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People Explain What Made Them Realize That Humanity Is Doomed

People Explain What Made Them Realize That Humanity Is Doomed
Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

An act of kindness. Strangers lending a helping hand. People from all walks of life sharing a few laughs. These are examples of the things in life that offer a ray of hope for the human race.

We could stand to see more of these positive situations in life, especially in our current political climate.

As the past few years seemed to have brought out the absolute worst in people during the bleakest of times, Redditor MOSTLYSANEBOI wondered if we as a species are still on the right track.


Curious to hear what strangers online have witnessed that left them feeling otherwise, the Redditor asked:

"What incident made you realize humanity is doomed?"

Educators have experienced sobering realizations about our youth.

Future Generation

"No event but being a HS teacher."

– Toihva

"why I have retired 10 years earlier than planned. i'll be very poor but I just can't do it anymore."

– bakemetoyourleader

In Need Of A Reworking

"I actually gave one of my fellow educators a minor mental breakdown during lunch the other day by reminding them that our students are going to be of voting age in the next few years. I don't work in a terrible district or anything, but boy, if you guys only knew some of the stupid sh*t I've heard from these kids."

"I love them to death, but I feel kind of sad about some of the people that we have going out into the world. Our education system needs a huge reworking. But sadly, it's all by design."

– psychobilly1

People Are People

"At my previous job, nothing hit me harder than the time I met up with university students from Harvard to talk about our research project and realizing that they're no different from anyone else."

"The only thing that was different was the fact that they had better grades in high-school and or had some sort of family connection to the establishment (they all came from wealth despite their claims). Literally that's it."

"Up until that point, I figured that these students were amongst the best of the best in our field, when really they're just as good as me or anyone else who has had at least a few months of training, and even then, they're still... normal. They have flaws, ideas, dreams... just like you or me. People are people."

"Edit: Yes. A lot of them are genuinely smart and amazing people who earned their merits. But like I'm trying to convey, they're still just people like you or me."

– mjohnsimon

Some people's behaviors warrant a face-palming, eye-roll-inducing combo.

Swipe, Then Swipe Some More

"I have to limit how much I view social media because there are so many absolutely disgusting people being cheered on and celebrated for things that they should be ashamed of."

– black_soul_gym

T.P. Shortage

"The search for toilet paper in 2020."

– I_want_to_lurk

"Yeah that was wild. We ordered a bidet so we didn’t have to deal with it. It’s amazing how much less toilet paper we use now. It’s like 1 roll a month maybe."

– thebeandream

People working in retail got more than they bargained for.

Simple Math

"I work retail and we are running 50% off this week. People are unable to tell how much 2 of the same product will cost. The products are priced with both the original price and the sale price."

– aniacret

Moronic Customers

"Retail is like this. Customers are f'king morons. I worked at a hardware store and so many people wanted male-male electricity plugs for their Christmas lights. We called this obviously not real item 'suicide wire.'"

"One couple came in and I explained why that is so unsafe. The husband was like 'oh yeah. Duh. We are dumb' while the wife kept arguing. Husband managed to cool her off but she still didn’t get it."

"EDIT: Also had a customer come in with an alarm clock he purchased saying it didn’t work even after putting the battery in it was stuck on a certain time. Without thinking I pulled the stock sticker off the front and showed him it worked just fine. Then I saw his mortified face and realized he didn’t even think to take the sticker off."

– Spiderbubble

Gone Bananas

"I used to work produce. Had a customer ask me where the bananas were... while I was standing in front of a 6-foot tall wall of bananas, with a cart full of boxes of bananas... actively putting them on the wall of said bananas."

"Look man questions are free but you can't ask me to point something out while I'm actively holding said objects. I stared that f'ker down until he walked away cussing me out 'I just wanted to know where the bananas were."'

– flic_my_bic

Tourists And Students In A Room

"I worked at a 24hr convenience store in Harvard Square in the 90s and dealt with mostly tourists and Harvard students. Seeing all these people from around the world and all of our 'brightest' minds collectively in one room made me realize just how stupid people are. It’s amazing we’ve gotten this far. Morons, all of us."

– Sirnando138

The Panic Is Real

"Probably after experiencing how rapidly many people turn into selfish, aggressive, uncivilised thugs over mundane things. Each year, when shoppers are allowed out in public, Black Friday degenerates into the charge of the barbarian hordes. I've seen deranged mothers clawing each other's faces over the last slightly discounted 4K TV. Fist fights over who is next into a store."

"Then we had the lock down in 2020 and I got to see shrieking harpies, pulling each other's hair out over toilet roll. Ramming trollies in aisles. Spitting and swearing nutters charging and tackling other shoppers over pasta and water. Bedlam."

"Recent 'fuel shortages' in the UK saw some areas beset by panic buyers, people getting assaulted on the forecourts. Road rage outside filling stations. Scenes not out of place in a Mad Max film."

"I shudder to imagine how people would react to a real crisis."

– [deleted]

The following issues have a global impact but are continually being swept under the rug.

Environmental Concerns

"I studied ecology and then taught Biology and Environmental Science for 16 years. Warnings from Scientists on climate change have become more and more dire, and global leaders/corporations continue to talk about taking action but they don't actually do what is required. They have instead become skilled at making the average citizen feel bad and responsible for it."

– aartadventure

Ignoring Past Mistakes

"The absolute unwillingness to make decisions based on history. 'The last 3 times we tried it this bad thing happened but itll work this time' it doesn't."

– bludstone

The Plastic Problem

"Not rly an incident yet seeing the progression of one-time use plastic waste and how much plastic is thrown away every day. I work in a hospital. The amt of garbage one pt generates is stupid. In ICU, more stupid. And at my hospital there are about 300-400 inpatients every day. And there are 14 hospitals in just this metro area. This sh*t is all made from oil. One-time use take-out food containers…"

– minnesotaris

Megalomaniacs

"When I realized psychopaths rise to positions of influence at a disproportionate rate."

"Something fundamentally self destructive about humanity, not enough people seek positions in society to better society. Far too often it’s selfish people seeking to abuse positions of influence for their own benefit even if it means screwing over everyone else."

– Anagnorsis

And Then There's This

"I’d say 2 world wars in under 25 years would do the trick."

– GooseOk4994

The question we should be asking ourselves is, "what can we do to save the human race?'

Because at this point, it seems that, as a species, we are going nowhere fast.

Allowing total failure is not an option.

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Things People Secretly Love But Would Never Admit To In Public

Reddit user sweet_chick283 asked: 'What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?;

Collection of VHS tapes
Bruno Guerrero/Unsplash

What makes us all unique is our passions and the things we love, whether it's singing in the shower, reading books, or listening to specific music artists.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are judged for our various tastes and interests thanks to social media, and it makes us consciously selective about sharing the things we love on the internet.

Curious to hear about people's personal desires under anonymity, Redditor sweet_chick283 asked:

"What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?"

These aren't really chores for the following Redditors.

Good Clean Fun

"Mopping, im a janitor and generally hate my work... but damn mopping is so good."

– MrDDog06

"When you have a great rhythm going it is something special. I get the same feeling while I vacuum, but won’t let my wife know I enjoy it."

– Bogus_34

Act Of Unwrinkling

"Ironing clothes. A dozen of them. Can’t explain how it relaxes me. I told one person and they looked at me like I’m crazy."

– eerie_white_glow

"My mum misses the days when dad would be out on a Friday night, my brother out with friends and me upstairs quietly playing PS1. She would pour herself a Bacardi & Coke and do the ironing while watching her TV shows."

"I'm sure she doesn't really miss it now that we've moved out and they've retired but it was her wind-down after a busy working week so I can see how people can find it relaxing."

– xdq

Our solo actions can spark joy.

Big Brother Is Watching

"pretending to be on the Truman show and whenever im in my house i act all inconspicuous so they dont know that i know that they’re watching me."

– Bec_121

"C’mon man, you’re not supposed to let him know. You signed a contract when signing up for live views. I’m reporting you."

– doeswaspsmakehoney

The Multi-Tasker

"Playing video games naked at home while eating cheese."

– thickening_agent

Releasing The Kraken

"I love the feeling when you've eaten good fibre and let out a solid long train log in the toilet. That feeling is heavenly."

– therapoootic

"Even better when it’s a clean wipe and not a poo crayon."

– TheWarmestHugz

Ultimate Comfort

"My (male 41) weekend routine is coming home from work, make hot chocolate, start a fire, dress in a ugly pink nightgown made for old ladies and watch forensic files."

– crazyloomis

Some people are obsessed with collecting things.

So Kawai

"Sanrio stationery stores. All those different multicolor pens, a thousand kinds of erasers, spiral bound notebooks galore... my kids sadly have absolutely no appreciation for this wonderland..."

– HavingNotAttained

It's A Staple

"Office supplies have a weird, special place in my heart ever since I was a kid. They don't even have to be 'cute' necessarily."

"Japan's legendary stationery stores is unironically a reason I want to go."

– _CozyLavender_

Not Caring Anymore

"The older I get the shorter that list gets. Not because I love less things, but because I don't care about hiding it."

– Bi-Beast

"YES!! I'm 53 now. I'm working my first job in public since 2006. Today is Halloween and we're allowed to dress up so I am sitting here waiting to go to work dressed as a VERY bad Wednesday Addams. My bf said I'd 'look stupid' because no one else will probably dress up and I'm like, 'WHO CARES!' My makeup looks horrible and not like I practiced, but I DO NOT CARE! I'm having fun with it anyhow and I don't care if my coworkers dress up or not. I'm bein' ME! :)"

– deanie1970

Honorable mentions start here.

The Savior

"Picking up worms from the street and sidewalks when it rains and moving them into the dirt so they don’t burn in the sun, every time it rains I do this."

– sky_kitten89

Hero Of The Moment

"Yoooo I scoot SO many snails and worms. I work as a tech/mechanic at an automotive shop, I had a peoject car towed to my house the other day and it was covered in snails. I saw them when the tow guy/coworker was unloading and I was like, 'oh! It comes with free snails!' and began moving them. He laughed then realized and said, '... Oh, you're serious. Uh... Okay.'"

"I don't care who knows it. These little things barely can look out for themselves, why shouldn't we if we can take a moment to help? I don't care what happens next, it probably doesn't matter overall but I can help this moment."

– chris14020

Why should some of the hidden desires mentioned above have to be secret?

Redditors opening up about some of these would make them a hit at parties–no shaming.

As a matter of fact, I'll totally be down for a Forensic Files viewing party where we all make hot chocolate, light the fireplace, and cozy up together in our respective pink ugly nightgowns for old ladies.

historical reenactors
Sigmund on Unsplash

We've probably all heard some variation of the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction."

Real life isn't just strange, it can also be downright ridiculous.

History is riddled with moments of absurdity.

So ridiculous that people have a hard time believing real life is, well, really real.

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