People Predict The Things We’ll Eventually Learn Are Actually Really Bad For Us After It’s Too Late
Do you ever wonder what will be the cigarettes or sugary soda of our generation?
Reddit user Walbricks asked the internet:
What will be the "turns out cigarettes are bad for us" of our generation?
Here is some of the most fun speculation.
A Recess From Recess
This will get super buried. Children's play is being increasingly cut out of schools and early years programming in an attempt to cram in more "academic" content. Thing is, young children learn more from play (including academic skills) than from classroom settings and flash cards. We're going to see much higher levels of developmental delays and mental health issues over the next few decades unless something changes soon. mogy-bear
The Age Of Fame
Living an easy life.
Seriously, it's becoming evident that our lifestyle with little meaning or struggle has caused our depression.
It used to be if you toiled in the field with blood sweat and tears all day, you put food on the table at the end, you felt successful and happy.
Now you just go to a boring job for 8 hours and you can put food on the table and you feel no gratification in having that food, so you have to dream bigger.
Now you're not successful unless you have a big house, 5 cars, a successful instagram or youtube channel, whatever you decide you want, but the problem is it's all a hell of a lot harder and RARER than just being able to work in the field, come home and have a nice meal for the family, so a lot less people will ever have that happiness. GourmetCoffee
Muscle Malevolence
Truthfully I wouldnt be surprised if its pre-workout powders/drinks. Like 7-10 years ago when the original jack3d came out...I think its very possible that stuff couldve messed my body up more than I suspect. Pre-workouts were basically amphetamines and other who knows junk. sATLite
Stimulus Package
The systematic, scientific, concentrated battle for our attention. App notifications, Skinner box games, easy access to diversion at all times via our phones, lack of silence due to music streaming, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. We are being trained out of being able to handle stillness and silence, and our brains aren't designed to handle constant anxiety and jumping of attention from thing to thing without a feeling of completion. Basically all streaming services now autoplay, most popular games are infinite (Clash of Clans, Hearthstone, Bubble Witch, etc), most people work in the service industry so they don't get a feeling of a completed job.
I'm not sure how I would shorten this idea, but the prevalence of machine-learned delivery of instant gratification aimed at our psychological weak points available at our fingertips at literally all times probably isn't going to help us deal with the awkwardness that is real life relationships between us with each other, and us with the world. SpenceOrSpencer
Rock-A-Bye
Former sleep researcher here, this is definitely the answer. We already know the numerous public health implications-- not only in lower grades for students, but also more medical errors, more traffic accidents, the cause of many plane crashes, etc-- yet it's still seen as a sign of weakness if you want to sleep a normal amount. Not to mention lack of sleep messes with your hormones and can be a factor in obesity, depression, breast cancer,(?) and more. TheRainbowConnection
GTL
Tanning. People generally have accepted that excessive UV exposure is bad for you but I haven't seen this translate into behavioral changes for society as a whole. LePope315
No Fat, More Problems
It's already happening, but Low-Fat products. They are jacked up with sugar and not at all healthy for you.
Also I'm so happy that this war on Fat is coming to an end. I literally eat ghee and avocados all day and lose weight. tanishine
That's Ear-y
I'm 28, been playing in bands and using headphones since I was a preteen. Started experiencing tinnitus symptoms on a daily basis this year. I used to not think about loud noise but being around construction on the street is stressful now because I can feel when my ears are being abused. We still don't know how to repair inner ear damage so start wearing earplugs/turning down your music devices now cause if you mess up your hearing, it's only the rest of your life. remis-angelico
Breathing
London breaks yearly EU limits on pollution within weeks of the new year. The government had been sued for not doing enough. And yet they're still doing practically nothing, their best plan right now is to ban petrol and diesel vehicles in 2040. jaredjeya
Blatant Refusal
"Turns out that filling the ocean with plastic refuse wasn't the smartest thing people in the early 21st century did."
- Quote from 22nd century textbook.
Beware Of The Plastics
Plastics, at least for foodstuffs (i.e. packaging, containers, plates, etc.). We keep finding out that certain kinds of/things in plastic are harmful to us. The answer so far has been to avoid those particular things, but then we just find the next thing that's bad for us. We know that most plastic leaches chemicals when heated up, yet most people still throw it in the dishwasher. stink3rbelle
The Internet Is For...What Now?!
Putting your entire life online, and having it all stored forever.
There's going to be an embarrassing digital paper trail for the next generation of MPs, Senators and diplomats. I'd like to think that we'll get to the stage as a species where it won't matter that you made a comment on Twitter about wanting to eat your girlfriend's *ss like a snack-cake when you were nineteen or because you once sent a photo of your breasts to a partner... but somehow I doubt it. That shit's going to end at least a couple of political careers before they even begin. Portarossa
"Smart" Phones
Smart phones. It fucks with your spine massively and people injure themselves because they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. AsianNiqqa
Das Cannabis
Okay I am going to go ahead and say smoking weed.
BEFORE YOU SHOWER ME IN DOWN VOTES:
I smoke pot. I love it. However, our lungs are made to take in oxygen, nitrogen and the other elements that make up our atmosphere. Nothing else. Pot is better than cigarettes in the sense that it is not drenched in however many chemicals that cigarettes are. However, smoking is smoking. Your lungs are not made to intake carbon monoxide and ash. Even THC for that matter. I know its from the earth, and thats great. So is tobacco. Smoking anything is not good for you.
Now I hear all you guys typing "Nahh man I dab and its healthy bc its just THC concentrate and there is no carbon monoxide." You are right! But do you think putting what is essential oil so hot it vaporized; in your lungs is a good idea? It sounds like a way to cook them from the inside out.
Im no scientist, just a stoner. But that is my two cents. I am an imperfect human so Im going to go light up now.
Also please correct me if I am wrong. Most of this is just things I have collected and manifested myself over the years. I hope I am wrong. And I am aware of the medicinal uses of pot. I think edibles are probably the way to go in most cases. blueblast88
Nosedive
Validation through Likes on social media.
I feel like it's something that was developed and with no experimentation was let loose to the public too quickly for our species to grasp. What will society be in 20, 50, 100 years when this generation's children grows up with the pressure of being online since practically birth, and seeing so many people become popular so quickly and consistently, more than any other time in history. That's why it seems like celebrities are dying so often, is because we're so connected that there's so many more people to know about. Just long-term, how will our basic, natural psyches evolve because of this. I know there's a lot to unpack here, I just always wonder. Bbhmh
Young Learning
iPads for toddlers and young kids.
While it's true that there are "educational" apps, time spent playing with the tablet is time spent away from learning through real world interaction. There are some studies that suggest that television is best left out until age 2 because the brain needs time to develop. There aren't any long term tablet/iPad studies that I am aware of, but I doubt it is beneficial. It's a quick way to entertain a toddler, which is part of the problem. Kids need to learn how to be bored. The alphabet, counting, and reading can wait. Shostakovich22
This Ain't Working Out
8 hour work days. It doesn't sound like it's would be bad but you gotta take into consideration a couple hours travel time to and fro. So 24 hours in a day 10 hours work related Supposed to get 8 hours of sleep That leaves you with 6 hours of time with your kids, meals, chores around the house cooking, cleaning taking the mutt out. I'm sorry but this isn't work life balance.
So when at the top of this list I see "not enough sleep" I have to wonder is it not enough or not enough of our own time to spend on you know, yourself. Family etc. I seriously would love to have 8 hours of sleep but can't ever get it because a) I can't fall asleep when I'm not tired and B) I find it hard to want to sleep in the hours I have left from the day of pretending, faking, acting like I give a sh*t about the things in life that I value only for the output I need to carry on with this viscous routine of wake work sh*t sleep. xsladex
Sitting Here, Reading This
Blue light - without. a. doubt. I work is vision research and can tell you this is no joke. Already mountains of data showing that blue light is F***ING up our vision and our circadian rhythym which leads to a host of serious health issues. The research is relatively new as the iPhone and the proliferation of smartphone users is only about 10 years old. It's everywhere, but high energy light from smartphones and tablets in particular as they emit the highest levels and are held in very close proximity to our faces. We even put them in HMDs and strap them to our faces now! They make iPad mounts for car seats and baby strollers, etc. Myopia is up 40% with gen Z and misdiagnosis of ADD/ADHD is also skyrocketing. Manufacturers know this and are trying to engineer a solution as fast as possible, but it's not easy. If you educated most people on the actual dangers, they still would not put down their phones. I have seen all the research (it's solid and terrifying) and am still typing this message on my Pixel like a dumbass. We will definitely look back on this time and judge ourselves for smoking in front of our kids and giving them cigarettes for their 10th birthday. JJ916
Not The Lemons, Too!
People who put lemons in a water bottle to "detox" and end up with acid constantly on their teeth for 8 hours a day. HFCMM
Loud Noise, My Boys
I'm a construction worker, and most older/ retired Carpenters I know have horrible hearing. Now they have more rules and regulations, and availability for protection.
Some people refuse proper PPE to try and look "cool" or "tough", when it's just stupid. Retired workers tend to suffer from constant ringing or severe to complete hearing loss.
I tie my ear plugs to the back of my Hardhat, for constant availability. Also, keeping extra in your car, pouches, purse, or whatever, wouldn't be a terrible idea. Protect your hearing while you still have it, kids. KellsUser
| Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay |
How many people do you know battling addictions?
According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction is "a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual's life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences."
Hearing from those who have battled addictions––and come out the other side––can be remarkably eye-opening, as we were reminded once Redditor YoshBotArmy asked the online community,
"People who have beaten an addiction... what's your secret?"
"I'd then check off..."
"Alcohol. The "one day at a time" approach was too much. I made a chart with a 24 hour day broken up into 15 minutes. For example: 8:00-8:15. [ ]
8:15-8:30. [ ]
8:30-8:45. [ ]
I'd then check off a box for every fifteen minutes I didn't drink. This really boosted my confidence because although I may have only gone two hours without drinking, my brain focused on the 8 boxes I checked off.
Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, etc.
It's now been 8 years."
"You need to want to quit..."
"You need to want to quit, otherwise, it will be a fight against yourself. I quit smoking about 15 years ago after being a smoker for like 18 years. I decided to quit several times but never stuck, always found a reason to fall back into the habit. One day my 4yo daughter told me that she was going to find a way to save me from cancer because smokers are bound to get it. After that, I couldn't stand cigarettes anymore and quit within the week. Never again. I wanted to be there for my girl more than anything else."
"The lesson to take away from this..."
"I realised my binge eating was due to a general lack of self-control. I developed bulimia (exercise is my poison) trying to counteract it, and I still struggle with that.
I struggled with it for years and tried everything under the sun to stop it. It wasn't until I started practicing Stoicism that I started seeing life differently. Then a couple of years into that, I overheard a colleague say "it's all about finding balance" in a conversation about the challenges life throws at you. That quote stuck with me for about a year until I realised I have no sense of balance because I used to be an extremely black and white/all or nothing character.
It's now been 2 years since I completely stopped binge eating, and it was all due to having that epiphany. Took practice to get into good eating habits and a routine with meals but I'm all good now.
The lesson to take away from this - teach your children self-control and the ability to say no to themselves. My parents gave me everything I wanted so I had to teach myself this throughout my early 20s."
"That does not mean..."
"You have to learn to give yourself grace.
Relapses happen. I self-mutilate. I will do incredible for months. Then one negative thought can send me into a spiral and I harm myself.
That does not mean that I undid any of the hard work I had done up to this point. I acknowledge that I made a mistake, identify my triggers, and make an effort to start clear of them. Take a deep breath and try again."
A valuable observation.
"I kicked the habit..."
"I wasn't physically addicted to marijuana, but I had such a mental dependency on it that it was pretty much like being addicted. I couldn't function without it.
I kicked the habit by pursuing a girl. I really wanted to date her, and I didn't want her to know that I was actively smoking weed. I stopped smoking weed because I'd fallen in love with a girl. I'm now married to her, and I haven't smoked weed in over 4 years."
"The most important thing..."
"The most important thing I ever learned was not to fight cravings. I don't mean to give in and use when a craving strikes but for a long time simply feeling the craving was awful. I tried so much to avoid the feeling because I was scared of it.
I saw the suggestion to actually indulge the feeling and just let it wash over you. When I tried it, it was still uncomfortable to want to use but by letting myself feel the craving fully I was able to let it go and move on with my day more easily. Fighting the craving just made me suffer."
Sound advice.
"I wore a rubber band..."
"I wore a rubber band around my arm and anytime I thought about my addiction, I would snap it and hurt myself. That way, I associated my addiction with pain and eventually broke my body's natural desire for it."
It turns out this has merit.
"I have no idea..."
"Coffee. I was a serious caffeine addict (like 12 cups a day), and one day for no reason I just woke up and ... didn't feel like having coffee. I've had maybe 5 cups of coffee in the 10 years since then.
I have no idea why it happened, but I haven't felt a craving for it in years. I wish that would happen for my other bad habits."
"I don't think..."
"I don't think it's a secret. Understanding the addiction. Knowing that it takes time for the chemicals in your brain to reset. Knowing it's gonna suck. Being prepared as best you can. Knowing it's going to be a battle."
"I'm not very far..."
"It was really taking a toll on my overall health and one day I woke up and said never again. I'm not very far into recovery and I've never been to a meeting or anything. I know I can't have it around me or I'll relapse."
We are proud of anyone who manages to beat an addiction and who can speak about their experience so candidly. And if any of you out there are struggling, we're rooting for you.
The SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is a great resource, as is the National Suicide Prevention hotline (1-800-273-8255).
Have some of your own stories? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments section below.
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I'm just spitballing here, but it seems to me that pretty much that weapons of war are among humanity's worst creations. Sure: We live in an anarchic world. States can never be certain of another state's intentions. Conflicts are bound to break out. But in a perfect world––and a man can dream––none of this would be necessary.
It seems I'm not alone in this, either. People had opinions of their own after Redditor Questwarrior asked the online community,
"What was the worst human invention ever made?"
"Cheap and easy to make..."
"Landmines. Cheap and easy to make, but they remain active and people forget where they put them."
"It's toxic..."
"Styrofoam. It's toxic, can't be recycled, and there are better alternatives."
It also sounds horrible when rubbed against another piece of Styrofoam. Torturous.
"Now idiots can connect to each other..."
"Social Media - It gave people the ability to find others and create echo chambers. Before, idiots were isolated to dealing with just a few in their immediate radius of existence. Now idiots can connect to each other across the world and validate their thoughts/feelings."
This is very true. We're seeing the consequences, aren't we?
"Imagine companies..."
"Planned obsolescence.
Ain't built like they used to - because they can't sell you a newer model if the old one is still performing like new.
If companies didn't have this in mind we wouldn't be running out of resources and messing up the planet in search of more. This would create less conflict and way less pollution. Imagine companies actually making insanely good, long-lasting products instead of cheap ones that needs replacing more often than it should."
"As a medical student..."
"As a medical student, I basically see people every day whose lives have been wrecked by smoking. Kids and unborn babies get messed over by tobacco smoke. Stupid and plain evil."
A great film about the tobacco industry: The Insider (1999). Really makes you think about the cost we all pay for Big Tobacco.
"I can't believe..."
"The concept of Flat Earth. I can't believe people are still stuck in the seventeenth century and still believe in that crap and try to defend it with their misunderstandings of science and physics, as well as pure ignorance."
People believe the most ridiculous things.
"How am I going to pay you..."
"Overdraft fees. How am I going to pay you EXTRA money when I don't have money?!"
Human beings are capable of so much innovation, beauty, and joy, but threads like these remind us of all the horrors in the world. There's a lot of darkness in humans, too.
Have some of your own contributions to share? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!
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Formerly Homeless People Break Down What Most People Don't Get About Living On The Street
Homelessness is an unfortunate and all-too-common occurrence in the world, particularly in the United States. Homelessness has grown to a huge degree, and while most countries have the resources to help their homeless, many choose not to.
It is also difficult to break the cycle of homelessness once you have entered it. It creates a never-ending loop of failed job searching, lost or stolen goods/items/things of value, and stigmatization by society. More often than not, homelessness is begotten by another condition wherein the state or country fails to provide resources--such as mental health.
"Ex homeless people, what are some things people don't know about the streets?"
Here were some of those answers.
A Sad Reality
"My stint on the streets was about six months and due to some bad decisions I made. But what sticks with me the most was the crushing boredom."
"No intellectual stimulus at all because it's safer to keep your distance from other homeless, and you're not going to have a chat with civilian out of the blue."
"So you're completely alone all the time. And to avoid putting yourself in risky situations you stay on the move as much as possible."
"Most cities you can get some day labor work for quick cash but then you have to be careful about people knowing you have cash. You're always on the lookout."
"The only sound nights sleep I ever got was when I could manage to scrounge up enough cash to get a room in a transient hotel for a night and basically pass out from exhaustion."
"Other than that you're sleep deprived most of the time. And of course all this is made worse if on the streets in winter."-HardALee99
The Worst Side Of A Woman's Life (TW: Rape)
"I'm a psychiatric RN who works with mostly homeless people."
"I have heard SO MANY TIMES where women who tested positive for meth have said they use it to stay awake 24/7 to avoid being assaulted by other homeless."
Lucky To Be Alive
"People can and often do develop PTSD from being homeless, especially in rough areas. BF was kicked out at 14 in what was, at the time, the heroin capital of the Northeast, and he very quickly realized that selling drugs was the easiest way to make sure he had food/water/shelter as someone under legal age to work."
"But bouncing from crackhouse to crackhouse— especially as a kid— creates this state of constant hyper-vigilance, possessiveness over your belongings, a lot of hoarding behaviors, etc."
"Basically you wind up living in survival mode the entire time so you don't get assaulted/arrested/kidnapped/shanked."
"To this day if you touch him while he's sleeping he freaks the f**k out. Loud noises at night freak him out, car engines outside, lights in the window, etc."
"He still sleeps better on a couch in the corner of the room than a bed, because 'at least then you have something at your back, makes it harder for people to surprise you.'"
"Nightmares, too. Just... a whole bunch of sh*t, some of which I won't get into because he's embarrassed by it. Here are a few of the choice events he went through, though, just in the first two years or so:"
"He's almost had his throat slit with a half a DVD, woke up with a fork in his chest from some crazy chick, had all his food stolen, even had somebody inject him with heroin against his will while he was sleeping. Sad to think about."
"He's off the streets now, kicked a drug addiction, found a good-paying job, and is about to go to college. But the damage being homeless for his adolesence/early adulthood did..."
"It's going to be a while before he really feels safe. Not to mention he feels like a failure going to college at 30, but... I mean, how many people could have gone through all the horrific sh*t he went through, lived to tell the tale, AND somehow managed to keep going and eventually recover?"-vishuual
Homelessness is even expensive for the country because it leads to more and more problems that resources have to be expended upon in order to deal with the mental health and physical trauma it causes.
Over And Over
"One thing that f**ked me up was my concept of time. Often I'd be up late as f**k trying to sleep and before I knew it, the sun's back up."
"You gotta plan your day differently to use the restroom and it's hard to even find anything 'normal' to do because there are so little resources."
"People don't realize that being homeless is a situation in which no one is really looking to help you to find a sustainable life. It's truly being otherized and ostracized until you die or miraculously get back on the work grind."-SuperDuperChuck
Not An Addict
"I guess the worst part for me was the lasting trauma."
"Sure walking around in sandals because it's all you have when it's raining sucks. Sure sleeping in public is terrifying. Yeah homeless shelters are packed out. Borderline impossible to get a job."
"But the worst part was realising I'd lost some fundamental part of myself and I wasn't getting it back. Innocence maybe?"
"But it's more than that, it's like that Lily Allen music video where she's walking around with rose coloured glasses but the audience sees what's real. Yeah well, you lose the glasses and you never get them back."
"There's nothing that fixes the trauma of knowing people who you thought were your friends or family were fully aware you had nowhere to go and didn't do anything about it."
"You can't fix that feeling of your best friend not returning your texts until you're back on your feet. Or the stares you get in the street when thousands of people walk past and don't stop."
"I'm physically ok now but I'll never see people the same way again. I don't know how to. I used to be a really sociable person and now I steer clear of most people. I don't trust anyone."
"Also as an aside, the people who were kindest to me were always working class. A construction worker who bought me lunch. A taxi driver who got me a blanket. Rich people treat you like utter filth and disappear ASAP."
"I was homeless due to domestic violence as well, but people just assume it must be drugs. I literally barely drink let alone use drugs, but in people's minds homeless = addict."-SunnydaleHigh1999
Stop Stigmatizing Homelessness
"The amount of 'ordinary' people there are that are homeless. I was homeless for about 6 months but you would have never known."
"I had job where I could make just enough to stay fed and get a gym membership. I kept all my clothes in the gym/ back room of the restaurant I worked at."
"I'd hide and sleep in the back office of the restaurant. A lot of homeless people have cars and can sleep in them."
"Gym memberships are the easiest ways to stay clean/ not look homeless. Once my boss found out I was homeless, he let me move into a room at a hotel he managed for free. That man saved my life."-SeamanTheSailor
Food Or Money?
"People seem to have this perception that food is the only thing a homeless person would need to use money on and so they will give food in place of money."
"While giving food is nice, it isn't some one-to-one replacement for money. Food can't help you get cleaned up for job interviews, for example."-CattyPlatty
And homelessness is caused by a number of things--most of which are failures of the government. There are enough vacant homes in the United States for every homeless person to have 6.
Policing Your Own Cleanliness
"What's really important is staying clean. But not so clean people won't give you money if you have to panhandle."
"Don't let people know where you sleep if you can help it."
"Don't take work offers alone, you never know what kind of sicko's there are out there, especially once they have you alone in their environment."-Tired_of_yer_ish
Read That Part Again About How Close You Are To Homelessness
"Former homeless person here (as a child and an adult) and someone who used to work helping folks who were unhoused due to violence get housing:"
"-You are more likely to become homeless than win the lottery. Most Americans (around 60%, that number has probably changed in the pandemic) are one missed paycheck away from homelessness."
"-As shared above, lack of quality jobs, affordable inventory (meaning not enough affordable housing), and integrative and trauma-informed heath care services are the leading causes that keep people unhoused."
"All this to say, you have far more in common with people on the street than you think you do. Please see them as people. I will never forget what it felt like to have someone's eyes slide right past me like I was invisible. "
"No one is expecting you alone to end homelessness, but you can give someone $10 for a laundromat or shower, or say hello."-AbolitionistCapybara
Why Is It Illegal To Have The System Fail You?
"I was homeless with my single mom at the age of 9. In the US it is basically illegal to be homeless but it is definitely illegal to be homeless and have a homeless kid."
"My mom was a great mom. We just hit a really rough patch in the 2008 financial crisis in the US causing my mom to lose her job."
"She could not get another one and we ended up living in her mini van. However she was always able to get me food and get me to school. I am not sure how she was able to keep our situation a secret but I was so ashamed of living in a car that I wasn't about to tell anyone about it."
"I think it is twisted that the government would rather place kids with strangers and give those strangers money to take care of the kid than to help that kids family find stability."
"Furthermore my boyfriend was in the foster system for a number of years and has a few horror stories from it. I feel lucky that I was homeless with my mother and that we were able to get out of that situation in comparison to what my boyfriend went through in his childhood living with abusive foster parents."-psychologicalfuntime
The bottom line is that homelessness is not the fault of the homeless. It is the fault of a system that criminalizes a lack of resources and support, especially in the USA, the wealthiest country in the world.
What would we gain by continuing to criticize and stigmatize homeless people across the country?
It's amazing what the legalities are from place to place. I live in New England, and in Connecticut, passengers are allowed to drink alcohol in the car, as long as they aren't driving. Weed isn't legal there, but open containers in the car? Totally fine. At least we have something to look forward to as we cross the border.
There are some truly strange laws depending on where you go. Here is a list of the weirdest ones.
U/Bone_Donor asked: What is the stupidest law where you live?
Did you know that murder is allowed in certain instances, depending on where you go? Talk about scary.
I’m sure no one will test these laws.
Not sure how much of it is true. But apparently if the Swedes cross the border by walking over the ice given its frozen over, (which it hasn't in like more than 100 years) we are allowed to kill them.
There's an old law in York in the UK that says if a Scotsman is within the city walls after sundown you can kill them with a longbow. I assume no one has tested the law for a while.
The exact gates they have to be within are defined but I don't remember what they are.
Dying is illegal in France.
Kate Mckinnon Snl GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphyOh boy. France has some history and a love of regulation. Perfect mix for absurd laws. Quick examples:
It's still technically mandatory to have hay at home in case the king's horse is nearby and needs some... Horses have been a pretty rare sight, let alone kings.
A mayor made it illegal to die in his town. The initial problem was an overcrowded cemetery, but he kinda reached the wrong solution.
This probably isn’t enforced anymore.
There is a medieval law here that has never been repealed: all males over the age of 14 are required by law to practice longbow for at least two hours per week.
Some of these laws are so silly, they make you wonder what event happened that put them in place.
I think everyone has done this.
"Forbidden to pee in the ocean". I live in Portugal.
'Like a piss in the ocean' is literally a euphemism for something not mattering. What's the problem?
Tigers are fine, though.
film history GIF by DiggGiphyIt's illegal to bring a lion to the movies.
Somebody better have a conversation with MGM.
Define “suspiciously”.
You can't carry a salmon suspiciously.
"Sir, what were carrying this salmon close to your body? Were you going to use it as a weapon?"
"No officer, I was going to eat it later"
"Seems suspicious you were carrying it around in public. I'm gonna have to take you in for questioning."
"Nuuuuu!"
What is the backstory here?
It's illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors here.
I know this is Pennsylvania, but I forget the exact reasoning, but I think it has something to do with homeless people.
These next few laws will definitely make you question these towns’ legitimacy when it comes to lawmaking.
Poor raccoons.
raccoon stealing GIFGiphyIn Virginia, it's illegal to "hunt or kill any wild bird or wild animal, including any nuisance species" on Sundays. However, it is permissible to kill raccoons.
How the heck is this enforced?
I don't know if this is still a thing anymore, but in Texas it used to be illegal to own more than six dildos.
It's illegal to own any at all in Alabama unless the owner has a letter from a doctor claiming a legitimate medical need.
Granted, most of these laws were written a very long time ago. But it makes you wonder, what the heck were these original lawmakers doing? And what event happened that needed these laws to be enforced at all?
If some of these laws don't make you want to be a criminal, then I don't know what will