The kindest things are done out of a desire to be kind, not out of a desire to be commended. Being nice for the right reasons can not only brighten someone else's life, but can also lead to good karma. Here are some of Reddit's best stories of anonymous kindness.
u/indeed_indeed_indeed asked: What's the nicest thing you've done for someone without them knowing you did it?
Freakin' a**holes.
Had a friend who got super drunk, partially naked, and extremely... loose-lipped during a party (she started talking about her (dead) daddy issues). It was humiliating enough for her in the moment, but I noticed one guy and his buddies trying to film her as well. So, I sidled up to them later and then flirted my way into "borrowing" his phone (subtlety isn't usually my M.O., but I didn't want to risk it). Deleted all six videos the sh*t stain had recorded on there and then f*cked off (with my passed-out friend and one other to help carry her both in tow) before he had the chance to realize what was up.
She woke up the next morning and had zero recollection of the preceding night. I did not mention it to her.
ETA: I definitely did not have the wherewithal to wipe his phone further, sadly, but this was years ago and I haven't seen her on the Internet yet, at least. Also - I know what to do next time this (does not) happen in front of me, because I am too f*cking old for this sh*t now. Hopefully.
Everyone appreciates gum.
Giphy
We had a German exchange student at my school with her and it was her first day and she was very clearly stressed and having a hard time. Halfway through class she was called down to the office to have a meeting with the other exchange kids, I'm guessing it was to get to know them better. But that meeting turned into an hour-long meeting where the next class would have started by the end of it.
So towards the end of class when everyone was lining up at the door for the Bell to ring I packed up all of her (exchange student's) stuff and put it neatly back in her backpack and threw some gum in there for her. I didn't know I had her next class but she came in chewing gum.
That's so heartwarming.
Several times a year I take my elderly neighbor to the cemetery to visit her husband's grave.
What she doesn't know is that before we visit there, I go to the cemetery in advance, place some flowers and trim the ornamental shrubs around the monument so it looks cared for and loved.
Self-defense is so important.
A friend of my wife is a single mom, her son is on the spectrum and overweight and was therefore a target for bullies. She signed him up for some self defense classes but could only afford 2 or 3. He really enjoyed the classes. I went into the dojo and prepaid a couple months worth. Never even told my wife. Her friend called my wife super excited thinking another friend paid. I just let it slide.
That's good karma.
Giphy
I remember a poor kid that always used to go to my school - his uniform was from either the lost and found or donations, and he used to always wear hand-me-down footwear. The first year I met him, I found he didn't have recess or lunch for the first half of the year, because his parents were still trying to recover from paying for school.
The next year, I covered him with recess and lunch for two terms by leaving him something from the canteen on his table before school. I used to write in cursive, and nobody knew my print handwriting, so I also left him a note asking "want anything specific?" and left a little writing space for him. I also gave him a pencil case full of stuff because the teachers gave us a pencil and an eraser and nothing else.
This is so sweet.
I bought my cousin's wedding dress. She fell in love with one but couldn't afford it so settled for a cheaper one on a payment plan. I went back, had them order the nicer dress, paid it in full, and let her discover it when they said it arrived. She still doesn't know it was me. Our grandfather had bought the wedding dresses for every other of his granddaughters getting married but he passed away before she was engaged. It was my way of making sure he was part of her day.
A good deed.
When my brother had pneumonia and was hospitalised, I knew his wife wouldn't leave the house for shopping due to her anxiety and depression. So I ordered an online shop delivered to their door with 2 weeks worth of shopping, pack lunches, treats the lot. To this day they think her dad must have arranged it since she had been crying to him over the phone a few hours prior. He thinks he must have forgot he ordered it.
I'm sure he appreciated it.
Giphy
When I was in Chicago, I saw a homeless guy sitting near a trash bin with a sign that said "no money, just food, I'm hungry". I was on my way to the store to buy some medicine and figured I'd get him something.
When I got back he was no longer there, so he never knew I bought him food.
What a d*ck.
I was at a college party (I tried to avoid them, but a friend insisted I start going) and noticed some guy put something in a cup belonging to a girl I knew from my philosophy in the matrix class (don't ask, it counted as a philosophy course and I needed a philosophy credit to graduate). She set the cup on a coffee table and wandered off somewhere, so I walked over and "accidentally" knocked her cup over. When she came back I apologized and offered to get her another one. Didn't have any classes together after that, the guy got expelled a month later after he got caught spiking another person's drink.
They truly care.
I used to be a probation and parole agent.
I had maaaany people on my caseload. If they were cool, not aholes, reporting and their house was in order and they were working and trying and whatnot, they got special treatment.
Part of my weekly checks involved checking what their supervision fees and court fees looked like. I didn't care about court fines, so I would usually have them sign paperwork that I just wouldn't explain to have them restructured. I did the same with supervision fees. The supervision fees were 50 dollars a month. For some of these people they didn't report every month, so every time they reported, like every 3 months, that's 150 that they were behind. Some of these people that's actually a lot of money. So I just would restructure it without them knowing.
I had one girl that was busting her a** working the program. Then she was like "oh my god, and Agent Citadel, I haven't paid my supervision fees in like a year, court fines either. I'm probably behind 600 dollars. You're going to lock me up over that one of these days."
I was an absolute hard a** on people, but I do have a lot of respect for someone that's busting their a** and trying their best. So I explained to her that I've been periodically wiping her arrearage away. My logic was I wanted her focusing on paying her drug rehab fees and not worrying about the other small stuff.
She cried and cried in the office. "Agent Citadel they always say you only care about the money but you actually care about us." All that through huge boo hoos.
That's beyond kind.
Giphy
A co-worker's mother died. Her mom was in a different country, and she couldn't go over there because she'd never make it back to the states, and she didn't have much money to send over there. I talked to my other co-workers and raised about $600 for her mom, not including what I put in. I even grouped all of us together, and we gave her the money as a group, because I didn't want her to know it was me that originally decided to do this.
She cried and gave us all a hug. Was beyond blessed to have the money to send and give her mother a proper burial. To this day she has no idea that I organized this.
Support the arts.
I gave $50 to an artist on youtube when her girlfriend needed surgery and they couldn't afford it. It may have been a scam but I don't really care. Hopefully that money went to good use, and if her girlfriend really was in dire need of that surgery, I saved a life.
Awww.
I made up a Christmas stocking for someone to give them a sense of childhood (Santa giving you stockings full of stuff) since they never had that. I got a relative to get up early to set it by the fireplace without him knowing. They assumed it was from their relative who's never given them anything for Christmas (supposedly) and I never had the heart to tell them it was me.
Kind of them.
Giphy
A lady dropped her wallet whilst talking on her phone and holding her son's hand. I grabbed it and followed it up, but I didn't want to disturb the lady's call, so I just handed it to the son.
As I was about to walk off to my bus stop, I notice the kid started raising the wallet in front of her mom's face after she finished her call, and started mumbling to her about someone returning it after dropping it.
A true hero.
I once folded a stranger's clothes for them when I needed to use the dryer.
“I'm from Brazil: Kitchen with island, sinkhole with the garbage disposal, air conditioner everywhere in the house.”
“EDIT: I'm talking about the kitchen sinkhole that you can throw food there without clog the plumbing, in Brazil all the food remainings you have to throw in a bin. It's garbage disposal what I meant, I made a search and made a new edit.” raicorreia
The joy of getting 2am diner food after a night out…
Food Eating GIF by Moosh & TwistGiphy“24/7 diners, I don't know if they actually exist but they sound awesome.” turngre3n
Having a good hot soak…
“Bathtubs apparently. I see them in so many tv shows. Even characters who supposedly aren't well off have a big bathtub in their bathroom.”
“I have not even seen one in real life. I thought maybe some hotels in my country would have them but nope. (Though to be fair I've never stayed in a 5 star or something). Just want to experience bathing in a bathtub once to see what all the fuss is about” vpsj
A good oil’ greasy American breakfast.
“Of what I've seen you guys have breakfast places everywhere and they have a wide selection of stuff like pancakes and donuts, it's not healthy but it sounds great. Most we get in the UK are small cafés or Mcdonalds.” FunniBoii
We add bacon to everything…
“When I moved to the Northwest, all my european friends swore up and down that American desserts and pastries were inferior, that I would have to get sweets imported, and I would miss all the nice bakeries, etc.”
“Immediately when I got here, I was offered a "maple bar with bacon and nuts", and I can never go back. America's pastry game goes hard. I've never had donuts as fluffy and flavorful. 10/10, would recommend.” SentretSparkleypants
Movie theater food…
“A theatre where they serve you actual food (like pizza, not popcorn) inside the theatre, while sitting on a spacious reclining chair with a little mini table. Best experience watching a movie I've ever had and wish it was in my country (Kenya).” Odd_Inflation178
We are spoiled for cereal variety…
“Cereal! We don't have ANY good breakfast cereal in Nepal 😭 Only DUMB Kelloggs cornflakes and chocos. I want those sweet honey nut cheerios, colorful fruit loops, them flavorful cinnamon toast crunch, those amazing looking frosted mini-wheats. Just give us some variety!!” June_53
Accessible street food…
“Street food that doesn't cost ££££. I hate the fact that in the U.K. (esp. London/Birmingham etc.) 99% of street food is deemed to be as pretentious as possible. Just because food is inevitably sprinkled with Parmesan/Truffle Oil/Whatever DOES NOT MEAN its allowed to be charged as much as it is inside a restaurant.”
“No, I don't want a eat a 'secret spices' beef rib from a cardboard box with rosemary salted French fries for £14 in the rain. I'd much rather have a half-decent burrito for £4/5, thanks.” notprotonated
Thift shopping!
Thrift Shop Television GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy“Thrifting, where I live the second hand shop are so rare and it takes hours to get there. Also big mall were there are 20 and more shops, near me(and with near I mean that I have to drive for 1 hour) there is only one, and they only make this kind of malls in the opposite side of my city because the center is untouchable.” Eastern-Honeydew-471
“Mexican food and restaurants. I live in a german town with around 20k people. We have 15 italian (though at least two of them only do delivery), 5 greek, 1 vietnamese, 1 chinese and 5 german restaurants. 4 turkish Döner Kebap stores and 2 greek Pytta Gyros ones, one McD and a Subway.”
“And a load of cafes and sit-down bakeries. Within a 25km radius there is just one mexican 'restaurant'. Which is basically a (fancy and quite expensive) bar that offers a very limited menu with mexican foods and one american Burger-restaurant that has some mexican stuff on its menu every once in a while, but not always.” quietschedalek
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Reddit user "talldmbfan" asked:
"If you got to pick any career/job and earned $400,000 no matter what, what career/job would you pick?"
Ya know ... a $400k salary sounds like it could be a few smart money choices away from the very serious business of picking just the right pun for my new boat's name or whatever it is rich people do with their time. So let's start there.
What WOULD Reddit do for work if people actually got to choose? Let's find out.
Ranger Danger
National Park California GIF by Ovation TVGiphy"Park ranger. Specifically at Banff National Park."
- Freshrendar
"Yeah, I was thinking the same. However, it’s becoming an increasingly dangerous job these days I have heard."
"One the one hand maybe it's just misbehaved tourists who are becoming increasingly obnoxious, and on the other hand hardened, armed criminals trying to do their business in private."
- Th3_accountant
"Criminals like hiding in National Parks, feeding themselves by spotlighting game (whatever they can shoot they will shoot) and using gill nets to catch dozens and dozens of fish."
"Each ranger has a LOT of area to keep under control, it’s not unheard of to pull over a truck and 5+ guys come out, fully armed and it’s just you by yourself until backup arrives."
- NE55IN
"Former Ranger here. The job and positions of a Park Ranger vary widely."
"It does have its perks and I really liked it, but it also sucks in ways and has big drawbacks. Humans are the worst animal to have to manage."
- TahoeClown
Effort And Criticism
sacha baron cohen hotel GIFGiphy"USD 400,000 per year, right? I’d say be a hotel / resort critic."
"That way I get to travel, stay comfortably & get paid for a rather (seemingly) low effort gig."
- PuneriPerson
"I've been in travel positions before, it's pretty fun for a bit but as 'spoiled' as it sounds, hotel and restaurant living get tiring after a while."
"Sometimes it's better to just come home to your loved ones or pet or whatever."
"I did that while I was single. I don't have kids, but I can't imagine being in that type of role when you do."
"Being away from them plus putting the entire burden of raising children on your spouse? Not for me."
- peon2
"I met a girl several months ago who is a travel journalist and gets paid to do this very thing!"
"While I do get envious of all her comped trips (since I met her several months ago she’s been on fully paid trips to Oaxaca, Curaçao, a couple of luxury Caribbean cruises and had to turn down a trip to the German Christmas markets) I get the impression her job is a lot more stressful than we’d all imagine."
"She says pretty much every minute of each trip is filled with activities she’s expected to write about with very little down time."
"She’s lived all over the world with her job but also never really put down any roots, so that’s a downside. Even so - I enjoy living vicariously through her travels!"
- Fuzzy-Donkey5538
Let's Go Lego
Awesome The Lego Movie GIF by TrolliGiphy"Lego set designer"
- JustStargazin
"A LEGOland near me just posted a position for a master builder and i was like 'f*ck yeah!' ..."
"except that it pays $12/hour."
- checkoutmyfish
"Yeees! This has been my dream job since I was a kid. Only reason I’ve never pursued it is because it doesnt pay well."
- bigtdgf
"I didn’t even think of that!"
"My cousin and I love legos soooo much, I have that Disney castle set and we are constantly making the most random things. If I became the top set designer, there would be a lot more weird sets lol"
- The_controler
Helping Hoarders
khj GIFGiphy"The same business I have now. I help the elderly and hoarders organize their homes. I quite a job that payed well and to do this and it is so rewarding."
"A simple tip: To maintain control over a hobby/collectables, designate a space for it. If it overflows that space, it is time to rethink the activity."
"It may mean finding a bigger space, or looking for outdated or unused items for that hobby. This helps to maintain control and keep the hobby from taking over."
- bsmknight
"This one sparks joy!"
- Zebracakes2009
"I’d love to know more about this. I worry I’m a hoarder sometimes."
- DarkAndSparkly
"I am not a psychologist so please take this with a grain of salt, but from my experience the term hoarder is often misused. Hopefully this will be helpful to you!"
"I have helped people who have ranged from perfectly normal to people with head trauma. Yes, they can all be categorized as different levels of hoarding, but I try and focus on the reason why they hoard, rather than the term itself."
"Customer 1: was a lady whose house was just a mess. Not disgusting, just nothing was organized. She had a lot going on and was feeling very overwhelmed and her place was taking a turn for the worst."
"She was a bit ashamed and kept indicating how she was a hoarder."
"In the end, over several sessions we cleared out the garage, the living room, the bedrooms, the dining room and never once did she hesitate to throw something away. She wasn't a hoarder, she was overwhelmed. So this was solely situational."
"Customer 2: Another lady, good friend of mine too, very much fit the typical hoarding situation. In her case she was just really bad at putting things away and thus everything ended up, everywhere."
"She still has this problem, but as long as I come over from time to time, stuff gets put away. She has been really good at throwing away or donating items, but she needs someone to sit down with her to help motivate her."
"Customer 3: A gentleman who was my inspiration to get into this business is probably the closest to the true nature of a hoarder."
"He received a blow to the head many years ago due to an accident. Because of that he has had difficulty staying on track. He looses focus frequently and thus things fall to the wayside."
"I go over from time to time to help him clean up. I will make him return stuff he buys when he really does not need it, because he easily becomes distracted. He forgets to return it or that he even bought it."
"I can get him to get rid of stuff, it just takes a good deal of prodding and coaxing."
"In the end, With all my customers I tell them to stop focusing on the negative. Don't worry if your a hoarder, rather spend that mental energy on what you can do to move forward."
"Tip: if you need an idea for a first step, Listen to a podcast or you tube video on organizing."
- bsmknight
A Place For Passion
Nervous Season 6 GIF by Paramount+Giphy"I’d want to own studio space where people could take classes, not just art or dancing but also like general hobbies to knitting, sculpting, writing, photography."
"I want to help people find a passion and explore it. And I’d be able to support others by paying them to teach their own passion."
- resigned-unicorn
"Look into maker spaces or hacker spaces. That literally exactly what they are!"
"I've seen them have facilities and classes ranging from running a cnc machine to beer brewing to programming."
"Membership is typically expensive (50-200 a month) but most give discounts or free membership for teaching classes.
Keep in mind I don't know if they are running with covid."
- vrek86
"There's a place near me called Handmade Toledo that does this!"
"The front of the building is a storefront where local artists, makers, and crafters can sell their stuff (anything from t-shirts and cards to candles and soaps, including snarky greeting cards and patches)."
"The back of the building is an events space where they have classes a few times a week, and a big event once or twice a year where more artisans come and sell their stuff."
- RagingAardvark
Dungeons, Dragons, And Daycare?
how to train your dragon smile GIFGiphy"I would run Dungeons and Dragons campaigns for k-6 graders to teach them about problem solving and conflict negotiation."
- snailsshouldvote
"I use D&D to teach conversation strategies and cross-cultural communication to Japanese university students and it’s f*cking great."
- Lord_Dimwit_Flathead
"I think every pre-school/lower school should hire you, this is a fantastic idea to implement those values while having fun!"
- OsamaBinnDabbin
"One of our friends runs dnd campaigns for kids as a way for them to work through their trauma."
"I don't know all the ins and outs, but it seems to help them. My husband has a 3D printer so he prints their mini figs for them."
- NurseMcStuffins
OK Go Away Now
Season 5 April GIF by Parks and RecreationGiphy"Reclusive writer"
"I’d like people to enjoy my work, but otherwise forget about me and leave me alone."
"I went to a lecture given by Andy Weir once and he said that writing is a great way to be famous because you’re famous for a few weeks when they make a movie out of your book and you get invited to parties and stuff and it’s a lot of fun, but then you get to go back to civilian life rather quickly because everyone forgets about you pretty fast."
"So you get a taste of the celebrity life every now and then but you’re not stuck in the spotlight all the time like someone in the film or music industries."
- Plantayne
"I second this! Reclusive writer would seriously be an awesome job to have and make $400,000 doing."
- DemonikKitten
"A mysterious person that everybody knows by what you do; but whose identity is unknown because all you put are your initials, rather than your full name? Before you know it, you're both the most famous yet unknown person that everybody is talking about."
"I'm in."
- BeltEuphoric
Here Kitty Kitty
cat lady cats GIFGiphy"Cat rescue and rehabilitation. I do it for free when I can, so it would be awesome to be paid for it and have actual resources."
- toxinogen
"My family used to do this as well and it was so much fun growing up with up to a dozen cats in a town house at a time."
- amtapp
"Had a friend who co-owned a rescue. It’s good work but man was there so much drama from cat people. Half of her energy was spent managing different crazy personalities who volunteered."
"She ended up stepping down to a smaller role and opening a cat cafe."
- bell37
Masters With No Money
shocked oh my GIFGiphy"Librarian. Let me teach all about and facilitate the free borrowing of books while arranging events and services that help bind and strengthen the community."
"I would do it if librarian pay could support even myself decently. A lot of public service jobs (like librarians and teachers amongst others) do not pay very well and it can be hard to support yourself on such a salary, let alone a family if you want to have one."
"Still, if the issue of being able to live on the salary is taken out of the equation, I would choose to be a librarian every time."
- AnotherBookWyrm
"Oh man, my mom was a librarian and it is a real calling for some and I so love and respect that."
"Librarians are amazing!!!!"
- rcher87
"This was absolutely my first thought as well."
"I was halfway to a master's degree in library science when I did several shadow sessions. Everyone I talked to had gone to school for library science and was working part time shelving books and waiting for a librarian position to open up. Unless I was willing to move, it really didn't seem like a good option."
- elletastic
"It's a profession where the expectation is to have a masters degree and the pay scale for the vast majority of positions does not reflect that."
"I AM a librarian and it would still be my answer for this thread, but you'll often get that because you have to want to do this job to do it for the kinds of pay you can expect."
"I'm just lucky I'm in an academic position rather than public as that tends to set the starting pay a bit higher."
- WalkingTarget
What's Up, Wonka?
Animated GIFGiphy"Ice cream truck driver, but everything is $1 or less. Or maybe running a candy shop."
"While I’m at my mentally draining job, I dream of just being able to make people smile, but I just can’t afford to live on the money that provides."
- fraxiiinus
"There was this man who had an ice-cream truck that went around my neighborhood (I lived near a small park) and he was so nice. He couldn’t speak English well, but he just radiated a warmth around him that can never be bought or sold."
- Closet_Couch_Potato
You know what Reddit would do, but what about you? If you had enough money to be comfortable, what job would you happily get up and go do?
Is there a job you wouldn't do even if someone offered you a $400k salary?
What's your labor worth? Let's talk about it, fam.
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Some of the activities unfolding before us can be outright bonkers, and we just have to wonder what makes them do the things they do.
Curious to hear about how others might be perceived in public for doing certain activities, Redditor LordP*yF*ker asked:
"What’s legal but if you do it you still look like a psychopath?"
Why anyone would do the following is anybody's guess, but at least the question was answered.
They've Gotta Latte Nerve
"Going to Starbucks and ordering a milk with ice."
– tsuave
Going Nowhere Fast
"walking backwards in public."
– CloudMojos
"So I saw this couple walking backwards down the middle of my street and thought 'huh weird.'"
"Looked out the window 1 minute later and there they were again walking backwards in the same spot."
"Went to the kitchen window and again walking backwards, but I had never seen them walk forwards to get back to that position."
"At this point I think I'm stuck in a time loop. I show my roommate to prove I'm not crazy and this time we see them walk forwards back to the top of the street. So we watch them for several cycles just walking forwards, then backwards, up and down the street, just holding casual conversation."
"Figure it must be a workout routine or something but wtf..."
– BearsWithGuns
What's Up, Doc?
"Paint yourself orange, dye your hair green, stand in a hole and pretend your a carrot."
– _Raspootin_
Business Cardio
"Working out in a suit."
– Poob3
"I had a classmate who did phys ed (also) in a suit. He only had suits, about 20 times the very same outfit, including shoes and ties."
– DarwinWillSolveIt
Could something more sinister be at work here?
Not possible.
After all, these activities are NOT illegal, right?
Midnight In The Garden Of Evil
"Digging holes in your backyard at night."
"Just doing some night digging."
– Hydris
Poultry Facial
"Wearing the skin of a roast chicken like a mask."
– penny_lab
Here's A Treat
"Offering candies to kids with a van with homemade logos."
– khanabyss
Double Brides
"Wearing a wedding gown to someone else's wedding."
– Adventurous_Menu_683
"In pakistani culture its perfectly normal to wear your own wedding gown to someone elses wedding. The gowns are very color full and heavily embroidered."
– IFKhan
Just because it's a preference doesn't mean you won't get an awkward reaction.
Drop Trou
"Pulling your pants/underwear all the way down to pee at a men’s urinal."
– Sultan_of_Swing92
"I knew a kid in elementary school who did this. Normally he would use the stalls but one time he did it at the urinal and yelled 'oops I'm not in the stall' then turned and made and held eye contact when I looked cause he yelled."
– OutlandishnessNo3979
Look Ma, No Hands
"Eating in public without using your hands at all."
– DeathSpiral321
"Like... just face first?"
– clumsyumbrella
"Nah, feet."
– pyphais
For Texture
"Eating a banana with the skin on."
– Nipples_of_Destiny
As a subway commuter in Gotham City, I've seen my fair share of crazy on the train.
From unprovoked altercations, to riders taking up precious sitting real estate by spreading their legs wide open, there are many offenses committed by strap-hangers all the time.
My biggest complaint is a common one and it happens as I try to exit the train and my path is blocked by commuters standing on the platform who are simultaneously rushing to get in.
It happened very recently where a guy was standing directly in front of me, and he refused to step out of the way.
I asked him, "so are you just going to stand there?" His choice to stand on solid ground gave me my answer and I aggressively nudged him out of the way with my shoulder.
I didn't have patience for it, because like many of us stepping out of the train, we had places to go.
That being said, I don't highly recommend what I did. As I said earlier, I've seen my fair share of crazy on the train and you never know who you're going to piss off.
I can't wait to be a car-owner again someday.
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