Words hurt. That is a basic truth that so many people tend to overlook. What you say to someone may be the last thing they ever hear. Think about that. Think before you speak. It so easy to cause someone unnecessary pain. And it so far easier to just be kind. Pain and words are intertwined. That is why bad news delivery is so rough. You never forget it.
Redditor u/MysticaIMemes wanted to know who was willing to share the harshest sentiments flung at them by asking..... What did someone say that absolutely broke your heart?
My grandma said this to me.
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"You lost the happiness in your voice."
My grandma said this to me. It wasn't meant to be malicious or purposely said to hurt my feelings, but it did kind of break me. I was severely depressed at the time and I just faked being okay so no one would worry about me. It was the first time anyone had taken a second to really see past the mask I had put on for so long. NudlePockets
Empty.
Nothing. As in literally.
Everything's awesome.. everything's awesome.. everyth --Gone. Forever. No warning, no goodbye, no explanation. Just gone. Happy8Day
A Stupid Doughnut.
I used to stop for coffee sometimes, and I would bring my boyfriend home a doughnut. I thought he liked doughnuts. I wanted to show him I was thinking about him.
One morning he looked at the doughnut and said, "stop bringing me this stuff, I don't like it."
I was so gutted and embarrassed, holding this stupid doughnut. sketchapt
Harsh.
"You need to back off. I'm making time for my real family."
- A friend whose family basically abandoned him and he lived with my family for 8 years. We moved into college together, my parents got him his first car. We always encouraged him to reach out to his family and he refused. Then one day after a few weeks of trying to get ahold of him (we are both adults now) he texts me this. We haven't spoken since... this was 3 years ago. beeftipsandgravy
Sweet Boy....
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My son after throwing his guts up in his bed, then all over the kitchen, "I'm sorry Mama. I'm sorry Daddy."
The kid apologized for being sick and I wept. 2CooperHeroes
You're Ewww....
"Ewww I'm not dancing with you!" A girl in grade 7 gym class when we were doing dance lessons and of course the entire class heard. Puberty hit me early especially with height/skin so that was great for self confidence for the rest of my teen years. dont_matter_anyways
Hurt Soul.
"You gave them a reason to bully you so you're in the wrong." -Mom
I was being bullied so bad one day to where it got to the point where it broke me. I went home to vent to my mom and maybe get some sympathy but she told me this. YaBoiJSD
"no one is going to want you the way you are"
"no one is going to want you the way you are" i was a teen, stepmom told me this. I didn't realize at the time how deeply it damaged me. Sometimes I wonder if she truly was right after all. I've always thought she meant my looks, being overweight etc. But nowadays I think she meant me as a whole, not just outside. Still recovering from those words, about 10 years later. Faintning
"good bye, my friend"
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When my ex broke up with me for the last time. We were on and off for years and it always ended in a furious rage and tears. But the last time she calmly said "good bye, my friend" and I knew it was different. I knew it was really over. I never heard from her again. sunnycyde3103
Everybody Sucks.
"I know it bothers you, but I don't care, and there's nothing you can do about it." - after opening up to them
"You're never gonna be as good as (his ex's name). You can't even speak proper English! " - English isn't my first language
"And there you go, crying again. God. " - It was our anniversary after I asked if I could call him and he blew me off, again. Dollerina
Face Issues....
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When I was a teenager I had problems with acne, which my father would yell at me for. One time when I was washing my face, outside the bathroom door I heard him angrily whisper to my mother, "She looks like crap, [mom's name]. This is why she'll never get a boyfriend. No guy wants to be with a girl who's ugly and disgusting."
It's nowhere near the worst thing my father's ever said to/about me, but for some reason that one destroyed me. crapenvelope
There's a crowd for anything.
"You're not funny. Stop trying"
As I mentioned in one of the comments, I used to get this a lot in high school. I was and still am starving for validation. One of those who took upon themselves to hit me on the head with truth, was the class joker. After he read a short story I wrote, he changed his mind and we continued to collaborate by writing and preforming sketches together.
Fast forward to 2020, I'm taking improv and writing classes at the Second City. Tonight I preformed on stage for the first time since high school, got amazing feedback, and solid laughs.
Don't let them bring you down. Yes, stay realistic, but find your own way to bring your passion to life. There's a crowd for anything. Tonight was amazing. You'll get there too. I'm not joking. BnaiRephaim
Straight Forward.
My father was a gay man, but he "tried to be straight". He ended up marrying my mother. It of course ended in divorce, but not on bad terms.
My mom has never dated or had a boyfriend since then (25 years), and to my knowledge no one has ever approached her in a romantic way, before or after my dad.
A few years before he died, my dad admitted to me that he always had love for my mom, but he was never IN love with her.
While I am glad that my dad finally came out of the closet and lived his life as his true self, it broke my heart to hear he never romantically loved my mom.
My mother is the sweetest, kindest, most humble soul on Earth and it makes me so sad that no one has ever been in love with her. She deserves a much happier life than the one she's lived. bismuth-crystals
I don't want to hate her....
When my friend died from suicide, i emailed her dad.
I was not an incredibly close friend of her's. We did not hang out, text frequently, etc. she was simply a classmate i was very close with during school.
i keep in contact with her father because i think he needs to know that there were people out there who care. my heart broke once when he told me she talked about me after every production at my school, although i stand in the background of all of them. my heart broke again when he told me he wanted me to tell him when they happen again so he can come see them, with her again. itsmesierra
Goodbye....
"I don't love you anymore." (After 18 years). sonia72quebec
I feel you. I had been married less than two years, but she changed basically overnight. Apparently as much random sex as possible is better than a completely committed, loving husband. Who knew? _austinm
He's Unpretty....
"I don't think she's attractive. And her breasts are way to small. I want a real woman, a beautiful woman" - my first love about me to someone else.
"You gonna end up as a druggie and prostitute"
"You are so damn ugly, but your sister is so beautiful - how is this even possible?"
"He just got in a relationship with you because we had a bet." MauOnTheRoad
Tragedy...
My mom said "you need to come home, there has been a terror attack at the youth camp my best friend is at"
She was 15, she didn't make it. I'll never forget the pain in my moms voice when she told me. KarolineBuer
Bad Dad.
"You were a disappointment from even before you were born, the only reason I had a third kid was to try and finally have a daughter but you couldn't even be that." My dad as he was packing his stuff after being kicked out of the house for cheating by my mother. CallMeYosei
You can't park here.....
I am the least favorite child in my family. My older sibling is very successful and serves in the medical industry. My father has always been distant to me all my life. One day when I had a problem with my car I called my father to see if he could help (he worked as a mechanic) He told me to drive to his apartment and park in his designated spot so he could take a look at the engine. I arrived and the landlord came out after I parked.
She came up to me and said "You can't park here. This is for tenants only" I told her who my dad was and she replied "Oh, you must be (my older sibling's name)" I corrected her and she looked confused. She then said "Your father told me he only has one child." bardsofcanada
Simon? Is that you?
"You've got a pretty voice but I can't put you on stage. You don't have the face for the stage."
- My music teacher
I'll admit, I wasn't the prettiest kid but that was a pretty brutal thing to say to a 6th grade girl. It didn't help that the other kids laughed at his statement. The-WickedScone
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
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"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
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"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
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"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.
Every now and then, a friend of ours might say something, or we might overhear a complete stranger say something that makes us stop in our tracks.
More often than not, what we can't believe we just heard is something so ridiculous, we can't help but put the person who said it in their place.
Other times, however, what we just heard might have stunned us silent because of how shockingly clever it was.
Resulting in our not wanting to scold or yell at someone, but rather give them a handshake.
Redditor SubmergingOriginal was curious to hear the sharpest and wittiest things they've ever heard, from friends and strangers alike, leading them to ask:
"Enough with the dumbest; what is the wittiest thing you've ever heard someone say?"
Don't Give Me So Much Credit...
'I was on a team at work that was on a project working insane overtime."
"One night after an 80-90 hour week, we were all sitting around the table trying to finish up so we could go home."
"Around 11, my buddy's wife called, dubious about the hours he'd been keeping."
"We heard her through the line - 'are you cheating on me?'"
"Exasperated, he looked at our boss, then replied 'honey, if I was cheating on you, I would have been home by now'."- lionbatcher
Eternal Optimism...
"Asked a blind guy if he'd been blind his whole life."
"He said 'Not yet'."- Feeling_Mode_6465
Free time Isn't The Only Thing He Has On His Hands...
"My brother got a vasectomy and when the doctor was releasing him and giving him instructions (with the nurse listening in), one of the orders was to 'come back and have a follow-up appointment after you’ve ejaculated 30 times'.”
"Without missing a beat my brother asked 'what time do you open tomorrow?'”
"The nurse couldn’t keep it together after hearing that."- UtahUtopia
Awkward Season 8 GIF by The Office
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Double Whammy!
"My pal uses the phrase 'he doesn’t look strong enough to carry information' and it cracks me up every time."
"Calling someone stupid and weak in one fell swoop."- JennyW93
Can't Hide Your DNA...
'Whenever I jokingly insult my mum, she says 'that must be where you get it from'."
"She cracked the code."
"I can never offend her without offending myself."- JennyW93
Self-Sufficient!
"My brother was a line cook at a New Orleans restaurant."
"My mom was in town, staying at a fancy hotel, and he stopped by after work, still wearing his kitchen whites."
"He was reading a newspaper in the lobby waiting for her to come down when the shocked lobby manager sputtered at him, 'MAY I HELP YOU!?!?'
"He answered, 'thanks, but I know how to read',” and went back to his paper."- jobrody
Morph Current Affairs GIF by Aardman Animations
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A Miracle!
"My brother-in-law’s comment."
"The entire family went out for my mother’s 80th birthday and after the meal we all went to a local park, largely occupied by the elderly, to rest."
"My mother needed crutches at this point, and they were resting against her bench."
"My 10-year-old niece, who looked like every starving waif image from Dickens, grabbed the crutches and started hobbling round the park."
"All the OAPs were following her progress with looks of pity until my brother ran up behind her, and kicked away the crutches."
"There was an audible gasp from round the park and then my niece picked the crutches back up and started chasing my brother, clearly intending to hit him."
"In the confused silence my brother-in-law’s voice rang out 'Praise be! She can walk again!'"
"We still think this was the highlight of the birthday celebrations."- DdraigGwyn
Still Legal, Whichever Way You Cut It...
"I picked up my pleasantly tipsy boyfriend from a nightclub."
"We were stopped by the Police for a random breath test."
"They asked me my age, and I said, 33."
"My bf blurted out '33? You told me you were 22'."
"Police just laughed and let me go."- Aggravating-Corgi379
Music Video Police GIF by Andrew W. K.
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A Bit Too On The Nose?
"Business law class in college years ago, talking about the issues that black Americans had before the Civil Rights."
"Amendment, trying to travel through the south with the discrimination so rampant, trying to find restaurants to serve them and decent lodgings."
"My instructor was posing a hypothetical: 'So you pull up out front of this place, you're exhausted from driving for hours, and you see the sign out front says 'Ku Klux Klan Motel'."
"'What would you expect to find there?'"
"Without missing a beat, from the back of the room came this gem: "'Extra sheets in every room?'"- NedsAtomicDB
Not Yet, Anyway...
"I was working with my friend and his dad."
"My friend (26) heard an ice cream truck near where we were working."
"He asked his dad if he could have a couple dollars."
"His dad asked, 'what for?'"
"My friend told his dad that there was an ice cream truck in the neighborhood, and that they were playing music."
"My friends dad told him "'They don't charge anything to listen to the music'."- tatersalad1234567890
Words Escape You In The Literal "Heat" Of The Moment...
"A friend of mine is a teacher and her husband is known for his wit."
"She told this story to him:"
"One day at school a kid took the hall pass and returned reeking like smoke."
"She asked the kid if he’d been smoking and he denied it over and over."
"She was about to send him to the office when she noticed smoke coming from somewhere."
"She told the kid and he realized that he didn’t put his cig out completely and it was burning in his pants pocket."
"The kid noticed and frantically tried to put it out and someone finally poured water on it."
"Her husband sat listening to this with a weird look on his face."
"She asked him what was wrong."
“'What’s wrong???'"
"'This was probably the only chance you’ll have in your life to say literally, ‘liar,liar, pants on fire’ and you missed your chance'."- Luder714
On Fire No GIF by PEEKASSO
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Amazing What You Might Say A Few Drinks In...
"When I went to a renaissance faire once, I went to a beer tent and ordered a Newcastle Brown Ale (seemed the most fitting for the surroundings)."
"The beer wench, without skipping a beat, said, 'Everyone wants a Newcastle - no one wants to remodel!'"- jayhof52
Read The Room People!
"My dad wiped out when skiing down a mountain and lost a ski."
"After a few minutes of hunting for it, he gives up, slings the one remaining ski over a shoulder and starts walking down the mountain in his ski boots."
"About half-way down, another skier stops and goes 'Gee! Did you lose a ski?'"
"My dad instantly replied 'No, I was out for a walk and found one!'"- PeterJoAl
There's a reason your mother always told you to "use your words".
As clever remarks can have a much more lasting effect on people than a push or shove.