Life is full of surprises. There are sometimes when it feels like things have come out of left field completely. When you make the discovery that life isn't exactly what you think it was, it can totally change your outlook on the world around you. For kids especially, it can alter the course of your entire life.
Possuliini asked: Adopted people of Reddit. How did you react when you heard that you are adopted?
They definitely have a good attitude about it.
"I was adopted very soon after my birth, I found out when I was 6. My parents sat me down and talked to me about how they tried and could not get pregnant and they got me. They stated if I ever wanted to know anything feel free to ask and they would be 100% open and honest and would even help me contact my birth family. I honestly was like "ok, now back to what we were talking about before" it never changed anything for me.
I have never reached out, my parents who raised me are my parents, it doesn't matter who gave birth to me. We have been through good and bad, they have picked me up and supported me, they have taught me life lessons and been who I go to for problems and advice.
They have been the best thing that has ever happened to me. 99.9% of the time I forget I'm adopted the only time it ever comes up is for family history in med exams.
I did look up my birth family on FB and other social media platforms and I do have a ton of half brothers and sisters I'm talking 6+ range, and this sounds very judgmental and I'm sorry but based off what I've seen my birth mother did the right thing. I would not have the life I have today or the opportunities if she would have kept me. I will always thank her for that. Maybe one day we will meet but as it sits now I have no desire."
Sometimes it's a little obvious.
"I was adopted as a baby and I was aware of it from the start. It was never a big deal. It would have been stupid to try to lie about it anyway, given that they're both white and I'm Chinese."
What a relief.
"Not me, but my best friend is adopted. He was telling me that when he was like 9 or 10 his parents were trying to subtly bring it up to him by giving him a bunch of kids books about adoption. He interpreted this as his parents saying they were going to put HIM up for adoption.
One night at dinner they were like "Friend, we have something to talk to you about."
So he bursts into tears thinking they were about to say they were putting him up for adoption. But instead, they told him he was, in fact, adopted. He told me he was like immediately relieved and didn't even care because he was so scared of being torn away from his family. All was well and he apparently adjusted to the news really quickly. Funny story with a wholesome end."
You'd think SOMEONE would've told them.
"I found out when I was 23 because I had recently moved into a house of my own and my birth mother found out, went to the house and tried to tell me who she was. I told her she was crazy and to get off of my property. I called my dad about it and told him what happened and he asked if I had told my mom about it and I said no. About 30 minutes later he asked me to come over and showed me the folder with all the documentation. I told them that I was ok with all of it and it actually helped make sense of a lot of the stuff my parents had done over the years and questions I had asked in the past.
One weird thing is that my buddy had gone over to my house while I was at my parents and I walked in and told him to guess what I just found out. He saw the folder in my hand and said, "They finally told you you were adopted?" I had no idea that his entire family had known all of this time and never told me. I found out that my ex also knew about it because she had looked up my medical records when she worked as a nurse at a hospital and saw it. I realized later on that she probably found out about the house because I had apparently added my half brother on Facebook a while back even though I didn't know who he was at the time and he had been keeping tabs on me for years."
Heartwarming.
"It's something I've always known. I can't remember a time I didn't know. At the time, it was a pretty bold decision by my parents to tell me because I was adopted in the early 1960's and most people tended to keep it a secret. I guess this was due to the stigma surrounding illegitimate birth or the idea that the biological mother must have been "loose."
Instead, my mother always told me that the woman who gave birth to me cared enough about me to realize that she couldn't look after a baby and ensured that I was brought up in a home where a child was truly wanted. That gave me the confidence to stare down anyone who tried to tease or shame me. My parents always said they would support any decision I made about searching for my biological parents, but I never felt any need."
Kids just get it.
"I was adopted as a baby. I don't remember being told, but I knew from a very young age.
I asked my mum how she told me. Apparently when I was about 4 years old a heavily pregnant family friend came to visit one day. After she left I made some comment to my mum about how fat the friend was.
Mum explained that she wasn't fat but had a baby growing in her tummy. I asked if I'd grown in mum's tummy. Mum said that I'd grown in someone else's tummy and that made me even more special.
I have a faded memory of thinking how cool that was and telling eeeeeveryone at preschool about it."
Roll again.
"I was adopted within a few days of my birth. I've known about it for as long as I can remember, it was never a secret it's just been part of life for me. I've occasionally joked that I took a free re-roll on the parents chart at character creation. It's certainly played a lot into my feeling that family is those who care for you and you care for in return and that blood is ultimately irrelevant."
They're definitely better off.
"The woman who raised me was a very unkind and mean spirited person. When I found out she wasn't my real mother (around the age of eight) I was relieved. I was terrified of being like her."
F**k it.
"I was adopted at near birth, however my parents always told me I was born in the city I grew up in that was their mistake. When I was an adult I needed my birth certificate for something and when I read it I saw that not just the city I was born in was different than what they told me. It was an entirely different state!
I told my brother and we both went to ask our dad what the deal was. My dad started trying to make up some story then he says "Ah f**k it. Kids sit down."
My brother being the smart a** he is blurt out "He is going to tell us we are adopted." My dad's only reply was "Actually yes..."
It was a very surreal moment. Later found out me and my brother are actually half brothers, we also have a half-sister who grew up with our biological mother.
My biological mother was a friend of my aunt's ex husband's sister, who knew my mom (adopted mom) couldn't have kids and my biological mother (I have nothing against her and actually want to meet her) wasn't well off and convince her to give me up for adoption. (As I said I don't blame my biological mom, If her or my sis read this know that I don't harbor any ill will)
I've met my sister, she knew about us but couldn't say anything until we both were adults. Heck, her friend (My adopted aunt's ex-husbands sister's daughter) visited us at times but she was not allowed to tell us. but all in all it's still a bit surreal to find out both me and my brother are adopted but it really didn't change anything other than added to the people I consider family."
Problem child.
"I found out after watching the movie problem child at age 8. Dad use to say I was a problem child jokingly and during the movie I asked, as a joke, since I'm a problem child does that mean I was adopted? They said yes.
As far as my reaction, I didn't really have one. This new information was just something that made me more interesting and unique, as I saw it, from most other children my age that we're around me. For a while I would mention it in most every conversation I had after I learned it.
As an adult I don't really even think about. I should add I have met my birth mother and doing so I met a bunch of my half siblings, so the outcome has been I got a larger family."
Everyone has their travel bucket list.
The list of places they absolutely must visit before they die.
There are those, however, who also have a rather different list of destinations.
The places that have no intention to visit.
Be it for safety concerns, language barriers, or simply that there's nothing at these places that calls to them, there are places some wouldn’t dream of spending the time and money to visit.
Redditor TrooperJohn was curious to hear which places were at the very bottom of the list of travel destinations for his fellow Redditors, leading them to ask:
"What is a popular tourist destination you have no interest in visiting?"
Oasis in the desert? No thank you.
"Dubai."
"Why and whats special about it?"
"Its a modern city in a desert."- Maximum_Calendar_791.
"Dubai."
"A fake city with fake people, no human rights, where the world's tallest buildings hide corruption and slavery in their shadows."
"It's like someone decided to take every problem of mankind and concentrate it in one spot."- PayNoNoticeOfMe.
"Dubai one i think it is ugly two I would die in two minutes of me being there I can't stand anything above 40 c°."- BookWormPerson.
One of the seven wonders is one too many for me.
"The pyramids. "
"Too many horror stories of Egypt."- Aemiom.
Landlocked.
"Not really a destination, but taking a cruise."- Shortbus_Playboy.
Mountains aren't really my thing.
"Everest."
"Just why."
"You use a bunch of money to get in there them come down."
"And trash your whole way there. It's literally a corner in the Earth insufferable for humans and we still made a way to go there to trash it."- ACLullaby.
It's in my own backyard... but still not interested.
"I have lived about 15km away from the Burj Khalifa ever since it was made."
"I could not care any less besides the occasional pointing out the 'shiny tall building' to my nieces.- legolosss.
The pictures are enough for me.
"Mount Rushmore."
"Friends who've made the journey to Mount Rushmore mostly say it was no big deal and not worth the effort or expense to travel there."- Back2Bach.
Hustle and Bustle? No thanks.
"Anything busy.'
"Whether it's cities, structures, I don't care."
"I'd rather go to a boring empty quiet place than a place full of people."- TheSmeep.
They're watching us.
"That creepy a** place in Japan with all the realistic dolls."
"No thank you."
Some dream of paying a visit to these places.
Others hope they never have to set foot there, and will choose to leave it to the other millions of tourists.
To each, their own.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
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?
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
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.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
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.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.