Top Stories

People Break Down Which Common Things They Do In The Most Uncommon Way

The internet has a nasty habit of stifling creativity. While it'd be nice to say the internet actually pushes us to think more outside that old box, most of the time it reminds you that someone else has that idea. How can you truly break out when it's so easy to see someone else have the exact same thought as you on the other side of the planet? Only they had it 7 years ago and posted about it as a joke. Fortunately, there are still innovative thinkers out there, breaking the mold and shattering expectations.


Reddit user, u/CounterintuitivePaw, wanted to hear how to be different when they asked:

What's something common you do in an uncommon way?

At Least You Know You Aren't Missing Anything

I go to the grocery store hungry and walk every aisle in a masochistic exercise in self control.

Rabidleopard

Traumatized For All Glassware

When I was a kid, my uncle bought a brand new house. In addition to buying the house, he bought all new glass-wear. Well, I poured myself a glass of coke and took a big swig, not realizing all of the plastic/debris from the insulation into the glass was still in the cup.

For the last 20+ years, I now blow into the glass before pouring myself a drink. I will also blow into the glass if someone else would like to pour me a drink and the glass is in my sight.

Super weird but it was a traumatizing at the time...

Good question!!

Jack_Tha_R1ppir

Cereal Science

I drink milk with my cereal, but not in a bowl together, rather I eat cereal dry and chug a tall glass of milk when needed. I have done this my whole life and find the "normal" way gross.

Chickenbrik

Systematically Take It Apart

Eat pizza.

I pull off the toppings one by one and eat them individually. I then pull the cheese off and eat it like a quesadilla. After that, I lick the tomato sauce off and proceed to scrape the soft bread underneath with my teeth. I then eat the rest normally, until the crust, which I eat like a hot dog. The hole time, I was eating around bubbles, just to eat them at the end.

56789ya

We Don't All Eat It Like Bugs Bunny?

I eat carrots weirdly, i eat the outside first, nibbling around until i hit the core, seperate the core and the outside, eat the outside, then the core, the core tasts was sweeter and its juicer that the outside Most people dont even know there are 2 layers of a carrot, 3 if you count the skin as a layer

Laughterforever

Eat As Fast As Possible

Oh eating for me that's the thing that throws people off. I feel like I'm eating at leisurely pace but according to everyone I apparently "inhale" my food

My favorite moment of this was going out with a few of my cousins to our favorite bar and I got a burger there. The burgers aren't small patty alone is 10oz. Waiter sets the burger down walks away for a minute comes back "So guys how's th- ITS ALREADY F-CKING GONE!?" He then walked away for a good while my cousin nearly choked on his food and my other cousin was depressed because when we walked in she declared she would "see me eat the burger this time!" Instead of it just magically disappearing like Pavlovs burger.

Rat192

Flat As A Board

Not sure it's that uncommon outside of Western culture, but I sleep without a pillow. I don't really get how people are able to sleep with a pillow. Looks very uncomfortable.

moobellob

Pure. Unadelterated. CHAOS.

Writing in a notebook. Instead of in order, I just open the notebook and write on whatever page it opens on. Everyone I know thinks it's absolute chaos, but I keep the page open while I need it, and hardly ever have to find it again, and it feels quicker so it works for me.

ck2107

This Must Take Over An Hour

I eat Kit-Kats by nibbling the chocolate off of the edges first then eating the wafers layer by layer...I'm a heathen

a_poodle_moth

Crab Arm Writing

I hold pens/pencils weird when I write, but not because of what fingers the pen is between, but my hand position; I essentially put my arm opposite myself and curve my hand back around towards myself, my hand resting way above the line I'm writing on. I can't explain why, but I remember always writing like that when I first learnt, and my teacher would always tell me my hand position was awful and try to get me to change, but I just couldn't write any other way. People have commented on it all my life, saying I look like I'm impersonating a crab or something, but it doesn't affect my handwriting it all, it's quite neat.

DearQueenie

You Have A Flow And You Stick To It

Eating toast. I rip off the crust and eat it first, then sort of peel the rest so that the two crispy sides are separate (so it's split down the flat edge) and fold both halves so the crispy part is in the middle and the softer middle part is on the outside. I prefer the texture that way.

BookWyrm27

Selective Dining

I eat all of one thing on my plate and then move onto the next thing

TheRelevantElephants

I also save the best bite for last, to end my meal on a good note. If I'm eating a pepperoni pizza, I eat the crust first, since it's my least favorite part, then work my way over to that most beautifully crisped piece of pepperoni.

ghost0427

Uncommon Or Future Trendsetter?

When I make my bed, I hold the blanket by the top with my arms outstretched and belly flop onto the mattress.

Boom. Bed made.

WatchTheBoom

Seeing How The Other Side Lives

Holding fork and knife like a left-handed person, I am actually right-handed.

0FighterPhoenix0

I'm left-handed and I and every other left-handed person I know holds a fork and knife like everybody else. Fork in the left hand and knife in the right hand.

I guess the difference is that if I only have a fork or a spoon I'll hold it in the left hand and not in the right hand.

_wittgenstein

Combining The Best Of Both Worlds

I lie in the tub while taking shower. It's a nice easy way to wake up from the early morning dizzies.

MongooseProXC

Early morning dizzies?

97hands

You know, first thing in the morning when you have brain fog, your eyes are barely open, and your equilibrium isn't 100%. It usually lasts about 10 min for me.

MongooseProXC

Slowly Enjoying One Of Earth's Greatest Gifts

I put the milk in my bowl first and then the cereal. But not all the cereal at once. In 3-4 small batches. I like my cereal wet, but not soggy.

moongirlxo_

This Feels Like More Of A Trot

I walk down stairs with an irregular rhythm where I have the momentum of my first foot lead my second foot rather than actually stepping with the second foot.

michhoffman

Like a galloping sort of feel? Same

Forestt9922

Be Warned. This Is How The Great Butter Battle Started.

I eat certain things upside down. Pop tarts, frosted cookies, crackers with cheese, any cracker that has salt on top, and lately I've been eating burgers upside down. It helps them hold together more.

PM_ME_UR_FLOWERS

A Very Particular Way To Eat

I eat the skin off of my grapes and then eat what's left. It takes me 30 minutes to eat a small bowl of grapes.

stargazer504

I do this too. Don't you think the skins make your mouth dry a bit?

Costner_Facts

Yes, then you get a bit that sits flat on the back of your tooth like its welded to it.

I love the texture of the peeled grape.

picklesmick

This Is So Brilliant I'm Mad I Didn't Think Of It

I eat burgers upside down, because the structural integrity of the burger is better maintained if you can let all the juices soak into the (usually) thicker top bun.

Portarossa

Don't Just Be Different. Break The System.

I make instant noodles in a frying pan.

Put the noodles in the pan along with about a half-inch of water (depending on the size of your pan), then sprinkle the flavour packet in. Stir it through, and let the water boil off. Now you've got a delicious even coating of flavour across all your noodles, and they're just at the right consistency without having to drain any water and lose the flavour. If you want some egg with it, you can just crack one over the top and stir it right in. Wonderful.

(It's also useful if you want to add things like fried mushrooms or chicken or bacon to your noodles; you can just fry them up, then put the water in the pan and cook the noodles as before, scraping up all of that delicious crispy goodness.)

Portarossa

People Divulge Their 'How I Almost Died' Experiences

"Reddit user Typical_XJW asked: 'People who have cheated before, why did you do it?'"

An hourglass with blue sand sits among a field of rocks
Photo by Aron Visuals

Just the other evening, I was walking home, and I barely survived.

I tripped on a dead tree branch.

The next thing I knew, I was flying in the air and landing on my back.

My belongings were strewn about.

And my to-go burger was dead.

A simple walk.

A simple dead branch.

And almost lights out.

Redditor Typical_XJW wanted to hear about the times people eluded death, so they asked:

"How did you almost die?"

Don't even get me started on any and every car ride.

We're always moments from the end on highways.

Back in the Day...

Hunger Games Student GIFGiphy

"Almost drowned when I was 5 or 6, been hospitalized twice for sepsis between 2016 and 2019, and had a stroke this year. I'm 29."

ChristmasKid88

On the Disk

"MRSA infection in the disk on my lower spine between L5 and S1. Showed up two days after a cortisone shot but the hospital said it was from something else. Was in hospital 25 days multiple emergency surgeries."

EatA**FromBack

"I worked for a doctor who did these in-house and other procedures, and it 100% made me not trust medical facilities, cleanliness, and sterilization procedures. Had about twenty patients all come down with the same gut infection, 'coincidentally,' the same patients who came in for endoscopy procedures the same day."

dimlylit_

Saved

"Saving a younger friend from drowning, he panicked and almost took me out."

loztriforce

"Had that happen with a younger cousin when we were kids. His brother and I went to save him, he climbed on both of us and pushed us under. Lifeguard didn’t even see us until he pulled younger cousin out of the water, then we popped up gasping for air."

coffeejunki

Shucked

"16-year-old farm kid me, stepdad told me to go pick up a load of corn seed for planting. I had gone with him many times before, and driven the truck (full ton dually diesel) and hauled light stuff with it. Nobody told me how different it is to haul 10,000 lbs of seed on a big flatbed trailer on gravel. I had a lot of common sense and was driving slowly and carefully."

"Still… 10,000+ lbs pushed me down a gravel hill skidding, praying to god I stopped before the stop sign at the T intersection to a busy highway. I came to a grinding halt JUST as the front of the truck crossed the plane where the gravel turned to asphalt. A semi was coming from one direction and regular cars from the other. I shudder thinking about what if on that one. Don’t let untrained kids tow potentially deadly, heavy trailers, with zero training."

datnetcoder

Finding Tracks

College Sports Sport GIF by Sealed With A GIFGiphy

"Was backwoods camping in Yellowstone and if I hadn’t considered for 30 seconds if I REALLY needed to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I would have walked out of my tent headfirst into a brown bear, which I heard before leaving and found tracks of next to my tent in the morning. Spookiest moment of my life in hindsight."

danvo5

Bears are a no go for me.

Camping is an even bigger HECK NO!!

Several Strikes

Reassuring Jimmy Fallon GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy

"Twice. 1. Woke up to my apartment on fire."

"2. Hit head-on by a drunk driver on a small bus, just after everyone got off bus exploded."

lizard_king0000

Oh Barb

"Lmao okay, so I was getting my teeth cleaned, and I got nitrous oxide because I have so many exposed roots. Well, my hygienist at the time was this lovely lady from Minnesota. Kinda flaky, but super sweet, and talked about her family all the time. So I'm in the chair and she hooks up my mask, and away we go. I actually fell asleep! Except not so much."

"Turns out Barb had forgotten to turn the oxygen on and had been feeding me straight nitrous. She only noticed because I started gasping for air while unconscious. So that's how I almost died at the dentist. I never saw Barb again, but I tell you, that was the best nap of my life!"

CharismaticAlbino

Climb Up

"I was snorkeling. I had my other stuff stored on a rock by the water, about 3 meters high. When I got out, I decided to climb straight up. Almost at the top, the rock I was hoisting myself up on came off and I fell back first onto the coral. If a friendly wave hadn’t come in, I would have broken my back, at least."

Yugan-Dali

Blood Loss

"I was diagnosed with a rare fatal blood disorder from birth, doctors projected I’d live till about 6 and then die from massive blood loss. As this was the mid-90s, they tested the idea of using stem cells from my sibling's umbilical cord; administering the first successful stem cell transplant from a sibling donor and I’m still here to tell the tale!"

Material_Cry1697

These were some tremendously close calls.

Do you have any near-death experiences to share? Let us know in the comment below.

Paper heart ripped in half
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

When it comes to the dating scene, most of us have a pretty low opinion of people who choose to cheat on their partners, not to mention serial cheaters.

But that doesn't seem to stop some people from doing the deed.

Curious, Redditor miaah214 asked:

"People who have cheated before, why did you do it?"

Revenge Cheat

"He cheated first, and I was young, petty, and thought revenge would make me feel better."

- Witch_on_a_moped

Immature and Selfish

"Unbridled ego, unsatisfying regular sex life, and a girl who threw herself at me."

"I was an idi*t, I acted like an a**hole, and I will regret it for the rest of my life."

"It was a hard truth to face. It was a dark time in my life where my ego and my immaturity caused me to hurt several people I loved."

"Fortunately, I learned from it, and while I can't take back the pain I caused, at least now I know that I am 100% capable of being an a**hole and so can choose not to be one."

- Seba_King

Insecurity

"Insecurity. I was always on the lookout for someone who would make me feel more desirable than the last. It was a serious youthful lack of judgment."

"Once I grew up emotionally, I realized what a piece of s**t I was and the hurt I caused. Hard to live with, to be honest."

- Penfold_for_PM

Just Desire

"100% pure lust. That’s it. I’m not proud of it."

- mydepressingpoems

Lots of Options

"Willing partners. It was amazing how many times when I did have a steady girlfriend that I would suddenly get propositioned by random women or worse yet, my girlfriend's friends or sisters."

"Too many times to be a fluke."

"It was like they figured if you are in a relationship, you're worth pursuing."

"But when I was single, most times I couldn't get a woman's attention."

"So it was an ego boost, but ultimately, I decided to be a better person, and I met a person who I truly thought was 'the one.'"

"And to a certain extent I did, it just didn't last through no fault of my own."

- Patient-Quarter-1684

In Need of Validation

"When you grow up being in turn neglected and told you're not good enough, validation is like a drug, and intimacy is the ultimate validation."

"Sooooo much therapy to undo this."

- RowhammerBitflip

"This. I’m just recently realizing how I didn’t receive enough attention and validation from my parents and how much it’s influenced my choices. Meeting someone and having them be into me physically is the easiest validation boost I can find."

"People who grew up with parents actually interested in them and with an instilled sense of self-confidence don’t know how good they have it."

"I don’t inherently feel important or relevant so I’m always looking for someone to tell me otherwise."

- tellitothemoon

The Thrill of It

"Because I was a f**king a**hole 20-year-old who only thought of himself and getting some action. The high of it."

"I'm 37 now. No cheating since then."

- Temporary_Fault6402

The Real Joy

"My ex was done in the bedroom and even said they were no longer interested in me physically or sexually."

"I should have left at that point, but with kids and the financial hit of divorce, I just looked to fulfill that need."

"I later divorced, and it was a big financial hit, but oh my god, what a relief it was getting out. Getting out of an abusive relationship is where the true pleasure comes from."

- loomdog1

In Need of Attention

"My partner cheated on me shortly after I had his baby. I wanted to leave, but I convinced myself to stay. The logistics of having a baby and 24-hour care are challenging on your own. He refused to have sex with me."

"At some point, someone got me in a weak spot. Somewhere between exhaustion, low self-esteem, and the sheer opportunity of having an orgasm were too strong for me. I’m deeply ashamed."

"Shortly after I picked myself up, the relationship ended. I should have left sooner."

"Someone telling you that you are beautiful, talented, and special after being invisible can feel like a drug. I don’t expect sympathy from anyone for my actions. But I do have a lot of sympathy for others now."

- throwawaythrowyellow

The Easier Option

"Because I chose a cowardly and easy path. Instead of going to therapy and ending my toxic relationship, I cheated on them with someone who I had convinced myself I was in love with and loved me."

"As it turns out, breaking up with someone is a lot less harmful to everyone involved than cheating."

- dodongosbongos

Devastating Choices

"Not me, but a guy friend cheated and the reason he gave was that he loved his fiancée but they had very different sex drives."

"He also said that when he brought it up to her (the difference in their sex drives and the problems it would cause) she begged him not to leave and insisted it wouldn’t be an issue."

"He told her it already WAS an issue and, as a last resort, she said she would understand if SOME DAY he felt the need to look elsewhere…just as long as she never found out."

"The girl admitted to saying all this but explained that she would have said anything for them to stay together in that moment, she didn’t think he’d actually be 'f**ked up enough to cheat' and she never imagined he would do it so soon."

- Dramiotic

The Perfect Combination

"A perfect storm of poor impulse control, untreated mental illness, and boredom."

"People on the moral high ground will tell you not to cheat for reasons like morality and integrity; from the moral low ground, I can tell you that the lifelong guilt, shame, and remorse are not worth it."

- LowCarbBeesechussy

Emotionally Done

"Because the relationship was done and I was already moving on emotionally. I just didn't care about her enough to care whether she was hurt or not. Honestly, in hindsight, I have zero idea why we were still together. It DID make the eventual breakup a lot messier."

"I was young and it taught me an important lesson. If you're done, just be done and leave. There's no point in dragging it out. If you're ready to start looking for another relationship, start by ending the relationship you're already in."

- codefyre

Ready to Make Up for It

"I had a perceived lack of affection. I felt ugly and disgusting and like I was just an emotional tampon."

"I would never do it again. In therapy, I learned a lot about the reasons I did what I did and in all honesty, if she would even entertain the idea of trying again, I’d spend every day making up for it and making sure she felt more love then can be imagined."

"I’m currently fulfilling into the man I know I can be. I just wish it took a more positive trigger in order to start that for me."

- Anthonys455

Let's end it -- the article, that is -- on a lighter note.

The Worst Kind of Cheating

"My wife wasn’t around. The house was empty."

"I couldn’t wait for her to get home, so I watched the next episode without her knowing."

"Honey, if you’re reading this… I’m so sorry."

- six6sickx

"You're a monster."

- Efficient_Ad_8367

It's so hard to imagine what's going on inside someone else's head or why they might choose to do the things that they do, especially if it's something we don't agree with.

It's at least heartening to see that many of these Redditors used these experiences as learning opportunities and have since gone on to treat the most treasured people in their lives a little differently.

Smartphone showing a lighting switch app
Moritz Kindler/Unsplash

Making yourself feel at home takes work but not as much as you think.

Homeowners, for example, are apprehensive about renovations because of how much costs.

Even tenants renting a home can feel like they're stuck in a situation where they don't feel comfortable because of minor inconveniences they think requires major solutions to fix.

Cut to this Reddit thread, where the ideas for affordable home improvement options were shared that may make you wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Curious to hear some tips from strangers online, Redditor Super_dupa2 asked:

"What small upgrade made a huge difference at your house?"

We tend to overcomplicate things when solutions can be simplified.

Taking Charge

"Methodically buying phone chargers with long enough cables to not have to ever move one again."

– ihadtowalkhere

"I am a pretty mellow dad (benign neglect parenting style for 5 kids) but I have two rules. Nobody messes with my bedside charger and nobody steals my two pillows."

"So, as such, I make many, long chargers available for everybody. It costs me a fortune:)"

– nicktam2010

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

"Blackout curtains for sleeping. Such a game changer."

– blehbleh1122

"And they keeps my bedroom cooler."

– BunjaminFrnklin

"Insulated blackout curtains make a 10f difference in my living room on hot days."

– TryUsingScience

A Cool Idea

"Attic heat exhaust fan. Our attic used to get up to 140F on the hottest days, and on those days our ceilings were hot to the touch. The whole house was consequently uncomfortable. Now the attic fan is thermostatically controlled to 90 degrees, and the whole house is cooler."

– jermleeds

"I added a passive whirly bird that does the same thing. Heat rises and escapes before it can accumulate to those extreme levels. It also happens to be clear acrylic so now there's always light up there too which helps keep away any vermin.

– cantwejustplaynice

No major bathroom renovations are required to make tenants happy.

No More Slamming

"Soft close cabinets and toilet seats."

– AreWeCowabunga

"We have a soft close toilet seat at our home and every time I'm at a hotel, I completely forget that they aren't usually soft close and the slam startles me 😂"

– PinkHamster08

Nozzle Upgrades Can Do The Trick

"A better shower. If you can't redo the whole bathroom, just replace the head. This also works if you rent, just keep the old one in a box, so you can bring the nice one to your next house."

– maartenvanheek

"I'm a renter and I finally installed a better shower head this year, after just using the default head in all my apartments for almost 20 years. 10/10, highly recommend."

– Am_I_a_Guinea_Pig

Perfect Welcoming Gesture

"My wife and I own a smallish apartment complex . One of the things we do every time a new tenant arrives is replace the toilet seat. I learned that trick from my parents who had about a dozen single-family rentals. It's amazing the goodwill you receive from a tenant simplify giving them a new toilet seat. We actually put the box behind the toilet so they know it's new."

– YouInternational2152

It's electrifying!

Think Smart

"Smart outlets for Christmas lights, both inside and outside. I have them scheduled to turn on at sunset and turn off at midnight."

– Revolutionary-Try746

"Smart outlets are one of my favorite purchases. During Halloween and Christmas, we’re using multiple outlets for inflatables, house lights, and tree lights. The smart outlets allow you to have everything synced so they all turn in at the same time."

– cppadam

Things Are Looking Bright

"Replaced dated lighting fixtures - fixtures are now properly grounded, the interior looks more updated, and there is more/better light."

– SnooCauliflowers9981

Energy Conservation Option

"Motion activated light switch for the laundry room. Never have to worry about turning off the light when leaving with an arm full of clothing."

– AmazingAsian

Creating an environment can make a huge difference.

Source Lighting For The Win

"Lighting can absolutely make a huge difference in the way you feel in your room. Get some shoulder height (when you are sitting) lamps for your living room. You will notice a shift in how much more relaxed you feel when you use those instead of the overheads."

– ShoesAreTheWorst

Home Art Gallery

"Spending a day mounting my artwork. It felt so much more like my home after that."

– GinGimlet

"Every time I've moved, I put that off for way too long, then finally break down and do it and the house feels so much better to be in."

– Triolion

One major upgrade was our VE hybrid tech water boiler and warmer we got from Japan.

The Zojirushi kitchen appliance uses VE, or vacuum electric, technology for very minimal electricity to maintain the water temperature at a constant 195° so we always have hot water at the touch of a button.

There's no more time wasted boiling hot water over the stove every time we want tea or the occasional instant cup noodles.

Game changer.

man with girl on his shoulders

Brittani Burns on Unsplash

"Daddy's Girl, Daddy's Girl, I'm the center of Daddy's world..." ~ "Daddy's Girl" by Red Sovine

A lot has been written about the bond between fathers and daughters.

But there's always room for improvement, right?

And who better to offer constructive criticism than daughters?

Keep reading...Show less