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People Share The Reason They Had To Cut Their Ex Out Of Their Lives

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."

Ivan_Joiderpus

49. How about no.

Giphy

"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."

medical_pede

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."

StewedPrune321

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."

StandardResort

46. DEAL. BREAKER.

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"Because he wouldn't shut up and talked all the way through Monty Python's The Meaning of Life."

Common_Sense_People

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."

PristinePine

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."

SuddenTerrible_Haiku

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."

RuleBrifranzia

42. The dog seals the deal for this break-up.

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"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)."

tinytowntenant

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."

Thesaltysnal

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."

kelligirl1126

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."

Rashkail

38. The whole package.

Giphy

"Found out I really didn't know him until we married and moved in together

  1. Was a mama's boy.
  2. Told me "you're my wife, you do what I tell you".
  3. Couldn't make decisions on anything.
  4. Couldn't keep a job.
  5. All talk no action when it came to work.
  6. Criticized me constantly, especially in front of others.
  7. Sex was bad."

snowqueen1960

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."

M4UN4K34

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.

KWBC24

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.

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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.

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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.

Giphy

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.

StandardResort

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....

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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

People Describe The Creepiest Things They Ever Witnessed As A Kid

"Reddit user -2sweetcaramel- asked: 'What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?'"

Four mistreated baby dolls are hung by barb wire
Photo by J Lopez

For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.

Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.

The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.

Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:

"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"

Serious Danger

"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."

"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."

oofboof2020

Waiting for Food

"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."

"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."

nowhereboy1964

Captain Hobo to the Rescue

"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."

"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"

"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."

FartAttack911

Survival

tsunami GIF Giphy

"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."

faithfulpoo

These Tsunami stories are just tragic.

On the Sand

Scared The Launch GIF by CTV Giphy

"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."

oyloff

Be Clever

"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."

OstneyPiz

Bad Jokes

"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."

Alegan239

YOU

Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN Giphy

"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"

PrettyLola2004

Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.

No one should talk to others in the dark though.

Woman stressed at work
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

When we hear about other people's jobs, we've surely all done that thing where we make assumptions about the work they do and maybe even judge them for having such an easy or unimportant job.

But some jobs are much harder than they look.

Redditor CeleryLover4U asked:

"What's a job or profession that seems easy but is incredibly challenging?"

Customer Service

"Anything customer-facing. The public is dumb and horrendous."

- gwarrior5

"My go-to explanation is, 'Anyone can do it, but few can do it for long.'"

- Conscious_Camel4830

"The further I get in my corporate career, the less I believe I will ever again be capable of working a public-facing job. I don’t know how I did it in the past. I couldn’t handle it in the present."

"I know people are only getting worse about how they treat workers. It is disturbing, embarrassing, and draining for everyone."

- First-Combination-12

High Stakes

"A pharmacist."

"You face the public. Your mistake can literally kill someone."

- VaeSapiens

"Yes, Pharmacist. So many people think their job is essentially the same as any other kind of retail worker and they just prepare prescriptions written by a doctor without having to know anything about them."

"They are very highly trained in, well, pharmacology; and it's not uncommon for a pharmacist to notice things like potentially dangerous drug interactions that the doctor hadn't."

- Worth_University_884

Teaching Woes

"Two nuggets of wisdom from my mentor teacher when I was younger:"

"'Teaching is the easiest job to do poorly and the hardest job to do well,' and 'You get to choose two of the following three: Friends, family, or being a good teacher. You don't have enough time to do all three.'"

"We all know colleagues or remember teachers who were lazy and chose the easy route, but any teacher who is trying to be a good teacher has probably sacrificed their friends and their sleep for little pay and a stressful work environment. There's a reason something like half quit the profession within the first five years."

- bq87

Creativity Is "Easy"

"Some creative professions, such as designers, are often perceived as 'easy' due to their creative nature. However, they may face the constant need to find inspiration, deal with criticism, and meet deadlines."

- rubberduckyis

"EVERYBODY thinks they are a designer, up until the point of having to do the work. But come critique time, mysteriously, EVERYBODY IS A F**KING DESIGNER AGAIN."

"The most important skill to have as a designer is THICK SKIN."

- whitepepper

Care Fatigue Is Real

"Care work."

"I wish it could be taken for granted that no one thinks it's easy. But unfortunately, many people still see it as an unskilled job and have no idea of the many emotional complexities, or of how much empathy, all the time, is needed to form the sorts of relationships with service users that they really need."

- MangoMatiLemonMelon

Physical Labor Generally Wins

"I’m going to say most types of unskilled labor and that’s because there’s such little (visible) reward and such a huge amount of bulls**t. I’ve done customer service, barista, sales, serving, etc; and it was all much harder than my cushy desk job that actually can be considered life or death."

- anachronistika

Their Memory Banks Must Be Wild

"I don't know if I'd call it incredibly challenging, but being one of those old school taxi drivers who know the city like the back of his hand and can literally just drive wherever being told nothing but an address is pretty impressively skilled."

"Not sure if it's still like this, but British cabbies used to be legendary for this. I'm 40 and I don't think most young people appreciate how much the quality of cab service has gone down since the advent of things like Uber."

"Nowadays it's just kind of expected that a rideshare/cab driver doesn't know exactly where you're trying to get and has to rely on GPS directions that they often f up. Back when I was in college, cabbies were complete experts on their city."

"More even than knowing how to get somewhere, they could also give you advice. You could just generally describe a type of bar/club/business you're looking for, and they'll take you right to one that was spot on. Especially in really big cities like NYC."

- Yak-Mak-5000

Professional Cooking

"Being a chef."

- Canadian_bro7

"I would love to meet the person who thinks being a chef is easy! I cook my own food and it’s not only OK to eat but I make a batch of it so I have some for later. So, to make food that is above good and portion it correctly many times a day and do it consistently with minimal wastage (so they make a profit), strikes me as extremely difficult."

- ChuckDeBongo

Team Leading, Oof

"Anything that involves a lot of people skills and socializing. I thought these positions were just the bulls**t of sitting in meetings all day and not a lot of work happening but having to be the one leading those meetings and doing public speaking is taxing in a way I didn’t realize."

- Counterboudd

Not a Pet Sitter At All

"Veterinary Technician."

"Do the job of an RN, anesthesiology tech, dental hygienist, radiology tech, phlebotomist, lab tech, and CNA, but probably don’t make a living wage and have people undervalue your career because you 'play with puppies and kittens all day.'"

- forthegoddessathena

Harder Than It Looks!

"Sometimes, when my brain is fried from thinking and my ego is shot from not fixing the problem, I want to be a garbage man... not a ton of thinking, just put the trash in the truck, and a lot of them have trucks that do it for you!"

"But if the robot either doesn't work or you don't have one on your truck, it smells really bad, the pay isn't what it used to be, you might find a dead body and certainly find dead animal carcasses... and people are id**ts, overfilling their bags, just to have them fall apart before you get to the truck, not putting their trash out and then blaming you, making you come back out."

"Your body probably is sore every day, and you have to take two baths before you can kiss your wife..."

"Ehh, maybe things are not so bad where I am."

- Joebroni1414

Twiddling Thumbs and Listening

"Therapist here. I’ve always said that it’s pretty easy to be an okay therapist—as in, it’s not that hard to listen to people’s problems and say, 'Oh wow, that’s so hard, poor you.'"

"But to be a good therapist? To know when your client is getting stuck in the same patterns, or to notice what your client isn’t saying? To realize that they’re only ever saying how amazing their spouse is, and to think, 'Hmm, nobody’s marriage is perfect, something’s going on there'?"

"To be able to ask questions like, 'Hey, we’ve been talking a lot about your job, but what’s going on with your family?' And then to be able to call them on their s**t, but with kindness and empathy? Balancing that s**t is hard."

"Anybody can have empathy, but knowing when to use empathy and when and how to challenge someone is so much harder. And that’s only one dimension of what makes being a therapist challenging."

- mylovelanguageiswine

Constant Updates

​"For the most part, my job is really easy (marketing tech). But having to constantly stay on top of new platforms, new tech, updates, etc etc is exhausting and overwhelming and I really hate it."

"Also, the constant responsibility to locate and execute opportunities to optimize things and increase value for higher-ups. Nobody in corporate roles can ever just reach a point of being 'good enough.' More and better is always required."

"Just some of the big reasons I’m considering a career change."

- GlizzyMcGuire_

Performing Is Not Easy

"Performing arts and other types of art. People think it’s a cakewalk or 'not a real job,' not realizing the literal lifetime of training, rejection, and perseverance that it takes to reach a professional level and how insanely competitive those spaces are."

- ThrowRA1r3a5

All About Perception

"I suspect everything fits this. Consider that someone whose job is stacking boxes in a warehouse has to know how to lift boxes, how many can be stacked, know if certain ones must be easily accessible, know how to use any equipment that is used to move boxes around."

"Not to mention if some have hazardous or fragile materials inside, if some HAVE to be stacked on the bottom, if a mistake is made and all the boxes have to be restacked, etc."

"But everyone else is like, 'They're just stacking boxes.'"

- DrHugh

It's easy to make assumptions about someone else's work and responsibilities when we haven't lived with performing those tasks ourselves.

This gave us some things to think about, and it certainly reminded us that nothing good comes of making assumptions, especially when it minimizes someone else's experiences.

Left-handed person holding a Sharpie
Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

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

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

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

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

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

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

If only manufacturers appealed to an ambidextrous world.

Furniture Obstacle

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

– Prussian__Princess

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

– earwighoney

Everyday Objects For Everyday People

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

– J0rdan_24

Dangerous Tools

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

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

– diegojones4

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

Sports Disadvantage

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

– AjCheeze

No Future In Softball

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

– Leftover-Cheese

Find A Glove That Fits

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

– BowlerSea1569

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

– Jef_Wheaton

These examples are understandably annoying.

Shocking Observation

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

– UsefulIdiot85

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

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

– SilverGladiolus22

Can't Admire The Mug

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

– vanetti

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

– Bubbly-Anteater7345

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

– Material-Imagination

The Writing On The Wall

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

– darkjedi39

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

– dancingbanana123

Immeasurable

"Rulers."

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

– fourangers

Just Can't Win

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

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

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

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

"Ole Righty, always keeping us down."

– igenus44

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

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

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

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

Word.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Tiny Issue Of Water...

"Absolutely not."

"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649

Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...

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

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

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

"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep

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

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

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

Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen Giphy

What Do You Mean Allow?

"I have no choice."

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

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

Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

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

Hug GIF by The BarkPost Giphy

Who Needs An Alarm Clock?

"I let my two cats sleep with me."

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

"And so do I."

"We've all developed a lil routine."

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

Whose Bed Is It Anyway?

"Yes."

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

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

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

"Would not come out."

"Got some food and some water in dishes."

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

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

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

"She was too busy eating."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"She would not go."

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

"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588

sleepy kitten GIF Giphy

Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...

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

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

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

Saying No Just Isn't An Option...

"'Let'."

"Lol."

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

Felines Only!

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

Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official Giphy

Is That My Hair On That Pillow?

"My dog is perfect."

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

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

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

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

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