Why is it so difficult to just do the right thing?
Rules are there for a reason. Yes, I'm all for breaking the rules, when they're arbitrary. But certain goalposts have been put in place for specific reasons... like keeping people alive.
You have to read the instructions before you act. For instance... don't kill people. That is a rule.
Curfews, curfews are rules that can be broken. That makes you a rebel. Driving down the wrong side of the highway makes you a moron.
Redditorihatenuts69 wanted to discuss what parts of life shouldn't be this difficult to manage, they asked:
What's a simple rule that people can't seem to follow?
Don't wear white after labor Day = arbitrary.
Don't hit people in public = necessary.
See how this works?
Hear
Listen GIF by The Maury ShowGiphy"Listen with the intent to understand. Not to just reply." ~ rise_above_theFlames
Danger!
"Don't drink and drive." ~ Harvard-23
"I remember every year at school, we watched videos on the effects of driving drink or high. One part with actors playing out a situation where someone drives drunk/high, kills other drivers and the ones in the car with them or some manage to live or the one who drove drunk lived and faced the consequences."
"Then the second part, real stories of people who where horribly injured/traumatized or from the families that lost their kids to a drunk driver. That part of the video never fails to make me cry, it's heartbreaking. I think it's absolutely necessary to show these videos to kids in high school, stove it in their brains to not drink and drive." ~ pixie13903
Financial Discourse
"Don't borrow money from friends, and don't lend money to friends. Not if you want to keep them as friends." ~ KnotKarma
"The only asterisk I would add to this is never lend, only give. If your friend absolutely needs money and you can afford to lose that money, just gift it, with zero expectations of receiving it back."
"The context for giving the money matters too. When a friend of mine needed it to pay for surgery so his kid wouldn't eventually become paralyzed, that's a VERY good reason. But if a friend asked for money cause they want the newest console then I'd politely say no (though I've never had this happen)." ~ Goopyteacher
Gross
"There is a whole big bin take ur trash there." ~ arernen
Drive!
Music Video Running GIF by Dr. DogGiphy"Put down the damn phone while driving." ~ DeathSpiral321
Why don't people realize that the rules of the road are there to help us live? Drive. Don't drink, read, dance or anything else.
SIGNAL!!
sign language asl GIF by Sign with RobertGiphy"When you need to change lanes, use your blinker!!" ~ Reddit
Taking Sides
"Mind your own business." ~ Back2Bach
"I agree and disagree. It seems people want to mind peoples business when it truly has nothing to do with them. And then they don't want to mind peoples business when it's actually needed. For example if someone is being attacked that's when everyone seems to look away." ~ DetroitCity_bratt
Let me Off!
"Let people off the elevator first before you get in." ~ Jon__Snuh
"And the train, please! I hate when I'm getting off and I have to force my way through impatient, inconsiderate @sshats who are getting on! Off first, then on!" ~ vox35
"Yes, I've taken the train in Japan, and it is so much better! Also, people in Japan keep moving onto the train until it's full. Here, so many people just step a few feet onto the train, then stand there blocking other people from getting on. Drives me mad!" ~ vox35
Mask Up!
"The face mask also goes over your nose." ~ sids99
"Say that to every single kid at my middle school. There's kids at my school who keep it on their chins. Under their noses and mouths. I told the 7th graders by me that they might as well take off their face masks because they aren't even covering up their faces. Some teachers do this too." ~ DogsAreCool69420
Be Smart
pets love GIF by OriginalsGiphy"If you can't afford or have the emotional means to have a child or a pet, don't have/get one." ~ llcucf80
That last one... commit that one to memory. Not everybody should have pets or children. I could write a novel on that one. Commit all of these to memory.
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Redditor Tight_Anywhere6794 wanted to hear about the things parents have said in the past that haunts everyone still, so they asked:
"What insult have your parents said, that is stuck in your head as an adult?"
I've been blessed with the mother I had.
So I can't speak from experience.
But I've heard parenting horror stories.
Bad Expressions
Sad Kid GIF by 1tvGiphy“'You’re so annoying.' Said to me as a young kid while I was expressing enthusiasm over some new interest. Later my father complains I never tell him anything."
foppishyyy
Mean Spirited
"What did I do to deserve a fat kid?"
Silosolo
"My parents also mocked me for being fat, and outright physically abused me as in forcefully grabbed my fat child manboobs or slapped me while calling me fat-related names."
"A lot of people at school did it too, so obviously I have a lot of self-image issues like I never let anyone see me without clothes these days. The worst part is that I legitimately internalized a lot of hate, I could never care for myself enough to actually get fit."
FoeWithBenefits
What's My Name?
"My parents divorced when I was young and they hate each other. My mom would call me my dad's name when she was really upset. What makes it worse is that I confided in her that I never wanted to be like my dad. She used that ammunition against me."
Discarded_Pariah
"That's awful. You are your own person. You aren't your father."
blksmnr
Unfunny
"'You can't even laugh right.'"
"My mom in a weird moment I thought we were bonding. There's something inherently extra evil when someone tells you your joy is wrong. Told her I'm engaged and hoped she could at least be happy I'm happy and she ghosted everyone to the point the family thought died. She's a mess."
BlindEditor
"I'll never understand parents that are so hard on their own children that they can't even be happy for them. So their sole function is to bring misery to their offspring?"
macabre_irony
Evil
Oh My God Wow GIF by The Roku ChannelGiphy"My little brother was drowning, I tried to save him but also almost drowned, we got rescued by a neighbor. My mom told me that they should've left me in the pond. I haven't spoken to her in many years."
Ilookbetterthanyou
Good Lord. How do people like this exist?
Tragic.
HIM
"She told me I was acting just like my father when I would get upset. I would just get kinda pissy and sulk. He would go on rampages and scream and hit and throw things. He pushed her down the stairs once. I would never lay a finger on my current partner. The worst part is I look just like him. I was wondering if my mother always expected me to turn into my dad. I prove her wrong every day."
rot_grl
10 Years Old
"When I was ~10 years old, my mum once said 'If I could go back in time and make sure I never gave birth to you, I would in a heartbeat.'"
"Never forgot it. Talked to her about it a couple of times years later and her responses ranged from 'That never happened' to 'Oh yeah and I suppose I’m just the worst mother ever' and finally 'Yeah but I didn’t mean it, you know that.'"
"Messed me up tho tbh. Another one was '[older sibling] was the only child we actually planned for, the rest of you were accidents.' I don’t think it was intended as an insult, but being told your entire existence was an accident as a child kinda stung."
SpiderP*bes
Failures
“'You’re the biggest mistake I ever made.' - my mother when I was 5. I’m 32 now and it’s been the undercurrent for our relationship ever since, constantly wondering if anything I’ve achieved or struggled for is something she’s genuinely proud of or just relieved to say I wasn’t a total failure on her part."
thefaehost
Generational Issues
"Not a parent but a grandparent, I was adopted when I was 12 years old (my parents were both drug addicts so I was in and out of foster care most of my life) my adopted mother's father turned to me on Christmas Eve when no one else was around and said 'My daughter should have never adopted you, she should have let you stay on the streets where you belong'… he got nicer as he got older and sicker but I couldn’t find it in myself to forget what he said even almost 10 years later. Went to the funeral for moral support but was indifferent about his passing."
samweather227
Just Me
Sad Kids GIF by Cian DucrotGiphy"I was an only child and lonely. When I asked for a sibling, the response was 'If you want to know why we don't have more kids, go look in the mirror.'"
Responsible_Fly_3565
Some people should never have children.
Awful.
"What is something you no longer have patience for?"
Off The Clock Means OFF THE CLOCK!
"Working outside of work hours."
"I used to go above and beyond, now I only put in what is required."
"Life is too short to live only to work."- Chesterfieldcat
"The working world."
"My life doesn’t revolve around working here and it never will."
"It will never be a part of my identity."
"I come in, do the job, make money, go home."
"Don’t expect me to come to all the work happy hours so I can pretend how much I love working here."- nuclearsalt
Some Things Just Don't Get A Free Pass
"Sh*tty people getting a pass 'because they're family'."- cgulash
angry homer simpson GIFGiphySay What You Mean, Not What You Feel
"Having to guess what people REALLY mean by something they said."
"I take everything people say at face value now and don't replay conversations in my head to find out the real meaning anymore."
"Be passive-aggressive if you want to but talk to me like an adult if you really have a problem."- WateredDownSalt
EYES ON THE ROAD!
"People who text and drive."
"You're driving a giant piece of metal propelled by explosive liquid."
"Pay attention."- MasterfulNothasie
The Only Life That Should Concern You Is Your Own
"People and groups of people that only talk about other people."- Turf98
"People who can’t mind their fucking business and are always worried about what other people are doing."
"If it doesn’t effect you, f*ck off."
"It’s literally free."- wackwackwackjpg
GIF by WWEGiphySome People Didn't Mind Social Distancing
"People invading my personal space."- Mighty-Foreskin
Influence Can Be Dangerous
"Anything that has “influencer” in it."- chemistcarpenter
Indoor Voices People...
"Streamers screaming, losing their sh*t, breaking things, and having tantrums."
"I used to think this was so funny now I just can't stand it; I can't even watch a streamer if I notice they're not using their normal talking voice." - Reddit
Fail Oh No GIF by G2 EsportsGiphyTaking Responsibility Is A Sign Of Maturity
"People who constantly blame others for the situation they are in."- SuvenPan
Time Is Precious And Shouldn't Be Wasted
"Waiting on people who are constantly late to plans."
"I will wait 15 minutes then excuse myself."- Dabbles-In-Irony
There's Multi-Tasking, And Then There's Just Being Rude...
"People being on their phone while in a conversation with you."
"Seriously."
"Put your phone away!"- rosieblinkstime
Phone GIF by Poehlmann FitnessGiphyIt Takes So Much More Effort To Be Nasty...
"Bad manners, unkindness and general rudeness."
"It costs nothing to be a nice person and from someone who works in a customer-facing industry, attitudes, sadly, appear to be getting worse."
"It really makes me cross."- Bellamiles85
At Least They're Being Transparent
"Medicine commercials with worse side-effects than the thing being cured."- mrbbrj
Wasting our time and thoughts about things that we know can only bring us down is simply no way to get through life.
It's essential to live our lives by taking the present moment for what it is: a present.