And the most satisfying joys in life are simpler than you might think.
After coming home from a long and stressful day, there's nothing quite like being greeted by a loved one, a spastic puppy that's been eagerly awaiting your return, or even a glass of wine. Or two.
Curious to hear about the little things that bring smiles, Redditor SlugsLoveBeer asked:
"What are some of the small things in life that make you happy?"
It's the little things we don't think of that can relieve us of life's many burdens.
Free Da Feet
"Taking off my work boots at the end of a shift."
"This. So much. I have about 2 hours left in my shift. Can not wait for that 530 am beer on the back porch with my boots off."
Simple Comforts
"Freshly washed sheets on the bed + just shaved legs + the windows open with a perfect cool summer breeze."
Pets are given when it comes to making us feel all the feels.
Loyal Protector Of The House
"When coming home and your dog sees you from a distance and gradually gets more and more excited as your approach, to finally greet with joyous love and show you what a good boy they've been protecting the house."
A Purrfect Companion
"When a cat sits on me."
"My cat will often sleep in bed next to me and usually gives me spiky back rubs at bedtime.Sometimes though when he's really happy, he'll reach out and hold my hand with his paw."
Cat Talk
"My cat has a specific special meow she only uses when I sneeze. It's super cute and makes me laugh a little every time."
Our positive reactions with people can truly influence our mood.
They Nourish Our Souls
"Having people genuinely care about you. Mutual love and respect is one of the best feelings in the world. I also love food. Food is comforting."
Showing Teeth
"A genuine smile in return of mine."
"Yes. Like, when someone sees you and you can just tell they're really happy to see you, they're not just smiling to be polite."
Love Embrace
"Falling asleep with someone laying in your arms next to you. That calm kinda peaceful feeling of just relaxing. Not the part when your arm falls asleep or when you have to get up to pee though lol"
– mre4you
My joy-inducing thing is a little bizarre, but I trust this is a no judgment space.
I love to sit down to read in my love seat situated in the corner of my living room. But the act of reading itself is not the thing that makes me happy.
It's the smell from the pages after opening a new book that brings me such joy. It lets me know I'm about to be transported and it evokes a childlike sense of wonder that grounds me.
And it is one of the most comforting feeling. A literary aroma.
Also, avocado... it's green, it's slimey and it's gross. Also, why eat anything with a massive pit in the center? You could kill a person with that pit. My list is long, let's add to it...
Texture...
sign language sushi GIF by Sign with RobertGiphy"I wish I liked sushi. It's so aesthetically pleasing and looks enjoyable to eat. But something about it just throws me off. I think it's a texture thing."
Iced...
"Cake with lots of icing."
"I'm from Scandinavia, we have whipped cream instead of icing on our cakes. Cake, whipped cream lots of strawberries is the classic one, lots of people here don't like buttercream icing at all. I can eat it but not too much, it's so horribly sweet."
Yuck!
"Beets taste like juicy dirt."
"When I was a kid I friggin' loved pickled beets, I would wake up in the middle of the night and sneak into the kitchen to eat 'em. As an adult... bleh."
- libra00
The Much Way
"Mushrooms. I get it, so much aroma and flavour comes out when its cooked but i hate it."
- cywinr
"It's absolutely the texture for me. I love the flavor of mushrooms, and will sometimes order a steak with a mushroom sauce, but the fungi themselves get moved aside or onto my partner's plate."
"I also recently tried a side dish made with rice, mushrooms, and I think another vegetable or two, and thoroughly enjoyed it because I couldn't feel the rubbery mushroom on it's own between my teeth."
Roll Away
tootsie roll animation GIF by victorinosuazoGiphy"It's a candy, but Tootsie rolls. It's like a dark chocolate but just a taffy and it's gross in my opinion."
Ok now, sushi is the bomb. And tootsie rolls? Well that person needs some therapy. I mean to each their own, but yummy is yummy and yuck is yuck. Although I do waffle on mushrooms; it all depends. Continue...
Tasteless...
excited shake GIFGiphy"Celery. I hated it as a kid because it tastes like butt, I hate it as an adult because it still tastes like that. I don't see the appeal in it. the ONLY time I will ever willingly eat it is if it's boiled in a soup."
Bad Dressing
"Does ranch count?"
"Eeey, ranch despising Mid-Westerner! I tolerated it until I worked in the restaurant industry... freaking fine dining and people are asking for ranch with their steaks 🤢 or doing dishes and the constant stink of hot ranch water- UUGGHHH."
Nuts
"Coconut."
"When it comes to coconut, I can handle the flesh of coconuts and the taste of coconut milk, water and other coconut flavoured foods and drinks. But the moment you start putting coconut flakes on my food. I'm out, hate it on my food. That's why I don't like lamingtons, Ferrero coconut chocolate, and any food with coconut flakes."
Drink Up
"Not a food, but I'm going to say beer. I find it disgusting. Whenever people find that out they always feel the need to tell me "It's an acquired taste. Give it time". I'm 31 years old. I've tried all different kinds of beers in different settings and paired with different things and it just isn't for me."
"At this point I'm not going to force myself to drink something I find disgusting just to hope that maybe one day I'll like it. I didn't like it the first time I tried it when I was 19 and I still don't like it now 12 years later."
red bad...
Happy Food GIF by Subway SverigeGiphy"Tomato. I can handle sauce as long as there are no chunks."
Why do people hate veggies? We have to give healthy a chance; unless it's avocado... remember, yuck. But long live tomatoes. Truth is, all of our palettes are a mess. Just eat up.
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But what about the genuinely well-behaved celebrities? Well, they are not without haters too, unfortunately.
For instance, stars like Taylor Swift – who has been a positive role model and ally of the LGBTQ community – still has her share of critics no matter how hard she tries to shake it off.
Curious to hear positive examples from strangers online, Redditor AndweleHarris asked:
"Who's that one celebrity that has like no haters?"
These Canadian comics were found to be simply irresistible.
The Actor From 'Honey I Shrunk The Kids"
"Rick Moranis. The guy stopped acting to take care of his kids after his wife's death."
– joeO44
Aspiring Football Player
"John Candy"
– zen1001
"My favorite John Candy story: Joe Montana was playing for the 49ers in an important game, may have even been the Super Bowl. His team is down, they've got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it."
"Montana comes into the huddle and starts calling the play, then stops and points to the stands and says:"
"Hey, isn't that John Candy?"
"Teammates look over, and it is, indeed, John Candy. Turns out he was a big football fan."
"Montana returned his focus to the game and went on to lead a game-winning drive down the field."
These European personalities won the hearts of many people from around the world.
The Dowager Countess of Grantham
"Maggie Smith"
"Professor McGonagall is the most underrated Harry Potter character in the series."
"She is so funny, even when she is strictly serious! But I mostly praise Maggie Smith for her line delivery in general."
Practically perfect
"Julie Andrews"
– __Soju__
"I effing LOVE her story about how Walt Disney waited for her to give birth before filming Mary Poppins. Keep in mind at that stage Julie Andrews was nothing more than a mildly successful West End/Broadway actress. The fact that one of the biggest film producers at the time wanted her specifically to play Mary Poppins AND he was happy to wait until after her pregnancy is a true testament to her phenomenal acting and singing ability."
"It paid off too: Julie Andrews won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Mary Poppins, her feature film debut too!"
A.K.A. André René Roussimoff
"Andre the Giant."
"i was fortunate enough to catch a screening of The Princess Bride in Nashville a couple years ago; Cary Elwes (who plays the love interest) was there after the show and told some stories about working with different cast members. when he got to Andre, he recounted how he was the 'mood maker' of the cast and always had a smile on his face. he even broke his foot during one of the last scenes but powered through it because the other actors had been filming all day and wanted to go home."
"a real shame that he passed away so prematurely."
– 8-chan
These real American idols are truly adored.
Viggo Wherever He Goes
"Viggo Mortensen"
"He once gave my mom some chocolates, she still talks about it haha. In an industry rife with ego and jerks, he's a great guy."
America's Sweetheart
"Dolly Parton"
"She had me at, 'It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!' She does plenty of good in this world."
– Phuni44
GIF by Dolly PartonGiphyBetty White"
"Google her variety show. A ton of people hated her because she wouldn't fire her black costar. She pretty much told those people to f*** off for lack of a better term and it makes me love her even more!"
I can confidently assume Dick Van Dyke has no haters.
How could he? He's a lovable icon and is a very affable person to work with.
I would know. Although it was a brief blip in my performing career, I had the honor to share the stage with the Disney legend known for playing Bert in Mary Poppins.
He was extremely gracious and he shook hands with all of us in the ensemble of our show while looking at us individually with a glimmer in his eye.
He loves people. You could tell. And we love him.