Humbled People Reveal What They Were Completely Wrong About
[rebelmouse-image 18351414 is_animated_gif=Sometimes in life we choose to feel a certain way about something because of lack of experience with it, or a biased view point we may have not even realized we had. The most humbling thing is to learn the truth about things. That's when we find truth and are grounded in reality. These people share how they found out the hard way about their most misjudged situations in life.
u/lksd23 asks: What's something you're willing to admit you were completely wrong about?
When you have never been so wrong in your life, and now our president uses it...
[rebelmouse-image 18349243 is_animated_gif=Twitter. I honestly thought it wouldn't last. I thought it was basically a dumbed down version of Facebook that only allowed a status update and nothing more.
For all the book worms
[rebelmouse-image 18351415 is_animated_gif='Ebooks just aren't as good as paperbacks. I'll never swap over.'
Yeah, well.
- I sell them now, so it's always good to be able to buy my own stuff.
- I moved to a foreign country for four years, and finding books in English was a nightmare, let alone storing them. Moving a lifetime's worth of accumulated paperbacks around with you just isn't practical.
- I can read in the dark, thanks to the screen lighting -- no risk of waking anyone else up with my reading lamp while they're trying to sleep.
- When I'm feeling super lazy, I can just set the screen to autoscroll, pop my head on a pillow and just let the story cycle through.
- Libby and Overdrive means I can get ebooks for free whenever I want -- which, granted, isn't any different to going to a library and getting a paperback, but it's at least faster.
I still love paperbacks, but I'm well on board the ebook train. Choo choo, m***.
Brainwashing is sad
[rebelmouse-image 18351416 is_animated_gif=That good people only exist in the particular type of congregation I was in in church. Glad I realized the contrary early on.
Sisters
[rebelmouse-image 18351417 is_animated_gif=My sister. I always thought she was annoying. The kind of things she did made me rage with anger. All the while, i thought i was the good guy, but in reality i was nothing but an a**. I've made her cry, pointed fingers at her for wrongdoing even when she did not, made her feel like s* on one to several occasions, never really understood her, was never there for her when she needed me the most. She was just trying to look out for me, just shower me with love and care and i wasn't taking it. Feels bad man.
Sometimes you don't understand until it happens to you
[rebelmouse-image 18351418 is_animated_gif=Depression. I was of the mindset of "what's the big deal, just get out and do something to get over it, don't be sad, etc."
That s** me like a ton of bricks in my late 20's - wooo boy. I was so, so wrong.
Eehhhhhh...
[rebelmouse-image 18351419 is_animated_gif=Me in 2010: "This Walking Dead show will be the best thing on TV ever!"
When you thought you were going to be sneaky and become a millionaire
[rebelmouse-image 18350888 is_animated_gif=Maybe spending all my real money on fake internet money (cryptocurrency) over the last 6 months wasn't the best idea I've ever had.
Wishful thinking
[rebelmouse-image 18351421 is_animated_gif=I thought Americans would laugh Trump off the campaign trail.
Still some work to do here, but good job for integrating inclusion and a little acceptance into your life...
[rebelmouse-image 18351422 is_animated_gif=My thoughts on homosexuals. I grew up in a very rural very christian area and was literally taught that gay people aren't real people. Then I went to college and actually met some gay people. I partied with gay people, and I did every day stuff with gay people. You know what I learned? Gay people are pretty normal. and also. Why the f* should I even care about where someone is sticking their thing. As long as everyone involved is cool. I'm cool.
That's just bad planning, but something you can learn from
[rebelmouse-image 18351423 is_animated_gif=That I SHOULD HAVE applied for jobs back in my last year at university rather than thinking it would be a stroll in the park after I graduated
Be nice to your co-workers, they might be right
[rebelmouse-image 18351424 is_animated_gif=I am in charge of one section. I had a problem with the number 2 guy in another section. The guy got wound up about small details I just didnt give a f about, and I told him to f off multiple times.
About 2 months ago I am notified he is coming to my section to work for me. The other people who work for me were worried about a**hole coming over. I told everyone to chill out, lets see what happens.
What happens is he is a highly organized dude that dives down in to extreme detail...and its been a God send. I was wrong, and changed my mind on him. I am currently working on getting him promoted.
Anyone can be a drug addict!
[rebelmouse-image 18351425 is_animated_gif=The profile of a typical heroin addict.
As it turns out, there is none. When it hit someone close to me, I realized anybody I see on the street can be an addict. It's just as indiscriminate as cancer.
They are real, until they go extinct
[rebelmouse-image 18351427 is_animated_gif=I thought that narwhals were mythical creatures until I was 20.
It's not for everyone
[rebelmouse-image 18346913 is_animated_gif=Mormonism for sure. I did the whole bit - went on a 2 year "service" (read proselyting) mission in a foreign country, married, kids, paid my 10% tithing, all of it. I thought I "knew" it was true... yeah turns out I was pretty wrong about that.
Brainwashing is a hell of a drug.
When mother nature flips her hair at you and gives you side eye
[rebelmouse-image 18351429 is_animated_gif=I'll be honest I use to believe that climate change was a complete hoax made up by the liberal media to harm corporations and was essentially something that only China was responsible for. However, after a lot of research and taking classes based on the environment, I have since changed my opinion on the matter and realize how wrong I was.
Oh, so now intergalactic travel is interesting to you....
[rebelmouse-image 18351430 is_animated_gif=Star Trek. I never had a desire to watch any of the series or movies. Quite honestly, I thought it looked ridiculously stupid. I did watch the new movies though and figured why not see the "origins". So, I decided to watch the original series on Netflix a few months back, just for the heck of it. The pilot wasn't great, but it still got me interested. I started watching often and I got hooked! I found myself watching an episode or two every night. I finished the Original Series and I'm now almost finished with The Next Generation, and I love it even more. I'm completely sucked into the Star Trek world and thoroughly enjoy it. Who would have known!
Deaths from using marijuana: 0
[rebelmouse-image 18351431 is_animated_gif=Weed.
I used to be completely opposed to it. Did NOT even want to be associated with people who smoked. Purposely avoided all of that. My mom told me it was as bad as alcohol in terms of abuse, and that it was just as dangerous as smoking.
A little musical appreciation
[rebelmouse-image 18351433 is_animated_gif=Hamilton made me realize not all musicals are absolute crap.
Back that car up!
[rebelmouse-image 18350810 is_animated_gif=Backing into parking spots. I used to judge people who do it. But now that I'm used to it I see that it's the superior way of parking a car.
One thing which has drawn people to live in the United States is the freedom to practice any religion you wish.
While sadly, this hasn't prevented acts of bigotry or violence against certain religions, it has spared people being forced to practice a certain religion, even if they disagree with its values or practices.
One's relationship with religion is very personal, as it only has value if it finds them and gives them the strength and comfort it is intended to.
This rarely happens when it is forced upon others, which often leads to people searching for another religion, or abandoning the practice of religion altogether.
Largely owing to the fact that they found no comfort or solace in it.
"What made you turn your back on religion?"
Logic Over Faith
"What they taught didn’t make any sense."- stupidfock
"The ridiculous concept."
"I didn’t turn my back."
"I just never bought into it."
"There is no part of the concept of creation that doesn’t seem preposterous to me."- pay-this-fool
Learning It Was A Possibility
"I went to a church of England school, which involves singing hymns, prayers etc."
"Pretty standard for primary school age kids."
"I was talking to another girl about religion and she said 'I'm an atheist'."
"I asked her what it was and she explained that she didn't believe in God."
"I was mind blown, I didn't even know that was an option, but it immediately made sense to me in a way Christianity never did."
"My parents never spoke about religion much or went to church, but I went home to tell them my new discovery and they both just laughed and admitted they don't believe in God either."
"I have a few atheist family members too, I learnt my grandmother, now 93, doesn't believe in God, and my Grandad on the other side who passed a few years ago."- CherylTuntIRL
When People Didn't Practice What They Preached...
"People put religion first over being a good human being."- wootmon12
"The hypocritical behavior of deeply religious people."- Taskerst
Ironic?
"Critical thinking."- Apoplexi1
Needed More Concrete Proof
"Lack of evidence supporting the existence of God."- glisteningdinkus
Preaching To Wallets Over Souls...
"The principal topic from the pulpit each week was money."
"Parishioners were relentlessly hounded to increase their pledges."
"On top of that, the church went on a major 'Capital Funds Drive' to redecorate and refurbish the buildings (even though there were many millions in the endowment fund)."
"Somehow, matters of faith were eclipsed by 'The Almighty Dollar'."- Back2Bach
"When my religion had 120 billion dollars in a slush fund, owned 2% of the land in the United States, and made no effort to help the world with those funds."- exmo_fo_sho
"When MFers got ten grand for a robe and a gold ring and a gold cup but gives out soup and bread like they doin a grand thing."
"Churches should be charged 75% taxes."- Outnabout3535325
Too Many Innocent People Punished
"A very religious friend once told me 'It's a shame you don't believe in god, you're a nice person and don't deserve to burn for eternity'."
"I was like...if that actually happens, your God is an a**hole and I wouldn't worship them even if it was proven without a doubt that that god existed."
"I'm open to the idea of a higher power."
"I don't think it's impossible that life was seeded on Earth by higher beings."
"But I'd want to see the evidence before I believed it and I certainly don't think that millionaires who demand money from the poor are the people spreading the word of any kind of savior."- Raephstel
"I grew up as a Christian and even spent a little time working in ministry."
"For years there were some nagging things that just didn’t add up for me."
"I worked for Child Protection Services for years and decided any God that has the power to prevent heinous abuse against his supposed innocent, but doesn’t, is either a sadist I don’t want to worship, or simply non existent."
"If this all started between God and Satan they can leave me the f*ck out of it."
"It’s the bullsh*t manufactured responses from Christians that were the nail on the coffin."- __KWM__
Seeing What Their Future Could Be
"I come from a fairly religious family (some are very, others, not so much, some not at all)."
"I became an atheist at the age of six."
"Why?"
"Simply put, I could see, even then, how badly religion is use to manipulate, control, bully, intimidate, and attack people."
"And I wanted NO part of that."- Dippycat149
"I'm autistic."
"So when I asked a clarifying question ( as I am want to do) at age 6 in Sunday school i was told."
"'Don't ask questions'."
"And that was the end of that."- brumbles2814
No one should be persecuted or belittled for their religion.
Nor should anyone be for their lack thereof.
Do you have any experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
What makes somebody weird?
Has that question ever really been answered?
]We're ALL a little "weird" now and again.
In fact, we've been more conditioned now to embrace the weird.
What is weird, really?
Eccentric. I like that word better.
Some people are just eccentric.
And that can be fun.
Let's embrace the eccentric... as long it's not off-the-wall crazy.
That's a different story.
Redditor CATBVYS wanted to hear about the students we went to school with, who left a lasting impression, so they asked:
"What made the weird kid at your school, the weird kid?"
The weird kids at my schools always kept to themselves.
Now I suppose I'm the weird kid.
Regular or Diet?
coca-cola cola GIFGiphy"Carried around a briefcase with two, two-liter bottles of coke. I don't know if he would finish them every day but he would definitely crack one open in class and drink it."
mytwocents22
Dressed for Success
"He dressed up as a Jedi every day from elementary to the last day of high school and he had a lightsaber and would chase people who bullied him around with it. I'm actually surprised the teachers didn't take it away. He did have some emotional/personality problems as well."
longdongjohnson2005
"Sure, people like to make fun of him due to his peculiar dressing and weird beliefs."
"But did you ever see any Sith at your school?"
"Think about it."
Junior-Gorg
Worms
"Whenever it rained there would be dead worms on the cement… he ate them. Not like 1 or 2 he brought bags with him from home to fill up and eat like f**king gummy worms. Teachers never believed us when we told them so he had to have eaten hundreds over the years in elementary school."
Meow939
"I'm just imagining your teacher's doubtful expression 'He's eating handfuls of worms any time it rains, huh? And brings home whole bags to snack on? Stop making stories about Timmy now, it's unbelievable the things you come up with.'"
HyperSpaceSurfer
Sad Genius
"Turned yellow (literally) because he went on a carrot-only diet, shaved his eyebrows off (no idea why), and blew up his garage trying to make his own nuclear bomb. He died in his 20s after taking too much cough syrup and drinking homemade alcohol."
"I forgot to mention that he thought he had appendicitis and attempted to do surgery on himself, thankfully he only knicked the skin. He was considered a mathematical genius and got full scholarships to several colleges but didn't think any of them could teach him anything."
Cultural_Magician105
The Power
Excited 90S GIFGiphy"The vine where a kid goes 'I have the power of God and anime on my side' and screams like a banshee went to my middle school. He was maybe 4 grades underneath me but his weirdness turned him into one of the most popular kids in his grade."
PerryPimentel
Vine?! Now that takes me back in time. Wow.
Miracles
jesus wink GIFGiphy"He was tall and skinny. Would say the name of a girl in class a few times and then throw his eraser at the ceiling; in the middle of class."
"He did all sorts of weird things. At winter camp, we witnessed him take a large tube down a snow hill, hit a ramp, and while flying into the air, the back of his boot (with his leg still attached) hit him on the TOP of his head. Imagine that flexibility? We still discuss this over 40 years later like we witnessed Jesus walk on water."
Uncle_Bug_Music
Humper
"We had a kid join our fifth-grade class halfway through the year. The entire grade was given a chat about how this kid is different, but we need to be kind."
He spent every recess humping the playground equipment. We were kind to him but also terrified."
"In high school, we had a kid who only wore wolf shirts. He was Australian, so I just convinced everyone that it was a cultural thing. He was nice and didn't deserve to be picked on."
airhornsman
PHEONIX
"Not only was he large (tall and in stature not fat) for his age, like towering over some teachers, he maintained an impeccable straight, shoulder-length haircut that was half neon blue and half neon green that never faded. He also brought his katana to school which how was allowed in the mid-2000s I’ll never understand and had everyone including teachers call him PHOENIX."
oreoloki
This is Me
"Let's see..."
"He wasn't fully potty trained till almost 1st grade, He would randomly flip pencils back and forth in front of his face, he would meltdown if he couldn't get something right the first time, couldn't play sports due to terrible coordination, stuttered like crazy while talking with a very bad lisp, would nearly puke if he ate any unfamiliar food, and daydreamed about Angry Birds during class all day."
"Really weird kid, the reason I know him so well is because he was me. Autism isn't a fun or quirky thing to have to deal with. Most of my major issues were fixed by the time I got to middle school thankfully due to having very supportive teachers, therapists, and parents. Still have sh*t coordination and can't eat normal food though."
TheNobleOne06
Potato
Good Vibes Dancing GIF by Rosanna PansinoGiphy"He made up a thing where if you said potato to him he would do a silly dance. Halfway through high school, I guess he decided he didn’t like it anymore. But then people would just come up to him and yell potato at him over and over while he just tried to ignore them. I felt bad for him."
ApprehensiveLuck2325
Life Lesson #369...
Be nice to everybody. That's all a person my need sometimes.
In the golden age of entertainment, there are hundreds and thousands of amazing movies to choose from, with more coming out all the time.
But there always seem to be some that become popular with the masses for no particular reason...
Redditor shirorentz23 asked:
"What's the worst movie that everyone seems to love?"
'Fast and Furious'
"The 'Fast and Furious' movies."
- TruthYeller54
"I remember one time someone told me they went to space in one of the movies as a funny joke, but then I learned it wasn't a joke."
- zzzzz94
The Greatest Showman
"I will admit 'The Greatest Showman' soundtrack slaps, but I thought it was a mediocre movie. And that's being pretty generous."
- shirorentz23
"Agreed. Why bother making a movie 'based on' the life of someone pretty horrid in real life only to then completely rewrite his story?"
"It should have been an original story about Zac Efron and Zendaya’s characters, with some nods to PT Barnum for historical context and Easter eggs."
"Plus the 'main' song isn’t even the best one."
- Jonbob24
"Someone described it as a movie that PT Barnum would have written about himself, and that made it more palatable for me. It's kind of like how '300' is being told by a Spartian who exaggerates."
- The_Perfect_Fart
'Sharknado'
"'Sharknado.'"
"But we love it BECAUSE it’s a bad movie."
- Mini_Maniac10
DC Films in General
"DC movies, they just seem so bland. I just can't follow it at all."
- Efficient_Stress2181
"With a few exceptions (most of which are Batman movies), DC has this ongoing issue where most of their live-action adaptions are s**t and you're better off with the animated movies."
- CyptidProductions
"I'll never understand the diehard DC / Snyder zealots."
"I love DC comics and DC characters. I even like some Snyder movies ('Dawn of the Dead,' '300,' and I'll even defend 'Watchmen')."
"But his DC movies are so, so bad. How people violently defend them makes me feel like I'm from an alternate universe."
- BeeCJohnson
Poor Dwayne
"Anything starring the Rock."
- Life_Entrepreneur_18
"I swear, I think the only two movies I actually enjoyed him in was 'The Rundown' and 'Walking Tall.'"
- duhcisive
'The Notebook'
"'The Notebook.'"
- StephanieSin
"It does a terrible job at portraying romance or relationships. Bad decisions were made and it wasn't even an emotional movie. The actors were great, though."
- trippy_goth_biscuit
'The Blind Side'
"'The Blind Side.' It’s just a lifetime movie with a budget."
- Seer78877
"Not to mention the guy it’s about hated the movie."
- traws06
Marvel Movies, Too
"I just don’t get what’s so great about the Marvel movies. Every one I’ve seen was a formulaic CGI s**tfest with a bland and predictable plot and boring jokes."
- gyokuro8882
No Will, Either
"Most Will Ferrel movies. I don't hate Will Ferrel, I just don't find the humor in most of his films that funny."
- the_human_dirigible
"90% of the time he plays a manchild."
"The other 10% are 'The Other Guys,' 'Megamind,' and 'The Lego Movie.'"
- eddmario
'Avatar'
"'Avatar.'"
- BatonVerte
"Seriously, I’m on this train with you. I never understood the hype. I didn’t watch it when it came out only to watch it years later and have none of it be memorable at all."
- Germangunman
"The first 'Avatar' movie is truly uninspiring and formulaic to the point that before watching it in anticipation of the second, I could not come up with a single quote from the movie despite having seen it obsessively when it first came out."
- dentastic
'Pretty Woman'
"'Pretty Woman'... A young sex worker falling in love with an old man's (money), and the film portrays it as a romantic love affair..."
- roseotte
'Transformers'
"The 'Transformers' movies are hot-a** garbage."
- shyjuan
"The first one was great because the technology was very new, and it took itself seriously."
"It then went off a cliff very quickly."
- Garfie489
'Twilight'
"'Twilight.'"
- Ali8ly
"Even fans of 'Twilight' know it’s bad. I think it’s sort of a guilty pleasure even for fans of the books."
- hampig
"It’s very much like a soap opera. You don’t want to watch one, you never intend to, but if the TV is left on the channel and you catch TWO SECONDS of an episode, suddenly it’s two hours later and you’re wondering if that person’s twin will wake up from a coma."
- LadyBirdGerhl
'Unbreakable'
"'Unbreakable.'"
"When Samuel L. Jackson says, 'They called me… Mister Glaaaaassssss,' I laughed so godd**n hard. It was ridiculous."
- KieshaK
'The Polar Express'
"'The Polar Express'!"
- dontmindmeimjust1cat
"God, I can't stand that movie. It's boring and the animation is creepy."
- just-doing-a-job
Though there's a lot to choose from in the entertainment world, it's obvious that there are bound to be some films that simply go wrong.
But this is also a reminder that everyone likes different things, and what might be popular for one will be a flop for the next.
For anyone seeking an adventure or way to grow themselves as a person, traveling and learning about other cultures is a great tool.
But there are some places that really are not worth traveling to, and it's better to save money for other destinations.
Redditor SaggyT*tsSusan asked:
"Reddit, what is the worst city that you have ever been to (worldwide)?"
Johannesburg
"I've never been more terrified than when traveling into Johannesburg, South Africa. Our business partner drove us into town and she started removing her earrings, wedding band, etc."
"I asked her why and she said that the bandits would cut jewelry off of you if they stopped your car, so it's better to put it in the glove box."
"Our client was a major bank; to enter, you had to stand in a tiny plexiglass airlock where the guards (with machine guns) could inspect you before letting you inside. Once in, it was just like any other business anywhere, cubicle farms and conference rooms."
- gecampbell
N'Djamena
"N'Djamena, Chad. Where the human spirit goes to die."
- redditslim
"I watch this travel YouTuber who's been to tons of bad and impoverished places in the world, but he always manages to find something interesting and positive about the place. He went to South Sudan when they were in the middle of a civil War and still made a cool video hanging out with tribal leaders."
"He had absolutely nothing nice to nice to say about N'Djamena."
- CleanNDopeAsMethSoap
Cairo
"It’s gotta be either Cairo, Egypt, or Cairo, Illinois."
- HutSutRawlson
"I drive through Cairo, IL., several times a month going from MO to TN. I've always referred to it as a Scooby-Doo ghost town. It feels as though another building has fallen down every few trips."
- Clyne
Port-au-Prince
"Port-au-Prince, Haiti. If you know, you know."
"I'll put it this way: I spent time in Afghanistan and it was nicer than Haiti by a long shot."
- UJMRider1961
"I have only passed through Port-au-Prince and it was ... sad. And a bit scary. We were there as part of a company relief effort after a hurricane that hit the island."
"We entered Labadee from a cruise ship (yes, I understand the optics of that but the passage was donated by a cruise line). Mostly we were there to hand out supplies and kept largely to the port areas."
"There's a hardness and desperation there that I have never experienced before. There were some military types around and though they were doing their best to put on their best show, I saw some brutality that I never expected so close to the US."
- frank-sarno
Haiti In General
"It's crazy that only two percent of Haiti's land is still forested. Farming cash crops during colonialism and then timber exports to pay off their 'debt' to France after the revolution."
- Occams_l2azor
"I will never forget, I was in the car which was heading towards the border. We drove through the green forest/jungle on the Dominican side, and then I started to spot the yellow hills. Just plain yellow because of deforestation."
"And the driver just said, 'Yes, here it is green, there it's yellow.' What also shocked me was how much the Dominicans hated the Haitians."
- Nightotter3
"You can easily see the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic from outer space."
- Tom__mm
Pork Moresby
"Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. I went there once to consult on building construction, and I wouldn't go there again even if they pay me the CEO's salary. I may not live to enjoy those salaries."
- flyden1
Sinhaloukville
"Sinhaloukville, Cambodia."
"I’ve been to third-world cities before, and this place wasn’t the dirtiest or most dangerous. What it was, was horribly creepy."
"The place is filled with ‘compounds’ containing Chinese-owned casinos. What I saw was like a building site, with new compounds being built everywhere (the shiny newness of these places contrasted with the general grubbiness outside of them). The place is really two cities in one: the hidden parts owned by the casinos, and the rest."
"I knew nothing about the city. I was only there because it was the port for ferries going to the islands off the coast of Cambodia (the one I went to was lovely). However, these places gave me the creeps, even though I knew nothing about them. I just put that down to hating casinos."
"Only later did I learn that these places were centers of slavery and extortion rackets, run mostly by mainland Chinese gangsters. They entice people from elsewhere (many from China itself, Thailand, or Vietnam) with promises of good jobs, but once there they are enslaved and forced to work in various kinds of online rackets. If they complain or try to escape, they risk all sorts of nasty punishments."
"The local authorities are basically in the pay of the scammers… basically, China itself cracked down on criminal gangs engaged in such scams, so many of them moved here. The locals don’t like it, but are powerless to prevent it; these 'compounds' essentially rule themselves, and their owners have enough cash to be immune from consequences."
- Malthus1
Doula
"Doula, Cameroon. The whole place seems ready to implode at any time."
- Tonysaiz
"Mossy, rainy, muddy. A town built on the edge of mangrove swamps by the colonial French. Seems likely to return to the swamps in a few more decades."
- thirdworldfever
Rio de Janeiro
"Controversially, Rio de Janeiro. I was there for four days, got robbed IN MY HOTEL, robbed on the street, got eaten by bed bugs, a few friends got robbed on the beach by the police, another robbed in the street at knifepoint, and a guy in the hotel got kidnapped in a car at gunpoint and then kicked out of the car as it was still driving."
"We got caught in a riot between police and football fans and got pinned against a wall while the police shot rubber bullets at us, and I nearly got beaten up by local girls who took offense at their men trying to dance with me."
"As somewhere that is apparently famous for its nightlife, we couldn’t find a decent bar/club anywhere on three out of the four nights."
"For balance, I really enjoyed the lapa street party and football game, but it genuinely felt like the shadiest place I’ve ever been to (and I’ve been to San Pedro Sula, previously known as the murder capital of the world)."
"In case anyone thinks I’m just a rubbish traveler, the stuff in the hotel was locked in a locker, so it was the staff that robbed me. On the street, I made sure my money was stashed in my bra so they only got a few quid, and we didn’t go anywhere dodgy, stuck to the tourist stuff, and traveled safely."
- StrategyKing4024
Ashgabat
"Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. So much money wasted on empty white marble building. So much poverty."
- kinda_alone
Baghdad
"Baghdad. The sad thing was you could tell that it used to be nice. I flew in by helicopter and saw that a lot of houses had swimming pools. They didn't use them for swimming anymore though, they filled them with their household garbage."
- blanchasaur
Manila
"Manila (capital of the Philippines)."
"A third of the population lives below the poverty level... and that's the Manila poverty level, which is pretty f**king poor. It's enough to give you nightmares if you leave the rich parts."
"You can insulate yourself from the rest of the city, by staying in the fancy parts, like the Makati, but you can't escape the air pollution or the trash."
"There was a storm last time I was there. Cubic miles of trash had washed out of the city, into the river, and into Manila Bay. Along the fancy hotels path at the edge of the bay, there were waves washing up against the wall... but the trash was floating a foot thick on the surface, and so the waves were TRASH WAVES."
"Well, maybe there are historic Asian things? Nope, sorry, the city was bombed to rubble and the end of World War 2. All that's left are the foundations of the Intramuros, which are interesting, but not worth the walk through the slums."
"Ugh."
- reggie_fink-noddle
Dubai
"Dubai."
"When I got back, a friend who had lived there for a few years asked me what I thought."
"I said, 'Well, I'll be honest, it lacked soul to me, it was depressing and materialistic and soulless to me. It genuinely made me a worse person somehow. But I'm a tourist, you lived there, surely you experienced the real Dubai.'"
"He said, 'No, you summed it up.'"
- bqzs
Las Vegas
"Las Vegas. Soul-less and empty."
"No one is actually FROM LV. Everyone moved there for the promise of service jobs, but most of them have crashed and burned. Most people who work there live in gated communities as far from the city as possible."
"If you go there as a tourist or for a convention, it seems all shiny and bright. Restaurants and casinos are all glittery."
"But if you step off the strip, it’s a s**tty, gritty mess. Lots of poverty and drugs. S**tty motels where the semi-homeless live. Terrible bleak-looking houses. The fake soul-less of Jacksonville with the poverty of Detroit."
- wilburstiltskin
Though traveling can be amazing, there are some places that simply do not live up to the hype.
These Redditors may be able to cross these places off as locations they've visited, but it seems there isn't much else positive they can say about the experience.