We all kind of want to be X-Men, right? To have something really cool and special about us that puts us ahead of the pack?
Well the good news is, most of us do have something really awesome and cool that we can do that pretty much nobody else can. We may not be X-Men, per se, but we might as well be some sort of superhero in our own stories.
u/Mordechi95 asked:
What rare condition, trait, or ability do you have?
Here were some of the answers.
A Limited Diet
My sister-in-law has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). Your mast cells are blood cells that react to foreign bodies and environments by releasing mediators such as histamines to prevent your body from experiencing anaphylaxis. This has only been recognized as a diagnosis for about 10 years. She is allergic to most foods. A year ago she was able to eat 3 things: chicken, blueberries, and green beans - all unseasoned. She can no longer eat green beans. This is genetic. Her dad can eat 30 foods, and her brother 10. She gave birth to my so-far healthy niece in November. Fingers crossed!
This isn't limited to foods. She told me of people who go into anaphylaxis from the heat or from cigarette smoke in the air.
Natural Selection
I have the gene rs8177374(C;T) which reads
"resistance to several diseases"
" less susceptible to infection with malaria, tuberculosis, bacteremia and pneumococcal disease. "
I'll take it.
Harvey Dent's Coin Toss
Identical twin with an autoimmune condition my twin didn't develop. Kinda unfair, if you ask me, and also a little unusual. But these things are like a coin toss, I guess.
My twin and I, being identical, are essentially identical in our genetic make-up, from what I understand (not a scientist). My mom has psoriasis (though she's been in remission for 30 years) and that predisposed both of us to autoimmune disease, which is where your immune system gets confused and attacks your own body instead of an infection. In my case, it attacked the joints at the base of my spine, causing inflammatory arthritis. And the kicker is, my twin didn't get it.Of course, there are other factors that go into this, like environment, stress levels, etc, but holy unfair Batman.
Blind, Yet Now I See
Being colourblind, I can detect some thing's better than normal vision people. For example, camouflage usually stands out. I spot wildlife creatures, animals, birds and insects a lot easier than normies. People are usually impressed I spot these things and they often struggle to see even when pointed out. That said, I don't see red stop signs and traffic lights very quickly. Red usually blends with green foliage. (Aside: speaking of green, I just learned this week after almost 40 years that peanut butter is not green, it's brown. It still looks the same colour as grass).
Fooling The Pup
I can bark like a dog, so realistically that I confuse dogs.
Once, when I was in the passenger seat of my friends car, I stuck my head out of the window and barked at this random poodle taking itself for a walk.
We had to drive off real quick because the dog got mad and started chasing us.
I can also do pigeons, seagulls, cockatoos, cats and annoying children.
Unicorn BB
I have green eyes, which I learned recently is the rarest color of eyes to have, about 2% of the population. This has brought about theories that I was adopted, because both my parents and sister have brown eyes. Green eyes have occurred before on my mothers side of the family. I was also born on February 29th, which I share with roughly 0.065% of the population. I'm guessing the percentage of green eyed leap day babies is some crazy small decimal.
One Buck McGee
When my teeth grew in as a baby I only had one front tooth. Straight down the middle. Like Patrick from Spongebob. They did some blood work to make sure it wasn't anything serious, but everything came back negative. Did x-rays when I went to the dentist for the first time and there was only one adult tooth as well.
Once I lost my baby teeth I got braces and they used a spring to push my tooth to one side and put a fake one in its place. There's no explanation for my missing tooth. it's just an anomaly ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Distort My Reality
I have Irlen Syndrome! It's a perceptual processing disorder which affects my brain signals when responding to certain amounts of light, causing distortions when I read. I wear blue tinted glasses to read and see, to avoid distortions when doing everyday things. It's not necessarily "rare" but not many people know about its existence because schools don't test for it like they do dyslexia.
Actually, most of the people diagnosed with dyslexia have a 50/50 chance of in reality, having Irlen syndrome. That's what Helen Irlen told us when I was diagnosed at age 7, we met her in person and she explained everything. Read up on this topic, it's really interesting to learn about things that aren't talked about as often.
Maybe You ARE An X-Man
GiphyI have a photographic memory when it comes to numbers. I remember my fifth grade teachers birthday and every phone number ever told to me, math problems from high school, my library card number from when I was a child... It can be stressful at times!
Also survived meningococcal meningitis without any complications so that's cool.
Fast Rock Incoming!!!
Apparently I have naturally very fast reflexes. I found out when I started boxing at 15 and the instructor pointed it out and did like his own little test. The only notable thing I can remember happening is I caught a rock that someone threw at my group of friends. That's not the interesting part tho the interesting part was that I barely even looked at it. According to my friends it was going really fast. Idk not that cool but I can impress people at parties with it
I'm Baby
I have no permanent upper canine teeth. I have all the others, just those two are missing.
Found out at age 32 when the right canine came out in an apple at 1am. Freaked out, sat up all night holding this tooth in place in my mouth, hauled ass to an emergency dentist appointment in the morning. They took an X-ray and the dentist came in with this puzzled look on his face and was like "Umm...did you know this is a baby tooth? And you have no permanent one to replace it?"
Now I have a bridge on that side and am twiddling my thumbs waiting for the left baby canine to fall out as well. No dentist in my childhood caught this, or if they did nobody ever thought to mention this to my mother.
How I Be
GiphyI can't get fat. I have the same diet that would probably result in morbid obesity in most people, but I'm 6'3" and weigh 70kgs. I never get more than 75kg, never less than 65kg. I get my cholesterol checked fairly regularly, and it's extremely low (to the level that I've been asked if I'm vegan by doctors looking at the results because my blood is so clean). It just how I be apparently.
Signals Ain't Comin Thru
Dyspraxia. It is a coordination disorder that means I can't always move my body in the way my brain wants it to. It is like clinical clumsiness. I don't have a severe case luckily. Mine is more gross motor movements rather than fine. For example, I can't skip, snap, or catch or hit a ball. I frequently drop things because I can't apply the correct amount of pressure. Also, lots of bumping into things and spilling. It isn't just body movements, most spatial things are challenging for me. Finding my way around a new place, reading a map, and estimating distances are hard. It took me ages to learn to drive, but I was medically cleared to at 19.
I help myself in lots of different ways. Mostly I just ask for help if I'm having trouble doing something. Embarrassing as it is, changing a lightbulb can be hard for me. So is running. So I try to be early and write directions down on a sticky note that I put in my pocket in case I get lost.
Information Superhighway
I'm a highly GT/TAG individual, so I can learn anything at least twice as fast as the normal population. But alas, it has its own difficulties. I have a hard time doing homework, and I have failed a class a couple times because of it, yet I do stellar on tests (for example, I got a 75 in WHAP(I really did not like that class) for the first semester, yet I got a perfect score on the midterm) It's a curse and a blessing at the same time.
Yeah, Good Call Avoiding That
I am one of the 2% of the population on earth that suffers from mirror touch synesthesia, a synesthesia where vision and sense of feeling is blended together.
This is the reason I don't watch horror-movies.
Small Slights That Made People Feel Majorly Betrayed By Their Significant Other
Reddit user _Halboro_ asked: 'What was something fairly small that made you feel betrayed by your SO?'
When you're in a relationship, the things your significant other—or sig-O—does hit different.
Teasing remarks you'd laugh off from friends can feel like a knife in the heart when your romantic partner says it.
Minor slights can easily become major issues in your relationship if you feel vulnerable.
Reddit user _Halboro_ asked:
"What was something fairly small that made you feel betrayed by your [significant other]?"
Unequal Devotion
"When he was doing a work contract overseas I sent him love letters every two weeks to feel connected."
"When he got home and unpacked I found many of them unopened."
~ athenasplanet
"My high school girlfriend lent my hoodie to someone else."
~ Responsible_Roll7065
"Gah! I had a University BF lend My hoodie to a girl (who was a smoker, too. 🤮)."
"There were at least 15 other single guys there that could have stepped up and lent her their sweaters, but mine was up for grabs!"
"And when I got it back it reeked. So, annoyed with him on multiple levels."
~ Au-stellar-12
Unequal Effort
"My sister was in the hospital and he didn't do the dishes while I was gone for 3 days."
~ shirleytrix
"When he got Covid, he was quarantined downstairs. I waited on him hand and foot."
"Three days later, I got Covid but while he was feeling better and still quarantining himself, I had to be sick and care for our son."
"I was stooped over the counter trying to make him dinner and he just went back downstairs. I’ll always remember that."
~ Lychanthropejumprope
"My sister, nephew, and mom went on a vacay for about 9 days including travel days."
"When she and my nephew got home, the sink was full of dirty dishes and so was the island in their kitchen. Their island is HUGE, bigger than what I would consider average for a home."
"There were also trash bags just sitting around the house and it was just absolutely disgusting."
~ Ill-Stomach1871
"It's small, but one year we were both working 15-18 hour days but had Thanksgiving off. I planned the menu, he didn't give input."
"I ordered the ingredients online during my lunch break to pick up after work because I didn't have time to shop."
"I woke up early, made everything. Cleaned the dishes and the kitchen after."
"All he did was complain."
"I made too much. I had too much wine (3 glasses over 7 hours)."
"After all that work and not even a compliment or a thank you?
"Yeah—we divorced. That was our last Thanksgiving together."
~ azorianmilk
Unequal Consideration
"After complaining for months that I never got to sleep in, despite being the only one to get up to the kids in the night, he finally let me sleep in one morning."
"I woke up hearing him quietly saying to the kids 'Mummy’s had long enough; go wake her up'."
"I only had maybe an hour extra. He always had several."
~ a-nony-mouse33
"I'm almost always up first. I tend the pets, get the kids going and make coffee. 20 min routine."
"Every morning I'd bring him a cup of coffee and open the curtains to let some sunlight in and then leave and he would play on his phone and sip coffee for half hour while I tended the kids and got to work."
"Then he complained that just because I was up didn't mean he had to be up."
"Guess who doesn't get hot coffee in bed anymore."
~ MsFlippy
"My ex would skip the songs I liked that came on the radio."
~ violet_hydrangea
"Was on my way back from Turkey with a nice stash of dried fruit from Afghanistan (imported to Turkey)."
"Declared it on my customs form."
"Got detained for agricultural reasons, said they would let me go but had to take the dried fruit."
"I looked and looked but could not find it. Was detained for hours."
"Turns out my girlfriend ate it all while I was asleep on the flight."
~ neuro_exo
Unequal Humor
"We were going through airport security together."
"She went first and when she was being screened, pointed at me and said 'make sure you check my boyfriend, he always has knives' as a joke and then I got detained for a search and questioning and almost missed the flight.
"And no, I didn't have any knives other other contraband on me. Then she got mad at me for almost missing our flight."
"LIKE WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN HERE EMILY‽‽"
~ ThadisJones
"When we were signing our first lease she joked with the landlord about how rowdy I am, to 0 chuckles or even a smile.
"I wanted to bang my head into a wall."
~ NCAA_D1_AssRipper
Unequal Respect
"I had a friend who dumped his girlfriend when he overheard her making fun of his (admittedly, rather nerdy) sister to her friends."
"He said it wasn’t just about loyalty to his sis, it was about not wanting to be with someone who has to put others down to feel better about herself."
"Always thought it was admirable."
~ whitneywestmoreland
"The most extreme case I know of is my dad and the girlfriend he had before my mom came along."
"He and the gf were high school sweethearts and had been together for three years. They were both dying to see Back to the Future 2, a movie that had been highly anticipated for years."
"He had a family emergency the day it came out so they agreed to see it the following Monday. He found out from friends she went to see it with a douchey guy friend my dad never really liked."
"He was so hurt and she was so unapologetic—her attitude was 'I’ll go see it with you too! Why did I have to wait?' even though they’d agreed to see it together. He told her they needed to take a break."
He fully meant for it to be temporary, just until he cooled off, but then he met my mom when he went to see the movie by himself…and he never looked back.
"He does feel a bit guilty though because his ex was pretty devastated when she found out he’d met someone else and wanted to end things for good."
~ levoyageursansbagage
People felt these were minor slights, but many seem pretty major from the outside looking in.
Most ended the relationship being described.
I guess it's proof positive that little things—good or bad—mean a lot.
There's this ongoing, universal joke that no one reads user's manuals for new items, so often items aren't built or used quite the way they were intended.
But some products, whether there's a user's manual involved or not, will be used for activities that they were in no way designed for.
Redditor OfficialDampSquid asked:
"What product is rarely used for its intended purpose?"
Clothespins
"Clothespins have spent years keeping bags of chips closed in my house, not a minute hanging up clothes."
- jpiro
"Great in the shop as mini clamps, specifically when gluing the linings to acoustic guitars."
- Fluffy-Anything-5528
Free Parking Corner
"The corner that says FREE PARKING on the Monopoly board."
- DanielleAntenucci
"I don’t know one single person who plays that game correctly. It’s insane how house rules caught on and became almost universal."
- Dr_broadnoodle
Cotton Swaps
"I’ll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I use a Q-Tip correctly."
- PM_DEGRADING
"95 percent for cleaning electronics. Five percent for cleaning your ears."
- Fried-Pig-Dogs
Bubble Wrap
"Bubble wrap. It was invented as a wallpaper in the 1950s."
- fuzzysarge
"Just mist down your windows with plain water and the bubble wrap just sticks by itself."
"I didn't know this trick when I had to make a bathroom more private. As a stopgap, I just sprayed the windows with fake Christmas snow."
- RedditZamak
For Surgical Purposes
"K-Y Jelly was originally developed as a surgical lubricant."
- JiveChicken00
Fixes Everything
"Duct tape. Works on everything but ducts. (They make a special tape for that, and it’s not called duct tape.)"
- ImpliedSlashS
From War to Screen Doors
"WD-40 was originally created to stop nuclear missiles from rusting."
- ShoopufJockey
Great for Kids Crafts
"I want to say pool noodles. I see a new craft for them weekly and rarely see them actually in a pool."
- gigieileen
Baking Powder Uses
"Not 'rarely used' per se, but the amount of baking powder not used for baking things is quite high."
- DayOk6350
"You can use it to instantly set super glue and create a stronger bond that is as hard as plastic and nowhere near as brittle as a regular superglue bonding."
- Happy-Personality-23
The Question Is In the Name
"Glove compartment in a car. Who actually has gloves in them? I think they are a throwback to when people had driving gloves."
- Urbanredneck2
Yardstick Purpose
"Yardsticks."
- procrastinatorsuprem
"When I was in school, all the teacher ever used it for was to smack the chalkboard to get everybody's attention when the class was acting up."
- Rich_handsome
"We use it to push the button on the smoke alarm, get spider webs on the ceiling, and every once in a while measure how deep a snow storm is."
- procrastinatorsuprem
Treadmill... Closets
"Treadmills at home."
"Or any exercising equipment at home... ends up being a clothes holder."
- shubidoobie
Mouths Instead
"Listerine was originally sold as a floor cleaner."
- mtgkajhit
"Listerine was one of those products which was marketed to do literally anything to do with clearing."
"It was also used as a medical antiseptic during surgery."
- Woffingshire
Great for Crafts
"Pipe cleaners."
"Does that count if they’re called “chenille stems”, brightly colored, and for sale alongside kids’ craft supplies?"
"Because if that does count, so should Play-Doh. It was originally invented to clean wallpaper, but once kids started playing with it (it had been nontoxic from the beginning IIRC) they changed the marketing and sold it in lots of colors."
- DBSeamZ
Cell Phones
"Mobile phones, used for anything, except for making phone calls."
- FatCat_85
"Mobile phones are used for their intended purposes, but that purpose has just changed over time."
These products are all a great example of how products can have multiple purposes, which technically means we can have fewer items in our homes, which means fewer things to clean!
And if cleaning the floor is a concern, apparently we can use the Listerine... while brushing our teeth. Who knew?
The food industry is highly competitive with restaurants duking it out to stay relevant.
They do this by presenting diners a spin or a gimmick on classic entrees.
While some eateries succeed by a wide margin, many fail by coming up with bizarre dishes that may seem inventive but fall flat on the palate.
This just goes to show that you shouldn't mess with what already works. But playing it safe is just bad for business, though. Right?
Well, customers chimed in when RedditorFremblem_Feldsher asked:
"What is the most overrated dish in the world?"
Some people thought gourmet burgers were all hype and in bad taste.
Bigger Isn't Better
"'Gourmet' burgers. You pay top dollar and get a burger that's difficult to eat (stacked to high and falls apart) and where there's so much attention to toppings you can hardly taste the beef and cheese."
"Anything made with truffle oil gets an honorable mention."
– Treantmonk
Too Many Toppings
"$18, tall, stacked, giant burgers slathered in fifteen different condiments and toppings. They're hard to eat and usually not as good as a simple burger."
– hiro111
"Burgers should be wider not taller. I don't want to take a single bite only to lose half the toppings from the other side."
– ProphetOfPhil
Not Lovin' It
"Knife and fork burgers are bullsh*t. I hate the feeling of having to rush through eating my burger because my hands and gave are slathered in sauce."
"If it's stacked and/or messy af, it's not a good burger, even if it tastes good. It's some kind of knife and fork entree but definitely not a burger."
– FictionalContext
Sometimes people want something sweet without going over the top.
Identity Crisis
"It’s not a dish, but those milkshakes that you see that have chocolate all over the glass and a giant piece of cake on top. Ruins the milkshake with the crumbs mixing into it, and honestly could of put the cake on a plate and let us eat it normally".
– Meckles94
Dough-Not Want It
"Donuts from places known for 'cRaZy' donuts. The most 'extreme' donuts I’ve ever had were the most mediocre. They tasted like somebody put stale cereal on top of grocery store donuts."
– cppadam
Behind The Scenes
"I work with a guy whose wife runs her own bakery. He told me that most of the places selling donuts these days don't actually make their own donuts. They buy pre-made dough that is uncooked. Then the places doctor them up. Hence, the stale cereal on grocery store donuts taste. It's because that's exactly what they are."
"Apparently, making multiple types of all homemade donuts is a lot of work. I go to a Mennonite bakery at a farmers market who make all of their own stuff, dough and all. They are legit working from before they open until after they close."
– qotsa_gibs
A Big Twist...And Not The Glazed Kind
"There's a place in Niagara Falls called Country Fresh Donuts and they've got some of the best donuts I've ever had. Their long johns are the stars of the show, but their other donuts are also super good."
"Big twist? They excel at wonton soup. Anyone who goes there goes for the soup first, donuts later. It helps that they're open 24 hours a day (or, they were at one point). 3am wonton soup and a donut is mana from heaven."
– SimonCallahan
Mini Cakes
"Cupcakes during their 2009-2014 reign of terror."
– JonathanWattsAuthor
"With the icing piled so high it would go up your nose"
– Live_Reindeer7833
Not everyone fancies a fancy meal.
History Of Lobster
"Lobsters used to be peasant food - they literally fed it to prisoners. It's weird how things change, but like most things it just comes down to supply and demand."
"Lobster is quite hard to farm so, although it's not a hard-to-come-by food unless you're very far from the sea, there is still a bit more effort required in producing them. Couple that with their image as a 'luxury' seafood, which increases demand, and you get high prices."
– fantalemon
Not Worth The Hype
"Any steak from Salt Bae’s restaurants."
– WishboneCrazy9289
"Controversial but I think steak in general is overrated. I love steak and have some really good servings in nice places but I still think it isn’t as good as people go on about."
– itsyaboigreg
How Posh
"Expensive food with gold shavings. What's that about? Do you eat it to feel rich and powerful or something? I'm sure gold doesn't taste very good and is not normally supposed to be eaten."
– thegreatc*msl*t
"You can buy the gold foil on its own and it's cheaper than you'd expect (still expensive)"
"After trying on on its own, I can say gold is one of the lower ranking metals that I've tasted. Silver, stainless steel, and titanium all taste better. I'd put gold in the same tier as copper, above aluminum."
"Edit: to explain how I know this, someone asked me for advice on different types of silverware and I had to try it out myself before recommending anything. The copper is an exception as that was a dare."
– Notbbupdate
I see the appeal for Instagramming food, but if the beautiful food items photographed in portrait mode are making me salivate, they better deliver on my taste buds.
I actually patronized a diner that advertised an amazing pancake dish that had caramel sauce with crushed pecan and whipped cream. The idea looked better on paper.
When I order the breakfast delight in question, it looked nothing like how it was pictured. It was flat, messy, and undesirable.
And of course it tasted horrible. I was a sucker for that damn Instagram post.
Sometimes food is all hype. That's the worst kind, especially if you're a sucker like me and you fall for it.
As children, when we saw grown-ups behave in certain ways, we more than likely promised ourselves we would never be like them.
That we would never lose our temper at minor things, groan over the slightest ache in our bodies, or choose work over fun.
However, when adulthood creeps up on us, certain things about the person you become you have little to no control over.
As a result, you might find yourself screaming at children for being too noisy or going to bed at 9:15 instead of seeing a midnight screening of your favorite movie and realizing that you have become the very thing you've been trying to avoid your entire life.
Redditor UglyLikeCaillou was curious to hear what type of person the Reddit community ended up becoming, despite vowing they wouldn't, leading them to ask:
"What type of person did you swear to never turn into growing up, but did anyway?"
Letting It Out Can Ease The Pain...
"The one that makes noises when I get up off the floor."- tutohooto
The Wise Know The Vital Importance Of Being Silly
"I swore I’d never stop being goofy."
"That I’d always try to find the positive and wouldn’t give up hope."
"But then life happened."
"It’s hard staying an emotionally sensitive and caring person when so many people are just plain mean."- Lucky_Garbage5537
It's Possible, Even In A Room Full Of People...
"I never thought I would grow up to be so lonely, but here I am."- oldbaldgrumpy
Sad Season 2 GIF by FriendsGiphyTemper Temper...
"An angry person."
"Life and people are just too much all the time."-Jumpy-Air-3385
Some Call It Frugal, Others Call It Cheap....
"The kind that put something back cause the store brand was 20 cents cheaper."- penndelnj
A Far Too Common Occurrence
"I never thought I'd live paycheck to paycheck by my age."
"I thought I'd be on my way to being financially independent by now, in fact."
"It's always been my goal, I was willing to work so hard from such a young age and never scared to make sacrifices but unfortunately my people-reader is skewed and all I ever really got was taken advantage of."
"It's not too late, I'm smarter now and I'll get there."- FriendCountZero
2 Chainz Pockets GIF by MOST EXPENSIVESTGiphyWorking Hard For The Money...
"A corporate slave."- lapdanze
"My dad was an engineer and I vowed to never be like him in any way."
"Growing up, I always said over my dead body would i become a corporate slave chained to a desk."
"Guess who is a desk jockey engineer now."- Lame_usernames_left
Watch Your Mouth!
"If my child self met my adult self, he’d tell me that I shouldn’t say so many bad words."- BarthRevan
The Apple Doesn't Fall Very Far From The Tree...
"My dad."- PolarBearChuck
"The most relatable one, nobody wants to become their parents, it’s horrible (unless you have good parents)."- Fine-Macaroon-3202
season 2 episode 6 GIFGiphyThe Comfort Of Your Own Home...
"A homebody."
"In my early 20’s I would never miss an opportunity to go out on Thurs, Friday, or Sat night and couldn’t understand why my parents would ‘waste’ a perfectly good weekend night, just to stay home."
"Now I get it. MAN, do I get it."
Derogatory Term, Or Term Of Endearment?
"I remember learning what a nerd was and thinking 'thank God I'm not a nerd' as I went home from school to play Pokemon Emerald and talk on Pokemon message boards about the upcoming Diamond and Pearl games."- hectoByte
Early To Bed, Early To Rise
"The dad that gets up at 4:30 am to exercise, and is ready for bed by 9 pm."- GreyPilgrim1973
Work Out Pain GIF by I Want You Back MovieGiphyBeauty Comes In All Sizes...
"Overweight."
"Not super big, but not skinny anymore."- hoosierhiver
One Can Indeed Be The Loneliest Number...
"Crotchety, single old lady."
"I'm only sometimes crotchety, but I'm almost fifty and still single!"- GimmeUrNachos
Love What You Do! If You Can...
"An office drone."
"Redditing as we speak to avoid looking at yet another ghastly eyesore of a spreadsheet.'
"Why have we done this to ourselves as a civilization?"- onemanmelee
Still Waiting Office Tv GIF by The OfficeGiphyGrowing up can be scary, hence why we always promise ourselves we won't turn out a certain way.
Even so, some things about the type of person we grow up to be are completely out of our control.
And rather than bemoan our current situation, it's always best to embrace it and enjoy the precious time we have on Earth with our family and friends.
And maybe cut our parents a little slack for the behavior we judged them so harshly on as children...