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People Share What They Think Are The Stupidest Oddities About The Human Body

The human body is an instrument of amazement....

The human body is such a mystery. Sometimes it's weak, often it's strong and no matter what... there is always a question of "how is this possible?" Why is the body this way?

Redditor u/Lucario2654 wanted to know what some of us thought about basic anatomy by asking.... What is the stupidest thing about the human body?


Those Pearly Whites.

Giphy

Losing your adult teeth and never grow them back.

Same body grows a tumor in some random spot in your body and it develops teeth in it. Sakurablossom101

The Autoimmune. 

Autoimmune issues, bar none.

One day your own immune system decides your own organs and whatnot are evil and must be destroyed. The same organs you've had inside you forever that have in no way changed. And the great thing is that usually when you get one, it has a cascade effect and you end up with 2 more within 10-15 years.

First the immune system came for my thyroid. Now if I eat gluten it goes berserk and demolishes my intestines for no real reason. I need those to live. My immune system needs my body ALIVE for IT to live. Why it do this?

I wish someone could come up with a less risky way to do full body radiation. I hear that sometimes zapping away pretty much all of your immune system can reset it in a way. beepborpimajorp

Slumber.

~8 hour down time every 24 hours.

Imagine owning something that works 66% of the time. koifishy420

And even when it does work, it doesn't want to and breaks down easily. And you almost always have to take it to a specialist for repair. The variation in expected usage life is pretty annoying too. ferrettt55

Feeling it All.

That pain is a message that something is wrong, but there isn't a way to actually ask your brain what the issue is. Like dashboard indicators in cars. alienbanter

Pain transmitting nerves are the slowest in the body. The processes that cause acute pain are so much faster than even maximum possible human reflexes (transfer of heat energy from a hot surface to the skin, for example) that there's no chance of you reducing physical damage by moving (up to a point. Don't cuddle space heaters). Acute pain is there to teach you not to do something the NEXT time, IF you survive.

As far as my bioengineering professors were able to tell after studying pain in general and chronic pain in particular for decades, the only clear purpose of chronic pain seems to be to make people crazy. 11thNite

Can't Breathe....

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"Hey... pstt... heyyyy!!!!"

"I just detected a small harmless allergen, so I hit the "let's mess stuff up" button. Don't worry bud, I got you." IHaveNowhereElseToGo

A Deep Wound.

Forming a whole body in 9 months but taking 4 months to heal a cut. Enchanted_Lives

If that happened I would agree with you but most normal humans heal a cut in a week or two???? iluvdownvotes-lol

Even my deepest cuts only take a couple weeks. LandOfTheEnd

Where is the Wisdom?

4 teeth that grow just so we can remove them. nardsy43

You've gotta give them credit, they're made out of hydroxyapatite which is the hardest material in nature, heck the Mohrs hardness is higher than a lot of metals. If that isn't... metal... I don't know what is. Ramiel01

Bad Timing. 

You get a new pair of teeth at six years old. Not only do these new teeth grow all weird and not straight but having new teeth as a toddler is completely useless! Imagine having a new set of teeth at age 60 instead. Bonkies1

So Durable. 

The human body is so weird. Simultaneously incredibly durable and horrifyingly fragile. People have survived skydiving accidents where their parachutes never opened, other people have tripped on a flat surface, fallen however far they are tall (or less) and died.

Your legs have some of the strongest bones in your body in them, but hit a joint from the wrong direction and you might end up with an inverted knee, or just a screwed up ACL if your lucky.

It's just weird to think that the same blow, depending on where and how it's applied to the body, can cause the difference between a bruise and death. Ara-Enzeru

My Chest!

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Those random, insane chest pains that some people randomly get sometimes when taking a deep breath... which generally indicate that exactly nothing is wrong. What the heck is up with that??

Edit: I'm talking about precordial catch syndrome, as several people have linked. Sorry, probably should have said that originally. CaffeineGlom

Hair. 

Pubic hair. Body be like "testicles need cold, outside they go," and then "why not put a fur coat to warm ya." Not even gonna start about butt hair. BouaphaSWC

Continuous....

Everything in our brains. Our other organs are there working 24/7 to keep us alive and our brains are there like, "what if I put my pinkie on this prong of a phone charger." CrabSmoke

And the fact that our brain is constantly starving for new information but fails to remember half of the information it is given. MomentousMaster

From the Head.

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Headaches. ariesbaddie

For that matter, migraines. "Here's a super-headache because screw you!" ferrettt55

"Oh? You're enjoying your day? Time to get head splitting pain with every noise and speck of light! I forgot the best part, you're going to throw up too! :)" KoldGlaze

Lush Lash....

Eyelashes, their main purpose according to biology scientists are that they protect our eyes from debris and harmful germs. In a strange way yeah they do... BUT on the other hand when the debris that gets in your eye is a damn eyelash that is some twisted karma right there. asia_092D

Pipes.

We breathe down the same passage we eat/drink. MakeEveryBonerCount

Sometimes I get the strong urge to drink water to satisfy my dry windpipe and it is the most infuriating thing having to waterboard yourself at 3:28 AM. NootSquared

All the Little Things....

The little things. Acne. Ingrown hairs. Ingrown toenails. The way a smashed finger or toe becomes exponentially more prone to further smashing. asleeplessmalice

27 now, been fighting acne since I was 14. Now I am more annoyed about ingrown hairs and folliculitis than the acne. Why can't my skin just not be angry? I am washing with chlorhexidine and using clindamycin lotion now and that seems to help, and when it doesn't I put mupirocin on it. MRSA sucs. laewin

I Hate you Cancer....

That our cells can just be screwed up in a variety of ways that make them live forever and then all the cells based off those broken cells will likewise live forever... otherwise known as cancer.

Edit: For those who haven't researched or been told the Cliff Notes version of cancer, it goes like this:

The cells that make up our bodies are like all living things: they have a lifecycle. There are various subsystems in our cells that govern that lifecycle.

Cancers occur when a cell has a mutation that causes one or more of those subsystems to malfunction, making said cell stupidly persistent at living too long. And since that cell will beget more cells, they'll all inherit that broken subsystem (or develop their own new, exciting mutations).

Cell reproduction continues and the cells refuse to die. A tumor is born. zeronotzero

Power Point....

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It has all there amazing functions but none of them are actually controllable. Cases in point:

  • My body can create both muscle and fat tissue. But I can't just tell it to create muscle when I want it to, or to NOT make fat tissue because the likelihood that food will not be available in the near future is basically zero. Or vice-versa.
  • If I hit my head, pain is a warning sign that I may have hurt myself. Now I examine the injury, figure out I did not seriously injure myself, but the pain is still there. That's like a fire alarm that can't be turned off, so if there's a false alarm you just need to ignore it for two days.
  • I can hear, see, feel, smell, taste. But I can't turn any of that off if, for example, I'm trying to sleep and my roommate snores.
  • Getting a boost to your strength and pain tolerance, among other things, through adrenaline is nice if you're in a dangerous situation. Not so nice when that "dangerous situation" is a job interview and adrenaline is making your hands shake.

I'm sure there are more but you get the idea. Aibeit

The Throat Stop. 

Tonsils

Thanks for the horrible strep throat, and tonsillitis you gave me all the time during school. The_Struggle_Man

Tonsils gross me out. Just the idea of them and the tonsil "caverns" or whatever. So yeah I agree. Gruv_3

Shower Away....

  • You're more likely to catch a cold from a person by shaking their hand than from their sneezes.
  • The human brain weighs about 3 pounds, but uses 20% of one's blood and oxygen.
  • Plaque begins reforming 6 hours after brushing your teeth.

Cold showers actually increase sexual arousal.

Man, so weird and stupid. AndromexZ

REDDIT

Anyone else have a few body thoughts they think about?

Things Left-Handed People Deal With That Right-Handed People Never Do

Reddit user johnnyportillo95 asked: 'What’s something left handed people have to deal with that right handed people wouldn’t even think about?'

Left-handed person holding a Sharpie
Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

Many of us who are right-handed never even think about how the world is designed to cater to us.

It probably doesn't even cross your mind that 10% of the world's population is left-handed.

Because of this, there tends to be a stigma for being left-handed since society tends to associate the left with negative things.

For example, the phrase "two left feet" applies to those who are clumsy and therefore, incapable of dancing.

Curious to hear more about the challenges facing those with the other dominant hand, Redditor johnnyportillo95 asked:

"What’s something left-handed people have to deal with that right-handed people wouldn’t even think about?"

If only manufacturers appealed to an ambidextrous world.

Furniture Obstacle

"Those desks or couch chairs that have a small desk attached. They do make left handed/sided ones but they are few and far between."

– Prussian__Princess

"And they’re only on one side of the lecture hall, and it’s never a good seat. There is ONE front row, lefty desk in the entire room and it’s in the far corner, obscured by an ancient overhead projector."

– earwighoney

Everyday Objects For Everyday People

"as a left-handed person myself, one thing we often deal with is finding left-handed tools or equipment. many everyday objects, like scissors or can openers, are designed with right-handed people in mind, which can make certain tasks a bit more challenging for us lefties. we also have to adapt to a right-handed world when it comes to writing on whiteboards or using certain computer mice."

– J0rdan_24

Dangerous Tools

"The biggest risk is power tools. I taught myself to use all power tools right handed because of risks using them left handed."

"Trivial, I love dry boards but they are super hard to write on."

– diegojones4

It's hard to play when you're born with a physical disadvantage.

Sports Disadvantage

"Allright, Sports when you are young. Every demonstration from PE teachers are right handed. You cant just copy the movements they teach you you need to flip them and your tiny brain struggoes to process it. As well, 98% of the cheap sports equipment the school uses is right handed."

– AjCheeze

No Future In Softball

"I tried to bat right handed for so long in gym class growing up because the gym teacher never asked me what my dominant side was and the thought never occurred to me as a child to mention it! Needless to say I never became a softball star."

– Leftover-Cheese

Find A Glove That Fits

"In softball and baseball we need a specific glove for our right hand that's often impossible to find unless you own one, and we have to bat on the other side of the plate."

– BowlerSea1569

"I was one of two left-handers in a 4-team Little League in the 1980s. Nobody could pitch to me. I got a lot of "hit by pitch" walks out of it."

– Jef_Wheaton

These examples are understandably annoying.

Shocking Observation

"Having right handed people make comments whenever they see us write, like we’re some kind of alien."

– UsefulIdiot85

"'Woah! You're left-handed????'"

"I find myself noticing when someone is a lefty, and sometimes I comment on it, but I try not to. I'm primarily left-handed (im a right handed wroter but do everything else left), and every single time I go to eat with my family, someone says, "Oh hey, give SilverGladiolus22 the left hand spot, they're left-handed," and inevitably someone says, 'Wait, really?' Lol."

– SilverGladiolus22

Can't Admire The Mug

"We never get to look at the cute graphics on coffee mugs while we’re drinking from them."

– vanetti

"I just realized…I always thought the graphics were made so someone else could read them while you drink. Hmmm."

– Bubbly-Anteater7345

"I'm right-handed and I often wondered why the graphics were turned towards the drinker instead of out for others to see."

– Material-Imagination

The Writing On The Wall

"Writing on whiteboards is a nightmare. I have to float my hand, which tires out my arm quickly, and I can't see what I've already written to keep the line straight."

– darkjedi39

"Also as a teacher, it means I'm standing to the left of where I'm writing, so I'm blocking everything I write. I have to frequently finish writing, then step out of the way so people can see, instead of just being able to stand on the right side the whole time."

– dancingbanana123

Immeasurable

"Rulers."

"How the f'k is no one talking about rulers? It's from 30cm to 0 cm to me, or I have to twist my arms to know the measure I want to trace over it."

– fourangers

Just Can't Win

"EVERYTHING. The world has always been based around people being right handed. As a Chef, my knife skills SUCKED until I worked with a Left Handed Chef. Then it all made sense."

"Literally, everything we do must be observed, then flipped around in our heads, then executed. This is why Lefties die sooner, on average, than Righties."

"I had to learn how to be ambidextrous, just to complete basic tasks (sports, driving a manual, using scissors, etc). I am used to it now, and do many things right handed out of necessity, as wall as parents and teachers 'forcing' it upon me."

"But, at least we are not put to death anymore, simply for using the wrong hand (look it up, it happened)."

"Ole Righty, always keeping us down."

– igenus44

The world doesn't need another demographic to feel "othered" for being different.

But if you're right-handed and tend to make assumptions about left-handed people, you may want to observe the following.

Ronald Yeo, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Texas-Austin told CNN:

"We shouldn’t assume much about people’s personalities or health just because of the hand they write with."
"And we certainly shouldn’t worry about lefties’ chances of success: After all (as of 2015), five of our last seven U.S. presidents have been either left- or mixed-handed."

Word.

Dog lying down on a bed
Photo by Conner Baker on Unsplash

Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.

While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.

Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.

Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.

For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.

Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:

"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"

The Tiny Issue Of Water...

"Absolutely not."

"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649

Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...

"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."

"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."

"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."

"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep

The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...

"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."

"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3

Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen Giphy

What Do You Mean Allow?

"I have no choice."

"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412

"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show

Hug GIF by The BarkPost Giphy

Who Needs An Alarm Clock?

"I let my two cats sleep with me."

"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."

"And so do I."

"We've all developed a lil routine."

"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_

Whose Bed Is It Anyway?

"Yes."

"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."

"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor

"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."

"Would not come out."

"Got some food and some water in dishes."

"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."

"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."

"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."

"She was too busy eating."

"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."

"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."

"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."

"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."

"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."

"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."

"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."

"She would not go."

"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."

"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588

sleepy kitten GIF Giphy

Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...

"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."

"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."

"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle

Saying No Just Isn't An Option...

"'Let'."

"Lol."

"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren

Felines Only!

"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz

Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official Giphy

Is That My Hair On That Pillow?

"My dog is perfect."

"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."

"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."

"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester

It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.

Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...


Close up of an owl tilting their head to side, looking bewildered
Photo by Josh Mills

The old wives' tales.

They are the stories of legend.

I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.

Where did they originate?

WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!

You don't hear about them as much anymore.

It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.

But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.

Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:

"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"

"Wait an hour to swim after eating."

What a crock!

So many summer hours wasted.

I want revenge for that one.

Say Nothing

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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."

LonelyMail5115

"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."

I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA

Say Something

"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."

Severe_Airport1426

"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."

crappycurtains

"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."

AlbinoShavedGorilla

Body Temps

"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."

chriseo22

"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."

"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."

apocalypticradish

Arms Down

"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."

Fatmouse84

10 Years Actually

Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine Giphy

"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."

REDDIT

"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."

Gecko-911

I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.

This tale is haunting.

High/Low

Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace Giphy

"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."

LeastFormal9366

"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."

IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI

The Cursed

"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."

"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."

SmoreOfBabylon

Stay In

"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."

"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."

worldbound0514

Dreams and Facts

"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."

"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."

mattshonestreddit

"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."

Darthdemented

Cracked

Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office Giphy

"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."

Choice-Grapefruit-44

"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."

MacyTmcterry

I love my knuckles.

Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

lottery tickets
Erik Mclean on Unsplash

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