
The gradual dissolution of friendships is a common and unfortunate part of growing up.
People become distant as they move to a different city, whether the reason is for going to college or job relocation.
And no matter how valiantly friends keep in touch through the help of social media, the online connection can only do so much to keep some friendships intact.
Distance isn't the only factor contributing to even the closest of friends drifting apart. People change and evolve as they become a part of newer communities.
However, there are also occasions where ending a friendship is out of necessity, and plenty of strangers weighed in with their experiences when Redditor MusicalDeTekTiiv asked:
"What made you 'nope' out of a friendship?"
This violation of trust was enough to write off friendships for good.
The Thief
"He stole something from me, was caught red handed, and then denied it. Couldn’t trust him so had to end our friendship."
– gordita_brunch
The Disappearing Lego
"I had a friend in elementary school who stole a Lego naboo starfighter from me. He said he wanted it and I said 'uh... No...?' Then I couldn't find it in my room so I asked him about it the next day and I saw him playing with it or he said thank you for the Legos or something. Immediately just wrote him off, asked my mom if she could get it back for me but nothing came of it. If you're out there, f'k you Andrew."
– Bykimus
Missing Pokemon Games
"I had a 'friend' who didn't last 1 f'king day. Stopped at my house to go to the bathroom and later found my case with 2 pokemon DS games missing. Went to his house and asked for them back from his dad and got 1 back almost immediately, kid must have been a little sh*t because the dad didn't doubt me for a moment. Took a week or 2 to get the second game back but the sh*t already reset my save. I think it was when pokemon platinum was the newest one whatever year that was."
– Skorpioartex
Nosy Nancy
"She had a crush on a guy friend of mine. No biggie there, plenty of my friends have dated each other. We were hanging out one day and I went to change my son's diaper and left my cell on the table next to her. When I come back, she randomly says she's gotta go and leaves. Ok, sure. I grab my phone and it's open to texts between me and that particular guy friend! (I didnt have a password at the time) She had scrolled back pretty far too!! I called her out on it. She said she just wanted to make sure him and I were "really" platonic friends and him and I didn't have a thing going on.... she could have just asked!!! Noped right out of that one. Oh, and we weren't in high school.... we are in our thirties!!!"
– UnderstandingFar7148
"Eye-Opening" Experience
"She cheated on her fiance with two different guys and to avoid consequences, she falsely accused both of them of sexual assault (know this for a fact). She had quit going to college classes and her job a few weeks before and told her mom (who was paying for it) that the assaults were the reason why. Eye opening experience. I told her mom the truth and told my now ex-friend to never contact me again. It helped me realize that I was always a friend to her and she was never a friend to me anyway, something my actual friends had tried to tell me several times."
– bcoftheimplication7
Bye, Felicia
"He turned out to be a pedo."
– AshDargon
These self-obsessed behaviors crossed a line.
The One-Upper
"She was a one-upper. No matter how long of a day I’ve had, hers was longer. Her schoolwork was harder. Her back pain was worse. I went to Tennessee, she went to elevenssee."
– dbatcjuli
Perpetual Gossip
"I realized 90% of our conversations were them talking sh*t about other people and being extremely negative. That energy rubs off on you. Also had a sense this friend wanted me to fail, if that makes sense. Like my celebrations weren’t really celebrated, and they got a sick sense of pleasure at me being knocked down a peg."
– BiteInfamous
Unwilling Alibi
"She started using me as an alibi when cheating on her husband. Didn't even ask me first, not that I would have agreed to it, it was so audacious. And her husband was a super nice guy that I really enjoyed hanging out with, and she ruined that friendship too by using me as her alibi."
– waifuiswatching
The Me Show
"My kidneys failed. They healed up. Then I got a funny-looking lab test a few months later. I told a friend, 'I think my kidneys are failing again!!' She sighed loudly, and said 'AND? What's that to ME?' She'd just been complaining about her stupid, lazy co-workers for about half an hour. But she couldn't bother to listen to me. That was the last time I talked to her. (My kidneys were OK, though.)"
– KidsTheseDaysYknow
Unsympathetic "Friend"
"When my grandma got cancer and wasn't gonna go through chemo so I needed emotional support by a friend and she outright said to me that she would rather talk about the progress she made w a boy."
– oreossuck
Scorned Girlfriend
"sounds like we had similar friends."
"my grandpa dropped dead out of no where years ago, and the only thing my ex friend did was dump her entire relationship onto my shoulders and cry about how her boyfriend kept breaking up with her."
– urbanlulu
The Irish Trip
"She was flying to Ireland to meet some guy she'd become friends with online and wanted me to come with her so she wouldn't be alone on the flight. I said sure, why not, I love traveling and I also don't want you to get murdered. The guy turned out to be both real and very nice, but she spent the entire time we were there putting me down in front of him to look cool. I didn't even like the guy, I was living with my boyfriend, but she was so threatened for some reason. By the second day of getting mocked relentlessly, I was like, f'k it, and spent the rest of the trip exploring Dublin on my own. Once we got home, she and I had a conversation where I basically told her 'I don't think either of us thought that went well' and never talked to her again."
– ostentia
"Guy couldn’t stop talking about issues that he never experienced. Mf was smart as hell went to private school had college paid for him, but it’s society holding him from getting a job not his drinking and cocaine habits."
– uncareingbear
People who hold grudges aren't friendship material.
The Punishment
"A girl I was friends with threatened to call the company I work for and make up something I didn’t do to get me fired because I refused to take a day off to spend time with her after a breakup (although I offered to come over after work multiple days). I took a screenshot of her threat and told her I’d go straight to the police if she actually did that."
– beefstewforyou
Self-Proclaimed Soulmate
"She invited this guy she was chatting with to come hang out with us one day. She had a long-term boyfriend while I was newly single. This guy and I really hit it off, so we started to spend more time together. When she found out she got so mad. She told me that I 'stole my back-up guy'. Her boyfriend dumped her shortly after and she demanded I stop talking to him so that she could start dating him as she had previously planned, insisting that he was her 'soulmate'. I stopped talking to her instead and so did he. That was 20 years ago and we're still together (15 years of marriage and 2 kids). Guess he wasn't her soulmate after all."
– Mindful-Reader1989
First impressions are usually telling about a person, but those who think they've hit it off with someone should beware, just in case.
You never know when a person's true colors will reveal themselves to be a heartless individual.
While your gut feeling about someone is usually accurate, it doesn't mean that's always the case.
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Have you ever been so intensely into another person you can't think straight?
Everything about them sends you into a flop sweat.
Then one day, you're out and about and they breathe wrong so you're disgusted and it's over.
A good crush can be obliterated in a matter of seconds.
But why? How can it be that fast?
Redditor6FeetDownUnderwanted to know about the times infatuation died immediately. They asked:
"What made you immediately lose interest in a crush?"
This actually a gift of mine, or a curse, depending on how you look at it. I can lose interest in the snap of a finger.
Oh Hell No!
"She not only didn't like my dog but was rude and smacked my dog."
APatchInMyHat
Lukewarm
"Hot and cold behavior."
Jazzymousee
"SO MUCH THIS! Why do people do that? I’m a guy going through that right now with a woman that I fell for… and it sucks."
Bearoused
"Man... I just broke up with a girl who accused me of this too many times. The first time was shortly after our first date and I was like 'WTF?'"
"'We've talked every day including this morning and have another date set later this week.' The last time she said I was icing her out, but I had already told her I was stressing about some unrelated issues that I had already talked to her about a few times."
Nailbomb85
Cheaters
"That she cheated on everyone she had ever been with."
MetalMikeJr
"I had cheated on everyone I was with before I got sober. I have never cheated since (15 years) - I completely changed my entire lifestyle."
"I would never cheat again, I was a different person then, young, dumb, and loaded all the time making horrible decisions. Since getting sober, I’ve had 3 long term relationships that all ended for other things I have issues with. Haha. But not cheating! But I agree - most situations - would not be like this."
mansonsmom
It was weird...
"When I realized she had to take her bestie literally everywhere. It was weird. We would hang out and she would come. We'd go on a date and she'd come. We'd go to a movie and she would either come or be texting her the entire time. Every night she would just come over and watch TV with us. It really got old."
"We are still friends on Facebook. My old crush is married now and I see all these pictures of her and her husband in Greece, Paris, Safaris in Africa, and you guessed it, the 3rd wheel is in all the pictures."
Firebolt164
Just Cuz
“'I dump people to feel something' nah no way."
Obvious-Tangerine180
"Recently was seeing a girl that had a family emergency in her life. She decided to end things with us because she felt destructive and wanted to feel in control."
FortKnoxEnthusiast
Some people really need deeper therapy sessions before they get into relationships.
Rude
"Asked her on a date, said yes. Ghosted me."
justdeletethisquik
6 Months In...
"Guy still flirted with other girls after expressing interest in me and let them sit on his lap. I ended it before it even really began. A year later he asked if I wanted to fool around. I said no. About a month after that I saw he had a girlfriend when she tagged him in a FB post saying 'happy 6 month anniversary.'"
BadgeringMagpie
The Way We See It
"Mutual codependency. I had a friend that I genuinely didn't notice a problem until I was pregnant and my daughter's father mentioned that she wouldn't be in the room for the birth. That never occurred to me. And then I was thinking of my life and how she was there for like everything. Had to set up some boundaries. She didn't like that and eventually cut herself from my life. She doesn't see it that way."
IreallEwannasay
Fool
"She cheated on her bf on an international trip. He was a cool dude, felt bad for him on that one. I haven't spoken to her in years."
Legitimate_Pirate249
"Similar thing happened to me too, I liked a guy who had a girlfriend at the time (I realise this sounds bad, I couldn’t help having a crush on him but I never would’ve acted on it). Anyways he was on an international school trip with us and he was cheating on his girlfriend the whole week. Instantly couldn’t even stand the sight of him."
Keidis-mcdaddy
Instant
"'I'm not allowed to work with children' instant red flag."
potatorevolver
Follow the clues. Read the signs. Never be afraid to run.
As consumers, we know better than to spend our hard-earned cash on things we don't really need. But we do it anyway.
That doesn't mean we should refrain from indulging every now and then in spending money on the things we really want.
But sometimes, the things we thought we really desired in our heart of hearts turn out to be impulsive purchases on things–like new clothes we never end up wearing despite looking great on us when we tried them on in the dressing room.
That is an example of buyer's remorse. And we have paid the price, so to speak, for spending frivolously on inconsequential things.
Curious to hear from previous customers of having a moment of regret, Redditor pepperpeppington asked:
"What is your greatest buyers remorse?"

The concept seemed legit, but these customers realized they had a lot to learn after committing to new prospects.
The Wrong Perspective
"Got talked into buying progressive lens glasses. I spend most of my day either reading, writing, or staring at a computer screen. With the new glasses I could only read things if it was in one particular spot in front of me or if I tilted my head to an odd angle. Hundreds of dollars down the drain. Ended up going back to buy reading glasses and they worked better than the progressives ever did."
– tangcameo
Learning About Credit The Hard Way
"Back in the late 90’s when I was just graduating high school, I went to the mall one day (Lazarus to be exact, I know, I’m old) and some salesperson walked up wanting to know if I wanted a credit card. $500 max to be exact. Being the naive dumbass I was, I signed and got my card that day and bought $500 worth of clothing."
"It didn’t occur to me then about high interest rates and missing payments. It ended up costing me around $1500-$2000 to pay this sh*t off because I missed some payments. Teach your kids how to manage money and to be on the lookout for vultures. You’ll be doing them a favor."
– 1980pzx
That Sinking Feeling
"A Leesa mattress. I was super happy with it when we first got it because it was SO comfortable, but after a year it started sinking, and after three years I feel like I wake up in a trough every morning. I definitely need to get a new mattress because my back feels so much better any time we sleep on hotel beds."
"It's pissing me off that it only lasted three years but I've rotated that f'ker so many times that there's a trough in every direction. And it's still so comfortable when I first lie down, too."
– Tagracat
Electrical appliances and cars are essential, but these Redditors wanted the best of the best and thought the high price tag instantly made things better.
Spoiler alert–it didn't.
Fancy Fridge
"Latest remorseful purchase was my ~$2k GE refrigerator. It lasted 2.5 years and was too expensive to repair. It would have been 1,200 to fix it and even then the repair guy couldn't guarantee that it would work properly."
"I found a 'scratch and dent' Whirlpool for the same cost, brand new. So far, so good."
"ETA: before this, I've never had issues with GE appliances. This is either a fluke, or the brand is deteriorating."
– ohgeebus_notagain
Auto Disaster
"An Audi Q5 hybrid. We had a decent warranty so we thought we were okay. $6000 in repairs in one year of owning it. We traded it in and got upside down on a new car, but it was worth it to get out of that dumpster fire of a car."
– Hdhmusic
Going Nowhere Fast
"Dumping 10 grand into a car worth 7k just because I wanted to make it faster. I still have the car and I love it, but that was not a smart financial decision, and I wouldn't do it again."
– Cuss-Mustard
People didn't put any thought into these purchases and instantly regretted it.
It Didn't Compute
"My last laptop. I didn't really research properly, cheaped out and have spent the last three years regretting it."
– NarrativeScorpion
Hard To Swallow
"I went to a burger place near Brisbane in Australia with my brother. They advertised that they had the 'hottest burgers' in the world and if you could finish, they put your name on the wall. I started to realise my mistake when the burger came out with latex gloves and a huge glass of milk. By the 2nd bite, i felt my soul start to detach from my body and my brain was recoiling in horror as pure lava was going down my throat. Halfway through, while trying to stop the tears flowing down my face, I said no more. For days after the burger my intestines couldn't handle anything stronger then yoghurt and the pain started again everytime I went to the toilet."
– shadownight311
Taking A Stab At It
"A 400$ dagger back in 2002.. still have it, never knew what to do with it."
– Quebec00Chaos
Went With The Flow
"A kayak that never gets used. Spent over 1 year's allowance (200$) on that thing."
– Mad4dog
Just A Stick
"buying a harry potter style wand at age 9 thinking it would actually work. it was hella expensive too."
– beheadedcharmander
Such A Waste
"Squatty Potty. What the f'k was I thinking? I could've just used a box, or literally stacked some books on top of each other, but to be fair I was pretty desperate."
– RazzmatazzLiving6970
So I saw the coolest leather jacket at a thrift store. Because I was so enamored of it–and the size was a perfect fit–I bought it there on the spot, no refunds.
I was thrilled about the prospect of looking like a greaser (because that's so my style...not), I realized I wouldn't be wearing it for a while considering L.A.'s blistering summer temperatures. Sadly, by the time temperatures cool down, I'll have forgotten all about it.
It will remain in my closet along with my other outfits I haven't worn in ages.
Careful spending money on too many clothes. You'll wind up donating them to a thrift store where another sucker like me will make an impulsive purchase.
With all the stress and anxiety in our world today, it's important to take a breath and appreciate there are still things in the world that can bring a smile to our faces.
Whether it's cuddling with a pet who adores you no matter what kind of day you're having, or sharing some cheesecake with old friends in the kitchen, we must not forget to revisit the things that bring us peace in a chaotic world.
Curious to hear what strangers online consider calming, Redditor subornion asked:
"What are some VERY comforting facts?"

In moments of reclusiveness, knowing we share the planet with other species can be a source of relief.
When Talking To Rabbits
"You can talk to your pet rabbit by quickly pushing your lips downwards and upwards as if you were trying to look up your nose in a mirror. Do it quickly and you're chatting. It mimics the nose movements they make and you can see them wiggle their noses faster out of interest. Copy their rhythm to and watch them talk back."
"Also, stomping your foot like they do as well as turning your back on them when annoyed is understood too. If they have chewed something they shouldn't have you can stomp one foot and turn around with your arms folded. Have a look over your shoulder to make sure they see you. They should come to check on you and if they don't stomp and make sure they see your back is turned. Eventually they get it and come over to make sure your ok. Then let the nose waggling commence."
"You can expect them to do the same to you as well, like when you clean their enclosure."
– B3ARDGOD
Wonders Of Evolution
"The North Pacific humpback whale population is estimated to be 15x greater then it was 60 years ago."
– horticultured-harlot
Hey, Lovebug
"I once found a ladybug in my room in the middle of winter. I tried to look up if I could feed it somehow, and found countless other people asking the same question."
"The world is full of people who have compassion enough to feed a lone bug in the winter."
– virora
Our Feathered Friends
"Crows will let other crows know if you’re a good person. Feeding a crow in your backyard can quickly become many crows over time since the rumour spreads. And nearby crows in your area will know you as one they like. They can also be known to be protective of you and even bring you gifts. Sufficed to say, crows are one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet and they are truly underrated."
– BaldEagleNor
People share wisdom pertaining to your health, well-being and healing.
You Will Come Out Of It
"Nurse here."
"If you're having a general anaesthetic for a routine operation, and worried about dying while under, please be aware there are about 7 different 'levels' of stuff we can do to bring you back."
"So if the thing we normally do doesn't work, we've got plan B, then we've got plans C, D, E, F, G& H. ( and we rarely need to even go to Plan C, let alone the rest!)"
"It's ridiculously rare for you to never wake up from a routine op, of course it happens occasionally, but for every case you've heard about it happening, there's THOUSANDS of identical operations where it didn't. I've been qualified 15 years and it's literally never happened anywhere I've worked."
– Icy-Revolution1706
Wonders Of Medicine
"A middle or even low income people in developed countries are living a much more comfortable life than the richest people centuries or even millennia ago, in large part thanks to modern medicine making death from a mere infection no longer a near guaranteed death."
– Beat_Saber_Music
There's Still Time To Ditch Bad Habits
"If you quit smoking by age 40, your life expectancy is the same as a non-smoker."
"Also: it's never too late to quit."
– TheRuinedMap
A Good Investment
"Switzerland has implemented a scheme ‘Time Bank’; which is an old-age assistance programme, under which, people can volunteer to look after the elderly who require assistance, and then, the number of hours they spend with or caring for seniors gets deposited in their individual social security account. Eventually, when the volunteer reaches that old age when he or she requires support, this ‘Time Bank’ can help them by providing time-based services which include consultations, babysitting, hairdressing, gardening, tutoring, or any other time-consuming job in addition to being looked after by a volunteer as well. About 34 countries are trying to apply this scheme."
"Very Wholesome and humane!"
– ek_su_as
It's the little things that can be uplifting when we're feeling low.
Best Neighbor Ever
"All of the cardigans Mister Rogers wore on camera were knit by his mother."
– vgvvhvhjvvb
Tough Allies
"There is a group of bikers called bikers against child abuse who support child abuse victims in court by looking tough and giving the kids confidence to testify against their abusers it’s actually an international group."
– buffkirby
Intersteller Protector
"Jupiter has been protecting earth from almost every stray asteroid strike coming in from out of the solar system since the planets first formed."
– PirateKilt
On The Mend
"The ozone layer is slowly repairing itself."
– BetterthanMew
When I found out that pets will forgive you when you step on them, not only did that factoid bring much joy, it also made me wonder why people aren't as capable of letting minor grievances roll off their backs.
Animals are much more intellectual than we give them credit for. And knowing that my future Siberian Husky will always have my back no matter what makes me sleep at night.
'Til the day I become a Husky daddy, I'll be thinking of that to bring me a sense of calm in any kind of storm.
When you go to the food court in any of the fast-disappearing malls across America, you may find cuisine from many parts of the world.
Italy is epitomized by its delicious food staples, pizza, and pasta. Let's head to Sbarro's.
Craving Chinese food? Panda Express and other similar knock-offs using stereotypical names have got you covered.
But what is the taste of America? Is any food, distinctly American? Even hot dogs are a cultural import from Germany, as are hamburgers.
Maybe those tailgate party staples are distinctly American after they've been popularized in the heartland.
Expanding on the notion of the flavor of America, Redditor SalmonSoup15 asked:
"If American was a flavor, what would it taste like?"
Likening the flavor of America to condiments was the first thing that came to Reddtors' minds.
The Very Definition
"It IS a flavor: it’s how ranch gets named in some European countries."
– ToBePacific
"I was in the Caribbean when I found out Cool Ranch Doritos are called Cool American in some countries."
– BeTooLive
What's In It?
"Ranch dressing is an American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs, and spices mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise or another oil emulsion. Sour cream and yogurt are sometimes used in addition to, or as a substitute for, buttermilk and mayonnaise. The dried version on chips is delicious."
– BreakfastTequila
The German Interpretation
"In Germany, American dressing is Thousand islands."
– BonScoppinger
Effect On Buffalo
"Buffalo is appalled to learn this."
"Edit: This comment was about blue cheese vs ranch. Go search "ranch" on any buffalo-related subreddit (r/buffalo, r/buffalobills)."
– fatloui
Let's Not Forget...
"BBQ"
–Senator_Chickpea
"With beer, whiskey and cigars!! Murica!"
– IrishWhiskey556
What U.S. teenagers haven't participated in this atrocious soda trend?
The Everything Elixir
"You know when you used to mix every drink at the soda machine as a kid?"
"Like that."
– juspassinby12
Washingtonians Call It:
"WA state here."
"We called them 'Graveyards.'"
– anon
It Does Sound Toxic
"We called them 'suicides'"
"Edit: love hearing all the different names. I wonder if it's a geography/generational thing? I grew up in the Midwest in the 80s."
– greenvillain
Candy You Can Drink
"We called it skittles soda."
– suckmytoes27
The taste of America wasn't necessarily thought of as anything that would be beneficial to our health.
The Ingredients Found In All American Junk Food
"Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, milk solids, ascorbic acid, xanthum gum, red dye #5, MSG, marshmallow fluff, and hollow point bullets."
– GlitchyMcGlitchFace
Vegetable Oil Jacuzzi
"Deep fried."
– billybobjimmyjoe
"That deep fried bar and grill taste. Where it's good dipped in ranch, but after a basket of any deep fried food... it just tastes and feels heavy. Like way too much of whatever it is."
– zXster
Interestingly, having grown up in Los Angeles–where authentic Mexican food was in abundance–I associate the flavor of America with chili con carne in chili colorado sauce.
Additionally because of my Japanese heritage, I also associate teriyaki sauce–which my dad marinated chicken skewers in for our backyard BBQs–with 'Murica.
My American flavors are a kaleidoscopic mish-mash of different cultures. Because aren't we supposed to be a melting pot anyway? Or so I've thought.