WARNING-THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS MATERIAL NOT SUITABLE FOR THE UNDER 17 CROWD
The first myth to debunk is that sex is always beautiful and clean.
WRONG! It's messy and there is more clean-up involved than a soap spill at Target.
There are a lot of components to sex.
You can get injured. You can, I can't tell you how many people I know who have dislocated a hip, a knee or a shoulder.
And all before hitting their 40s!
There is no one perfect way. Not everybody is meant to be the energizer bunny. And sometimes, it's ok of you'd rather just read or sleep.
RedditorThePerksOfBeingAlivewanted to discuss the carnal pleasures of life and all of it's nonsense, they asked:
"What are some myths about sex that just annoy you?"
Stop watching movies or porn as 'how-to' guides for sex. And throw away those trashy romance novels.
All Night No
Tired Real Housewives GIFGiphy"That going ‘all night long’ is a requirement to being good in bed. I got work tomorrow baby." ~ americanbj27
You will Live
"If you have sex you will get chlamydia and die." ~ not-your-supervisor
"And the biggest thing that most people don't realize is that chlamydia isn't even a big deal. You can have an active infection for years without knowing. It may affect your fertility and sometimes may cause painful intercourse, but for most people it's completely asymptomatic."
"Treating it is as simple as a short antibiotics course. The stigma is far worse than the disease, which is why it will never be eliminated. People are too scared to tell their partners when/if they test positive. Edit: like really, it's one of the, if not the easiest, STD to cure. Often all you need is a single dose antibiotic. One pill. One time. That's it." ~ Choice_Importance_21
Normal
"When you finish early she'll be annoyed."
"You can't be a pornstar all the time. Sometimes you finish early, sometimes you won't finish at all, sometimes you have trouble getting an erection and sometimes you'll have sex with her for an hour. It's normal." ~ ProfilerXx
For the very...
"That you can't get pregnant when it's your first time. I heard that one a lot." ~ CptZack01
"You can get high your first time but that doesn't necessarily mean you will. I know from personal experience. I also didn't get buzzed the first time I drank but that probably had more to do with the fact I had like half a beer before I couldn't stand the taste any more." ~ EvilSporkOfDeath
Paper or Rock?
Girl Pink GIF by Katie PriceGiphy"That the most common position in lesbian sex is scissoring. Like i can’t even get into that position without pulling a muscle." ~ Toilet-Sock
Sleep. And survival. What is with death defying sex acts? Why is everyone so extra?
Losing Senses
season 1 friends GIFGiphy"Masturbation leads to blindness." ~ M-Badry24
"A father told his son 'quit masturbating or you’ll go blind!' The son says 'dad I’m over here.'" ~ robles103
The Routine...
"In the movies, it looks like women have sex and just roll over and go to sleep. I’m sorry but if you don’t pee or clean afterwards, you’re going to get a UTI." ~ kcelaynes
"over for you"
"That erectile dysfunction only happens to old/broken men and that when it happens it's 'over for you.' It's more common than most people think and in today's stressful times can happen to anybody. The manhood ending myth of it usually makes the issue worse than it originally is." ~ Zaihron
"Yeah my husband has had this issue since way before we met. He has a big workplace stress issue and it's difficult for him to shut his anxiety off. For the first few years I thought it was my fault. But it has improved a lot in the past few years. But at the time the feeling of inadequacy on his part made the issue way worse." ~ Thatdeathlessdeath
Sizing up...
"Having a large penis makes you good at sex. I especially hate that one." ~ Zeniyah
"Those are the people that think size is everything, and it's just dumb. No point in having something big if you don't know how to use it." ~ Its_Hiro-
"Its not the weapon, it's how you use it." -Sun Tzu... Maybe." ~ D4KU004
Bad Method
Antoine Dodson Reaction GIFGiphy"That the pull out method is 100% reliable." ~ TheLiteraryBookworm
"100% sure someone reading this IS a pull out baby." ~ srgbski
Ancient Info
"That she can’t get pregnant if she’s on top lmao some people actually believe that." ~ ebonerr
"The myth dates back to ancient times. In Ancient Rome they believed that women had to lay perfectly still for conception to work. So prostitutes were very active in sex because it prevented pregnancy." ~ gentlybeepingheart
Try and Try Again...
"The first time I finally got to have sex with my girlfriend at the time, I was very horny, we made out, foreplay, I performed some oral on her. Yet, when the moment of intercourse came about, I couldn't get an erection to save my life. Worse, this happened even the second time, which really made me panic. On top of that, all of the combined horny made my testicles hurt."
"The girl started crying that she's unappealing or something. Everything worked the 3rd time around, though. God bless her patience. I think it was a combination of porn addiction, performance anxiety and good old nerves. Nothing of the sort happened to me ever since." ~ Tourqon
No Thanks...
"That men are always ready to have sex at the drop of a hat. Sometimes I’m just tired and not in the mood." ~ Ok-Ad-2605
"I was on Livial for a while in 2020 and it annihilated my sex drive. Then on the rare occasions I could get it up it took absolutely ages to finish. The orgasm was always crap as well, like a little whimper. My wife, who is wonderful and understanding etc, initially freaked out specifically because of the 'men are always good to go' messaging. It. Is. Everywhere." ~ Regrettable_tattoos
Not Me!
american pie jims dad GIFGiphy"That there are dozens of horny and neglected MILFs in my neighborhood just waiting to get it on with me." ~ MrFantasticallyNerdy
"The first part is probably true. The second part not so much." ~ hakuna_tamata
Backdoor Policy
"For people who are interested in/enjoy anal: 'It’s going to hurt regardless, that’s part of the fun.' Yeah, that’s bull. First, you need to be using the thickest lube you can find, ideally water-based. Vaseline, soap, spit, etc is not going to cut it, no matter what porn/idiots say."
"Second, make sure that you are applying a generous amount to whatever is going up there. Third, if it hurts, STOP immediately as this can lead to tearing or other issues that could require medical attention. In short, it shouldn’t hurt. Ever." ~ PickleBoy223
Many Flavors
"That missionary is vanilla or boring. I've had plenty of sex, missionary is by far my favorite. There are so many varieties of the position you can smoothly glide into mid-sex without it being clunky and awkward like with other positions. It is intimate, personal and sexy as hell. You can regulate speed and depth more easily than other positions too. What a great position. :) " ~ IonlyPlayAOE3
It's Ok
"That his lack of an erection means he isn't turned on/you're not pretty. I get it guys, it just doesn't happen sometimes. We can still make out." ~ Teacher_Crazy_
"Stress/fatigue/being distracted by too many thoughts could all be factors. It sounds stupid, but sometimes being too hot (temperature wise) can affect it too." ~ i69allthetime
Disaster
"That your first time is something magical instead of the f**king dumpster fire that actually is." ~ whyyou
"I was so nervous about being a minute man when I was a virgin... and I actually ended up having the opposite problem. It took me YEARS to learn how to finish from intercourse. I'd pretty much just go until the girl got tired. Then I'd have to finish myself." ~ esoteric_enigma
I'm Done
Frustrated Over It GIFGiphy"That people have sex for hours. After about 20 minutes I'm exhausted. People must be training for marathons or something and never told me." ~ Youwishitwasyou
Effort is Key
"That it's easy for women to orgasm through penetration alone. It's not. Yes, there might be some lucky ladies who can do it without much effort. But most of us need a little extra help. So don't feel bad if you can't do it. Same goes for the partner." ~ Vaalermoor
"I’ve literally been yelled at for not finishing from just vaginal alone and so many guys just don’t understand it. :/ " ~ Keledora
Sex is fun. Enjoy it. But stop obsessing and don't believe everything you see in porn.
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Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.