
The gravity of a kind act is in the beholder.
Despite the constant barrage of horrifying incidents and hateful actions spewed by the media day in and day out, we must remember that there are some really wonderful people out here.
And they are building community with their neighbors all over the place.
Fortunately, for those kind strangers, a small selfless act isn't a big deal. They do it without thinking about it. Truly, they can't not do the morally good deed.
But when we are on the receiving end, that small moment of kindness can feel gigantic. Whether it's the timing or the tone, it really can feel like the most important event that could've happened.
Some Redditors gathered to describe the times they were blown away by a small good deed that came just at the right moment.
astridius asked, "What is the most selfless thing someone is unaware they did for you?"
Some people recalled the times when some stranger brought a sudden sense of serenity and composure following a scary accident.
Despite injury and destruction, these people maintained their calm, and even passed it along.
Still Selfless
"I was driving and hit another car. He was stopped to turn and I simply wasn't paying attention. I rear-ended his car at about 30 miles per hour. Set off my cars air bags. I managed to pull over to the side, he completed his turn. I was in shock and blundered right into the highway."
"He ran out, pulled me to safety and as I'm sobbing and apologizing, he just gave me a big hug and kept telling it's ok, we're ok, cars can be fixed. He was so sweet and calm when I was a complete mess."
"Found out from my co-worker a week later, the gentlemen I hit had lost his wife to cancer the week before."
"Just....wow."
Prioritizing the Right Things
"My daughter has a progressive neurological issue that is slowly taking away her right side. A few years ago, when she was 12 and could still ride a bike, we were riding to a place to watch fireworks on the 4th of July."
"She was struggling to ride and was somewhat unsteady and couldn't make quick moves. We weren't riding far. As she was riding by a new Mini Cooper, she was struggling to keep her bike straight and her handle bar hit the side view mirror of the guys Mini."
"He was in the car and and just smiled and waved us on saying everything was fine. I think he had a sense that my daughter had to work extra hard to ride her bike. After we moved out of the way, I went to thank the guy but he drove off."
"I know she broke the glass on his mirror, I heard it. I'll never forget the guys face and how compassionate and understanding he was."
-- macva99
The Right House To Crash In Front Of
"I once crashed while riding a very small bike down an incredibly steep hill. A very big, very steep hill. I got some gravel in my knee, and I just yelled 'FU**!' Over and over again."
"The people who lived in he house I had just crashed in front of came out and asked me if I was okay, I tried to tell them I was fine, it just hurt. So the wife that lived here says 'don't worry, I'm a nurse. I can get that gravel out for you.' And then she proceeds to pick out all of this gravel from my leg, bandage it, and tell me to be more careful."
"Lady if you're out there, never stop being this person. I think about you whenever I have a chance to help someone else out."
-- Garagairas
Other people provided an environment of supportive community at exactly the right time. From humans to animals, they were forces of good that interrupted a particularly dark time.
Another Way
"When i was in grade 3 my teacher invited me to have dinner with her and her family. My family life was not good. I never had a dad. My mom is an alcoholic (She has been sober now for 30 years)."
"I did not know what a normal family was like until that dinner and night at her house. It was just so calm and stable. I remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was almost 40 years ago. It made me realize that there was another way to exist."
-- Fiascoe
Cutting Through to the Humanity
"I have a genetic condition that makes me look rather awful. People are often uncomfortable around me. I get it, totally - but still, it hurts."
"One night, I was a church activity, and they told everyone that they could go target shooting (I know....weird). That's not my thing, and so I just stayed by the campfire. After everyone left, a girl stayed there with me and just talked."
"As we were talking, a few bugs came and landed on my face, and she brushed them away - like it was the most normal thing in the world. People never touch me at all - or at least not without fear."
"I know that is not really doing much - but I think that she must have gone through a lot in her life - in order to be around someone like me, and not be afraid."
"It's been years since that happened, and I still get that ache in the throat just thinking about it."
-- beyondwhatis
A Trusted Reprieve
"My friend's parents feeding me and letting me stay the night at their homes, even on school nights when sh** was getting crazy at my house."
"Maybe they were aware, but they never let me know."
-- [deleted]
The Family She Chose
"My mother in law's kindness and ability to be a mother figure and friend. My family is very fu**ed up and abused me, hence why my husband took me away from it and married me. Having a family that actually loves me means the world to me."
"He doesn't realize that having a mother that worries about him and loves him is something that he shouldn't take for granted."
-- MasterAqua2
A Caring Dog, a Patient Owner
"I was having a really bad depressive episode and this man and their dog were walking down the street. I was waiting for my food and considering just walking saying fuck it and walking down to one of the bridges on the river."
"The mans dog was walking with her leash dragging on the floor, and she came up to me and sat down on my feet and looked up at me and refused to move for about 5 minutes."
"I don't know if the man realized I needed this or what, but he didn't say or do anything as I stood there crying and petting his dog."
"When the dog decided she was done, she got up and they walked off and I never saw them again."
-- rizcriz
Perfect Timing
"When I was 20 I had to have major surgery and was facing a life with a chronic illness. When I was home recovering a friend came by and put me in her car and took me on a random drive down to the beach and just all over."
"It was so relaxing and healing for my mind. I'm a grandparent now and have had challenges but have been fine and I'll never forget what she did. Thank you Marie."
And some people recalled the people whose moment of selflessness was the spark that lead to a serious development in life. The moment itself may have seemed minor, but it was required for a much more significant snowball to begin rolling.
Igniting a Passion
"In 5th grade, we were forced to learn the plastic recorder. Our music teacher was nice and taught us the basics and like 3 or 4 notes. Since they were so cheap, he let all the students keep them at the end of the year"
"The teacher probably thought it was nothing and was probably just following orders, but unbeknownst to him, that changed my life. I was so happy to take it home and wanted to learn everything musically possible on this plastic instrument that probably only cost a few cents."
"I took band and orchestra the next year and kept picking up new instruments. So far, I've picked up about 8 instruments, with my current favorite being ukulele. I've also gotten into songwriting."
"I had no interest in music before the recorder, and though it's a squeaky, annoying instrument, I don't think I would've found my love of music without it. I still have the original recorder my teacher let me keep as a reminder, so thanks Teach."
-- PhotoSky2021
Passing On Memory
"After my kitten passed away at the end of August, I uploaded a video tribute to her. Some wonderful human being replied and told me they had a pregnant cat that looked just like her and that one of the kittens would be named in her honor."
"The person came back a couple months ago to leave another comment saying the kitten named after mine was alive and well."
"Honestly pulled me out of a deep pit of depression and self-loathing (I blamed myself for my kitten falling ill to begin with)."
"Ramieverse, if you ever see this, thank you so much. You need to tell me more about how Sabrina's doing and what she's like. ❤"
Showing Belief
"I had a professor in community college who encouraged me to continue my studies and was very complimentary of my work. I eventually transferred to a 4 year college and earned two graduate degrees."
"I went back years later to tell him of my success and thank him, but was greeted by his successor who told me the teacher died. I just broke down sobbing and left."
Close to Quitting
"One time I woke up late again for work, and on this day it was the straw I had been looking for. I decided to just quit my job. Texted my supervisor to say I was sorry for my record and that I was resigning."
"Supervisor showed the big boss. Big boss said no, I was too good of a worker to lose."
"He said if I came in the next day, he would move my shift to a more manageable time and keep me working. I was so caught off by this guy caring, and that I didn't even know knew my name, that I went in the next day and didn't follow through with my plans."
"Nowadays, I'm in a much better head space and am so thankful for him. He saved my life and he has no idea."
-- NoKnfePizza
It Only Took Two Words
"I was severely depressed at that time and I was sitting outside in the veranda on a bench when my 4 year old cousin came and stood on the bench and just hugged me."
"I asked her what are you doing and she replied, 'maya korchi' which means 'showing you love.' I still think about it when I am feeling down."
-- nerdywiz009
Saved More Lives Than One
"Someone donated their kidney when they died and they allowed me to be healthy enough to have and rise my son."
"He just turned 21."
Close Call
"after i was rescued from human trafficking i was in a safe house, one of the social workers when i moved out sent me a letter thanking me for being the reason she decided to pursue her career working with trafficking victims."
"She saved my life and has no idea."
A list like this is a good inspiration to think upon what we're grateful for. It can be helpful to comb through our past and recall the minor moments that turned out to be pretty huge.
Chances are, we all have a couple people like that.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
We may not like it, but getting older is pretty inevitable.
With age may come wisdom, but it also comes with lots of responsibilities.
And some days, we're just over it.
Redditor brick_layer asked:
"What tasks are you tired of doing as an adult?"
Decisions, Decisions
"Deciding what to make for dinner."
- PortiaEss
"I would eat people kibble if it tasted good. Bachelor Chow (just add beer) needs to be a real thing."
- chaos8803
Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho
"Going to work and acting like a functional person."
- ovelanimimerkki
"Yep, I hate trying to work when I'm not emotionally stable or just exhausted. And you literally can't tell anyone or they tell you to go get a coffee which just makes the week go downhill over time."
- gg_ff_42069
Manners
"Being polite to other adults who don't deserve it."
- 25_-a
"Also known as the 'I am too old for this sh*t' phase of life."
- Zintao
Cleaning
"Cleaning the fridge. 🤢 when I find something way in the back that’s been forgotten."
- joydobson
"I finally cleaned out ours today because it was trash day, and the husband isn’t home to argue with me about how that sauce from 2015 is 'still good!!' 🤨 Now I have an empty fridge with just the bare essentials. Worth it."
- Grizelda_Gunderson
Circle of Life
"Working. Paying bills. Getting up early. Doing stuff."
- guyfromcroswell
"Agreed. Such a mundane cycle indeed."
- Emotional_Ratio_3251
Is Naked So Bad?
"Laundry grrrrr."
- FewPizza7880
"I tend to put the laundry in, hear it beep, forget about it for 6 hours then remember it needs to dry."
- marvel_is_wow
Traffic
"Anticipating the morons on the roads that change lanes without signaling."
"Or merging into 70mph traffic while doing 45..."
- haveyouseenthebridge
"Or being stuck behind those people as we're merging, I get pissed. Like speed up to the flow of traffic, being behind them merging puts me in danger too."
- Nigel_IncubatorJones
Maintenance
"Buying a house is an endless list of shit that needs fixing or improving."
- muffbiscuits
"This is one of the many reasons I bought a condo. The majority of the maintenance is somebody else’s problem. I haven’t cut grass, raked leaves or shoveled snow in almost a decade."
‐ yogaballcactus
Teeth
"Brushing my teeth. It's annoying."
- scottevil110"
"I feel this deep. It’s flossing for me."
- brick_layer
"Wait until you're in your 60s and all of a sudden the perfect teeth that never even had a cavity now all of a sudden have tiny cracks and need porcelain crowns and you have constant pain and Delta Dental only covers cleanings and x-rays and a single crown is like $1500 and they're telling you that you need four and you think, well, we don't really need two cars, I could sell my old Subaru."
- Nobody_Wins_13
Alarming
"Waking up to an alarm clock."
"I've been waking up to an alarm clock almost every day since 1985, and I'm fucking tired of it."
"I want to wake up when I'm done sleeping."
"I don't want to wake up and find that I've slept through/turned off my alarm(s) yet again, and have to choose between packing a lunch and taking a shower."
- thisbuttonsucks
What part of adulthood are you tired of?
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
I would love to know how people don't fear death.
I mean, it's the end. Life will be over. That kind of sucks.
Yet there are people who find tranquility in it.
Can you teach the rest of us?
Redditor deensuk wanted to hear from everyone who has a calmness about the heading to the afterlife. They asked:
"People who are not scared of death, why?"
I have a constant fear of death. I wanna perfect the ending of "Death Becomes Her" so I can live forever.
Before
"I'm not scared of death because of working in health care I was around it so much. I AM scared of what leads to death, however."
Full-Mulberry5020
Why now?
"Why should I be scared now of something that's only going to happen at the end of my life?"
User Deleted
"I did this cult thing called the landmark forum and I actually did like their “meaning of life”: the meaning of life is that there is no meaning. Life is empty and meaningless. There is no answer."
"Life is what you make of it and every persons answer is equally valid because there is no meaning to life. Life exists as, basically, an accident, we are all here by complete accident, there’s no great mystery, it’s all biology and you are 100% free to make life about whatever it is you want."
Conservative_HalfWit
Death and I are good friends...
"I was very sick as a child. Spent ages 7-20 in and out of hospital due to kidney issues. Lost a kidney at 28. Almost died during the surgery to removed the dead kidney due to blood loss. Had 5 surgeries back to back during the next 2 years. Twice they had difficulties bringing me out of anesthesia."
"Found my favorite aunt dead in her bed when I was 22. Watched my best friend die from a brain tumor at 30. Death has been a constant force in my life. Sometimes just on the edges waiting, sometimes unexpected staring me in the face. I'm not afraid because it's always been there. I now work in healthcare. Death and I are good friends."
Tiny_Teach_5466
No Worries
"Because it's coming for us all, sooner or later. So there's no point in worrying about it. I am much more concerned about day to day minutiae. The Lars von Trier film Melancholia starring Kirstin Dunst portrayed this perfectly. If there was an asteroid hurtling towards the earth, I'd probably be more preoccupied with worrying about whether I left the back light on or not."
Giallo_submarine
It's Over
"Because no one has ever made it out alive, and I was dead for an eternity before I was alive, and didn't suffer the slightest inconvenience because of it."
MarshallApplewhiteDo
I never thought about the before much. I hope the before is quick.
The Effects
"I hope that when my times comes it will be merciful. My uncle had a stroke, he is paralyzed. My grandmother is 91, but is losing all her memories of her life. Death does not scare me, what could be left of me before I die is what terrifies me."
M1ssy_M3
No Terror
"It’s like when the writer Nabokov said that he saw a picture one time, a picture of before he was born. It was a picture of his mother, his brother and sister that were older than him, but he had not been born yet. He said that when he saw that picture there was no terror in him, even though he was looking at a picture where he didn’t exist."
im_on-the_can
state of nonexistence...
"I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of dying. Death is just the state of nonexistence I experienced before I was born. I don't remember it because I didn't exist yet. Death will be the same way. I just don't want the transition to be marked by pain and sorrow at things left unfinished. I want it to be quick, painless, and with me surrounded by love."
Wazula42
I'm Gone...
"Because once I die, I won't know it. I won't miss people or regret things or feel pain or sadness about anything. I might fear being sick and slowly dying, just having to live with the knowledge that it's all going to end and this is the last time I'll ever see the people I love or taste good food or hear good music. That sounds almost unbearable. But death isn't even a thing, it's just having done something (died)."
"It's like virginity, it's a made-up state of being that just says whether or not you've experienced a specific occurrence. Once I die, I'm gone. My corpse will be the empty wrapper I used to be in, just garbage to be disposed of in whatever way makes my survivors feel better. I'll be switched off. If I don't worry about what the light feels after the bulb burns out, why would I be afraid of being dead?"
SallyHeap
At Peace
"I’m scared now because I have young kids. Once my kids are old enough to be on their own I imagine the fear will subside and I’ll have a more relaxed approach."
User Deleted
Some very interesting perspectives. May it all calm peacefully and with great mercy for us all.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
Dating and the search for love and companionship... What a nightmare.
This journey plays out nothing like in the movies.
Every Prince or Princess (or everything in BTW) seems to have a touch of the psycho.
The things people say during what should be simple dinner conversation can leave a dining partner aghast.
Like... do you hear you?
Redditor detroit_michigldan wanted to discuss all the best ways to crash and burn when trying to make a romantic connection. They asked:
"You're on a date and it's going really great. What can another person say to ruin it completely?"
I once had a guy ask me if I was willing to follow him into the woods, depending on the price of the meal.
Yeah. No steak is worth that.
Plans After...
"Thanks for the ride but I have a date with someone else, I figured you wouldn't drive me if you knew I was going on a date with someone else and I really needed a ride."
"Online dating, talked to her for a while, finally got the courage to ask her out and then she said that as we got there."
iareyours
Mirror Image
“'You look just like my wife!'”
catalinachild
"I did have a guy tell me I reminded him of his son. I don’t believe English has a word to adequately describe my feelings at that time."
UnicornMagicRainbow
"That would definitely do it."
chaotica78
Third Wheel
"'Hope you don't mind if my mother joins us.'"
ofsquire
"Actually had a girl do this on a first date because she had anxiety issues. Honestly wasn’t bad except that 90% of the time she was silent and her mom talked over her."
"I didn’t mind that much and wouldn’t have minded trying again when she was more comfortable except that she was let go at the company we worked at and she deleted her social media profiles and she never responded on her number. Ah well."
Seightx
Liar
"'Hey bro aren't you gay? I made out with you last night.'"
"Random dude I've never seen before in front of my (f) date."
JHXC16
Was he lying though?
Filter Issues
"'You looked better on Tinder.'"
waqasnaseem07
"Isn’t it basic knowledge that everybody looks slightly worse than the worst picture you can find?"
no_user_ID_found
The Past
"'My ex used to do that too.'"
xxIvyOF
"Yep. I’ve definitely had two otherwise-decent-guy date-situations sour because the ex-comparisons just would not stop flowing. No woman wants to be seen as interchangeable—I’m not here to perfectly fill that ex-sized hole in your life. Focusing on the present moment and a future we could build together is a courtesy we need to grant each other in earliest dates of dating."
LarkScarlett
Powerless
"'I'm an alpha, you cant handle my top energy.'"
Midnightgay28
"I actually left a dude in the middle of dinner, in part, for saying this. I ordered an Uber under the table while pretending to listen to him. Went to the bathroom, and never came back. That was when I was young. Now I’d just say, 'How about we enjoy this meal in silence, before we head our separate ways.'”
UnicornMagicRainbow
Mommy...
"'Mother says I should be back by 9.'"
"Saying 'mother says' just feels weird."
bunnyrut
"That gives me Norman Bates vibes."
Werewolf_lover20
"'Mother says alligators are aggressive because they have an overabundance of teeth, but lack a toothbrush.'"
sodaextraiceplease
Obvs...
"'If you were going to be murdered, what method would you prefer. Purely hypothetical. Obvs.'"
Specific_Tap7296
If it looks anything like a Dateline NBC episode... RUN!
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
Despite the advancement of technology rendering people left to their own devices–literally–to entertain them, there are some leisurely activities that will never go out of style.
Or so you would think.
Do people still knit to pass the time? Are people actively collecting stamps?
It depends on who's asking.
Curious to hear about hobby trends, Redditor gizehgizeh asked:
"What are once popular hobbies that are slowly dying these days?"

Before we've become conditioned to living on our phones, these activities used to keep people occupied.
Before Texting, There Was This
"Letter writing."
– littlekingMT
Literal And Tangible Joy
"Well the internet killed pen pals for sure. I do remember I had a Japanese girl for a penpal maybe back in 2007 or so. I honestly don't remember how it started, pretty sure some website, but that was a fun experience. But now I can just straight up talk to foreign people real time, lol. But yea getting a physical letter that someone took the time to write and mail still is hard to beat feelings wise."
– skyburnsred
Model Trains
"When I was growing up, every town had a model train store in it. Now I have one in region and everything else has to be bought online."
– Hairy_Effective1172
Pretty Rocks
"Don’t see anyone playing marbles anymore, I had an awesome collection in school."
– sheeple85
"I had some marbles as a kid in the 90s. My grandma got them for me and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them. I always imagined them as a thing kids in the 40s played with."
– Ryoukugan
People Were Moving Canvases
"Paintball has been dying a slow death since 2006. Sad, really."
– hobo_recycler
Before the general population began hating clutter, collecting was once a "thing."
Precious Coins
"Coin collecting... I'm a silver/gold nut and I'm always hunting for precious metal coins. whenever I go into a shop they get all excited because 'no one under 70 collects coins anymore.'"
– ThatFishySmell99
Post It
"Stamp collecting."
– spooky_scully_mulder
"Collecting in general, really. Of course there are still prominent collectors but it's slipped more into enthusiast and niche territory than being a popular hobby that you might expect anyone to have."
– iuytrefdgh436yujhe2
What A Gem
"Rockhounding was immensely popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Personally, I think it's a fascinating and fulfilling hobby, but when I go to a meeting at a rock and gem club, I'm usually the youngest one in the room by several decades."
– filthy_lucre
People once enjoyed making things.
Admiring The View
"Stained glass. I learned how to make it from my old man, and my junior high art class teacher also taught it. Very few artisans are still around."
– brobeanzhitler
Metal Vocation
"Black smithing."
– kenworth117
"I bought a forge to try. It’s insanely hard work, and crazy expensive. I still haven’t finished a piece."
– DSentvalue
Scrapbooking
"Yeah. I'm watching the arts and crafts stores around me completely uninstalling their racks for specialty paper. Now the only thing they have is mega packs of repeating colors/images. To boot all the inclusions like papercraft/die-cut things, washi tape, scissors, stickers, etc have gotten so expensive I would rather go buy $5 bags at value village to get an assortment of things versus buying anything new. I really, really miss yard sales for the same reasons."
– Phantasmai
I envy people who have jobs that are basically their hobbies.
Not everyone gets paid doing what they actually enjoy and have a profound level of passion for.
If they do, kudos to them.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.