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People Describe The Most Selfless Thing Someone Ever Unwittingly Did For Them

People Describe The Most Selfless Thing Someone Ever Unwittingly Did For Them
Image by Anja🤗#helpinghands #solidarity#stays healthy🙏 from Pixabay

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."

-- Verticalparachute

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."

-- dodoatsandwiggets

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. ❤"

-- StarWarsCrazy1

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."

-- Quirky_Bumblebee_461

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."

-- Upbeat_Whole1628

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."

-- Realistic-Forever252


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.

People's Wildest 'WTF Is Wrong With You?' Experiences

Reddit user nekorei2023 asked: 'What did the person do/say that made you go "what the f**k is wrong with you?"'

We all have that moment where someone we know says something so completely absurd, the only response we think of is 'WTF is wrong with you?'

Sometimes, it's something woefully inaccurate that you can't wrap your head around the fact that someone believes that.

Othertimes, it's something completely offensive and you regret your association with that person.

My college roommate was a girl I knew from my high school. I didn't know her too well, but we had some big things in common, so I figured it'd be fun to live with her.

This girl was half-Korean and talked a lot about racist people. At first, I let her rant, figuring maybe she or someone in her family faced some racism. I faced some myself, and I agreed with most of the things she said about racists. Eventually, however, I realized she was equating the word 'racist' with the word 'white.'

I spoke to her once, telling her she can't use 'racist' and 'white' interchangeably. She agreed to stop doing that, but within a few days, she started doing it again. She was a very bright girl, so I was a little concerned about this, especially since her own dad was white and was possibly the nicest man in the world. Not to mention, this made her and her siblings half-white too. Did that mean they were all half-racist?

I stuck by her for a while, but when she started saying things about what she wanted to do to racist people (once again using the word 'white' instead of 'racist'), I realized I couldn't be around her anymore. She couldn't talk about anything else after a while, and every time she spoke, I wanted to say, 'WTF is wrong with you?'

We did not room together the next year.

Redditors have stories similar to mine (and some even crazier), and they are eager to share.

It all started when a Redditorasked:

"What did the person do/say that made you go "what the f**k is wrong with you?"

How To End A Friendship

"In college I used to kill time between classes hanging out with a guy who was from the same redneck county as myself. We didn’t really have much else in common, but he was nice enough and seemed eager to socialize so I figured why not. I wasn’t overly social myself and didn’t know a whole lot of people."

"One day we decided to go somewhere off-campus, and he drove us. While driving, on an interstate mind you, he proceeds to show me his handgun that he kept in his truck - not in a menacing way, but in a “Ain’t that cool?” way."

"I was not immediately frightened, but I respect firearms enough to recognize we are going like 60-70mph on an interstate in daylight, and nothing good can happen in this scenario. I calmly asked him to put it away because I was not comfortable in this situation at all. He then tells me “Oh it’s not loaded” and presses the gun to his head before pulling the trigger."

"Thank f**k he was right, but still it was a wild and frightening display of reckless disregard for his own life and mine for that matter in the event that he’d accidentally killed himself while driving us. I didn’t hang out with him much after that, certainly didn’t get in a car with him."

– omjf23

"“It’s not loaded” famous last words of many an idiot."

– GloInTheDarkUnicorn

The Worst Kind Of People

"When my dad was in the nursing home, they weren't running certain expenses, like ambulance rides, through his insurance. When I took over his financials, he was tens of thousands in medical debt that shouldn't have ever been charged to him in the first place. He was in numerous collections, and his credit score was tanked."

"When I complained to the nursing home director, he said, "Well, it's not like he's going to be buying a house or a car!" Then he laughed."

"My dad was paralyzed from the waist down and needed lifelong care, so he was never going to leave the nursing home. Even though he was technically correct, I gave him the "WTF is wrong with you look." Then I complained to HIS boss and he got canned a couple a weeks later. My dad's insurance was fixed pretty quick, too."

– MNWNM

"“Sorry, what was funny about that? Could you please explain.”"

– v3n0mat3

...Seriously?

"MIL told my wife she should divorce me bc I googled whether a lasagna should be covered with foil while cooking."

– Struggle-Silent

"This is my first laugh of the thread lmao wtf."

– koreantrvp

"It actually ruined this entire trip. It was at my BIL’s wedding, which was only close family (siblings + parents) and they had the caterer make a lasagna for an evening dinner."

"Father of the bride was gonna pop it in the oven and asked if it should be covered. I googled lasagna cooking instructions and said yes it should be covered and cooked at this temp. MIL said absolutely not!"

"Me and the father of the bride kinda gave each other a look and he covered it. MIL was furious and texted my wife that I was an a hole and she should divorce me before we had kids."

– Struggle-Silent

Hostile Work Environment

"Boss at old job told the team we needed to ‘get used to a healthy level of conflict, fear and anxiety in the workplace.’ I dipped so fast after that."

– Prestigious-Energy69

"Similarly, a boss told me that I owed him my loyalty because he was paying me."

– Kylearean

How To End A Relationship

"A girl I was with while we were still together just looked at me while I was driving to her house and said.” You know I would get over you faster than you’d get over me” I was like …… Tf did you just say?"

– omega91301

"Huh. And just like that I'm over you."

– Pineapple_Spenstar

"Honestly, that would absolutely do it for me. When I was younger, I would be stupid and hurt and argue. I'm past 50 and I got no time for that nonsense."

– Terpsichorean_Wombat

There Are Other Ways To Stave Off Boredom

"I was DD for some buddies who wanted to go to a particular dance club in Baltimore. They're all hammered, it's too loud and we've been there for several hours. Casually an older woman next to me chats me up and notices my eyes are nearly crossing from boredom. I explained what I was doing there and casually (stupidly) mentioned I'm a bit bored. This psycho BITES ME on the chest! Afterward says "Well ya ain't bored now, are ya??""

– Mike7676

"Well, were you bored after that?"

– DontWannaSayMyName

"I must say, I was not!"

– Mike7676

That Goes Both Ways!

"I'm a man who works with kids, and when I started this job, I was talking to one of my old coworkers about how every once in a while I'll get weird looks for being a man working with kids and my coworker said I deserved it because some men can't be trusted with kids. I was shocked and she went on to say that I did it to myself and deserve to be questioned about it. I immediately stopped talking to her."

– Dolhedew

"What? What in the actual f**k? Doesn’t she know there are women who can’t be trusted with kids?"

– Anonymoosehead123

That Escalated Quickly

"The lady that accused my kids of cutting the line. (They hadn't, I was watching). When I went to ask her what was wrong, she told me to go back to my own country with that sh*t. (I was born in Massachusetts.)"

"The line was to pet dogs at a Renaissance Fair."

– pasafa

Everything All At Once

"While alone with a coworker, he told me that "women in the work place will lead to the decay of the fabric of society" to me. A woman. He also asked me out, got an attitude when I didn't say yes and continues to walk around with huge incel energy. He always complains that he has no one to go home to yet refuses to look at himself as a possible reason."

– Nopeferatu31

"Sounds like they should learn something from the phrase, "if you meet one a**hole, they're the a**hole. If everyone you meet is an a**hole, you're the a**hole.""

– tmpope123

Ouch!

"I told a coworker my wife had died."

"Her response: "You're one of those bald middle aged guys with a dead wife.""

"Me: "Yeah.""

– WalrusCello

"I want to think this was a wholesome thought that came out wrong. An awkward attempt at dark humor."

– ThisUsernameIsTook

*Cringing*

"Had an otherwise normal co-worker who was completely convinced windmills will cause the earth to stop spinning."

– Shadowmant

"WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOOD NIGHT!"

– Torvaun

These are all crazy 'WTF is wrong with you' stories, but that last one blew my mind in 'how is it possible people think that could be true' sort of way!

black and red tool box

Tekton on Unsplash

One of the possible wonders of adulthood is home ownership. But homes come with so many things that can break.

And the last thing you want is a nonfunctioning furnace when temperatures dip below zero or no water when you're covered in dirt and grime.

That's what routine maintenance is for—to make sure things work when you need them.

Keep reading...Show less

One the strangest and most perplexing things about being a human is the fact that we can only experience what's going on inside our own bodies and minds. Sure, we can ask someone questions, we can listen to their accounts, and technology is increasingly closing the gap, but there's still nothing like a fully immersive experience.

For this reason, it can be easy for us to think that we're the only one having trouble with something, like the only adult who can never seem to keep their laundry pile caught up, but on the reverse side, it can also mean missing something that's abnormal.

It's, quite frankly, shocking how many people live with some kind of physical abnormality while assuming that it's normal.

Fascinated, Redditor amistakewasmadehere asked:

"What did you think was normal about your body until someone pointed out that it wasn't?"

A Double Uvula

"I have a double uvula. That little hangy thing in the back of your throat... Mine looks like a ballsack."

"I thought that's just what they looked like, because how often do you look in people's throats? I remember seeing cartoons as a kid where they'd zoom in on a character's mouth when they were screaming or something... And I just thought the artists were lazy, drawing a simple droopy line. But no, that's what most people's look like."

"When I was in my 20s, I went to the doctor for something unrelated, and she checked my throat and just said, 'Huh, you have a double uvula. Neat!'"

" I went home and told my roommates and they all had to look in my mouth. I thought they would think the doctor was the weirdo but they were all shocked..."

"I'll never forget one saying, 'You've got balls in your throat!'"

- xx2983xx

A Popping Jaw

"My jaw pops whenever I open my mouth. I thought it was normal for your jaw to just "unhinge" because how else could you open your mouth wide? Turns out, nope."

- PikaBooSquirrel

The Wrong Number of Organs

"The first year of menstruating, I had intensely painful periods and severe constipation. The periods would last two weeks, with two weeks in between each one."

"Everyone told me things would calm down and even out."

"Then one night, at a friend’s sleepover, I was in so much pain that I was sobbing on the bathroom floor. My parents rushed me to the hospital."

"Everything I was describing, pain-wise, made it sound like I was in labor. But I was 14 and still very much a virgin."

"After a week of tests and painkillers, they finally figured out the issue; I then had surgery to open up my second uterus and cervix, which had been sealed shut by a membrane."

"I had been having periods for a year and had built up like 2 liters worth of old blood in my sealed second uterus. So once that was drained out and I was put on major antibiotics, I got to go home and tell all my friends that I had two uteruses."

"I was also born with one kidney. Not sure if that’s related, but I sure am a mess down there, lol (laughing out loud)."

- SM0KINGS

Heart Flutters and Palpitations

"I used the phrase, 'You know when your heart does that fluttery sensation and it’s like you can feel it beating for a few seconds?'"

"Apparently not everyone does know that; in fact, most don’t and my colleagues looked at me like I’d lost my mind."

- The_Sown_Rose

"Mine does this. I’ve mentioned it to my doctor but it didn’t show up on a heart tracing (I wore one for 24 hours)… Some days, it will happen multiple times, and then nothing for a month or two. It’s really odd."

- Gremingtonspa

Shark-Like Teeth

"That I had eight wisdom teeth grow into the extra space in the back of my jaw (two for each side, top and bottom) that all grew in just fine after 20... Only to find out on my last trip to the dentist that I have eight more growing in sideways..."

"The normal amount of wisdom teeth is four. Not 16."

- Rathewitch

"Some of the women in my family grow a third set of teeth in their 30s. My great aunt had a nearly perfect set, only one came in crooked, but my mum's sister had hers come in next to her adult teeth, so she has two rows in some places, like a shark."

"My mum got a couple extra, but they were pulled, and I haven't gotten any yet, though I got to keep all my wisdom teeth and they didn't."

- foxtongue

Transferable Eyesight

"I’ve got ‘alternating exo,’ the eye doctor called it. I can choose which eye I can see out of and can switch as I please, and whichever eye is not picked 'turns off,' and I don’t see out of it since I chose the other eye."

"Since I've been able to do it all my life, both of my eyes can operate alone, so if I lose one, it won’t be as bad adjusting. Pretty nice actually but the ‘exo’ makes me hate selfies cuz whichever eye isn’t picked drifts outward, which is noticeable to me at least."

- Nez_bit

Precordial Catch Syndrome

"You know when you’re breathing like normal, and suddenly when you inhale you get this sharp pain in one side of your chest, at the ribs behind your pectoral muscle? And every time you try to inhale further it comes back, then goes away entirely after a few minutes?"

"Yeah, that’s called Precordial Catch Syndrome."

"Doctors don’t know exactly what causes it, but the running theory is that a nerve near your ribs occasionally gets pinched when you inhale and it takes a few moments for your body to dampen the signal from that nerve. It’s very common, and does not indicate any underlying or dangerous medical issues."

- ScrembledEggs

Literally a Large Head

"I have a big head. I've never once found a hat that fits. Not even a toque."

- Grant_Ham999

"So, when I joined the army they didn't have a hat big enough for me. I was the only person out of 60 of us without a hat. Drill sergeants I had never met would run from across fields to yell at me for walking outside without my hat."

"When I explained that they didn't have a hat big enough for me... they cracked up and called me Charlie Brown. It took two weeks of that before a hat arrived big enough for me."

- mighty1u2

The Tensor Tympani Muscles

"I can activate my Tensor Tympani Muscles (they make that roaring in your ears when you yawn) at will."

"For some reason, they also activate when I feel a sudden pain, even when there’s no sound or noise involved."

- ShinyIrishNarwhal

"Wait, this isn't normal?"

- Pratius

Secret Asthma

"I thought I was bad at running because my throat would seize up and get painful whenever I ran for more than a minute. I mentioned this to my doctor when I was 30. Turns out I have asthma."

- PachinkoBiloba

Dermatographia

"Dermatographia. I have really sensitive skin with an overactive histamine response. When I’m gently scratched with a blunt object, I get a hive in the shape of the scratch. I can write my name in hives on my forearm."

- BriCMSN

Temperature-Inspired Itchiness

"I get itchy as soon as I get overheated. Like an all-over body itch. There's no rash that pops up, I just get very, very itchy."

- f**kf**k9001

Unexplained Abnormality

"I once took part in a study as a paid participant. The doctors used ultrasound probes to examine the blood vessels on my face."

"They commented on how strange my face's blood vessels were, they struggled and puzzled a little while examining my face."

"Then they handed me more cash and asked whether I would be willing to donate my body after I died to a medical study."

"(They were polite and respectful throughout the whole process, just seemed excited?)"

- breakdancing-edgily

Restless Leg Syndrome

"I constantly have to flex my muscles. Not in the douchey 'check me out, ladies' kind of way, but in a more frustrating, 'I need to move this muscle in the next three seconds or I will feel like I am being tortured' kind of way."

"I'm constantly rotating my shoulders, flexing shoulder blades, neck, arms, wrists, ankles, legs, wherever. It makes it hard to sit still or sleep."

"I only seriously noticed when I slept with my first partner, who was very confused as to why I wouldn't stop twisting and flexing for at least two hours before falling asleep. I just figured everyone got that feeling."

"Being under a weighted blanket or feeling my arm or leg fall asleep, both feel like utter torture and will make me scream and writhe about. I would love to know what the h**l this is and how I deal with it, because so far, I have no clue."

- DeviousFox

"It sounds like restless leg syndrome (which can affect your whole body, and not just your legs). Have your iron levels, specifically your ferritin levels checked. RLS is torture, but there are treatments!"

- SenseiKrystal

In Need of Glasses

"I thought I had great vision until I tried glasses and found that everything was so much sharper and more vivid! Apparently, my left eye has a vision defect, but my right eye learned to compensate so I never realized!"

- LLAA00

It's amazing what we can go decades living with, even when it technically is not the norm. In many of these cases, there are even treatments or tools to improve them!

This just goes to show how important it is to ask questions if you have a concern, and if one doctor is not willing to properly discuss it with you, perhaps try talking to another one.

Person about to bite into a burger
Szabo Viktor/Unsplash

Most restaurant menus have caught up with the times to offer plenty of options to patrons with various dietary restrictions.

Vegan dishes tend to be a top priority, with gluten-free options being a close second.

Thanks to these options, groups of family and friends can dine together and not be limited by restaurant choices.

But when there's a sudden break in routine on the next outing, it can be jarring when the vegan in your group suddenly orders prime rib or a juicy burger that is not a plant-based patty.

What the whaaat?

Curious to hear from those who did a dietary 180 after routinely nourishing themselves with food grown from the earth's soil, Capital_Brain2676 asked:

"Vegans that started eating meat again, what happened?"

Some people were told what's good for them.

Point Made

"I know someone who was a vegetarian for 13 years simply because someone told them they couldn't do it. I guess he figured 13 years was enough to prove a point and went back to eating meat after."

– ottersandgoats

"I feel like 2-3 years would be enough though??"

– WebBorn2622

On A Dare

"I knew a girl in college who did that. She was dared in middle school to become a vegetarian and... she just stuck with it. More power to them."

– ComplexWest8790

Some people were left with no choice but to ditch veganism.

Thanks, Mickey Ds

"Got cancer. Ate whatever my body would take without throwing up and that just happened to be chicken nuggets."

– BratS94

When Choices Are Limited

"Homeless and pregnant = eat what I was given."

– anon

"I’ve always wondered this actually. If a homeless vegan eats what they’re given. I’ve given homeless people subs in the past because of veggies, protein, and carbs (all necessary things) and wondered if they would eat it if they’re vegan. I’m sorry you’ve been on that road. I hope things are better for you now."

– Saltwater_Heart

The Saying Goes

"There is a reason for the saying 'beggars can’t be choosers,' you give what you can/have and you can’t always accommodate the person you are giving it to, don’t think too hard about it. Also, hope OP is doing better."

– Reikotsu

Certain medical conditions prevented these Redditors from sticking to their restrictive diets.

Cooking For Two

"I still eat mostly vegetarian food and have done all my life. However my husband was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and coeliac which means that a high fibre/lower iron diet is not an option and a lot of the substitutes aren’t gluten free. More often than not when he has meat I’ll leave it or have the veggie equivalent but there are just not enough hours in the day to make 2 separate lasagnes and sauce etc."

– Chanel-Chic

Troublesome Ailment

"As someone who has UC, that's very cool of you to cook a more UC friendly diet. I dated a woman for 6 months who was a pescatarian. Every time I cooked, it was something we both liked and could eat. Every time she cooked, she focused on what she wanted and it didn't seem to matter whether I could eat it or not. She was nuero divergent and had it in her head that veggies = good regardless of what it did to my insides. For anyone who doesn't know, UC is inflammation due to my immune system attacking the lining of my colon. So it's inflamed (unless you're in remission, which a fair amount of people aren't). Large amounts of fiber makes the food sit there longer and get more packed, which hurts like all hell being tight up against inflamed tissue. And certain ones create gas of an unimaginable magnitude and strength."

"Anyway, a fair amount of the time, I had to order delivery or takeout because otherwise, I would have been farting or sh*tting my brains out overnight. So I appreciate what you've done like you wouldn't believe."

– Wishilikedhugs

Bye Bye Veggies

"My gastroparesis diet led me off my vegan diet as well. I can’t handle legumes, leafy greens, and most vegetables. Hard to be a healthy vegan without any of those."

– Jefauver

When Vegan Ingredients Turn On You

"Yup. Crohn’s Disease ended my 17 year vegetarian stretch. I’m in remission now and don’t eat red meat but I am sensitive to several vegan friendly ingredients like garlic, onions, cauliflower family and now I can avoid them without starving."

–friscodayone

Cooking For A Full House

"Back when COVID had everyone in lockedown, myself and my roommate's family would take turns cooking dinner and it was fine. Then my roommate went on the NOOM diet, her daughter was diagnosed with GERD and couldn't have anything acidic, and her husband was diagnosed with celiac. Oh, and another family member disliked potatoes. I finally had to bow out. It was way too much of a pain in the @ss to cook a meal that met all of those restrictions."

– panda388

Sometimes, you just gotta have meat.

Costco Chicken

"Not my story, but a good friend of mine was vegetarian, very nearly vegan for over 10 years. One day she was in Costco and walked past the rotisserie chickens. Without thinking she put it in her cart. When she got home she stood over the sink and ate it with her bare hands. She had no idea what came over her. Her telling me this story is still one of the funniest things I've ever heard. She is still very plant forward in her eating, but she won't hesitate to order a burger or a steak when she wants it now."

– NotAlwaysGifs

Ravenous

"I went on a weekend backpacking trip with a girl who had been religiously vegan for a few years. It was a pretty physically intense trip, and the last day heading back was in pouring rain the whole way, so by the time we got back to our car, we were absolutely exhausted, filthy, and starving."

"There was only one restaurant anywhere nearby, one of those highway diners. We get there and I notice she's got this kind of crazy look in her eyes. I ask if she's okay, and she just says 'I need a steak.' I laugh, but she goes 'I'm serious. I can't help it. I need a big greasy piece of meat right now or I'm going to die.""

"Sure enough, she orders the biggest steak on the menu, and wolfs it down in minutes, and the crazed look goes away. After that, she went right back to being vegan like nothing had happened. The look in her eyes was a little scary to be honest."

– AxelShoes

Unless it's a matter of life or death, there's no way I can survive being a vegan.

I don't have a strong enough will power to avoid eating meat.

So if that day ever comes when I'm forced to make a major change in my diet that won't include red meat and you're around me all the time, apologies in advance for my perpetual state of being hangry.