
People change over time, and so can friendships. Whether because one friend does some serious self reflection and grows as a person, or because they take a good look at their friends and realize maybe they're not so friendly after all, sometimes friendships end.
Reddit user u/tomatohampster asked:
"People who have had toxic friends, what made you realize they were toxic?"
20.
She always came to me looking for a shoulder to cry on when she needed. I offered the shoulder, too. I only realized she was toxic to me when I never was given a shoulder to cry on in return.
18.
How much drama they always seem to get in and get confused of how they got there while continuing to do the same things that got them there .-.
17.
i've had a couple. my ex-best friend would be an absolute douche to me every day and it took for him to kill the friendship (blocking me on everything) because i upset him ONCE to realize i'm better off. my other best friend got mad at me for driving a drunk friend home because they had history, even though I literally only drove him home so we are no longer speaking. i keep attracting & trusting toxic people so please i need me a non-toxic friend.
-Jill
16.
When they only wanted me around to help them with no care for me
Yes! Those friends who only message you when they need something
15.
Thought i had leukemia or lymphoma, during a diagnosis period when i got really sick at one point in junior/senior of highschool. Waiting on test results she told me that my "situation was too negative" and she "couldn't handle being my friend right now". Alright, you do you, I guess... so we haven't spoken in 4+ years.
Turns out I have an autoimmune condition which only rears up every few years right now, if under a lot of physical trauma, poor health or extremely high emotional stress... and not cancer, but going through those couple of weeks without anyone close to me really sucked...
14.
When they get drunk and disrespectful. Then apologise profusely when you tell them what they did, then go right ahead and get drunk again and continue to act like a tool. Rinse and repeat. It gets old fast.
13.
When I realised the relationship was 90% effort from me. From organizing hang outs, to emotional support. She went through a lot of tough times and I was always there to be a supportive shoulder. I was one of the only friends of hers that went to her dad's memorial. I opened my home to her. Stayed up all night for her.
But she was obsessed with this group of friends she had who were a few years older than us and very alternative. She loved the scene and was so proud to have friends who were like 25. Thought it made her so mature. I had friends around that age as well but I never once bragged about them the way she did.
The last straw was when she ragged on me and another friend for being too "normal looking". Said we wouldn't understand what is was like to be judged the moment people saw us.
This beautiful white girl telling two brown girls who lived in a 90% white neighborhood that they'll never know what it's like to be judged upon appearances. :) That's when I realised she did not have a single ounce of empathy for me in her body.
12.
Me: "You want to go to X?
"Friend": "Sure"
A few days later
"Friend": "I can't go to X, I'm hanging out with my other friends."
Me: "Next week?"
"Friend": "Sure."
Repeat
If I'm repeatedly being traded out for someone's "better friends", inconvenienced because I rearranged my schedule to make time for something that got canceled, and being met with a completely unapologetic attitude whenever I get pushed aside; then I'm not really a friend. At this point, it's rude for this "friend" to even act like I'm a friend because it'd save me time and effort to just be told to get lost.
11.
They asked for a ride someplace. I declined. Haven't heard back from them in twenty years. Screw you, Patrick.
10.
So we meet sometimes, but when they cancel the hangout session, I actually feel relieved instead of bad.
9.
When I had cancer and one wrote me a letter when she was mad at me stating "it's fine though, since you're dying soon."
"Your lupus is not an excuse to not do my makeup and drive me to my date."
Her date. With my (recent) ex. When I was in the hospital on morphine.
I'm sorry that happened to you. Sometimes, it takes being in your darkest place to realize your friend will never hold a flashlight for you.
8.
Trying to learn about my own negative traits and then recognizing some of that in others I was close to. In some cases I found that with the removal from that social environment my own traits started to dissolve. a lot of the older friendships i had were built off commodity and accessibility being in a different mental state i started improving myself, I'd never go back and if i see the warning signs in people I keep my distance.
7.
Going off on me in drunken rages, apologizing, then doing it again... And again... And again. When I finally was like, screw this, she was like "How dare you not forgive someone when they have a bad day!" Also: mean-spirited "jokes", always letting me pick up the bill, general negativity, feeling worse when in their presence, then away from them.
6.
She tried to make me choose between my parents and her after they fired her for stealing from them.
trying to make someone choose is the best way not to get chosen
5.
They were really crappy to a mutual friend. Nice to his face but horrible behind his back and silently pushed him out of our circle of friends. Realised they weren't nice people
4.
They always had something negative to say about anyone's achievements. Their personal insecurities were draining because it oozed so much resentment.
3.
When they accused me of things that I never did. When I realized that I had to walk on eggshells around them lest they blow up at me with their temper. When they began projecting their own faults onto me and others with no self awareness that all of these horrible names applied to them.
2.
Both kneecaps broken. Having a godawful time walking around the house. "Best friend" was willing to come pick me up (haven't seen her in forever but was staying with my mom) to go to her house. As soon as I said I hurt too bad to brave the stairs straight legged she said if she didn't have anything better to do she may come see me. Never came to see me.
I could've died in the wreck I was in and she'd been putting off visiting me for six months. I called her out and somehow it was my fault and I was being selfish. Personal attacks on me and she missed the point that she literally CHOSE not to come IN THIS ONE INSTANCE WHEN SHE SAID SHE WOULD. the wreck changed my perspective and I realized, it's in fact not my fault. Haven't contacted her since.
1.
This was my ex-best friend. We were in our late 30s when this toxicity played out. My dad died after 6 months of terminal illness. And she got all angry when I wasn't replying to her enough, and even got in touch bugging my grieving mum. It's not that she was worried about me not replying because I was mentally unwell, it was because her ego was upset I wasn't giving her enough attention. So yeah, no longer friends. I found out her true colours in my darkest hours (as my 11 yr marriage had ended 1.5wks before my dad died).
She lost her dad when she was a kid, and her father in law had died after terminal illness a few years before mine did - so she know what's it can be like but no, my pain was all about her. A tough lesson to go through but better off without her in my life.
Screw you Karen (she actually was a real Karen)
When it comes to electing a leader, the choice is an easy one if a potential candidate shares the same values as yours.
And while a candidate is fit to lead remains to be seen, we rely on our instinct to choose someone with whom we can relate.
But sometimes, our options are limited and we inevitably go with someone who is the lesser of two evils.
Curious to hear from strangers online about a hypothetical, Redditor Cashmeresquid2309 asked:
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for an openly Atheist presidential candidate? Why or why not?"

Redditors were quick to point out the answer was a no-brainer.
We Already Know The Answer
"Asking Reddit if they'd vote for an atheist..."
"I feel like the answer would be obvious."
– sarahmagoo
Sci-Fi Analogy
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for a Star Wars fan who heckin loves doggos?"
– WitnessChemical
For The Atheists In The Crowd
"Atheists of atheistville, would you vote for an open atheist?"
– nixcamic
Others weighed in with a range of opinions.
About 45
"What's funny is how many of them would probably say no, even though they voted for Trump and would do so again. Say whatever else you want about him, but I seriously can't understand how anyone could genuinely believe Trump is a Christian. He's so obviously faking it and is undoubtedly the most atheistic president we've ever had or are likely to have for a long time."
"This is a guy who's never even so much as read the Bible or attended church, who told a conservative radio host his favorite Bible verse was 'an eye for an eye', who told evangelical interviewers that he's never asked God for forgiveness because he's never done anything wrong, and who routinely commits all 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) without remorse."
– empfindsamkeit
From A Different Perspective
"Not an american but interestingly according to this survey on 1006 people from 2007, being atheist was the worst thing you could be as a candidate (of the things asked) with only 45 % of people saying they'd vote for one."
– ilovecatfish
An atheist candidate isn't necessarily a big strike.
Double Negative
"I wouldn’t not vote for someone just because they were atheist."
– HabitualEnthusiast
Credibility First
"This is it. If they’re running on platforms I support with a history to back up those campaign promises, I don’t care if they belong to the church of the flying spaghetti monster. They could literally be a member of the satanic temple and I, an actual practicing Christian, would give less shi*s than a constipated sloth."
"Edit: yes, I realize the Satanic Temple does not actually worship satan. I used it for that purpose. The Church of Satan has some…problematic views and I probably would not vote for someone who literally holds a platform of eugenics."
– Phoenix_of_Asclepius
Some view the role of religion in politics as important.
It Depends
"Religion can be relevant: I would have strong reservations about voting for a Scientologist, even if I agreed with the policies they proposed. I would have strong reservations voting for a member of an apocalyptic cult or, possibly worse, a follower of the (highly heretical) 'prosperity gospel,' which unfortunately includes more and more so-called 'evangelicals' — I didn't vote for George W. Bush, but it's not because he was an evangelical."
"It depends on the role: I'd probably be more flexible with a legislator than an executive (mayor, governor, president), as their character is IMO more important than for a legislator and their policy stances somewhat less important relative to a legislator."
"Satanic temple — well, that's just an organized group of atheists and humanists with an intentionally inflammatory choice of name. They're generally fine people."
– alyssasaccount
A Bad Rap
"The Satanic Temple is an excellent organization that every decent person should be able to respect. A Church of Satan member, not so much."
"There's a huge difference between them!"
– StarsEatArtBooks
And Redditor boganvegan said it best.
"Better an open atheist than a fake Christian."
It all boils down to trustworthiness. Without full transparency, how could anyone put their faith in a candidate who spews nothing but lies?
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Being home alone isn't always the most tranquil thing.
No one is there to help or protect you.
And things that go "bump" in the night... sometimes they do more than bump.
Redditor ag9910 wanted to hear about the times home felt like an unsafe place to be. They asked:
"What is the scariest, strangest, most unexplainable thing that has happened to you while home alone?"
I'm always freaked out when I'm home alone. Lights on. Yeah, my electric bill is high.
Dorothy?
"I dreamed the front door blew open at the exact time the house alarm went off... I hopped up and sure enough, the front door was open. No intruder."
fatowl
I See You
"Not home alone but only one in right side of the house. Went to my mom's bathroom to wash my hands and saw a pair of feet behind the half open door. Laughed and said 'very funny Ma, I see you.' then finished up and left. Bumped into my mother in the kitchen unpacking, nobody else was in the house. I'm glad whatever was behind the door didn't peek out."
SatanWithFur
“It’s Doug!”
"One night I had forgotten to lock my apartment door and woke up in the middle of the night. My bedroom door was about 2 feet from my front door, as you walked into the apartment. First a big dog ran by, then a person. Holy crap I was so scared and I screeched 'Who is it?!?!!'"
"A man said 'It’s Doug!' As I was thinking to myself, who the f**k is Doug, he said 'oh, crap.' He turned around to go back out the front door saying 'Sorry.' I asked 'Didn’t you have a dog with you?' He said 'Oh, yeah. Hey, c’mon!.' He left, his dog ran out after him and I locked my front door."
"Edit: glad you all thought this was funny, because I did too, once my heart quit trying to beat right out of my chest! The next day the girls at work thought I was crazy for not being upset, but eh, done is done. Peace!"
scarletohairy
Confused...
"My sister and I were home alone and we heard someone big running up the stairs. The stairs make lots of noise with slight pressure so when there’s someone big on them you can tell. I went out of my room to check but saw no one anywhere and my sister also came out of her room and she asked if that was me I said no and we both looked around to see if there was anyone but found no one in the whole house. We were confused and called our parents and just waited until they got back and that was that."
JtSudbury04
I See You
"I very clearly saw a guy walk into my room. But when I went after him there was nobody there. I checked in the closet, under my bed, everywhere one could hide in my room."
HighlyOffensive10
This is why home video surveillance is key.
"NO"
"My parents were on a road trip, just left, and I sat down at my desk. I thought 'Weekend alone by myself' and a voice yelled into my right ear 'NO' so loud it hurt."
Th4ab
Wild
"I managed to lock myself out of my house on my birthday during a tornado while trying to bring my cats to the basement for safety. I later found out that the tornado was approximately a couple miles or less from me at that exact time. The sky was green and it got weirdly calm and then I could hear what sounded like a train coming before I found an unlocked window to climb through. Wild times."
SilverGnarwhal
Saturday morning in the 80s...
"I wasn't home alone but I was awake by myself one Saturday morning in the 80s when I was around 7 or so. I believe my mom was the only one home because my dad went to the lake to go fishing that weekend, and I'm not sure where my older brothers were, maybe they went with him, idk."
"Anyways, my mom's sleeping in, and I'm in the living room by myself, watching Saturday morning cartoons and making a fort out of sheets and cushions. Something made me turn around and I saw my dad in his pajamas standing in the hallway entrance with his hands on his hips, looking the mess I was making and shaking his head."
"He then turned around and walked into my room, which was just off the hallway entrance. Dude. I didn't even look, I just booked it to my parents room and woke my mom up. I don't remember what happened after that, this was around 35 years ago. And yes, my dad was fine, nothing had happened to him."
smriversong
Get the Bat...
"I was at home by myself on a call with some friends when all of a sudden my dog begins to bark like crazy, which was odd since it was the middle of the night and he's usually sleep. I go downstairs to check on him and find him barking at our hall closet, terrified I grabbed my bat that I keep in my room just in case and open the door. There was nothing out of usual at first at then I look down and notice a familiar looking object at the bottom of the closet."
"It was my mom's necklace she had lost when I was 9, (i'm 15 now just to put in perspective how long it's been). I showed it to my mom at breakfast and she was just as shocked as I was. I still have no clue how it got there or how my dog knew it was in there, definitely one of the oddest occurrences of my life."
SomeRandomIdiot14
Meow
"Many years ago, I was 14 or so, my first night alone in the house when my parents were out. Lying on the living room floor reading, my cat sleeping next to me."
"Suddenly, cat wakes up, stares intently into the dark corner of the room behind me, hair on end, growls and then bolts out of the room and upstairs. I look behind me and see nothing, but follow cat upstairs and hide under the covers. Freaked me out."
LairdofWingHaven
Thank God for alarms. I hate being home alone.
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The human body is still such a mystery.
How much do we really know?
Not a lot apparently. We're learning more all the time.
And most of it is gross.
Redditor BathNo7713 wanted to discuss the ick factor of anatomy. So they asked:
"What is the most disturbing fact about the human body?"
The body freaks me out. But it's all I've got. So teach me some things.
Minutes...
"The fastest killing virus takes around 4 days to kill you. That would be Ebola. Your immune system can kill you in 15 minutes."
will477
'locked-in'
"If your brainstem (the part of the brain that mediates most motor control for all of the body) is damaged, you can get 'locked-in' syndrome. That means you're fully conscious and aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak. The only muscles that remain unaffected in most people are the muscles that move they eyes and the eyelids."
"You're essentially trapped within your own body with your only way of communication being blinking or moving your eyes It can be caused by toxins, blockage of the basilar artery which is the main artery of the brainstem, or other brainstem damage."
4oodler
Explosions
"Some people suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome, which causes them to hear a loud bang when they wake up."
ToraMix19
"When I was younger I believe I experienced this a few times. Sounds I heard were: about a million people talking and laughing all at once, a train that irl would've been about a foot away from me based on the volume of the sound, and a door slamming loudly."
aliaisacreature
Pain
"Not sure if this is by design, but I totaled my car once, almost completely uninjured somehow. Then I looked down to my right hand which I remember jabbing into my dashboard at 55mph. Luckily (unluckily?) only my pinky took the blow. But instead of a floppy-udder full of bone-sand, my pinky was 0.5 inches long."
"Broke no bones, but instead perfectly stacked my phalanges, or finger bones, INTO my hand. This is fixed by a muscular Russian murse grabbing your pinky with both hands and pulling very hard. God I wish they gave me more lidocaine."
TelevisionOlympics
Functions
"If you have a surgery where they need to move your organs around they might not function for a day as the body assumes that they are dead."
tonythebutcher13
Move things around? You mean that's not fake when it happens on "Grey's Anatomy?"
"The only reason you are not aware of it is because the ambient noise kind of drowns it out because your ears focus on it. If you go to one of those super-silent rooms that absorb all sorts of sounds, it is a really weird way to reacquaint yourself with your body."
Black_Handkerchief
The Mouth
"Idk about the most disturbing but how bad human teeth are. We’d think it’s our sugary and processed diets these days that cause it, but even Otzi the iceman discovered in Italy was found to have terrible teeth, mouth diseases and cavities. It’s odd that even with the most basic of diets our teeth are so bad."
Dorianisconfused
In the bowels...
"I noticed this after my abdominal surgery. When I turned over in bed my guts seemed to fall from one side to the other. Mentioned to my doc and she confirmed it was my bowels rearranging themselves."
squatter_
"Apparently the doctor just throws your intestines back in there higgeldy-piggeldy because there isn't a correct way to pack them neatly."
LostDesigner9
A Quick Burst
"There are a vast number of ways that your body can malfunction and kill you with little or no warning. An aneurysm can go undetected until it bursts and kills you. Getting hit in the chest just the right way can stop your heart. You can encounter an allergen that never previously provoked an immune response that freaks out your body so badly that you die. You literally just never know if your body will just... die."
Unsolicited_Spiders
The body is such a conundrum. Sexy and gross all at once.
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Being overweight comes with numerous challenges.
And not only challenge's to one's health.
Unfortunately, overweight people are far too often a target for judgment and ridicule, often owing to misconceptions.
Even worse, sometimes simply being bigger than other people leads others to assume that they must also be less than or inadequate in general.
Redditor Rude_Guarantee_1479 was curious to hear what people felt is the worst part, or most common misconception about being overweight, leading them to ask:
"What is the worst part about being a fat person?"
Since I'm fat, I must also be stupid.
"For some reason people always assumed I was simple minded/stupid when I was obese."
"Now that I've lost weight people just talk to me like I'm a regular person."- batyablueberry.
No comfort to be had.
"Feeling uncomfortable all the time."- Keithninety.
Not being seen and always being noticed.
"I have a fear that nobody is ever going to fall in love with me because I don't feel visible and I am fat
Also, going to the pool or beach and you have to put on a swimsuit. I feel like a seal stranded on the beach.- mango_0111.
Inadequate clothes.
"My belt trying to stab me in my belly when I sit down."- jimjohn2017.
"Nothing seems to fit nicely or still look nice in your size."- OutlandishnessNo1950.
"The amount of pants you go through."- Cmonredditalready.
"Putting on a shirt, walking into the backroom, seeing how it makes me look, and then never pulling out my favorite shirt ever again."- YeaItsaThrowaway112.
Never feeling good about yourself.
"Feeling guilty while eating your favorite foods, not looking good in photos/clothes."- pissed_at_everything.
Mobility challenges.
"My thighs rubbing and chaffing."
"I'm so raw right now."- HeavyBreathin.
Unwanted nicknames.
"Not the worst part, but the most constantly sh*tty part is constantly being called 'big guy' by every kind of person other than other 'big guys'."- Professor-ish.
As the old saying goes, true beauty comes from within.
And the way someone looks should never be one's first impression.
Nor does anyone need to go through the day facing unwanted judgment when simply walking down the street.
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