They're called exes for a reason. Before you think about taking your ex back, take a second to reflect on all of the reasons why you left them in the first place. Everything happens for a reason, and for these Redditors, the reasons are abundantly clear.
Kindaherekindanot asked: Why is your ex an ex?
50. A complete lack of empathy doesn't make for a good partner.
"I was in the emergency room with kidney stones (didn't know it was kidney stones at the time, just knew I was in the most pain I'd ever been in). She got pissed because "you're not paying attention to me." Seriously, I'm in an emergency room hooked up to an IV with pain killers flowing through me, at this point I'm half conscious 'cause of the morphine, and apparently I'm a piece of s**t for not paying attention to her.
It came to a head when I asked her to get a nurse because something didn't feel right (they had gave me something I was allergic to and I was starting to have an allergic reaction). She said, "Fine, I'll just be your babysitter." At that point I just told her to go home, that her negativity was making me feel worse. She threw a fit, and left in a rage.
Next day I didn't even call her for a ride back home when I got out of the hospital, I called my aunt and had her drive me home. The moment I got home I started packing. If you have to be the center of attention and can't feel any empathy whatsoever while I'm in the goddamn emergency room, you're a garbage human I don't want anything to do with."
49. How about no.
"Been married 18 years, so my ex was an ex from about 23 years ago.
Reason he's my ex? Got my "friend" preggers, when I confronted him he suggested we stay together and have threesomes. Yeah... Nope."
48. Holy crap.
When I was nearly robbed. Before the story came out she said damn I didn't know that your great great grandparents medals were stolen. She hired two guys to rob me 'cause I told her my brother was having an serious asthma attack and I'll be at the hospital. She wanted to show me that she found the medals."
47. Was it ever fun though?
"Someone I dated for a month or two. Started talking about marriage and having kids after the third or fourth date. Would call me in the middle of the night because she needed help with something that any fully functional adult should be able to do by themselves, i.e. stuff like lifting a 10 lbs object from the floor and placing it on a counter. Finally broke it off when she told me I'm gonna have to cut any and all ties to one of my best friends because I'm not allowed to talk to other girls now that we're dating.
She ended up stalking me for like six months, threatened to a) kill me in my sleep or b) walk up to the police and tell them I had assaulted her (Glad she typed that out in detail so I could just easily screencap everything in case I ever needed the evidence), called me at 4 AM multiple times after getting faced at a bar and when I'd switch my phone off, she'd send me 80+ messages that usually evolved from trying to guilt trip me to take her back into borderline psychotic ranting and empty threats. She eventually screwed some old dude, got an STD, and claimed it was my fault because I had forced her to do that by not wanting to be with her.
So that was fun while it lasted."
46. DEAL. BREAKER.
"Because he wouldn't shut up and talked all the way through Monty Python's The Meaning of Life."
45. .....sneeze fetish?
"He had a sneeze fetish that he obsessed unhealthily over. In my sleep he'd ball up cat hair and try to put it into my nose. I didn't know he was doing this to me until I had a nasty sinus infection and had my sinus flooded out at urgent care. Out came small balls of cat hair.
The final straw was cheating on me with a girl who had a bigger nose than me. She was his ex and he just couldn't get over that nose despite the fact she was literally psychotic.
They were perfect for each other. Not my loss. But my mistake ever trying to be tolerant and understanding of him.
Makes great material for the biography I'll never write."
44. Absolutely not.
"He threatened suicide every few weeks."
He constantly performed "tests" on me to see if I loved him enough or that I could be trusted. I always failed them.
He would demand I stay up on the phone almost every night until 1am or later listening, not TALKING, to him. I would be expected to stay awake and listen to his rambling anecdotes for hours silently. If I spoke, I'd make him lose his train of thought.
If I fell asleep, I got screamed at or a day of the cold shoulder.
These are just a few examples.
I was a young teenager who got sucked into a cycle of psychological abuse for a few years.
I'm fine now for the most part."
43. A heartbreaker AND a racist.
"He thought people finding out he was dating an Asian-American would be embarrassing.
So bullet dodged but I wish I could say I was the one who decided that."
42. The dog seals the deal for this break-up.
"He had his mom texted me to break up with me just before a big vacation we were going to take together. We were both adults.
Also his dog was extremely aggressive towards me (but I would be too if I hadn't been walked in two weeks)."
41. Now was it blood, or was it ketchup?
"She stabbed me during an argument about whether ketchup should be kept in the fridge or the pantry."
40. Good for this person for getting help.
"He broke up with me for a reason that didn't make sense.
8 months later I realized it was because I was getting help for my depression and becoming more independent and not letting him control me. He didn't like the fact that he didn't own me anymore and having me as a play toy wasn't fun for him anymore.
Months after we broke up was when I realized he had been emotionally and verbally abusing me for years."
39. Bullet dodged, indeed.
"Because he wanted to start selling drugs to his friends.
We've been living together for maybe 3 years, and I didn't agree to this idea, at all. But the thing is, his business started to grow way too fast, and I got tired. So tired that one day, after I saw the stash, I decided I wanted to live on my own. And he dumped me for that, but I only heard the big new the day after, when he invited his ex over at our apartment while I was working. OH WELL, big bullet dodged, because a week after I left, he got busted and now has a criminal record.
But hey, I'm finally over with these years of toxicity. And I got to keep the doggo, and this big old boi is the love of my life, no doubt."
38. The whole package.
"Found out I really didn't know him until we married and moved in together
- Was a mama's boy.
- Told me "you're my wife, you do what I tell you".
- Couldn't make decisions on anything.
- Couldn't keep a job.
- All talk no action when it came to work.
- Criticized me constantly, especially in front of others.
- Sex was bad."
37. An uncommon problem to have.
"Because his penis was too big!
No joke! Legit, too big. It hurt, way too much. I tried to bear it for a while hoping it didn't get better. I started avoiding spending time with him so I could avoid sex. Realized that wasn't fair and broke it off. Weirdest breakup ever, but we're still good friends. Kind of a pro and con situation for him."
36. There is so much wrong with this.
"Cheated on me, then blamed the guys death on me (he died in a motorcycle crash at speeds 200+km/h) he was at her place and I surprised her by showing up unexpectedly and he left out the back door.
Accused me of having incestuous relationship with my mother and sister when I would choose to spend time with them instead of her.
She also was physically and emotionally abusive. Just an all around horrible woman that broke me and gave me long lasting trust issues.
This was almost 12 years ago now, and the affects are still present, even after therapy. She was my first love I guess, she was the first sexual partner, looking back at it I should have listened to her father when he said I should run.
35. OKCupid Kills.
My friend sent me a screenshot of the secret OKCupid profile saying he was looking for flings. I truly feel blessed knowing my friends are so solidly in my corner. pm_me_cool_maps
34. Time to Make a Change.
Said she wanted a change.... coincidentally at the same time that I finished paying for her college. CarlosAVP
I have a friend this happened to, twice (the same guy). Just sad. Plinthastic
33. So Far Away....
Neither of us wanted to relocate coasts. It's boring but true. I wish her the best in life. She was awesome. TNinLosAngeles
This happened to me. We had a great relationship but I was moving to England and he didn't want to come — just not part of his plan. It was mutual and I still love him as a human, and we still talk. verymerry19
32. Asexually Yours....
We dated for about 6 years, and I thought things were going quite well. When we started dating, she thought she was asexual and so sex wasn't really a main focus in our relationship, which wasn't a dealbreaker for me so I rolled with it.
About a month or two before we broke up, I could feel some distance being forged between us. At first I chalked it up to her being busy with a new job and family obligations - but more and more she would reference one of her coworkers. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me, but I trusted her completely, so I didn't tell her not to talk to him or anything, and she reassured me that there was nothing going on between them.
Well, one night we're talking over messenger and our conversation took a pretty serious turn where she basically admitted to me that she didn't think she was as asexual as she thought she was, and that she didn't find me appealing in that way at all. It devastated me, but I ultimately accepted it. Naturally, I asked if her coworker had any role in her decision to breakup, which she was adamant that he didn't.
Not even two weeks later, I find out that the two of them started dating, which really made me go into a deep depression. I'm happy to say that it's been a little over a year since then, and I've lost over 130 pounds (and am finally at a healthy weight for the first time in my adult life), my social life is the best it's ever been, I got my degree, and have an excellent new job. At one point I thought my life was over, and in some regards, I was right - my life as I had known it was over - but my new life is so much better. JustAverageTemp
31. Cheater. Cheater.
4 years never cheated. She cheated twice. Nobody's perfect excuse, I have problems too.
I'd work all day to pay bills, she brought a homeless guy home. Let him live in our house while I worked without my knowing. Ate my food, played my games, banged my lady while I paid for it all.
Months later attempt to rekindle the flame, goes sour. A week later "Im pregnant" text. lots of long nights and deep thinking about life. Accept that i must be a father to my child. Another week passes "Its not actually your's it's (homeless guys). I just thought you would be a good dad."
Bye Felicia. jnmwr
30. Jurassic Beliefs.
She didn't believe in dinosaurs. moreberriesthanyou
"Stop telling people I don't believe dinosaurs exist, because I wouldn't wear the stupid t-rex costume in the bedroom!" Pope_Beenadick
29. Crash.
She hit me with a car. Yeah it's been a few years. Life moves on :) greyz3n
28. The Depressed.
You can't always stick two severely mentally ill people in a relationship and expect it to work out great.
Edit: Thanks everyone. My ex is not a bad person, just horribly depressed. i-ride-dragons
27. Come to the Cabaret....
She didn't want to commit, but she didn't want to be alone. She liked to pretend that she didn't need my company, and that life was a cabaret, but she did, and it really wasn't for her. Something in her was afraid of getting too close. I just got tired of it. Tall_Mickey
26. Just There.
I was just someone convenient for her. We were coworkers.
We used to talk a lot and clicked when it came to sense of humor and goofing around. To quickly became good friends and then started dating. I was giving her genuine affection without an ulterior motive. Her family constantly put her down and and was two-faced when it came to being nice. I was the counter to that. I was the escape.
I finished my degree and moved with her four hours away. It was close enough to visit if we wanted but too far for her family to drop by unannounced. We finally had a calm life away from the stress and strife that her family caused.
Then after she had her calm life she no longer needed her escape and couldn't ignore the fact that she never actually wanted me as a person. She only wanted what I represented; what I no longer needed to provide. So she started cheating on me with someone who she was actually attracted to behind my back and his wife's back. Seven years, gone. Zediac
25. We're Not It.
He wanted to date someone exactly like him, and I couldn't be that person. He made me feel guilty for not enjoying everything he enjoyed. If he hadn't ended things, I was going to. We just weren't compatible. M0u53trap
24. Back Home.
Diagnosed with ADHD, early signs of dementia, hypothyroidism and polycistic ovarian syndrome. She had to go back to her country to focus on her treatment and therapy, but we still talk to each other sometimes. Sucks cause she was the best person I've ever met. podente
23. Forever Ex.
This was the worst one. We were in a long distance relationship. It wasn't working out for him though so he broke up with me. We still kept daily contact however. When he came back to visit (my city is his home), he told me that he missed me and so we hung out the entire week he was there, had sex and all that. I was pretty sure we were going to make it work and get back together (that's what I was hoping) Turns out, when he went back to his other country, I found out by luck that he was actually in a relationship with another girl. So yeah... he cheated on her with me...
The best part? This was a girl that I had some red flags up on when we were still together and he was actually dating her while we were still together. Yup... Felt like a complete idiot and that's how he became my ex forever. RiceCrispix
22. Bye Girl.
Faked a pregnancy when I tried to break up.
Cheated (multiple times).
My hands started sweating and my heart was racing when I saw pictures of her recently. This happened over 2 years ago. This tiny girl terrifies me. hatethiscity
21. Cheater.
He cheated on me. His excuse was "It wasn't anything sexual. I just wanted to show her my penis then she grabbed it and put it in." His words not mine. UnderMyUmbreon
20. Sucker Punch.
My girlfriend was verbally abusive on a regular basis. She would also get physically abusive when she drank too much. She wasn't really strong enough to hurt me seriously, but when the person you love starts trying to suckerpunch you it is really frustrating. I still miss her a lot.
Some days she was wonderful and the sweetest person ever. Others she was bitter, angry, and would do anything to try to get a reaction out of me by insulting me. Started to become my insecure high school self after a while and had to give up.
She dealt with a lot of really horrible abuse in her past and I didn't want to ever be the next abuser because of my own anger and frustration so I had to let her go. Still miss her. Still love her. Wish things had been different. TimsTantalizinTicTac
19. Toxic Cover.
I realized it was a toxic relationship when he got mad at me for not wearing makeup. luna-petunia
I should have realized it was a toxic relationship when he yelled at me until I cried for wearing makeup. rockyraccoon13
18. Farewell....
Well, she passed away so I guess she is my ex now. I still love her. _techniker
My boyfriend passed away 11 years ago now. I never considered him my ex, he's just my late boyfriend. I still miss him. Anilxe
17. Hater.
My ex is an ex because he was manipulative and emotionally abusive.... he also hated my friends and family. He tried telling me that they were toxic for me so I could never see them. Queen_Ellie
16. A Little Weight.
Told me he was afraid I'd gain a lot of weight and "wanted to feel he could have sex any time he wanted." Guess you can't have spontaneous sex with a woman who's a little overweight. Jokes on him - I lost weight and he gained weight. VainNightwish
15. You say it's you?
She got sick of being taken for granted, and dealing with the effects of my insecurities. xmittsx87
Hi, are you my ex? You still owe me $70. realhorrorsh0w
14. She Crazy.
Because he was a self centered, emotionally abusive, alcoholic, manipulative anchor of a human being. He destroyed the house I paid for, told me no one else would ever love me, and made everything my fault.
Also he physically abused my dog.
Edit: I'm sorry for everyone else who also had to go through an ex behaving this way. No pupper deserves that. Pupper tax awfulmcnofilter
13. Secrets and Lies....
- She was in the closet so for 4 years I was her dirty little secret
- Craved attention and agreed to have her coworkers set her up on a blind date with some dude without even talking to me about it (wtf?)
- Demanded I leave my career and job in another country and go home, stay in her condo and freelance instead while she continues her career as a lawyer
- Harassed the person I casually dated after her
- Got really mad at me because I moved on and she chose to stay miserable
Haven't had any communication with her for almost a decade now after I finally blocked her all those years ago. I'm happily married for 6 years now to an amazing woman, thank god. Tourtoise
12. Just 17.
i knew him for about 3 months and he wanted to know when he could ask my dad to marry me (he thought 6 months of dating would be good) and he had our whole life planned out. We were both only 17 at the time. now he just crap talks me on twitter months after we broke up. dgsarah
11. Just Not There.
He was truly a phenomenal person but something just didn't click romantically. I just didn't feel the way I thought I should have felt about him. withered-dreams
I had a good friend in school I had a huuuuge crush on, but he wasn't feeling the chemistry. It hurt, but god, I'm so glad he was up front about it (while still remaining kind) instead of trying to pretend. We're still friends, but I'm with a guy who loves me exactly like I love him, and he found a wonderful woman who he has oodles of chemistry with, and we're both so much better for it. Reddit
10. Cut the Ties.
Not really an ex but someone I dated for a month or two. Started talking about marriage and having kids after the third or fourth date. Would call me in the middle of the night because she needed help with something that any fully functional adult should be able to do by themselves, i.e. stuff like lifting a 10 lbs object from the floor and placing it on a counter. Finally broke it off when she told me I'm gonna have to cut any and all ties to one of my best friends because I'm not allowed to talk to other girls now that we're dating.
She ended up stalking me for like six months, threatened to a) kill me in my sleep or b) walk up to the police and tell them I had raped her (Glad she typed that out in detail so I could just easily screencap everything in case I ever needed the evidence), called me at 4 AM multiple times after getting faced at a bar and when I'd switch my phone off, she'd send me 80+ messages that usually evolved from trying to guilt trip me to take her back into borderline psychotic ranting and empty threats. She eventually screwed some old dude, got an STD, and claimed it was my fault because I had forced her to do that by not wanting to be with her. So that was fun while it lasted.
9. This Again?
He didn't feel as strongly about me as I did about him. And he didn't care about how I felt during sex.
ETA: Surprised that this comment blew up! Wanted to clarify that I am a woman and that the main sex issue was that I need time to work up to comfortably putting his manly bit into my lady bits. I did communicate this to him and we had what I thought was very satisfying sex several times after that, despite him having a bit of attitude of "this again?"
Whenever I wasn't immediately ready to be jackhammered after a minute of making out. He told me in the aftermath of our relationship that he thought our physical relationship was completely unenjoyable. There were other things too that he did that made it clear to me that he didn't care how I felt during sex like often wanting oral but never giving it and needing "reminders" to put on a condom despite the fact that I wasn't on birth control for part of the relationship. applebore12
8. Closure.
According to her, she just "lost" her feelings for me. It's been 6 years and I still dream of her. mcmanybucks
Oof I had one like that. It's hard and there is no closure to be had. You just have to realize the things you wished they were are out there in someone else. Demibolt
7. So Petty.
He punched me in the face after a petty argument.
Edit:
Firstly, it doesn't matter what the argument was about. You don't abuse your partner.
Secondly, I'm a guy too. Violence amongst gay couples is a silent issue that's rarely ever talked about and in my experience with friends it can be pretty damn ugly too.
Thirdly, I'm not a violent person. However he did more than punch me after it when following me home and I hit him when he went to strangle me. It did nothing though as I'm soft as hell.
Fourthly, I am okay thank you.
Love and light ❤ -Glitter-Herpes-
6. Power of 2....
Because we were two different people in two different places in our life. Also bc she had a nasty habit of banging my friends, but that's besides the point. MeattloafKitten
5. A Couple of Things.
It was mutual after a couple big discussions.
I wanted to travel, she didn't.
I don't want to have children, and she did.
I didn't want her screwing her ex, but she did.
Gotta decide on what your dealbreakers are, I guess. The_Town_of_Canada
4. Getting Help.
Because I started using and she cheated.
EDIT: thanks for your support everyone, I know an ex junkie talking about a break up isn't the funniest thing to listen to.
EDIT 2: thanks for the 2 gold and platinum kind strangers. EddieVedder_ismydad
3. Lessons....
He ended up being crazier than I initially wanted to believe. Years of stalking after our break-up really did turn me into a paranoid freak. But in time I am doing a lot better. Lesson learned. guyhabit
2. Joy Lost.
Because I could predict the entirety of the rest of my life and I didn't like it.
I would have taken over the family bakery and spent every day waking up at 3 AM to make donuts.
9 AM would be the start time for sausages.
Leave the bakery @ 4 PM. Deposit the daily sales before the bank closes.
Drive home and eat the unsold sausages for dinner.
Watch TV for 1.5 hours before falling asleep in a chair.
Wake up at 3 AM.
Repeat.
Forever.
There was no joy in her father's eyes.
Joy left years ago. ambermage
1. Best Wishes....
An 8-year lasagna of me being noticeably depressed, me not making continuous romantic gestures, a long-term sense of complacency on both our parts and both of us gravitating towards opposite directions in life.
I dated her for almost a decade (I'm 25), and our time together made me a better person. I'm grateful for the time we shared and don't regret it, but I've made my peace and spent nearly 2 years swallowing that bitter, gargantuan pill.
I wish her the best and view her in warm regard, but I don't want to be her friend or even cross paths with her ever again. Getting over the breakup had to be the hardest thing I've ever done, and picking that scab just to keep up the meaningless platitude of "We can still be friends" would be a waste of both of our time. garrettgravley
There are few things more satisfying than a crisp $20 bill. Well, maybe a crisp $100 bill.
But twenty big ones can get you pretty far nonetheless.
Whether it's tucked firmly in a birthday card, passing from hand to hand after a knee-jerk sports bet, or going toward a useful tool, the old twenty dollar bill has been used for countless purposes.
Breaking Even
<p>"I got a jacket and a pair of jeans at goodwill for about $20. My first time wearing the jacket I found a tiny zipper inside a pocket."</p><p>"There was a secret inner pocket with a twenty in it."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdv70q?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">TheBrontosaurus</a></p>Keeps On Giving
<p>"23 Years ago I was in the US for some work and was not prepared for the cold of Chicago. Went to wal-mart and bought myself a cheap, warm jacket."</p><p>"I'm wearing that jacket right now - still looks fine, still keeps me warm."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe41xv?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">TastyEnd</a></p>As Good As They Come
<p>"Wool pinstripe double breasted suit from Goodwill, fit perfectly and was brand new. Ended up wearing it to get married the next year." -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdw6mx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">verminiusrex</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"God I love Goodwill!!" -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe5aee?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Neverthelilacqueen</a></p>The Socks She Needed
<p>"I work at a thrift shop. A homeless lady came in and asked us where the socks were. We only sell new socks, so I directed her towards the new socks and she was... shocked and disappointed by the price tag, surely."<br></p><p>"I gave her a moment as she looked, and she moved to some kids' socks and picked them up, and I... just couldn't let that happen. I told her that I would help her, and told her to get herself some socks and a jacket."</p><p>"She kind of just... held out the children's socks, so I took them, put them back, and grabbed the extra fluffy socks that were hanging."</p><p>"She grabs a jacket and some pants, and I pay for it. My coworker looks the other way since we're not supposed to purchase anything while on the clock. The lady is in tears as she walks out."</p><p>"I notice that she's still outside a minute later putting them on, and ask her if they fit her or if she needed something else; and she told me they were perfect and proceeded to cry. I cried in return."</p><p>"It was a good day."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpen3w1?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Snowodin</a></p>Not Forgotten
<p>"A guy came into my work when I managed a mom and pop Pizza Place. He said he was stranded with no phone, and no money, but that the people at the Verizon store next door to us said they could get him a cheap phone with some minutes on it for 20 bucks."</p><p>"He offered to do dishes for a few hours to make some money so he could get this phone. I told him not to worry about it and gave him a 20 from my wallet. He thanked me, asked me for my name, and then he left and I never saw him again."</p><p>"Skip forward about 5 months, and when I get into work the owner was there and said she had gotten a letter addressed to me. 'Weird,' I thought."</p><p>"But when I opened it there was a 50 dollar bill and a short note from the guy I gave 20 dollars to thanking me for my kindness and for not turning him away."</p><p>"Turns out he was in a bad way (addicted to hard drugs and homeless) and really was stranded there. He was trying to get a phone so he could contact his parents (who lived in another state) for help."</p><p>"From what it sounded like, he seemed to really turn his life around. He was clean and working a stable job while still living with his parents."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpem2xc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Mixmaster-McGuire</a></p>The Best Finale
<p>"It was the day before payday. My wife came to see me at work. My break was in an hour, so I asked for her to wait a bit, so we could enjoy it together. She did."</p><p>"I bought her some lunch, because it was what I could afford. I bought her a ham and cheese sub sandwich and two iced teas. These were her favorite. I bought gas with the rest of the twenty so she could get home. She dropped me back off at work."</p><p>"That night, she passed away. It brings me comfort to know that I bought her favorite sandwich and drink for her that afternoon. It was likely the last thing she ate, since it was near dinner. I'll never forget it. Best $20 I ever spent, because it was for her."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe9c6d?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">LollipopDreamscape</a></p>Leaning Into the Nerdery
<p>"It was my ninth or tenth birthday. My grandparents gave me $20. The first $20 bill I ever held in my hand! I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it."</p><p>"A week later, we went into the city and Toys R Us. I went straight to the Transformers aisle. And there he was. My favourite Transformer. The one I always wanted...Soundwave."</p><p>"He's the one who turned into a Walkman and he could eject cassettes that turned into robot animals. The price tag said $19.99. It was meant to be."</p><p>"I took Soundwave to the clerk and gave her my $20 bill. "And here's your change!" she said, as she gave me a single penny."</p><p>"Ah, Soundwave. The best friend a lonely little nerd could have."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdzzxe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">originalchaosinabox</a></p>Different Time
<p>"I went to a Rush concert in 1982. The ticket was $9.50 and the t-shirt was $10." -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdyr0k?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">PaulsRedditUsername</a></p>Motivational Spending
<p>"My then six year old niece had a loose tooth she loved to show off and had resisted pulling out for two weeks. We were all at my parents and I was getting ready to leave, I pulled out a $20 and said 'I'll give you this right now if you pull out your tooth.' "</p><p>"She was already crying because her little sister had did something so when she ran into the bathroom none of us had no idea in what she was about to do."</p><p>"So she comes out crying still, but a little bit of blood I'm her mouth because of course, she pulled out her tooth. But the now removed tooth fell down the drain to the sink and she was crying because she lost her proof!"</p><p>"After she calmed down she was happy as a clam with a brand new $20 and everyone was quite proud of her. My sister told me she spent it on candy and shared with her little sister."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdxi4k?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">themasimumdorkus</a></p>For the Story
<p>"It was actually to a scammer in Rome. There was this guy right outside of Colosseum who started tying strings around my wrist and told me to make a wish. I knew it was going to cost but I thought what the hell, last day in Rome so might as well go with it. </p><p>"My wish was to find love."</p><p>"I spent rest of the day getting lost in the city and stumbled across two weddings and one baptism ceremony. So I did find love, just not for myself."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe7b2w?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">FatalFinn</a></p>I realize that school safety has been severely compromised and has been under dire scrutiny over the past decade and of course, it should be. And when I was a student, my safety was one of my greatest priorities but, some implemented rules under the guise of "safety" were and are... just plain ludicrous. Like who thinks up some of these ideas?
Redditor u/Animeking1108 wanted to discuss how the education system has ideas that sometimes are just more a pain in the butt than a daily enhancement... What was the dumbest rule your school enforced?Don't Peek
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDc4OS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDE0Mzc2OH0.Y1Lzy1MTqxyVqOCe9xjeHTRZsKnbyVjYzdb4-Heldyo/img.gif?width=980" id="78b19" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e14a90be026b734830e7661f776ba4a8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="475" data-height="475" />schitts creek wtf GIF by CBCGiphy<p>Took all the doors off the men's room bathroom stalls because of vandalism for 2 months.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphrfce?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Endless_Vanity</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Endless_Vanity/" target="_blank"></a></p>Scanned
<p>School added thumb print scanners at gates of school which counted as registration - needless to say I would just walk to school scan my thumb and walk back home with them none the wiser. Was a great few months until they noticed. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpidnou?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">richpianofan5</a></p>Age of Empires...
<p>Conservative Christian College. A group of us played Age of Empires one weekend. They didn't like it and called a meeting. Everyone involved got misdemeanors on their records. There was nothing in the handbook about it being against the rules. The only person that didn't get any punishment was the son of the president even though he was just as involved as the rest of us. <span></span></p>"Genius"
<p>In my freshman year of high school we had a terrible vandalism problem, the bathrooms would be broken in various ways almost constantly. In a stroke of pure genius, the staff decided that any bathroom that was vandalized would be closed for the week on first offense, the quarter for second, and permanently on the third offense.</p><p>They took back the rule after closing every bathroom on day one. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpi77co?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Samus388</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Samus388/" target="_blank"></a></p>Is this Footloose?
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDc5Ny9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzg0MjU2M30.PeBUt-YWZeeRStaD_RZlGPQzo29E9t733yqZbIiJlYs/img.gif?width=980" id="3a5bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="102730e3b1b90ba9cb393561c702c9af" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="500" data-height="500" />kevin bacon dancing GIF by STARZGiphy<p>Prom was a mandatory lockdown for the night in order to avoid students going to parties after prom.</p><p>Prom was held at various house parties across town instead. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpi37x7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Coffee-spree</a></p>HOLDEN FOREVER!!!
<p>My high school mascot was Daniel Boone holding a musket. A kid wore a Guns 'n Roses shirt to school and was told he had to change shirts because of the pistols on the shirt. He pointed out the hypocrisy of the school mascot and they changed EVERYTHING. The mascot was switched to holding a flag pole instead. <span></span></p>No Dots
<p>You couldn't wear ANY kind of head items that were "gang colours" (red or blue) - this No included hair bands, scrunchies, beads in your hair, ribbons - ANYTHING. I got in trouble for wearing a blue hair band with white polka dots. </p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphzpyf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Pleasant-Flamingo344</a></p>Clothes Check
<p>We had to wear belts. Someone snitched that people weren't wearing belts under their sweaters, and they actually checked and a bunch of people got detentions. Stupid. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphz3y6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ooo-ooo-oooyea</a></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphz3y6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>We had belt raids at my school where the dean would burst into classes, completely interrupting any education, to check that everyone was wearing a belt. </p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpia8pp?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">GuinnessMicrodose</a></p>Chase the Flat
<p>We weren't allowed to play tag football at lunch, only frisbee. When I asked the principal what the difference was, he responded with a sarcastic tone, "A football is round and a frisbee is a flat disk."</p><p>He left the school later that year, went to another school, and a few years later was brought up on charges for failing to report the abuse of a student by a teacher. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpi6lh3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">uninc4life2010</a></p>Poke-Thief
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDgwMy9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODg5MzY2Nn0.5LMPk1suou6U2SvAURKP-sHEuK7Izpkbxm0PWqvx95E/img.gif?width=980" id="b6e9f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="92383d30e34aa92fd74cf6c1374ec294" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="480" />hotline bling pokemon GIFGiphy<p>Pokemon cards got banned in middle school because someone stole the vice principal's kid's cards. Yep. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpiapym?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Skadoosh_it</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Skadoosh_it/" target="_blank"></a></p>In the Face...
<p>If you were involved in a fight, you got suspended. While it sounds reasonable, context didn't matter.</p><p>I got suspended once not for throwing a single punch, kick, whatever. I got suspended because someone knocked the books out of my hand and when I reached down to grab them they punched me in the face.</p><p>I got suspended for walking down the hallway and unprovoked getting punched in the face.</p><p>Forget Brandon Valley Middle School. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpicbyx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">CLG_MianBao</a></p>One of the golden rules of life? Doctors are merely human. They don't know everything and they make mistakes. That is why you always want to get another opinion. Things are constantly missed. That doesn't mean docs don't know what they're doing, they just aren't infallible. So make sure to ask questions, lots of them.
Redditor u/Gorgon_the_Dragon wanted to hear from doctors about why it is imperative we always get second and maybe third opinions by asking... Doctors of Reddit, what was the worse thing you've seen for a patient that another Doctor overlooked?Grandma Wins
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDcxOC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTQxNTgzOX0.n9IaFGgHwnULMlI2kg7RUftxDg6lyWvdM9CnhvptCRY/img.gif?width=980" id="a0857" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9762f97a23c27ccf6b75974caa854361" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="270" />Old Lady Wine GIF by MattielGiphy<p>Not a doctor, but my grandmother saved my father's eyesight because she didn't listen to their doctor. </p>The Mummy Appendage
<p>When I was a resident, an 80yo female was admitted from the nursing home for confusion. Workup showed some mild UTI and we were giving her antibiotics. The nurse mentioned that her toe looked dark and asked me to look at it. The toe wasn't just dark, it was mummified. It looked like dry beef jerky. I touched it and pieces flaked off. So the patient from a nursing home, had a mummified toe, probably for months, that no one knew about. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lw2g2z/doctors_of_reddit_what_was_the_worse_thing_youve/gpg00qn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Dr2ray</a></p>The CT Save
<p>Here's my story:</p><p>A guy came in to our ICU and was very septic but still talking. He had visited his primary care MD with complaints of a sore throat for a couple of days. Dismissed without any intervention since he didn't appear to have strep throat or the flu. At this point he was having pretty severe abdominal discomfort, so we sent him for a CT scan. As the scan was finishing, he coded and had to be intubated, multi-organ failure, etc. </p>Patches
<p>When I was an ER nurse we got an elderly lady in for altered mental status from a nursing home, when we undressed her to put her in a gown and hook her up to the monitor, I noticed no less than 5 fentanyl patches on her, guess I discovered the cause of the AMS. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lw2g2z/doctors_of_reddit_what_was_the_worse_thing_youve/gpg1lml?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ChewbaccaSlim426</a></p>Use your Words
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDcyMi9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDA1NjI0MH0.WtyCdxL1vRZwD2-jpKZXMOEakwhiBaJIkp1YPnOzlvo/img.gif?width=980" id="e45ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f5b98e6a4605a587dbd97579468a51d8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="498" data-height="367" />Communication GIF by memecandyGiphy<p>Neurologist sent patient to our ED without informing her that imaging showed a glioblastoma assuring her impending death. He didn't overlook the disease, he overlooked the communication. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lw2g2z/doctors_of_reddit_what_was_the_worse_thing_youve/gpfl5t5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">AzureSkye27</a></p>Mad Cow Realty
<p>During my residency we had this lady in her 60s who was getting progressively more forgetful, just overall declining and getting less and less able to take care of herself. She had been seeing her pcp who diagnosed her with dementia. And she saw a neurologist who agreed. She was not really able to provide an accurate history. <span></span></p>After Birth...
<p>I used to work in maternal-fetal medicine, and every single week, we would have women referred to us "because the doctor couldn't see something clearly with the baby and wanted to double check." Nope, they just didn't want to have to be the ones to tell you that your baby had a complex cardiac defect or multiple anomalies indicative of a genetic syndrome or any other of a large number of horrible things that can happen during fetal development. Still pisses me off when I think about how many women waited weeks for more information because their doctors were cowards who couldn't tell them, "There's something seriously wrong here." <span></span></p>bad doctors
<p>I'm not a doctor, but a RN. This happened to me, but isn't nearly as bad as most of the stories on here.</p><p>When I was in college, I got to where I couldn't swallow. It started with difficulty swallowing, progressed to me having to swallow bites of food multiple times/regurgitating it, and then got to where all I could swallow was broths and mashed potatoes with no chunks. I went to the doctor multiple times, and was told every time it was acid reflux and part of my anxiety disorder. <span></span></p>The Valve...
<p>He put the pacemaker lead in the subclavian artery (and across the aortic valve into the left ventricle). The proper approach is: subclavian vein to right ventricle). And then he didn't notice it for over a year. I saw the patient (a 25 yo woman who didn't need the pacemaker in the first place) when she was in congestive heart failure. <span></span><br></p>Bitten
<p>Rattlesnake bite. On a 2 year old. Patient and dad out in the fields near a small town that is several hours away from the nearest big city, where I work.</p>When we think about learning history, our first thought is usually sitting in our high school history class (or AP World History class if you're a nerd like me) being bored out of our minds. Unless again, you're a huge freaking nerd like me. But I think we all have the memory of the moment where we realized learning about history was kinda cool. And they usually start from one weird fact.
Here are a few examples of turning points in learning about history, straight from the keyboards of the people at AskReddit.
U/Tynoa2 asked: What's your favourite historical fact?