You can't always get along with your family members. Even if you have a good and happy relationship with them, there are some things that can happen in your personal life that you would never tell them about. Or maybe you know them well enough and expect them to have a terrible reaction.
Redditor u/marybroadmore asked people about things they would never confess to their families, and some shared the darkest parts of their lives that they feel safer to share with strangers.
What they do in the bedroom
"I have a few fetishes that sounds werid so I keep that away"
They don't feel tough enough
"I am terrified of being in a fight . im so ashamed that i get scared just thinking about it . so many times a person has gotten in my face and i back down in terror . i see the ufc fighters and wish i had the nurve to defend my self like that . school was a terror because i was always picked on . a woman stud up for me and i never got over the embarrusment of that ."
thomas4004
How much they hate them
"Something I would never confess is that I really wamt my older brother to die. He says he wants to change but I dont see it. He says he wants to be in the military but nothing happened. He keeps getting into trouble. I just dont believe him and I wished he was kicked outta the house years ago. I also feel no sympathy for my oldest sister. She cheated on her husband and got caught red handed. She also hit her huaband and honestly I just dont give a **** about her...or even my family for that matter. Im so done being with family. I found out not to long ago. Something about my dad but I wont get into detail. But lets just say im done."
How tough things really got
"I went thru anorexia, depression and self harm when I was 12 y/o, only my therapist and 3 close friends know about that time. I deleted all the pictures from that year that I could find so no one could suspect a thing and it's better like this bc they would never forgive themself to not have noticed, but our family went thru some financial problems back then and other things that put me into depression then anorexia and self harm. Now Im 20 and ok but I will keep it to myself, its better this way."
The plans they had for their future
"The reason I dropped out and did whatever drugs I could was because I never wanted to make it to 18. I tried to kill myself many times and was never successful."
Their relationship with drugs
"That I'm a drug dealer. Most of my friends know and I also do drugs with them, and I have my boyfriend who sells with me. I can't ever let anyone in the family know because I will be disowned.
The thing is, I don't really think it's bad, selling and using, as long as you're responsible. And nothing injected or scarily addictive. It's only 'bad' in a sense because it's illegal. But I'm of the opinion that not all things that are legal are good, and not all illegal stuff are bad."
How much they hate religion
"I lowkey hate organized religion.
I was brought up in a Christian family and kinda took the religion for granted. the most annoying, cringiest, most stereotypical 'white people' are Christians that i have to talk to and pretend I care about after church for hours. Don't get me wrong, i value and respect my elders, its just that the way they can ramble on for hours about stuff they tell me all the time over and over again gets on my nerves."
Their plans to move across the ocean
"They think that I'm joking when I say I want to emigrate. In the future, I've decided to move to Northern Italy (in the Lombardy region) and will only visit them when it is required. I've already almost committed suicide because of how my father treats my sister and I, and intend to go to university and leave just so that I might have some kind of control over my life."
That college is not right for them
"That I am failing my college. I love them to death and I just can't break their hearts. They are convinced education is mandatory if you want a high quality of life, but I can't find an ounce of strength to go to classes and take exams. I simply hate it, the college, the people, the profession, the teachers. I am having nightmares and can't sleep right because of it, but I will never tell them."
The reason they're happy to live far away
"I'm really happy to only see them once or twice a year due to living 3,000 miles away. I just can't stand them. They all gossip and talk **** and spin their wheels so much you can't even have a normal conversation with any of them. It's all drama and always has been. I never understood how and why I was so depressed my entire life, found escapism through alcohol and partying. Since I've lived across the country I'm sober, have a super awesome family and I barely ever see them, it's great."
Hiding how alike you are
"i'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict at 24. They all warned me that my entire family was full of them but i thought i was different. 105 days sober."
Yeah, best not to say that one
"That my mother, who always said time and time again that she will NEVER turn into her mother....has turned into her mother."
That school is actually tough
"That I am about to fail university. I struggle but can't tell them because they are proud of me."
How they wish they could leave
"That I don't feel like part of the family, I feel like I don't belong and like I am just a substitute for when my brother isn't around. I don't feel respected or wanted, I feel like my girlfriends family likes me more than they do and if I had the funds too I wouldve moved out long ago and they probably wouldnt have seen or heard from me since apart from maybe Christmas and that is only because of my cousins."
How it feels to be the black sheep
"I really don't enjoy spending time with them. I've been the black sheep since I was a child and it sucks when the entire family thinks of you as 'the mean one', then wonder why you don't have any interest in spending time with them."
A dietary betrayal
"That I accidentally got her (my mom) a non vegetarian hot dog one time. I just didn't think when I was ordering. She thought it was the best veggie dog ever and had a great nights sleep that night. I will take that to the grave with me."
About their side business...
"That I handcraft/cast in silicone, nerdy sex toys and pay bills with dong money."
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "
" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk to him about it.
"What is a dead giveaway someone is not to be f**ked with?"
Just Don't Risk It. Ever...
"If you can't tell by looking, it's best not to f**k with anyone."- gregariousnatch
Don't Let Their Focus Fool You
"1000 yard/ disassociated stare."
"Especially when in a confrontation."
"That person is not all there and when they go they will GO."- OGschtinkie
Not As Tough As He Thought He Was
"Dude I used to work with who was absolutely massive got punched really hard once on a night out, unprovoked."
"He simply looked at the dude, smiled a wide genuine grin & said 'why would you do that man?'"
"The guy who hit him did not try for a second punch."- jinxsays
Punch You Oh No GIF by GritTVGiphyLighting A Match Around Spilled Gas...
"When they try to diffuse the situation instead of talking sh*t."- SeenY64
It's All In Their Carriage
"There's just a way that some people carry themselves."
"As a tiny nerd in 8th grade I accidentally became friends with a 7th grader from a very rough background."
"That was the moment I stopped being bullied, and my buddy genuinely never did a thing."
"I knew he was involved in some horrific violence, but in the time we spent together, he never put his hands on anyone."
"Basically the moment he turned to the offending person and assumed *that* posture and *that* stare, the argument was over."
"So I remembered that for ever, and now whenever I see people carry themselves like that I assume they're hardcore."- curmudgeonpl
Tactical Avoidance
"The biggest giveaway for me has always been someone looking around in a situation where they are about to have to fight."
"A person in their face yelling or posturing at them, and they aren't looking at that person at all."
"But are instead looking over them or around past them."
"That is someone who is about to f*ck another person up."
"If you are ever mad at someone, or shouting at someone, and they start looking past you, behind you, or to the sides, you are about to get f*cked up."- GeneralDisturbed
looking history channel GIF by Endemol BeyondGiphySize Doesn't Matter
"Never f*ck with the small bouncer."
"The big guys got hired because they’re big and intimidating."
"The little guy got hired because he’ll f**k you up."- shandragon
When In Doubt, Be Kind
"Spent a large chunk of my teenage years in juvenile correctional facilities and getting into stupid sh*t."
"Between age 14 - 20 I had been in more fist fights than some UFC fighters (quantity not quality)."
"I have nerve damage in my hands and they get stiffer and clumsier as I get older, had to pick up painting miniatures to keep fine motor control."
"I have tattoos to cover the scars at work (IT job)."
"With that I have learned:"
"1: Loud guys are soft guys. They want to be loved and accepted, but start sh*t out of fear they’ll be rejected or as a reaction to rejection."
"2: Cauliflower ear." They probably know what they’re doing.Avoid unless you’re a seasoned fighter or also know what you’re doing."
"3: Smart guys.They might not be the fastest or strongest, but they’ve learned the kinetics of fighting - momentum, balance, and gravity. 1 kid kept a hand towel near him at all times and used it in a fight and almost killed another kid once (caught his arm when he swung, wrapped, twisted, and flung him into a toilet and gave him a concussion)."
"4: Guys that walked slow and never broke eye contact. They weren’t afraid of anything and more often than not had a high pain tolerance. Usually pretty quiet."
"5: bulky/muscular guys aren’t always 'good fighters'. But if they caught you lacking - it was lights out."
"Most importantly though - I learned you don’t f*ck with anybody."
"The wirey funny guy always cracking jokes could be the one take you out of your shoes."
"And, some people can just snap."
"The guy that gets f*cked with can be the one that pops and that adrenaline rush gave the burst of strength to suplex you into a concrete bench."
"Be kind to everyone until you’re forced to not be so kind."- Vadersbff
Be Nice GIFGiphyThey Look Bruised And Beaten For A Reason
"Hands."
"You look at the hands."
"If the knuckles are all chewed up on a big set of meat hooks that dude has punched quite a few things and people."
"Also never fight stupid people."
"They don't know when to stop."
"They will just keep pounding your face until its mush."- punchinthelunch
Beware The Strong Silent Types...
"Those quiet people have a lot bottled up."
"They’ve been through it all in life."
"Don’t be the one to open it up."- Appropriate-Ad-2068
Calm Under Pressure
"Never f*ck with the person who is calmly minding their own business while everyone is freaking out/highly tense."
"That person’s seen some sh*t."
"Conversely, you shouldn’t f*ck with someone who is seemingly nervous in a calm situation."
"They have also seen some sh*t."
"I remember seeing this girl, she was a high-strung mess of a person, who just wanted to sit alone for lunch and chill by herself."
"She literally went to eat outside during the winter bc the boys kept messing with her and picking on her."
"At some point one of the guys tried to grab her arm, and I kid you not, she turned around and automatically beat the sh*t out of him."
"Didn’t miss a beat, and this dude was allegedly sent to the hospital."
"Happened years ago in middle school."
"She was always a nervous wreck, but since then, no one messed with her."- rzrbladess
Sucker Punch Fight GIF by Back to the Future TrilogyGiphyMost Idioms Come From A Place Of Truth
"Usually quiet, calm when confronted."
"The phrase 'the loudest one in the room is the one who is scared the most' is usually true."- Boringdad25
When push comes to shove, and as many people above have noted, it's never a particularly wise decision to f**k with anyone.
Whether or not they possess the telltale signs.
"What screams “this person peaked in high school” to you?"
Let's Be, Like, Entreprenurial!
"Hey girl hey!"
"'Do you wanna be your own boss babe while working from home?!'"
"And its just a pyramid scheme."- Tyler_origami94
Scam Pyramid Scheme GIF by Amazon Prime VideoGiphyDude, Get Over It!
"I had a conversation in a bar with a drinking buddy years ago."
"The guy kept going on about 'the one that got away'."
"How perfect she was and their chemistry together, how natural it was, how he hasn't felt that way about any girl since, yadda yadda."
"He was feeling pretty sorry for himself and uninterested in meeting anyone else because they could never compare."
"When I asked how long ago it was that she moved away, he said "8th grade."
"LMFAO."- d*ckbaggery
Reliving The Glory Days
"I graduated in 05."
"I was sitting at a tire shop waiting for my truck to get done and an employee slightly older than me walks up to me and asks me, with no previous interaction, if I played football in high school."
"Wondering where this was going, I responded that I did, but I wasn’t great at it."
"He asked what school I went to, and I told him."
"Then he starts talking about himself."
"How he was 'all conference' and walking me through all of his high school accolades."
"I never asked for this conversation."
"I just sat there wondering why this nearly 40 year old, wildly out of shape, tire shop supervisor was telling me all of this."
"Then just as soon as it started he bid me good day and walked off."
"It was bizarre."
"The best comparison I could make was that he was like the manager 'Dan' from the movie waiting."
"That was his vibe."
"That’s how I knew he peaked in high school."- aznuke
denzel washington football GIFGiphyStill Thinking Mean And Cool Are The Same Thing
"Still acting like a typical 'Mean Girl' when they're damn near (or past) 30."- cpsg1995
"Anyone who bullies other adults as if they were still in High School."- pkeit32
Not Something To Brag About...
"Bragging about high-school hookups in their thirties."- SuvenPan
Bragging Season 2 GIF by The BoysGiphyReady, Okay!
"My ex stepmother constantly bragged about being a cheerleader in high school and winning a beauty walk (in a town of like 500 people)."
"She was still bragging about these the last time I saw her."
"She was in her mid 40s."- jewelsforfools
In Case Anyone Needed Reminding...
"One guy I knew literally got our school emblem and mascot in a huge 'CLASS OF 2010' tattooed on his shoulder."- Empowered_Jackfruit
Same Old, Same Old...
"Regularly reposting the same picture of the one notable moment that they had in high school."- MissingDarts
Sad Book GIF by HollyoaksGiphyTaking Others Down To Pick Yourself Up...
"Ridiculing the hobbies of others to make yourself look good."- littlebubulle
But Are They?
"'These are the best years of your life' on repeat."- Spirited_Tadpole_508
When Life Is Still A Popularity Contest
"Almost 10 years after high school a guy asked me if one of my friends 'was popular in high school'."- satirevaitneics
But I Cant Help It That Im Popular Mean Girls GIF by filmeditorGiphy"The people that ask you to join those MLM schemes selling body wraps or the like."
"Anyone that has a 'salt life' decal on their car when they live nowhere near the ocean or even a salt mine."- Static_Discord
There's nothing wrong with holding on to special memories of days gone by.
But growing up is part of life, and people who choose to keep living in the past are missing out on so many wonderful new discoveries life has to offer.