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People Share Which Risks Were Actually Worth Taking

Malte Mueller/Getty Images

You could live your entire life with no risks taken. Nothing would happen to you, sure, but that's the crux of it all, isn't it? Nothing will happen to you. If you're someone who desires a small modicum of change, then you best not sit around all day hoping for it to come. Real change comes from actions, acting as steps, leading to the mountaintop of true, personal development. Most times, that involves risk.

Reddit user, u/Mr_Jennings_30, wanted to know how we should all step up when they asked:

What risks are worth taking?

Even If It Tastes Bad, Do It

Trying something new or outside your comfort zone at a restaurant, or cooking something you normally don't. Very little risk, but you might find something you really like. It's kinda funny how much courage that can take for certain people I know.

[usernameredacted]

Pack It On Up

Giphy

Moving out of your sh-tty home town.

You can't grow roses in spoiled dirt.

Yossi25

I did this, and took a huge leap of faith. I moved to try and make it as a musician, and five years later after my move, I'm not a musician, but I am now an international gogo dancer, which I never knew I would ever be, because I used to HATE dancing.

Moving out of your home town was hard, weird, but so f-cking rewarding.

vye_curious

Are Your Feelings Worth More Than Knowing?

Talking to that girl. Go ahead. Don't be afraid. Pepper spray only hurts for 20 minutes or so.

cartoonassasin

Haha. But seriously. Every time I see a guy cry on here about talking to a girl, I'm amazed. In most of the circumstances, you won't even see this person again. The worst they can do is say no (I guess they can insult you, but 99% of people won't do that and for the 1% that do - that just makes them look like an asshole to any decent human being).

I'm a gay girl. I approach girls pretty frequently. No one has ever been a d-ck to me. I've never died. They don't get offended if they're straight. I don't get offended if they're not interested. I've made good friends this way! Just set your ego aside and roll with it.

happygolucky66

Feel Out The Conversation, You Might Be Surprised

This may be a small one but I feel most people don't try: Starting a conversation with a stranger. Even just making a small comment to someone could end up brightening both of your days!

A1BlueSkies


I talk to strangers all the time, and I can tell within literally one sentence whether the other person is they type of person who doesn't mind a chat.

I'd say probably at least 20-30 percent of the time people give off a vibe that says 'please don't continue this conversation' and then it fizzles after one comment.

No harm no foul.

Its only when people keep talking when one person clearly doesn't want to that it gets awkward.

The_Pink_Knife

Always Have Something Lined Up First

Changing your job if you don't like your old one.

Joebroni1414

I feel like this is a dangerous one if you're not careful about it.

My friend's mother worked at an elementary school as a teacher's assistant. She had a high school diploma and worked full time doing recess duty, looking after the kids and helping a teacher in the classroom with whatever. She had a 401k, health benefits, and was entitled to a pension once she retired. She got tired of her job and up and quit without having anything else lined up or a clue about what she wanted to work in. She ended up basically unemployed, just worked part-time gigs here or there. She was in her 40s when she decided to try something else.

By far, this was the worst thing she could have done with looking to pursue another job because she had nothing else lined up. She wanted to return to her old job after 3 months and was told she was no longer qualified because she wasn't bilingual.

It's good to pursue a new path, just make sure to have something worthwhile lined up first.

nancylikestoreddit

She got tired of her job and up and quit without having anything else lined up or a clue about what she wanted to work in.

I think this is where she screwed up. Nothing wrong about taking the risk and changing jobs, but make sure you have that new job lined up before quitting your current one if you need the income and benefits.

SharksFan1

There Are No Restrictions Or Guidelines

Travelling by yourself. It can be weird at first, but once you realize you literally get to do everything you want to do it's great. Feel hungover? Do nothing or go sit in a park. Want to meet people? Go to a pub and introduce yourself as a tourist. I would recommend festival times of year like Christmas Markets for meeting people.

TrevorPace

"Do more."

Top 2 things that i've learned growing older:

  • Talking to the person you'd like to get to know better. Be it that one girl you're into, or even just a stranger if you want to get to know people.
  • Embracing change/new opportunities even if it's scary or difficult. Jump into that cold water and don't settle for the easy way. Enhances your life and experience, and not going after these things usually leads to regret and a life less exciting.

Actually, not doing these things bear a greater risk than going for it, in a way. Do more.

philsnyo

If You Made A Thing, Share It!

Posting that art/music/meme/whatever content you made

unless your community is toxic ofc

hpgbproductions

"...Sooner Is Better Than Later."

Giphy

The broad based stock market by investing in index funds.

mattocmd

I grew up being told by my parents that the stock market was SUPER HARD and RISKY and that a lot of research was involved before getting started. They were wrong and I waited too long before starting - if anyone reading this has a disposable income, don't hesitate like I did, even if you're just microinvesting through a round-ups app or putting in a couple hundred bucks every 6 months, sooner is better than later.

The funny thing with money is that once it's not in your account it's easier to think it's not yours to spend anymore. Investing is like buying yourself a 30th or 40th birthday present, you won't regret it.

MikeRusade

Know Which To Measure

Risking failure: worth it.

Risking injury: not worth it.

Source: am old.

DonHac

People Describe The Most Traumatizing Thing They Ever Experienced As A Child

Image by Anemone123 from Pixabay

Life is hard. It's a miracle to make it through with some semblance of sanity. We are all plagued by grief and trauma. More and more people of all backgrounds are opening up about personal trauma and its origins. Finally! For far too long we've been too silent on this topic. And with so many people unable to afford mental health care, the outcomes can be damaging.

All of our childhoods have ups and downs and memories that can play out like nightmares. We carry that, or it follows us and the first step in recovery is talking about it. So who feels strong enough to speak?

Redditor u/nthn_thms wanted to see who was willing to share about things they'd probably rather forget, by asking:

What's the most traumatizing thing you experienced as a child?
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childhood

People Divulge The Real Reason Why They're Still Single

Image by klimkin from Pixabay

Being single can be fun. In fact, in this time of COVID, being single can save lives. But the heart is a fickle creature.

And being alone can really suck in times of turmoil. None of us are perfect and it feels like that's all anyone is looking for... perfect.

Now that doesn't mean that all of us are making it difficult to partner up. Sure, some people are too picky and mean-spirited, but some of the rest of us are crazy and too much to handle. So one has to be sure.

The truth is, being single is confusing, no matter how much we try to match. So let's try to understand...

Redditor u/Mcxyn wanted to discuss some truths about love and our own issues, by asking:

Why are you single?
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being single

Chefs Divulge The Most Important Tips That Amateur Cooks Need To Know

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Whether you're an at home parent, a college student just leaving the nest, or a Food Network junkie, there are a few basic tips that everyone should know.

Chef's gave us some of their top tips for amateurs and beginner at home cooks that will really make a difference. They are trained professionals with years of experience in the kitchen, so they definitely know what we're all missing.

If you're looking to improve some of your cooking skills and techniques, but you're still learning how to boil water correctly, this list is for you.

Redditor BigBadWolf44 wanted in on the secrets and asked:

"Chefs of Reddit, what's one rule of cooking amateurs need to know?"

Let's learn from the masters!


What a common mistake!

"A lot of the time when people add salt to a dish because they think it tastes flat, what it really needs is an acid like lemon juice or vinegar."

- Vexvertigo

"Instructions unclear I drugged my dinner party guests and now they're high on acid."

- itsyoboi_human

"Yes! Or tomatoes. They're pretty acidic too and go with so many things. Our dinners are so much better once the garden tomatoes are ripe. Or if a dish is too acidic, oil/butter or a little sugar can help add balance to it."

- darkhorse85

"Like tomato and eggs. Every Chinese mom makes those slightly differently and I haven't had a tomato egg dish I didn't like yet."

- random314

"There's a book called 'Salt Fat Acid Heat' that comes highly recommended to amateur cooks."

- Osolemia

"Reading even just the first chapter about salt made a lot of food I cooked immediately better, because I finally understood salt wasn't just that thing that sat on the dinner table that you applied after the meal was cooked."

- VaultBoy42

"Salt is important for sweets. A batch of cookies without that little hint of salt doesn't taste quite right."

- Osolemia

Unfortunately, this tip might not be accessible to everyone. Many people who contracted COVID can no longer use their sense of smell the way they used to.

"Have a friend that lost his smell from COVID, and now he only recognizes if food is salty, sweet, sour or bitter."

- AlphaLaufert99

"Just wait until he gets his sense of smell back and a ton of foods smell like ammonia or literal garbage now. Yeah, that's fun... It's been 7 months for f*cks sake just let me enjoy peanut butter again!!!!!!!!!"

- MirzaAbdullahKhan

You can't take back what you've already put in.

"You can always add, but you cannot take away."

- El_Duende666

"I find people's problems usually are they're too scared to add rather than they add too much."

- FreeReflection25

"I see you also grew up white in the mid-west."

- Snatch_Pastry

Safety first!

"Not really a cooking tip, but a law of the kitchen: A falling knife has no handle."

- wooddog

"I'm always so proud of my reflexes for not kicking in when I fumble a knife."

"If I drop anything else, my stupid hands are all over themselves trying to catch it (and often failing). But with a knife the hardwired automatic reaction is jump back immediately. Fingers out of the way, feet out of the way, everything out of the way. Good lookin out, cerebellum!"

- sonyka

"Speaking of KICKING in. On first full time cooking job I had a knife spin and fall off the counter. My (stupid) reflex was to put my foot under it like a damn hacky sack to keep it from hitting the ground. Went through the shoe, somehow between my toes, into the sole somehow without cutting me. Lessons learned: (1) let it fall; (2) never set a knife down close to the edge or with the handle sticking out; (3) hacky sack is not nearly as cool as it could be."

- AdjNounNumbers

"Similarly, NEVER put out a grease or oil fire with water. Smother with a lid or dump baking soda in there (do not use flour, as it can combust in the air making things worse)."

- Metallic_Substance

How else will you know it tastes good?

"Taste the food."

- OAKRAIDER64

"Also don't be afraid to poke and prod at it. I feel like people think the process is sacred and you can't shape/flip/feel/touch things while you cook them. The more you are hands on, the more control you have."

"No, this does not include situations where you are trying to sear something. Ever try flipping a chicken thigh early? That's how you rip a chunk out of it and leave it glued to the pan until it's burnt."

- Kryzm

Here's one just for laughs.

"When you grab a pair of tongs, click them a few times to make sure they are tongs."

- Kolshdaddy

"People really overlook this one. You've gotta tong the tongs a minimum of 3 times to make sure they tong, or else it can ruin the whole dish."

- BigTimeBobbyB

If you're looking to get into cooking or to improve you technique, pay attention to these few tips.

Salt generously, add an acid to brighten things up, and don't forget to taste your food!

If all else fails, you can always order take out.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

cooking

People Describe The Most Inappropriate Thing They Ever Did As A Kid

Victoria_Borodinova/Pixaba

As part of the learning process, children often do embarrassing things before they learn a little more about the world and all the different implications therein. While the inappropriate moment is usually minor and ends in laugher some instances are truly mortifying.

One such instance involved a little sister who was around 6 at the time. It was the 90s and at the height of the youth-focused PSAs (think the frying egg representing your brain). One type was a safety PSA about stranger danger. The speaker would remind the children that if a stranger tried to take you anywhere to yell “Stop, you're not my mommy/daddy" to raise the alarm.

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