted, she's just a girlfriend and not a wife or something. Dump her. Simple.

Sorry for any mistakes, I'm on my phone.

- guellikeafish

Open and Closed

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So you guys opened up your relationship for a girl, but you're closing it again before a guy can get involved. Sounds unfair to me.

And anyway, if you don't want an open relationship like you said at the end of your post, then why the hell did you open it in the first place? If I was your girlfriend, I'd be miffed too.

- Zuccherina

Reciprocity

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How have you not discussed the reciprocity factor before accepting the ffm threesome?

Considering your age, this looks to me like a future breakup and lesson learned for the future to discuss boundaries, fantasies and what is acceptable to both partners before bringing another person in your bed.

- anatem

H/T: Reddit

Old Wives' Tales People Still Believe For Some Reason

"Reddit user the_spring_goddess asked: 'What is an old wives tale that people still believe?'"

Close up of an owl tilting their head to side, looking bewildered
Photo by Josh Mills

The old wives' tales.

They are the stories of legend.

I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.

Where did they originate?

WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!

You don't hear about them as much anymore.

It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.

But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.

Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:

"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"

"Wait an hour to swim after eating."

What a crock!

So many summer hours wasted.

I want revenge for that one.

Say Nothing

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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."

LonelyMail5115

"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."

I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA

Say Something

"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."

Severe_Airport1426

"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."

crappycurtains

"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."

AlbinoShavedGorilla

Body Temps

"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."

chriseo22

"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."

"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."

apocalypticradish

Arms Down

"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."

Fatmouse84

10 Years Actually

Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine Giphy

"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."

REDDIT

"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."

Gecko-911

I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.

This tale is haunting.

High/Low

Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace Giphy

"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."

LeastFormal9366

"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."

IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI

The Cursed

"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."

"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."

SmoreOfBabylon

Stay In

"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."

"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."

worldbound0514

Dreams and Facts

"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."

"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."

mattshonestreddit

"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."

Darthdemented

Cracked

Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office Giphy

"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."

Choice-Grapefruit-44

"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."

MacyTmcterry

I love my knuckles.

Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

lottery tickets
Erik Mclean on Unsplash

A lot of workers daydream about some day winning the lottery and being able to say goodbye to their job.

Far too many workers are unhappy with their job duties, workplace dynamics or company culture.

But with a taste for luxuries like housing and food, they keep plugging away, year after year.

However not everyone feels that way about their job.

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Therapist talking during session
Photo by Mark Williams on Unsplash

Some people stand firmly stand behind their beliefs that everyone would benefit from therapy and that therapy is life-changing.

It's because of the totally life-changing truth bombs their therapist had dropped during their sessions.

Curious, Redditor anonymiss0018 asked:

"What is a little bombshell your therapist dropped in one of your sessions that completely changed your outlook?"

Communication Issues

"'If you don’t have these problems with any other person in your life, why do you think you’re the problematic person in this one?'"

- maggiebear

"I love this. I have a 'friend' who I always seem to run into misunderstandings with. Every time we had a conversation, it somehow turned into a debate even if it was me talking about my day. The conversations were never easy."

"I always evaluate myself first and take into consideration his critiques. He was very good at convincing me that I was contradicting myself or wasn't good at communicating my thoughts."

"I NEVER had this issue with ANYONE else in my life. I kept trying to figure out where the miscommunication was coming from. In the end, I just minimized contact and now I don't run into this issue."

- chobani_yo

"I read this quote somewhere once (and probably have it a bit wrong): 'It's a waste of time arguing with someone who is determined to misunderstand you.'"

- Reddit

Emotional Regulation

"'You can’t control your emotions, but you can control what you do with them.'"

"At the time, I was a young adult who had learned zero healthy emotional regulation skills (only suppression and shaming) growing up, so this blew my mind."

- lil_mermaid

Tough Relationships

"'It sounds to me like you are trying to convince yourself to stay with your girlfriend. I'm not so sure it should be so difficult.'"

"At the time he said this, I remember it was like he said, 'The earth is flat.' I thought he was crazy when he suggested relationships don't need to be difficult. But eventually, I started to realize I was trying to change myself to stay with this person rather than just being who I am."

"It took me three more months to finally break up with her but from that day on, I vowed to never again abandon myself just to be with someone I had convinced myself was better than me."

- metric88

High-Stress Situation

"I was at a high-stress time, and I asked her how people live like this."

"She replied, 'Oftentimes they have cardiac events.' She said it as an urging to care for myself as much as possible."

- KittenGr8r

The End of Alcohol

"I was struggling with my alcoholism, and we were discussing how I had been cutting back."

"She asked what I would consider success, with regard to my drinking."

"I said I wanted to get to a point where it wasn't interfering with my daily life. I wanted to just be able to have a glass of wine at holiday dinners or family gatherings."

"She simply asked me why. Why was it important for me to drink at those times?"

"It was as if she'd turned on a light. Alcohol had always been a key ingredient in every family function, for my entire life. When I smell bourbon, I think of my uncle. When I smell vermouth, I think of my dad. Alcohol ran through almost every happy childhood memory."

"But, even more than that, I was very afraid of the explanation I'd have to give when family and friends asked why I wasn't having a drink. I had tried to quit before but failed. What if I admitted my problem, only to fall off the wagon?"

"When she asked why I didn't want to completely quit, it was the first time I saw that last part of the big picture. I'd be willing to drink myself to death in order to avoid being scrutinized, or judged for possible future failures."

"That was the day I quit. I've been sober since May 6th, 2017. 2,407 days."

- sophies_wish

Acceptance vs. Enjoyment

"'Accepting something doesn’t mean you have to like it.'"

"That took away a lot of my inner conflicts about situations because I could accept a situation without expending energy internally fighting against the injustice of it."

- alibelloc

Emotionally Immature Parents

"You are not responsible for your parents' emotional wellbeing. They are independent adults who have been on this earth for many more years than you."

- SmokedPears

Not So Lazy

"'Why do you think you're lazy?' Then she listed off all the things she knows I'm doing for my family, my job, and my life."

"It kind of blew my mind when I struggled to come up with an example."

"She also described family dysfunction as water. Some families are messed up in a way that everyone can see the huge waves across the surface. Others are better at hiding it, but there's still a riptide that you can't see unless you're also in the water."

"It made me realize that trying to keep the surface from ever rippling doesn't erase what is happening underneath."

- flybyknight665

The Harm in People-Pleasing

"'Why do you make people more comfortable when you are uncomfortable?' when talking about people pleasing and fawning."

- ERsandwich

Agree to Disagree

"'Stop trying to get everyone to agree. When you need everyone to agree, the least agreeable person has all the power.'"

This really changed my outlook on planning family events."

- freef

Grieve and Start Anew

"For context, I had a major TBI (traumatic brain injury), seizures, strokes, and all around not a fun brain time when I was 28."

"They said, 'You have to grieve the loss of yourself.'"

"Most people wanted me to go back to how I was. The f**ked up truth is that part of my brain is dead. The person everyone (including myself) knew died. I needed to grieve the loss of myself."

- squeaktoy_la

Multifaceted Identity

"They told me that my job and career is just a way to make money; it's not my life or identity. That took a lot of pressure off me."

- unfairpegasus

Breaking the Cycle

"They validated me."

"'You always talk about not wanting to do to your daughters what your mom did to you. You worry about it so much in every interaction you have ever had with them."

"But your children are 19 and 21 now. They are happy and healthy and they trust you because you’ve never abused them in any way. So I just want to validate for you that you really have broken that cycle of violence."

"You did that. And you should be proud of it. I’m proud of you for it.'"

- puppsmcgee74

The Grieving Process

"I was constantly bringing up how I felt like a completely different person after my mom died... like there was a marked difference between before and after her death."

"But once, she was asking about my hobbies, I got really into describing all the things I loved to do or at least used to do before I got into a deep depression."

"She was like, 'Wow, you seem very passionate.'"

"And I just sat there like, 'Well, I mean, I can't change what I like to do, they're still fun to do.'"

"And it's like she knew when to take a step back, because it was like, wow, I may be super depressed about my mom passing, but I'm still me. I'm still my passions and those don't go away."

"I don't know, maybe it only makes sense to be, but it really started getting me back on track."

- Hannibal680

Sharing the Load

"I've never really had friends. I've had colleagues and classmates and housemates and people who have hung out with me, but I never really felt close to any of them."

"And I did that thing you see on here sometimes; I stopped reaching out to see if I would be reached out to, and I wasn't, which I took as confirmation that they didn't really want me around, or at the very least, that they wouldn't mind my absence."

"I was talking to my therapist about people I'd been close to in college, and she told me to pick one and talk about him. So I did. After I shared some basic stuff like his name and his major etc., and a couple of anecdotes, she asked me what else I knew about him."

"And I couldn't answer. It wasn't really a broadly applicable bombshell, but she said, 'What else?' and I started crying because I realized that for as simple as the question was, my inability to answer spoke volumes."

"I've never had good friends because I've never been a good friend. I'm withdrawn and reserved and I always made others do the work to drag me out, without ever extending my own friendship in a meaningful way in return. If I wanted to have meaningful relationships with other people, I would have to build them."

"I'm still working on this, but I'm trying to make more offers and extend more friendliness to others in my daily life."

- Backupusername

The discoveries in this thread were incredibly touching and profound; it's no wonder these were lasting concepts for these Redditors.

It's important to keep ourselves open to inspiration and insights from others, as we have no idea how their experiences could help us, or how we could help them.

Aerial view of a church in a small town
Sander Weeteling/Unsplash

There's something comforting about living in a small town.

It's characterized by close communities where neighbors know each other by name and there is an abundance of kindness extended to others.

Gift-giving is a commonality, as is the sharing of recipes, and people going out of their way to help each other in a time of need.

The pace of living in small towns is also a striking contradiction to city life, where crowds of people go about their busy lives without much interaction.

Curious to hear more examples of what small town living is like, Redditor official_biz asked:

"What's the most 'small town' thing you've witnessed?"

These are positive examples of a tight-knit community.

Live Updates

"We have a village Facebook page. Every time the ice cream man drives into the village, the entire page goes ballistic. People send live updates of where the van is and which direction he's heading. The ice cream man has started accepting DMs so he knows which streets to go down."

– PyrrhuraMolinae

Brush With The Law

"I’m from a town of less than 2,000 people. When I worked at the grocery store there people would often drop off stuff for my family members because they didn’t want to drive all the way down to our house. I no longer live there but recently got a call from my daughter. She had been stopped for speeding and handed over her license and insurance which happens to be in my mother’s name. The officer goes 'Hey, you’re Donnie’s granddaughter! I ain’t gonna write you a ticket but I’m telling Donnie when I see him tomorrow cause we’re going fishing.' She replied 'I think I’d rather have the ticket.'”

- Reddit

Roadside Catchup

"The traffic on the 'main street' of my town is so sparse, two drivers going opposite directions can stop and talk to each other for a few minutes without causing any problem."

– anon

When things go wrong, people take notice without incident.

Bank Robbery

"A guy robbed a bank and everyone knew immediately who he was and the teller got mad at him."

– AlexRyang

"A local bank was robbed and one of the tellers told the police to bring her a yearbook from about ten years earlier and she would be able to point the robber out. He had been in the grade before hers in school."

– Strict_Condition_632

Wise Woman

"When I worked at the bank in town there was an older lady that had worked there through 5 mergers."

"She knew everyone, there was a young guy yelling at me one day. She walked out of the back and he immediately quieted. She went off about telling his grandmother that he was treating young women like sh*t. She also said that if he didn’t straighten up not one girl in town would ever marry him she would make sure of it."

– ilurvekittens

Intoxicated Local

"Town drunk was paralyzed and used a motorized wheelchair to get around. I was driving home one Saturday night and said town drunk was passed out in his wheelchair doing circles almost directly in the town square. Had to call his brother who came and picked him up on a rollback truck. Strapped him down and drove off into the cold dark night."

– DoodooExplosion

Grazing Over To The Bar

"In my former small town, there was an older guy who'd lost his license after getting a few DUIs. Every day, he would ride his John Deere lawnmower to the corner bar around 3PM and sit around watching TV and sipping his beer well into the night. Then he'd head the couple miles back home on his mower. He even had a little canvass shell he put on when it rained or got too cold."

– brown_pleated_slacks

It's not surprising how small town people behave differently than those who are from metropolitan areas.

Welcoming Committee

"I lived in a small town. When I moved there, people would ask, 'Whose house did you buy?'"

–MoonieNine

"Move to a small town. 30 years later, you are still the new guy."

– impiousdrifter

"I lived in a small town for most of my childhood but I wasn't "from there" because my grandparents weren't from there."

– raisinghellwithtrees

"Worked with an older guy, relative of the owner of the business, he was 73. I asked him if he was a local, he said 'no his parents moved here when he was two.'"

– realneil

A Busy Day

"Lived in a town of about 5,000: A woman walked into the DMV on a Friday, saw that there were 3 people ahead of her and left to come back another time when they weren't so busy."

– KenmoreToast

Who Let The Dogs Out?

"My dogs got out while i was working. the police called my niece's elementary school (she was a 5th grader) to get her to round them up and take them back home."

– mediocrelpn

"There was a small kennel behind the police station for runaways. They called us saying they had our dog, and moments later our dog showed up home. He broke out of jail."

– Worried_Place_917

While life in a small town sounds appealing, I don't know if I can ever live in one.

I'm so used to life in big cities, I think it would be quite unnerving to adjust in a neighborhood where everyone literally knows your business.

I would be paranoid.

And I'm sure the same could be said of life in the big city.

Would you consider making the switch to life in a different setting?