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.
Off the wall, random information can be of great use at parties.
Now there is also the info we'd be better off not knowing.
But we gotta take the good with the bad.
Redditor SoggyCereal12 wanted to hear about information everybody would rather not know, or have no use to know. (So cover your eyes).They asked:
"What's a 'fun fact' that nobody asked for?"
I do love good facts. You never know when you'll end up on 'Jeopardy.'
Come and Knock on Our Door
"Between 1913 and 1914, Sigmund Freud, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Emperor Franz Joseph, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Leon Trotsky lived in Vienna within 4km of each other. Talk about sitcom idea!"
plan3s
Purr...
"Baby kittens and puppies can’t urinate and defecate on their own. Their mothers lick their genitals to prompt them to do so and then also cleans it up. Most people don’t know this if they happen to be taking care of an orphaned young kitten or puppy so this it ends up being a cause of death for a lot of them."
"If you ever take care of an orphaned kitten/puppy or know someone who is you must use a damp paper towel or wash rag to wipe their bottoms until they urinate or defecate. 🌈 The More You Know ⭐️."
DetectiveBennett
Below
"German submarine U-215. Sank during WW2. Didn’t decompress though. It’s still sealed on the bottom of the ocean with 49 people inside. I’ve always wondered what went down in there…"
toigz
"Death by asphyxiation most likely."
Lord_Dreadlow
The Water Buried
"Lake Superior does not give up her dead. The waters of Lake Superior are so cold that the bodies and the majority of stuff from shipwrecks is preserved. The Great Lakes (all of them) are basically just giant ship graveyards."
Pranksterette
"It’s true, in fact people training to dive for sunken ships and other items come from around The world to train in the Great Lakes. I love this about Michigan, I live here and hear about it from time to time. I desperately want to get into one of those programs. But they are $$$$."
Hour_Carpenter8465
H20 Shots
"Dragonflies suck water up their butts and shoot it out like jets when they get tired."
Killerjebi
Dragonflies are weird. I run from them.
AHHHH!!!
"When a rooster crows it partially pinches shut its ear canals so it won't deafen itself."
KlutzieKelpie
So Many Parts
"Kangaroos have three vaginas. I forgot how I learned that."
DreadHead-Jedi
"And two uteri! They can be perpetually pregnant. That’s why sometimes you might see a mother kangaroo ditch her young Joey when in danger because she’s almost got two more on the way already."
rosie848
"They can also halt pregnancy until the time is right."
NerJaro
Unsinkable Sam
"On 1939, February 14th a German battleship was launched and was sank with only 118 of the 2,200 crew members surviving. Among them was a black and white cat named Oscar which was found floating on a board and was picked up from the water by a British ship."
"On October 27th, 1941, the ship sank to the west of Gibraltar and Oscar was found clinging to a piece of plank and was later brought to the shore establishment in Gibraltar. When British officers learned what happened they named him 'Unsinkable Sam.'"
"After that he was adopted by the crew of the HMS Ark Royal and in 1941, November 14th, a torpedo hit the ship. Sam was AGAIN found clinging to a piece of plank and was described as 'angry but unharmed.' By this time it was enough for the por cat and remained its days on land hunting mice in Gibraltar and then being transferred to the UK where he lived his final days."
"And this was the story of 'Unsinkable Sam.'"
WeeabooButWithASmile
The Binge
"There was a Finnish soldier named Aimo Koivunen who got separated from his unit. He had no food or weapons, and to avoid dying, took enough methamphetamine for 30 men. During his insane drug binge, he skied about 250 miles, passed over a landmine and survived, and caught and ate a bird raw. That's just a few details, I recommend actually reading about this absolute legend yourself."
AbsentLabRat
Good Ole Abe
"Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln was an elite wrestling champion. In 300 matches, he only lost one. Bonus fun fact: He was also a licensed bartender."
thatirishguy0
Well those aren't so bad. Good Abe sounds cool.
People Break Down Which Things Seem Normal In Their Country And Strange In Another Culture
When traveling abroad, one need only set one foot in a foreign country and realize just how different their culture and customs are to ours.
While Americans would certainly expect this in countries on different continents, where they speak a different language, they might find themselves surprised that even our northern neighbors in Canada still have a noticeably different way of life to ours.
And likewise, visitors from abroad, be it Canada or Cambodia, will likely find themselves startled at things Americans find commonplace.
Redditor kerris2508 was curious to learn about things which are everyday occurrences in some countries which foreigners might find bizarre, leading them to ask:
"What is something that in your culture is normal, but in another place is a weird thing?"
All in one shopping!
"Getting a sausage from a hardware shop."- effjayyelle
Self-sufficient babies.
"To leave the stroller. with the sleeping baby inside it, outside a café, while the mom/dad sits inside, if the weather is good.
"Denmark."
"It's a common thing all over Scandinavia/Scandinavian Peninsula."
"I'm specifically mentioning Denmark because I live here."- Lumisateessa
Don't be fooled by their gaze
"In Vietnam, when you order in places with menus."
"The waiter will stare at you when you chose food."- The-tank-has
Make up your minds!
"Using a puzzling mixture of metric and imperial measurements, for example, measuring cooking ingredients in grams but measuring body weight in stones."- TailsxCream4Eva
A dark sense of humor?
"Some casual Iranian sayings of endearment:"
“'I want to eat your liver'.”
“'I will sacrifice my life for you'.”
“'My stomach is tight for you'.”
“'Wishing your breath to be warm'.”
"Not endearing, but 'dirt on your head' if you are upset with someone, essentially meaning that you should be buried'."- fatdonkey54
Read my lips. No, I'm serious.
"Pointing to a direction with your lips."- The_Crow
A unique, national holiday.
"Celebrating a chubby, mystical, groundhog that can predict the end of winter based on its shadow :o."- Senator_Morgana
Be proud of your home, wherever you go!
"I wouldn't say this is part of my culture, but in both Kenya and India, when you go to the movies they play the national anthem on screen before the trailers and everyone has to stand up."
"I'd been away for so long that I'd completely forgotten this craziness and was visiting my mum, went to watch a movie, everyone stood up and I was so confused until the memories were unlocked."- ArterialSludge
We're all family!
"Addressing strangers using terms used for family members like brother, sister, uncle, aunty, grandpa, etc."
"The most common being brother/sister."
"We have unique words representing all 4 variations of little/big brother/sister."
"And guess what, one day you would be calling a girl 'baini' (little sister), that girl be calling you 'dai' (big brother) and a couple weeks later you are dating each other and ditch the sibling style addressing."
"Then you either call each other by name or come up with nicknames."
"I'm from Nepal."- secCcosMOS
Worshiping the ground you walk on.
"Touching elders' feet as a greeting and sign of respect."- ScallionUnited192
Culture shock is very real, and takes some getting used to.
But rather than gape at things with an open mouth, try thinking about them with an open mind in your new surroundings.
And who knows, you might find yourself bringing these customs back home with you.
Every now and then, we find ourselves sharing a story with a friend or family member which people might actually think is "too good to be true."
Even though you are sharing something that did indeed, happen to you, parts or all of it might seem so outrageous, that those on the receiving end simply can't, or won't, believe it actually happened.
And might demand pictures for proof.
Redditor MochaMario99 was curious to hear people's memories which others found to be literally unbelievable, leading them to ask:
"What’s a funny memory you have that if you told someone, they’d think you’re lying?"
"Across a crowded lane..."
"This was a couple years ago but I pulled up to a stop light, and another vehicle in the next lane also comes to a stop."
"The car is filled with what looks like high school kids."
"The kid in the passenger seat notices me, taps on his window and starts doing the universal sign for rock, paper, scissors."
"I look at the light, which is still red, and immediately think f*ck it and play along so we start. 1..2..3..shoot and we tie."
"1..2..3..shoot, we tie again."
"This keeps happening."
"All the young kids in the other car are involved and are screaming like 'WOOOOOAAH' every time we tie."
"We literally got off like 15 rounds of rock, paper, scissors and tied every single time until the light turned green."
"I'm still high from that and hope all those guys are doing well."- djbabel207
Do I know you?
"I once checked in at a restaurant and gave the hostess my name to hold my slot, she then asked for my last name since the person below shared my first name."
"When I told her my last name, she looked at my like I was lying."
"The person below had my first and last name."
"She laughed and introduced us, and we took a pic."
'I’ve never met someone with my same first and last name since."- ghperry
The (odd) beginnings of beautiful friendships
"Started college."
"Saw my brother's best friend on campus, from a distance."
"Hard to miss: Nate's 6'6", skinny, long brown hair."
"Fitting of our childish friendship, I straight up open-field tackle the guy."
"From behind."
"Blindsided."
"It's not Nate."
"I apologize, and sheepishly run away."
"Three hours later, a girl friend from high school introduces her new boyfriend to a group of us."
"It's the guy I tackled."
"Danny."
"Super nice (and forgiving) guy."
"We've been friends for 15 years."- The_amazing_T
"I was in elementary school."
"During recess, just kinda daydreaming and looking at some ravens flying overhead, when one of them suddenly took a nosedive... right into an open trash can."
"So of course I rush over there to check it out, but the raven was just gone out of nowhere."
"I was not the only me who saw it though, another kid came rushing over as well, and thats how i met my best friend for the next 4 years."-
Who knew they even sting?
"I got stung by a platypus."- --bedevil--
Wrong place at the right time!
"A friend once called the wrong number, got the wrong house, and had the right person pick up."
"So, I was at work, replacing a modem for my boss."
"I'd removed the modem and connected a telephone to test that it had dial-tone."
"Soon after, the phone rang."
"It didn't make much sense, because that phone line had only been used for outgoing calls from the computer."
"When I picked up, the person on the other line just said 'Hey man, you want to see a movie later?'."
"I recognized the voice, too."
"It was a friend of mine."
"I was really confused for a second and said something like 'Josh? How did you get this number?'."
"He said he called my home phone number."
"He must have misdialed my number, and accidentally dialed the number for my bosses modem line, at work."
"He called the wrong number, got the wrong house, and the right person picked up, on a phone that had only been connected for 2 minutes in the past 2 years."
"The odds must be astronomical."
"It's just a weird coincidence that I'll always remember."- User1539
I married a star!
"Before my husband and I were married, but had been dating for a long while, I was watching Portlandia and BAM there’s my husband on screen."
"Dumbfounded I called him and he casually said 'oh yeah I forgot about that'."- upornicorn
One wishes we could prove that these truly extraordinary things happened to us when people raise even the smallest hint of doubt.
But then too, one person's disbelief can't erase actually experiencing these hilarious, unforgettable memories.
And, it will always make a good story, whether others believe you or not.
Every now and then, we find ourselves watching a film or television show, and can't help but raise an eyebrow over something we just saw.
With all the jumps and dangerous situations he's found himself in, would Tom Cruise really have lived long enough to appear in eight Mission: Impossible films?
Or would Bridget Jones really get a job anchoring a news show with no relevant experience, and only her innate charm?
True, these just require the basic suspension of disbelief we're expected to bring with us to movie theaters.
Even so, we still find ourselves shaking our heads at inaccurate depictions of real life jobs or hobbies which could have been easily solved with a little research.
Redditor Itchy-Ingenuity6833 was curious to hear what inaccurate depictions in film and TV constantly frustrated the Reddit community, leading them to ask:
"What’s something that’s always wrongly depicted in movies and tv shows?"
Unless you're Superman or the Hulk...
"People who pop out of a sewer system in the middle of the street by easily pushing aside the manhole cover."
"Those damn things are heavy."- p38-lightning
Not even a scratch? Really?
"Outrunning explosions."
"Apparently you only have to worry about the flame and the concussive impact is really minimal."- bootorangutan
Objection!
"Court questioning, and police interrogations."- Gromit801
It's not like it's a rare condition!
"How to properly use a goddamn inhaler for asthma!!"- MrSubterranean·
If only it was that easy...
"The way that apparently crime labs solve crimes with DNA tests and unlimited access to every camera in every building in the city."
What was that?
"How absolutely loud gun fire is especially in enclosed spaces."
"Hero in a concrete stairwell, no hearing protection."
"BANG BANG BANG."
"Then hears footsteps as someone sneaks up on them."
"You'd be deaf and ears ringing for a day after."- EditorNo2545
Is anyone that strong willed?
"When their entire family or friend group dies, but they're absolutely fine after a minute or two and just move on."- h0tmessm0m
"To boldly go where no man has gone before..."
"That the only thing to worry about in space movies is if a planet has oxygen or not."- SleepyMage
Safety first!
"It always bothers me how long people look over at their passenger when driving."
"KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD."- Quillboy14
"Spare time."
"When do these people work and where does the money come from?"- Graceland1979
It's safe to say that very few people watch films and tv shows just to see a perfect depiction of their own, possibly humdrum lives.
But one can't help but wonder how many millennials were more than a little shocked by the type of apartment they could afford in New York after growing up on Friends or Will & Grace.
Or worse, that there is no Central Perk.