Men. Just be men. And by that I mean, just be a good human. You really have nothing to prove against a facade that has been constructed to define what a man should be. You don't have to... and should not just beat people up. The definition of manhood does not lie in physical strength. That is a myth. And men... don't harm yourself to prove a myth. This is a topic that needs dissertations and long provoked conversations. Let us begin.....
Redditor u/CarsonFijal wanted to reach out to all the boys out there and discuss some behavior that needs to be discussed.... time to get a few things clear.... they asked.... What is the dumbest thing you've ever seen a man do to "prove" their "manhood"?That Stings....
nicolas cage bees GIFGiphyThis one kid at my old school ate a bee to prove he wasn't scared of them.
Too Hot!
Knew a dude who said "oven mitts are for wussies" and then proceeded to grab a hot pizza tray out of the oven bare handed.
Worked with a few chefs who did this all the time, they literally had no feeling in their hands and would walk around with a 200 degree gastro tray for longer than necessary to prove it. I must admit, i thought it was pretty cool.
I'm Good....
Jump off a balcony onto an uneven, rocky hillside. The first time he did it, he only got a few scrapes. Second time, he broke his leg and wouldn't admit he needed medical attention until 24 hours later when he passed out from the pain.
Real men don't need crutches damnit! crawls on the ground dragging his broken leg like a limp penis.
That's Not a Horse....
swamp people alligator GIFGiphyTry to 'ride' an alligator.
Uh, a friend in Florida told me about their Florida man who saw a manatee laying the edge of a river. Seeking to show off, he decided to jump from the bank above, 4-5 feet up, and try to land on it's back. What he didn't know is it was dead and bloated. He basically pierced it in the center landing on the bottom of the river. When he stood up to scream it was all over his face.
Up the Nose....
I once knew a person who in college (that's UK college not US college), who would legit snort anything that people dared him to snort just to see their effects on him. List of things he snorted off the top of my head and salt, pepper, sugar, cookie crumbs, basically any spice in dust form people could get their hands on, various liquids, and pretty much anything else you could crumble up. Worse out of all of them weirdly for him was the cookie crumbs. Dude looked like he was gonna die after snorting those.
With One Hand....
happy will arnett GIFGiphyComing from a server. Man literally said he didn't need or want help. (maybe he didn't want to share the tip? Who knows bro) anyway, carried 15 drinks on one tray with TWO full coffee pots and broke every single glass. Did not see that man after that shift. Tried to do this all with one hand.
Mark of the Beasts....
Get branded....
EDIT: Fraternities do it, my ex has 2 brands on his pelvis and one on his chest. His frat bro has 24, including his tongue. Others find out too late that they don't scar like normal they keloid. Which is like a bubbly looking scar tissue growing over where the brand was supposed to be. He had to have surgery to remove it, turned green & puss-filled while healing and left with huge ugly scars.
Great Balls of Fire....
I knew of a dude in the Army that dangled his testicles over a fire ant hill in Ft. Benning Georgia. Those fire ants will kill a mouse or a lizard instantly. He was hospitalized for a long time and did not finish training with us.
Don't be flammable....
Light his arm on fire, with lighter fluid. He had to have skin grafts.
I remember back in my high school days when I was young and stupid me and my friends used to surprise light random parts of each other on fire as a joke. Of course it had to be on some part of clothing (and when that wouldn't be affected by it so no polystyrenes) and we'd just randomly sneak up them, spray them with a flammable aerosol spray (usually a deodorant) normally on their arm and spark it on fire and just watch them freak out. The aerosol sprays were relatively cool burning flames and they'd die out quickly so there was never much danger but boy did it get some horrified reactions from the wrong passerbys.
Did you want kids?
ouch the brady bunch GIF by TV Land ClassicGiphyPurposefully get kicked in the testicles.
I remember when I was in college, frat boys played this game called Rochambeau, where two guys squared off, and each took a turn kicking the other in the testicles. Whoever lasted the longest, "won."
Down for the count
I've worked as a bouncer. Drinking too much and picking a fight with me is waaaaay too common. And really stupid. They end up pepper sprayed and handcuffed, waiting for the police. Real manly looking.
I never understood the thought behind going for a bouncer. You guys are sober and usually built like a brick shit house. Why would it be a good idea to try to fight someone like that when you can barely walk straight to start with?
Bottoms Down
drunk on one GIFGiphyTrying to outdrink his friends. It just turns into a bunch of dudes all drinking more than they can handle and ruining their night and sometimes ruining everybody else's night too.
"I'm not cold"
The "I'm not cold" guy, and his cousin, the "sunblock is for wussies" guy. The former likes to stand around outside in the snow in just a t-shirt and shorts, making fun of men dressed properly for winter. The later thinks 'real men' aren't afraid of sunburns or skin cancer, and ridicules men that use sunblock. Both are equally stupid.
Fried....
My ex was a "sunblock is for idiots" guy. And he got SOOO freaking sunburnt. All. The. Time. And bad. It was so irritating. He was white as hell. I'm half Mexican and, while pasty in the winter, I tan well and RARELY get burnt. Even if I'm not wearing sunblock, I don't burn often. But the sun can be harmful, regardless of your skin tone, and I still wear sunblock.
He was also a "I don't wash my hands unless I'm in the shower" guy. Which. Ew. He went hunting with his friend, cut (butchered? Idk I'm vegetarian) the meat, stored it, and didn't wash his damn hands. I wasn't there so I didn't know. About a day later, he was feeling sick and couldn't figure out why?! Wtf. Also he was a major hypochondriac, and wouldn't wash his hands. EVER. But couldn't figure out why he was always sick.
Let her Run....
Slightly tangential, but still relevant.
Boot camp and we were doing our fitness test; had to run a mile and a half, best effort, usual army bull.
I'm not much of a runner, but I can pass the test fine. Heading into the final stretch and a girl from our sister troop started pulling past me. My Sgt starts screaming at me "SAXOPHOOL YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LET A FREAKING GIRL BEAT YOU?!?!?!?!"
Ummmm, yeah? She's a damn good runner!
I carried on at my pace, finished the test and passed with plenty of time to spare.
Sgt. pulls me aside and gives me a proper bollocking about letting the troop down, embarrassing myself, etc. I just let him yell and promised myself to never think like that. 20 years later and I still wouldn't give a flying fig if a girl beat me in any fitness test.
Need a Diaper
angry bridesmaids GIFGiphyPooped his pants. He wanted to show he was a real man by farting and we'll, it wasn't just a fart.
Mr. Danger.....
Light his leg on fire with Axe body spray and sustained 3rd degree burns as a result. We all just talked crap how stupid he was. But he wanted to show us how... Dangerous he was. It was funny I will say that. I did laugh until I fell to the ground. Because he panicked and flailed after he lit himself on fire and jumped over a fence for no reason. There was absolutely no reason to jump a chain link fence to put out a fire. Then he complained for like 2 weeks how bad his leg hurt. Like Duh you idiot! .
Safety Rules....
I hate to say it about the man in my own family but it's the truth and that shoot huge firearms without earplugs, weld without a respirator, paint in the old days when house paint contained lead, lose their sense of smell because they worked in a water treatment plant with chlorine, siphon gas back in the day when it still contained lead, change oil back in the day with bare hands soaked in engine oil, break open car batteries without gloves or goggles, etc. Mind you it wasn't intentional but my grandparents and great grandparents grew up in a time before OSHA safety regulations and have a tendency to look down on us my generation when we try to practice safety nowadays.
Not to a Girl!
One time, we were running a mile in gym class and I was one of the few to finish first. But while I was running to the finish line a boy started SPRINTING to the finish line. He was chanting, "I'm not going to lose to a girl." He ran passed me and beat me to the finish line by like four seconds. This was in high school too.
Feel It....
idiots GIFGiphyStaple his leg with a staple gun to demonstrate that he "doesn't feel pain like normal people."
Spoiler alert, he does.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
- People Break Down The Dumbest Thing They've Ever Seen Their Pet Do - George Takei ›
- Men Break Down The Most Ridiculous Reason Someone's Questioned Their Masculinity - George Takei ›
- People Describe The Manliest Things They’ve Ever Done - George Takei ›
- People Share The Best Examples Of 'Positive Masculinity' - George Takei ›
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.