
Social Butterflies Share Their Quickest Ways To Stop Awkward Silences
[rebelmouse-image 18360172 is_animated_gif=Some say silence is golden. Any parent of a young child will tell you silence usually means something is terribly wrong and you're about to spend 45 minutes cleaning it or at least $125 fixing it. The terminally she among us will tell you silence is so. incredibly. awkward.
Much awkward. Very cringe. So you guys can imagine our faces when we stumbled across this magical gem of a reddit thread:
What is your go-to question to kill awkward silence?
Yes, social butterflies! Teach us your fluttery ways! Turns out those social butterflies among us are just as weird as the rest of us, they're just more willing to share the weird aloud. Need proof? Check out the responses they came up with!
If You're Ever In Myanmar
[rebelmouse-image 18360175 is_animated_gif=Soooo... think we'll go metric?
(DISCLAIMER: this really only works in the US, Myanmar, and Liberia)
... And To Scorpions, Lobsters Are Mermaids...
[rebelmouse-image 18360176 is_animated_gif=I think it was an old shower though but "Do you ever wonder if crabs think fish are flying?"
It ENDS?!?
[rebelmouse-image 18360163 is_animated_gif="When does Ford Truck Month end"
It's Always Something
[rebelmouse-image 18360177 is_animated_gif=Have you heard about Pluto?
Great, Now We Want BBQ
[rebelmouse-image 18350808 is_animated_gif="Are you familiar with Murphy's Law?"
"Yeah" or "No"
"It states that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Are you familiar with Cole's Law?"
"No...?"
"It's thinly chopped cabbage."
Thankfully Someone Actually Answered This One On Reddit
[rebelmouse-image 18360178 is_animated_gif=Do you think you could taxidermy a jellyfish?
Actually This Is Brilliant
[rebelmouse-image 18360179 is_animated_gif="What's the worst movie (or book) you've seen/read?"
Everybody likes gushing about their favorites, but it's even MORE fun to bash something you really hate! Plus, their reasons for hating it are so diverse, as opposed to why someone loves something, which are more or less the same. Kinda like the first line in Anna Karenina: Happy families are all alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in their own way.
What's Up, Doc?
[rebelmouse-image 18360180 is_animated_gif="Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he dressed up like a girl bunny?"
Awkward, Uh, Finds A Way
[rebelmouse-image 18360182 is_animated_gif=I'm a phlebotomist for a plasma donation center. I always ask how donors' weekends went. One day I asked a young girl and she said, "terrible". Out of habit I accidentally asked why, and she told me that she had caught her boyfriend of 5 years was cheating on her on their anniversary. I didn't know what to say so after what felt like a minute I asked, "so have you seen the new Jurassic Park"? Ever since then that had been my go to.
Edit: she had not seen it.
T.E.D. Talk
[rebelmouse-image 18360183 is_animated_gif=I usually run through popular AskReddit questions. My go-to is "If you had to give a TED talk in 5 minutes what topic would you pick and why?" Usually brings out a topic they are passionate about and easy to keep conversation going
Save The Tacos!
[rebelmouse-image 18360184 is_animated_gif=If you had [random around of money] and had to spend every single penny by tomorrow, what would you buy?
*The best part of this one was that someone responded with the evilest thing we can think of: *
I would buy all the taco shells at Taco Bell and then stand there listening to customers freak out about Taco Bell not having any taco shells
To The Winchester, Obviously
[rebelmouse-image 18360185 is_animated_gif=If zombies attacked right now what's our plan?
Oh, The Drama
[rebelmouse-image 18360186 is_animated_gif=In high school drama class a buddy forgot his line and replied awkwardly with, How about them Jays? Has been go to question ever since
If They're Not Indiana Jones Fans, This Is Just Going To Increase The Awkward
[rebelmouse-image 18360187 is_animated_gif=I start chanting "kali ma shakti de!" While I slowly make a gripping motion with my hand moving closer to their chest where their heart would be.
A Super Conversation Starter
[rebelmouse-image 18360188 is_animated_gif=My go to question has always been "Who's your favorite super hero?" I get all kinds of answers, and people tend to respond fairly well with it. So one day I get a new manager in my building. Guy is pure business. I hadn't had much interaction with him but I had heard he was a real hard ass from the get go. A couple days later I get on an elevator and he's in there. We say a few things back and forth when I do it without realizing. I had gotten comfortable with the conversation and I asked him before I could stop myself. Dude gets the biggest grin on his face before saying "I gotta go with my man, The Dark Knight!"
Whenever someone says their hero I ask how they feel about one of the DC/Marvel counterparts. So I ask how he feels about Iron Man. He tells me that iron man is ok, but he has always been a DC fan. I tell him that's cool and leave it at that. Next day, he finds me in my office and starts showing me pictures on his phone of his batman collection. Comics, movies, action figures, statutes, posters, a couple of lunch boxes, a model car. All kinds of shit. Dude f*cking LOVES batman. Turns into one of the best work friendships I ever had. We talked about comics and whatever new movies were coming out on a near daily basis. Eventually he left, and I haven't heard from him in a couple years, but I know he's out there. Somewhere. Fighting evil. And paperwork. And probably scaring people with how intense he is, because they don't know how his face lights up when he talks about Batman. My girlfriend would probably be jealous of our friendship.
On or In?
[rebelmouse-image 18360189 is_animated_gif=If one were to remove the cushions where people? sit on a couch, proceed to lay on the cushionless couch, and finally put the cushions over themselves; would they be IN the couch? A lot of people say that they are still ON the couch - which is bullsh*t when you look at the low amount of effort it takes to be "in" bed.
Thanks, Chandler
[rebelmouse-image 18360190 is_animated_gif=I think Chandler Bing had the best.
" So... Ebola... That's gotta suck eh?"
Silence Is Normal
[rebelmouse-image 18349790 is_animated_gif=Okay, my job and personal life VERY often put me in "awkward silence" situations. Not to mention I hate small talk and avoid it whenever possible.
Here's my approach.
First, two things:
1. Silence is normal and usually goes unnoticed.
2. Truly connecting with someone requires some vulnerability and curiosity.
For me, silence becomes awkward if there is some pressure or expectation for what the conversation SHOULD be. Maybe it's a first date and I want to connect with the dude or maybe I'm grabbing lunch with my boss and I want to have a good rapport with her.
So when I realize I'm feeling anxious, I take a deep, relaxing breath and exhale all the tension out (yeah, right in front of them!). Taking a deep breath helps calm my nerves. I also remind myself that silence is normal and it's not my job to carry the conversation.
I've noticed that by relaxing my nerves, I can help shift my own energy and hopefully signal to the other person that they should also feel at ease...
Once I relax and feel less pressure, conversation can come more naturally.
I might make a basic observation or ask a basic question ("so how long have you lived here") and listen carefully to the answer. Human beings are fascinating and complex. If you pay attention and care about what someone has to say, you are one step closer to genuinely connecting with them. Less small talk, more real talk. Be curious about who they are and what it's like to live life through their eyes.
Sometimes, the silence might give your companion an opportunity to speak up. Some folks need time to process and open up and, for them, a bit of silence is very welcome. Again, you aren't the only person in the conversation.
I'm an impatient and impulsive person who cares a lot about harmony. So I recognize that my discomfort with silence is my own weird thing. I try to take it as an opportunity to practice patience and listening.
Poop Wars
[rebelmouse-image 18360191 is_animated_gif="After taking a dump, do you wipe standing up or sitting down?"
This has caused large debate among friend groups and most can't believe some do it any way but theirs...
Then Again... Maybe Don't Ask Anything.
[rebelmouse-image 18360192 is_animated_gif=Why would I want to kill something as precious as silence.
H/T: Reddit
Everyone has their travel bucket list.
The list of places they absolutely must visit before they die.
There are those, however, who also have a rather different list of destinations.
The places that have no intention to visit.
Be it for safety concerns, language barriers, or simply that there's nothing at these places that calls to them, there are places some wouldn’t dream of spending the time and money to visit.
Redditor TrooperJohn was curious to hear which places were at the very bottom of the list of travel destinations for his fellow Redditors, leading them to ask:
"What is a popular tourist destination you have no interest in visiting?"
Oasis in the desert? No thank you.
"Dubai."
"Why and whats special about it?"
"Its a modern city in a desert."- Maximum_Calendar_791.
"Dubai."
"A fake city with fake people, no human rights, where the world's tallest buildings hide corruption and slavery in their shadows."
"It's like someone decided to take every problem of mankind and concentrate it in one spot."- PayNoNoticeOfMe.
"Dubai one i think it is ugly two I would die in two minutes of me being there I can't stand anything above 40 c°."- BookWormPerson.
One of the seven wonders is one too many for me.
"The pyramids. "
"Too many horror stories of Egypt."- Aemiom.
Landlocked.
"Not really a destination, but taking a cruise."- Shortbus_Playboy.
Mountains aren't really my thing.
"Everest."
"Just why."
"You use a bunch of money to get in there them come down."
"And trash your whole way there. It's literally a corner in the Earth insufferable for humans and we still made a way to go there to trash it."- ACLullaby.
It's in my own backyard... but still not interested.
"I have lived about 15km away from the Burj Khalifa ever since it was made."
"I could not care any less besides the occasional pointing out the 'shiny tall building' to my nieces.- legolosss.
The pictures are enough for me.
"Mount Rushmore."
"Friends who've made the journey to Mount Rushmore mostly say it was no big deal and not worth the effort or expense to travel there."- Back2Bach.
Hustle and Bustle? No thanks.
"Anything busy.'
"Whether it's cities, structures, I don't care."
"I'd rather go to a boring empty quiet place than a place full of people."- TheSmeep.
They're watching us.
"That creepy a** place in Japan with all the realistic dolls."
"No thank you."
Some dream of paying a visit to these places.
Others hope they never have to set foot there, and will choose to leave it to the other millions of tourists.
To each, their own.
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When it comes to electing a leader, the choice is an easy one if a potential candidate shares the same values as yours.
And while a candidate is fit to lead remains to be seen, we rely on our instinct to choose someone with whom we can relate.
But sometimes, our options are limited and we inevitably go with someone who is the lesser of two evils.
Curious to hear from strangers online about a hypothetical, Redditor Cashmeresquid2309 asked:
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for an openly Atheist presidential candidate? Why or why not?"

Redditors were quick to point out the answer was a no-brainer.
We Already Know The Answer
"Asking Reddit if they'd vote for an atheist..."
"I feel like the answer would be obvious."
– sarahmagoo
Sci-Fi Analogy
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for a Star Wars fan who heckin loves doggos?"
– WitnessChemical
For The Atheists In The Crowd
"Atheists of atheistville, would you vote for an open atheist?"
– nixcamic
Others weighed in with a range of opinions.
About 45
"What's funny is how many of them would probably say no, even though they voted for Trump and would do so again. Say whatever else you want about him, but I seriously can't understand how anyone could genuinely believe Trump is a Christian. He's so obviously faking it and is undoubtedly the most atheistic president we've ever had or are likely to have for a long time."
"This is a guy who's never even so much as read the Bible or attended church, who told a conservative radio host his favorite Bible verse was 'an eye for an eye', who told evangelical interviewers that he's never asked God for forgiveness because he's never done anything wrong, and who routinely commits all 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) without remorse."
– empfindsamkeit
From A Different Perspective
"Not an american but interestingly according to this survey on 1006 people from 2007, being atheist was the worst thing you could be as a candidate (of the things asked) with only 45 % of people saying they'd vote for one."
– ilovecatfish
An atheist candidate isn't necessarily a big strike.
Double Negative
"I wouldn’t not vote for someone just because they were atheist."
– HabitualEnthusiast
Credibility First
"This is it. If they’re running on platforms I support with a history to back up those campaign promises, I don’t care if they belong to the church of the flying spaghetti monster. They could literally be a member of the satanic temple and I, an actual practicing Christian, would give less shi*s than a constipated sloth."
"Edit: yes, I realize the Satanic Temple does not actually worship satan. I used it for that purpose. The Church of Satan has some…problematic views and I probably would not vote for someone who literally holds a platform of eugenics."
– Phoenix_of_Asclepius
Some view the role of religion in politics as important.
It Depends
"Religion can be relevant: I would have strong reservations about voting for a Scientologist, even if I agreed with the policies they proposed. I would have strong reservations voting for a member of an apocalyptic cult or, possibly worse, a follower of the (highly heretical) 'prosperity gospel,' which unfortunately includes more and more so-called 'evangelicals' — I didn't vote for George W. Bush, but it's not because he was an evangelical."
"It depends on the role: I'd probably be more flexible with a legislator than an executive (mayor, governor, president), as their character is IMO more important than for a legislator and their policy stances somewhat less important relative to a legislator."
"Satanic temple — well, that's just an organized group of atheists and humanists with an intentionally inflammatory choice of name. They're generally fine people."
– alyssasaccount
A Bad Rap
"The Satanic Temple is an excellent organization that every decent person should be able to respect. A Church of Satan member, not so much."
"There's a huge difference between them!"
– StarsEatArtBooks
And Redditor boganvegan said it best.
"Better an open atheist than a fake Christian."
It all boils down to trustworthiness. Without full transparency, how could anyone put their faith in a candidate who spews nothing but lies?
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Being home alone isn't always the most tranquil thing.
No one is there to help or protect you.
And things that go "bump" in the night... sometimes they do more than bump.
Redditor ag9910 wanted to hear about the times home felt like an unsafe place to be. They asked:
"What is the scariest, strangest, most unexplainable thing that has happened to you while home alone?"
I'm always freaked out when I'm home alone. Lights on. Yeah, my electric bill is high.
Dorothy?
"I dreamed the front door blew open at the exact time the house alarm went off... I hopped up and sure enough, the front door was open. No intruder."
fatowl
I See You
"Not home alone but only one in right side of the house. Went to my mom's bathroom to wash my hands and saw a pair of feet behind the half open door. Laughed and said 'very funny Ma, I see you.' then finished up and left. Bumped into my mother in the kitchen unpacking, nobody else was in the house. I'm glad whatever was behind the door didn't peek out."
SatanWithFur
“It’s Doug!”
"One night I had forgotten to lock my apartment door and woke up in the middle of the night. My bedroom door was about 2 feet from my front door, as you walked into the apartment. First a big dog ran by, then a person. Holy crap I was so scared and I screeched 'Who is it?!?!!'"
"A man said 'It’s Doug!' As I was thinking to myself, who the f**k is Doug, he said 'oh, crap.' He turned around to go back out the front door saying 'Sorry.' I asked 'Didn’t you have a dog with you?' He said 'Oh, yeah. Hey, c’mon!.' He left, his dog ran out after him and I locked my front door."
"Edit: glad you all thought this was funny, because I did too, once my heart quit trying to beat right out of my chest! The next day the girls at work thought I was crazy for not being upset, but eh, done is done. Peace!"
scarletohairy
Confused...
"My sister and I were home alone and we heard someone big running up the stairs. The stairs make lots of noise with slight pressure so when there’s someone big on them you can tell. I went out of my room to check but saw no one anywhere and my sister also came out of her room and she asked if that was me I said no and we both looked around to see if there was anyone but found no one in the whole house. We were confused and called our parents and just waited until they got back and that was that."
JtSudbury04
I See You
"I very clearly saw a guy walk into my room. But when I went after him there was nobody there. I checked in the closet, under my bed, everywhere one could hide in my room."
HighlyOffensive10
This is why home video surveillance is key.
"NO"
"My parents were on a road trip, just left, and I sat down at my desk. I thought 'Weekend alone by myself' and a voice yelled into my right ear 'NO' so loud it hurt."
Th4ab
Wild
"I managed to lock myself out of my house on my birthday during a tornado while trying to bring my cats to the basement for safety. I later found out that the tornado was approximately a couple miles or less from me at that exact time. The sky was green and it got weirdly calm and then I could hear what sounded like a train coming before I found an unlocked window to climb through. Wild times."
SilverGnarwhal
Saturday morning in the 80s...
"I wasn't home alone but I was awake by myself one Saturday morning in the 80s when I was around 7 or so. I believe my mom was the only one home because my dad went to the lake to go fishing that weekend, and I'm not sure where my older brothers were, maybe they went with him, idk."
"Anyways, my mom's sleeping in, and I'm in the living room by myself, watching Saturday morning cartoons and making a fort out of sheets and cushions. Something made me turn around and I saw my dad in his pajamas standing in the hallway entrance with his hands on his hips, looking the mess I was making and shaking his head."
"He then turned around and walked into my room, which was just off the hallway entrance. Dude. I didn't even look, I just booked it to my parents room and woke my mom up. I don't remember what happened after that, this was around 35 years ago. And yes, my dad was fine, nothing had happened to him."
smriversong
Get the Bat...
"I was at home by myself on a call with some friends when all of a sudden my dog begins to bark like crazy, which was odd since it was the middle of the night and he's usually sleep. I go downstairs to check on him and find him barking at our hall closet, terrified I grabbed my bat that I keep in my room just in case and open the door. There was nothing out of usual at first at then I look down and notice a familiar looking object at the bottom of the closet."
"It was my mom's necklace she had lost when I was 9, (i'm 15 now just to put in perspective how long it's been). I showed it to my mom at breakfast and she was just as shocked as I was. I still have no clue how it got there or how my dog knew it was in there, definitely one of the oddest occurrences of my life."
SomeRandomIdiot14
Meow
"Many years ago, I was 14 or so, my first night alone in the house when my parents were out. Lying on the living room floor reading, my cat sleeping next to me."
"Suddenly, cat wakes up, stares intently into the dark corner of the room behind me, hair on end, growls and then bolts out of the room and upstairs. I look behind me and see nothing, but follow cat upstairs and hide under the covers. Freaked me out."
LairdofWingHaven
Thank God for alarms. I hate being home alone.
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The human body is still such a mystery.
How much do we really know?
Not a lot apparently. We're learning more all the time.
And most of it is gross.
Redditor BathNo7713 wanted to discuss the ick factor of anatomy. So they asked:
"What is the most disturbing fact about the human body?"
The body freaks me out. But it's all I've got. So teach me some things.
Minutes...
"The fastest killing virus takes around 4 days to kill you. That would be Ebola. Your immune system can kill you in 15 minutes."
will477
'locked-in'
"If your brainstem (the part of the brain that mediates most motor control for all of the body) is damaged, you can get 'locked-in' syndrome. That means you're fully conscious and aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak. The only muscles that remain unaffected in most people are the muscles that move they eyes and the eyelids."
"You're essentially trapped within your own body with your only way of communication being blinking or moving your eyes It can be caused by toxins, blockage of the basilar artery which is the main artery of the brainstem, or other brainstem damage."
4oodler
Explosions
"Some people suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome, which causes them to hear a loud bang when they wake up."
ToraMix19
"When I was younger I believe I experienced this a few times. Sounds I heard were: about a million people talking and laughing all at once, a train that irl would've been about a foot away from me based on the volume of the sound, and a door slamming loudly."
aliaisacreature
Pain
"Not sure if this is by design, but I totaled my car once, almost completely uninjured somehow. Then I looked down to my right hand which I remember jabbing into my dashboard at 55mph. Luckily (unluckily?) only my pinky took the blow. But instead of a floppy-udder full of bone-sand, my pinky was 0.5 inches long."
"Broke no bones, but instead perfectly stacked my phalanges, or finger bones, INTO my hand. This is fixed by a muscular Russian murse grabbing your pinky with both hands and pulling very hard. God I wish they gave me more lidocaine."
TelevisionOlympics
Functions
"If you have a surgery where they need to move your organs around they might not function for a day as the body assumes that they are dead."
tonythebutcher13
Move things around? You mean that's not fake when it happens on "Grey's Anatomy?"
"The only reason you are not aware of it is because the ambient noise kind of drowns it out because your ears focus on it. If you go to one of those super-silent rooms that absorb all sorts of sounds, it is a really weird way to reacquaint yourself with your body."
Black_Handkerchief
The Mouth
"Idk about the most disturbing but how bad human teeth are. We’d think it’s our sugary and processed diets these days that cause it, but even Otzi the iceman discovered in Italy was found to have terrible teeth, mouth diseases and cavities. It’s odd that even with the most basic of diets our teeth are so bad."
Dorianisconfused
In the bowels...
"I noticed this after my abdominal surgery. When I turned over in bed my guts seemed to fall from one side to the other. Mentioned to my doc and she confirmed it was my bowels rearranging themselves."
squatter_
"Apparently the doctor just throws your intestines back in there higgeldy-piggeldy because there isn't a correct way to pack them neatly."
LostDesigner9
A Quick Burst
"There are a vast number of ways that your body can malfunction and kill you with little or no warning. An aneurysm can go undetected until it bursts and kills you. Getting hit in the chest just the right way can stop your heart. You can encounter an allergen that never previously provoked an immune response that freaks out your body so badly that you die. You literally just never know if your body will just... die."
Unsolicited_Spiders
The body is such a conundrum. Sexy and gross all at once.
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