It seems kids are being encouraged and pressured to choose a career at an earlier age every year, and often the information they have to base their decisions off of isn't the most accurate or transparent.
Unfortunately, a lot of people pursue the dreams they had as a child, like to be an artist or astronaut, only to discover all the hard work they'd put in was for a job that fell desperately short of their expectations.
Redditor American-pickle asked:
"Did you ever obtain your 'dream job,' only to realize it wasn’t actually what you wanted? Why did it not live up to expectations?"
Working from the Air
"I always wanted to be a flight attendant. Then I actually was one. No thanks, ever again, but for a few years it was fun, and then it just became a series of indistinguishable hotel rooms, and it wasn't worth putting up with the passengers anymore."
- oy-withthepoodles
Too Far From Home
"I always wanted to be a part of the music industry but didn't want to be a performer. I went to college for audio engineering and was a live sound engineer/stage tech/guitar tech for about seven years."
"I did love the job and I'm glad I did it, but it was pretty clear after I started touring that it wasn't feasible for me as a lifestyle."
"In order to do the job consistently, you have to basically be homeless and miss everything that happens at home. It wasn't like I was miserable and being held hostage, but after missing enough birthdays and holidays with family and instead spending them with other random stage techs that you aren't super close to, it gets hard to rationalize."
"The days are long, but the pay doesn't reflect that. If it was a show day, I'd usually work for 16 hours straight. I was working with pretty big-name acts, but my day rate was still about $175 a day, and if I asked for a raise, they'd call someone else."
"Everything I did was also as an independent contractor, so my taxes were f**ked to begin with. That was actually what forced me out of doing it full-time, the change to the tax code in 2017 pretty much ruined my career. I went from paying $600 per year to paying $4,000 in one year."
"When I quit, I still kept doing it on the side for a few years with some of the local audio companies I worked with coming up, but it paid way less than touring, which already didn't pay a lot. After about two years and the beginning of the pandemic, I walked away entirely to focus on my career as an electrician, which is a much better fit."
"I miss the experiences, but I don't miss the lifestyle. Again, I'm glad I did it, but I'm glad I don't do it."
- DeltaBearlines
A Little Too Quiet
"I worked a lot of physically demanding jobs during my twenties and had these recurring fantasies about working in a store, sitting all day waiting for people to buy something, and having all that free time."
"Well, a couple of months ago, I found that job. Great pay, some benefits, great bosses."
"But every day it's slower than the last, and weirdly enough, I come back home tired from doing almost nothing all day long, the f**k is with that?"
"Now sometimes I fantasize about going back to my old job, where I would end up covered up in sweat and dirt but at least there was a feeling of accomplishment."
"So dumb, I hate it."
"Edit to Add: Yes, I tried to use that free time on something educational. First, it was programming, and then knots, not sure why, and then I got bored and started Portuguese to 'learn how to learn,' so I could move to more serious subjects and stop abandoning interests."
"I'm planning to study English formally instead of picking it up through memes, but I never get that right motivation or discipline or mental state to actually do it, to do anything at all."
"I just... play mobile Mobas for hours."
. MaeSolug
Camping for Work
"My first job out of college was as a forestry field tech. Turns out camping is way less fun when you worked 10 hours, don't have cell service, are on a random flat spot you found, and there's no one to talk to."
"Now make that eight days in a row, your only water is in jugs in the work truck, and you're covered in grime and wearing the same clothes for the entire time."
"Now I get to stay in a cabin during the field season. Having running water, a bed, and four friendly people on the crew is a godsend. I am so much happier just having company and running water, 'adventure' be d**ned."
- Mirrorflute88
That Living at the Zoo Dream
"All throughout childhood and college, I wanted to be a zookeeper."
"When I was finally offered the internship though, it took me less than a week to realize I couldn't stomach it."
"It's a lot less 'playing with and training cute animals' and a lot more 'cleaning up the vilest messes and being bombarded with the absolute worst smells on planet earth' than I imagined."
- duneden9
"A pony kicked me and gave me a concussion and I got fired for it, lol (laughing out loud)."
"It makes me laugh now. But I was a Junior Zookeeper and they just would tell me to do random things with no training or supervision."
"I had never even seen a horse in real life. I was cleaning its stall and from behind pushed it softly and told it to move outside."
"So in response, it broke two of my ribs and launched me into the gate and I got a concussion, and then it came over and bit me while I was puking."
- MaloPescado
Boring License
"I never really enjoyed driving but always wanted to learn to fly. So I dropped 10k on a pilot's license and found out flying was just driving with up and down added."
"Weird was how quickly a childhood dream turned to 'meh.'"
- thecoolerllcoolJ
It's Not All About Helping Animals
"I dreamt about working in Veterinary Medicine my whole life. When I finally did, I ended up traumatized."
" It wasn't the blood, the abuse, or even the euthanasia. It was how we just didn't talk about it."
"Bad day? Don't talk about it. Got hurt? Don't talk about it. Rude pet parent? Don't talk about it. Burnt out? Don't talk about it."
"I felt so alone in situations where having support was essential."
- lilybear032
Playing with Trains
"When I was younger, I desperately wanted to work on the railway as the money was great, and I really loved railways and everything in that world. I eventually managed to get a job as a welder with a local firm."
"It was f**king w**k. Permanent nights, working every weekend in all weather, with equipment that weighed an absolute tonne that had to be loaded up dark embankments. I was working with thermite and explosive gases, usually after pushing all the gear about three or four miles down the track."
"One Christmas, I worked a shift on a site where a guy was killed the previous weekend after getting his arm chopped off by an excavator. They had a collection box in the site cabin with a picture of him and his young kid on it. F**king heartbreaking. And to top it off, everyone I worked with was a complete and utter [c-word]."
"F**king s**t job."
- CommentOne8867
Working in the Science Lab
"Working as a chemist in an academic research lab."
"Academia is full of narcissistic nutjobs that pretend like their research is the holy grail of their field when it's actually practically inconsequential. The stakes are so low that the results don't matter and everyone is just scavenging for what little funding they can pull together for something nobody really wants or needs."
"The amount of pettiness, sabotage, and frankly fraud is rather pathetic. But they face little to no repercussions because, again, nobody cares."
"Which is why I now do research in a corporate lab."
- AbortionSurvivor777
The Renowned Music Teacher
"I am a teacher and when I first graduated college, I couldn't decide what age range I wanted to teach. My first job was ages four to twelve in orchestra."
"At first, this was amazing, because I could guide the same students from beginners to graduating, but I quickly learned that the 4-12 position was supposed to be a three-person job and not a one-person job."
"I, unfortunately, had to quit because I was so overwhelmed and my school wouldn't hire anybody else. I lasted six years and I don't regret it, but I also don't miss it..."
- karaoke_knight
The Glamourous Life
"To answer the original question, sort of. I got close to it. Close enough to see what that life would actually be like. And it sucked."
"It turns out, I don’t like working with celebrities. They’re kind of annoying clients. It’s not fun and glamorous. It’s unnecessarily stressful."
"And I don’t want to be a famous stylist or famous anything. It makes people weird. Mark Ruffalo is only normal because he hasn’t figured out he’s famous yet."
"I still enjoy doing hair. And I still like people, for the most part. So I went with a more low-key path. I’m very happy with my choices. Sometimes on the way to your dream job, you have to make adjustments."
- friendlynbhdwitch
Hopefully an Isolated Incident
"I got my dream job as a designer of skiing magazines, but then my workload doubled with no raise, the raises I was promised never came, all of the people I liked working with left, and things just got gradually worse."
"I left three months ago, and they still haven't been able to fill the position because they're offering a wage that was low nine years ago for half of the work."
- partial_birth
Teaching Isn't What You See in the Movies
"Teaching at a college."
"I love my field and I love research. It's easy to ramble for hours on end about a topic. The passion and curiosity I held for my discipline, I thought, would make me a good instructor. What I did not expect was how much hatred, contempt, jealousy, and sabotage would come from the administration."
"'Oh, you're enjoying teaching an entry-level class with 30 students? We'll raise the cap so it has 75 enrolled. Have fun grading until you cry each week!'"
"'Oh, you want to be an expert educator in one area? Then you get to be the (unpaid) consultant on *all* department exams on that topic. Enjoy re-writing 7 midterms for your colleagues with one week's notice!'"
"'Oh, you haven't had a raise in six years? The football coach *needs* to be the highest-paid person in the state. If you ask for a cost of living increase again, we'll set the students against you by claiming inflation-adjusted raises for instructors would result in doubling tuition costs for students!'"
"And so many of the students see the courses as box checking and are burnt out from previous bad educational experiences. I don't blame them, but no matter how hard I tried to be kind and share my excitement for the subject it felt like throwing a dandelion into the grand canyon of despair."
- Clever_Mercury
The Truth Behind Graphic Design
"I always wanted to be a graphic artist. I wanted to pass by billboards that I designed, print ads I made, a portfolio with all my paid work, and case studies. I even centered my major around it."
"When I got to the professional world of it, I found out it wasn’t as fun as it was when it was just a hobby, not even close to how I thought it was going to be. The sleepless nights, the deadlines, moving goalposts brought by irrational revisions and indecisive stakeholders; it’s draining."
"I shifted careers and started a job as a backend software developer. I find it more enjoyable. If the code quality passes and it works as expected, then I’m off the hook. No 'Can you try a different font? I just wanna see it,' or 'What happens if you switch this and that? How is it gonna look?' types of stuff."
"Fast forward, and I’m in an architect and designer role now. Best decision I’ve made for my long-term well-being. I still do graphic design, but it’s for my passion projects now."
- abmendi
Plot Twist!
"I worked for a small non-profit doing work that I was super passionate about. I thought it was going to be a dream job. In reality, I was super overworked and underpaid. And being such a small organization there was lots of interpersonal drama that I was just not into."
"I now work a more 'corporate' job, but it’s still work I’m passionate about and makes a difference. I’m getting paid over double what I made previously, my workload is manageable, and I am way less stressed. I also really like my coworkers and boss, AND I work from home full-time."
"The job I was unsure about wound up being the dream job."
- littlepinch7
Like anything else, careers are often portrayed in our social circles as something that's wildly different from actually living the life of that profession. How teachers, doctors, and zookeepers describe their days at the front of a classroom full of starry-eyed children is hardly the same as when those children later walk into those jobs as an intern or new-hire.
Fortunately for some of these Redditors, they were able to find adjacent work that better suited their needs, without leaving behind the full dream they'd been chasing.
When relationships go south, couples tend to overlook the fact that when they first got together, they were the best versions of themselves.
Over time, true colors are revealed and the poor character traits that reveal the incompatibility of a significant other make an individual question how they ever got together in the first place.
The same type of disappointment can be said outside of personal relationships we have with others.
Curious to hear examples of when people started feeling let down, Redditor zztop610 asked:
"What have you slowly lost all respect for?"
Objectionable conduct and behaviors of various organizations and groups have let people down.
No Loyalty
"Company loyalty. I had only been at my first post- college job a year when they had layoffs. But they didn't get rid of the new person, they fired my coworker who had just celebrated her 15 year work anniversary. They didn't even do it in a dignified way and the way she sobbed while packing up her things is burned into my memory."
"Now I don't think twice when a better opportunity pops up. I doubled my income when I left that place and went to the next. There's no reason to stick around a job any longer than it serves you because your job won't think twice about getting rid of you to save a few bucks."
– SloppyNachoBros
Abuse Of Power
"military forces in my country.... they are criminals in uniform."
– pedrojdm2021
"lemme guess: you live someplace in south/latin America?"
– The_ghost_of_shell
Corporate Magic And Greed
"Disney."
"The company itself, not their creators or their output."
– TheChainLink2
Unforgivable Design
"I have what I recognize to be the smallest complaint about Netflix. When I open the app on my Fire TV, the first thing I see is the Netflix logo animation and their signature 'TA-DUM'. Then it opens to the profile selection screen. And once I select a profile, what do I get next? The exact same logo animation and sound. Even after seeing it so many times, I still wonder briefly if the app just crashed and restarted. But no, eventually the home screen comes up and everything is fine. Why would you program the app to play the same transition screen twice in two different transitions? I don't know the first thing about UI theory, but I know this particular behavior is jarring enough for me to notice and be annoyed by it, which tells me it's a bad design."
– Enginerdad
Political Disaster
"American 2 Party system and the Media. It's a f'king sh*tshow."
– confusedndfrustrated
have we lost all faith in humanity?
Grown-Ups
"Adults. Now that I'm an adult I realize we're a bunch of f'kwits."
– ScottNoWhat
Curmudgeonly Customers
"Elderly people who are extreme bullies to retail workers. I understand being in pain doesn’t put one in the best mood, but to personally verbally abuse someone you don’t know because things are slightly inconvenient?"
– Cdk4_6i
Treatment Of Kids On The Spectrum
"Human beings. I work in foster care. I'm a behavior specialist for IDD children and adults with severe trauma and behavior disorders. You cannot imagine the things people do to children. Autistic children. And then expect you to treat them with respect and dignity when you talk to them, and think they deserve their children back or to have more."
"Somewhere after investigating your third child death in foster care due to abuse you start empathize with serial killers."
– Zonerdrone
Corruption
"People in power. It seems they all have shady sh*t going on."
– Clcooper423
Overrated Work Ethic
”Grind culture”
"I’m so over the concept of working myself to death but i still kind of do. Also yes, i’m in no way special in this regard and basic survival is a thing too."
– Teluvian0
Wiser Or Wicked?
"Adults. Now that I'm an adult I realize we're a bunch of f'kwits"
– ScottNoWhat
Displaced Siblings
"My family did foster care. We took in sibling groups. It was mind blowing to know what happened to these kids to get into the system. Very heartbreaking stuff. Thankfully a majority of the kids we took care of were able to go back to their families and be in better living conditions."
"We got super close to one sibling group. I have one living with me now at the age of 22. I just consider her a little sister now."
– alltheusernamesrtkn
Disrespectful Visitors
"Tourists."
"We welcome you with open arms into our town/region and all you do is bring sh**ty temper tantrums and litter f'king everywhere. I've even caught some pissing in the gutters out front of local shops."
"We're sick of you and because of you. Take your money and piss off."
– VagrancyHD
Some Redditors thought that in the gaming industry, no one really wins.
Gateway To Gambling Addiction
"Ea sports / fifa games."
"They just exploit children now and have found a loop hole which means children are getting hooked on gambling. They make as much money through FUT than selling the actual game and it’s immoral and wrong. Especially when you see the game has coding built into it to make them buy more and more packs and the game will make them miss shots etc as they know if they lost that match they’re more likely to buy more packs etc."
– FireLadcouk
High-Profile Video Gaming
"AAA gaming industry."
– Amethoran
"Yup. I never thought I’d give up AAA titles but these companies seem to WANT less customers each year lol."
– PleaseKillDanny
Wizards Of Warcraft
"Blizzard entertainment. I remember playing the original Warcraft II and III, as well as Diablo I and II. Then when WOW came out was amazing. Over the years though they have fallen from grace to become one of the worst gaming companies there is."
– pr0lifik
On a deeper level, I started losing faith in humanity.
The country has become increasingly divided–evidenced by my Facebook "friends" spreading misinformation that are direct swipes targeting my personal well-being and lifestyle.
The early part of the pandemic didn't help matters, but where are we headed as people? I'd like more examples of compassion and kindness please.
I can only rely on dog and cat TikTok videos to temporarily lift my spirits for so long.
You know what would be great?
If society could just stop with arbitrary dress codes. If you're not working with the public, why should you have to dress up so much? If you're a police officer, then it makes sense that you'd wear a uniform that identifies you as a police officer. If you're Ted from IT who sits in the backroom all day, I really don't see why you have to come in every day in a suit and tie.
Let's just toss them out, shall we?
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor Levels2ThisBrush asked the online community,
"What should be socially acceptable but isn't?"
"Leaving the office..."
"Leaving the office whenever you've finished your tasks for the day."
misringuette
This is why I'm so glad remote work is the new office.
"And yet, I get it!"
"Taking off sick from work, WITHOUT giving an invasive reason. I supervise a small team and so I see all the OOO emails, and for gods sake I want people to PLEASE not feel the need to explain in detail what kind of diarrhea is afflicting them, or how bad their period cramps are, or how much bad sushi they ate the night before. Just say “I’m under the weather, I won’t be online today.”"
"And yet, I get it! I do it too! I feel guilty or like I’ll be looked at with suspicion if my reason for taking off isn’t sufficiently debilitating enough!"
"But… we need to stop this. As a manager I don’t care, I don’t THINK the people above me who are also on these emails care… let’s just all agree to take sick days without any details from now on!"
imnotwallaceshawn
I do not miss my retail days where I had to organise someone to cover me and beg on bended knee.
"Cashiers or workers who don’t need to be standing all day not having a stool or chair."
Lavatories
Another thing I do not miss from my retail days. Having to stand for hours and hours only to come home with my feet killing me was not fun.
"Prices on apartments..."
"Prices on apartments and their respectable reasons for such price directly on their websites or advertising without the need for a tour or any secrecy."
Spiceinvader3124
I always assume if I have to ask the price I probably can’t afford it.
"Being quiet..."
"Being quiet/not wanting to engage in conversation all the time."
[deleted]
In Finland, if somebody tries to talk to you, they are probably a tourist.
"Choosing not to..."
"Choosing not to have toxic family members in your life."
[deleted]
It feels very liberating once you accept that you don't have to put up with it.
"Employees..."
"Employees calling customers out in public for being a**holes."
gameboy1001
Absolutely. Many customers get away with treating employees horribly because they know they can do it without any pushback... most of the time.
"The fact that I sometimes..."
"The fact that I sometimes need to take my insulin in public. No, Karen, I am not doing drugs, I need to live."
blubberwinx
You’re getting that sweet sweet insulin high… the high of being not-dead.
"Afternoon naps."
"Afternoon naps. I’m on team nap. Give me 25 minutes to charge up and I’ll give you back 3 hours of high quality work. Everyone wins. Plus I go home with extra energy instead of dead tired."
Governmentwatchlist
Short naps don't work for me. I can't do a 25 min recharge. When I take a nap it needs to be like a solid 2 hours
"Speak up!"
"Salary transparency. For some reason, in the US, there’s a taboo or stigma around discussing one’s salary. This should be done openly and freely, with zero embarrassment or judgment. The only winners from avoiding these conversations are the corporations that are able to pay people differently for the same roles. Speak up!"
Jumping_Bear
The "for some reason" you're referring to is simply propaganda on behalf of corporations.
It's evident that something's got to change around here, and we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!
Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which basically means when it comes to someone's looks, everyone has their specific tastes and opinions.
And while everyone is entitled to the certain aesthetics that turn them on, there are some beauty standards that some people generally can't get on board with.
Curious to explore what those might entail, One Redditor asked:
"What don't you find attractive that society says you should?"
If it makes them confident about their appearances, people should have the right to enhance their look in any fashion.
But some observers prefer the look of natural, physical blessings you're born with.
Luscious Lips
"Based on what I've seen in Miami... lip injections...apparently."
"Looks horrendous... and yes, we can tell."
– ImBecomingMyFather
A Specific Sensation
"I don’t like the look or feel of injected lips…I just recently kissed a girl with them and it felt like I was kissing jello 😑"
– TallestSiren
Being Full Of It
"Lip and cheek fillers. Please stop making us think we need these things, especially really young people who's thin lips suit their face perfectly."
– AngelicWooGirl
Fabulous Gnashers
"Super white, super fake veneers teeth."
– machoseatingnachos
Pulling Up The Rear
"And those huge a** butt fillers where it looks like you have 100 pounds of potatoes tied to your waist."
– PolyGlamourousParsec
Dramatically Defined
"Jaw lines so sharp that they make their heads look like a yassified Minecraft Steve."
– YeahSheIsALesbian
These examples don't involve procedures. But they do elicit "tsk tsk" responses.
"Brand culture. People spend way too much in the name of brands."
– Naik0n_
Voluntary Marketing
"Fashion items with the designer logo THIS BIG all over it. Cringe."
– wiredandtired1980
Body Baking
"Artificial tanning."
– little_thing28
Find Your Boundary
"As someone who works at a tanning salon, yes. It’s very easy for people to over do it. That’s why I normally don’t recommend anything with a high intensity bronzer. We wanna make you look sun kissed, not sun f'ked."
– Catbuds123
Let's take a look at behaviors that are considered turn-offs.
Wild Fandom
"The obsession of famous people. Sure I enjoy art and athleticism in most forms but to be obsessed over someone who isn't even physically in your life is wild to me."
– 99bonanas
Pompous Punks
"A cocky attitude, I'd rather a genuine person who's awkward any day. At least you know they're trying to communicate rather than show off."
– TheTastySpoonicorn
Practically Begging For "Likes"
"The whole instagram thing in general. I do care about looks with a partner, but I care about every day looks, not making hair and makeup a personality replacement."
– gsfgf
Going For That Artificial Look
"Phone camera apps use so much processing AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT there's instagram filters and stuff like that. It makes everyone look weird and unnatural."
"I remember having to dig deep into the settings on my samsung phone to disable that crap because the selfies looked weird."
– Kyanche
Ditching The Natural look
"Filters on pics. They are getting so bad that they don't even look like they have real skin, more like mannequin skin. I'm a single guy in my 40's and looking for women in the same age range. I get turned off when I see a filtered pic of them. Like, you're older, don't hide it just to disappoint us later, have the confidence to show your true, non digitally altered self!"
– thefox47545
Desperate To Please
"I think it's more about genuine versus tryhard. A try hard cocky person is insufferable, but a tryhard cringe nerd also just makes you wish he'd stop talking."
– izactuallydolan
Bye, Felicia
"Fame. F'k that noise."
– SirPiffingsthwaite
The thing is, no one should be able to dictate to people what is or isn't "attractive."
If it makes you feel sexy, get those body enhancements and wear those designer logos proudly.
Those aesthetics may not appeal to everyone, but you doing you will get you noticed by someone who appreciates your confidence.
Have you ever walked into your fashion clothing store and found that the favorite shirt you had your eye on was finally on sale only to discover at the checkout counter that the wrong price tag was on it?
Yeah, not fun.
But you knew in your gut the slashed pricing was too good to be true.
Variations of this example are all too common, and to hear of more examples, Redditor No-Boysenberry-9396 asked strangers online:
"What is something you thought was 'too good to be true' until you realized what it really was?"
Few people get paid doing what they truly love.
But even these Redditors begged to differ.
Tedious Dream Jobs
"Dream jobs are still tedious af. Loved learning to code, then spent every day making forms for websites. I love furniture making, days of sanding and finishing after you’ve done the fun part. I’m an architect, construction details, HOA requirements, liability, half the job is to have a drawing to point to if a contractor f'ks up so you don’t get sued."
– ThinkIGotHacked
More Dogs, Please
"Professional illustrator, every client wants cars and buildings in the drawings. Not nearly enough dogs in these scripts!"
– Sisinator
These Redditors were optimistic after being presented with amazing prospects.
Free Wardrobe Scam
"As a teen I was visiting London and I took some time to wander around Kensington while my parents were doing some shopping nearby. All of a sudden, this big car pulls up beside me and opens its rear door."
"A guy comes out and compliments me on my fashion sense. A t-shirt from a church-league baseball team, baggy jeans and an akubra. I was a bit confused because even I knew my fashion sense was sh*t."
"He tells me that he is a fashion designer on his way back from Harrod's with his designer friends and they were on their way to the airport. They realized that their designer clothes that had been on display were going to be way over the baggage allowance for their flight and they had decided to give them away to some random passers-by just for fun."
"I thought that was nice of them. They asked me what I wanted, so I asked if they had any nice jackets in my style. They started bringing out these clothes and showing me. It was fun and exciting. For a few minutes."
"Then one of them said that he'd forgotten to pick up the cash for the car they had hired to take them to the airport. The lead guy said that he was sure that I would be willing to pay for the clothes, since they were such a discount on designer, brand name clothes."
"I was confused and told him that I thought they were free. I didn't have any money. Then they started asking what my daily withdrawal limit was. I told them I was a tourist and my card didn't even work in British ATMs, my parents paid for everything."
"Suddenly, they threw everything back into the car, jumped in and peeled off. I was pretty naïve at the time and didn't parse what had happened until later."
– kitskill
Promise Of Endless Brewski
"All the beer I could drink to use my truck to help someone move. 'we have plenty of help in loading and unloading'"
"had to help load and unload."
– Feels2old
"Manchild" Tenant
"I moved to a new city for a job. The area had a pretty high cost of living but I ended up finding a very affordable room for rent in someone's house. When I went to see it, it was a very nice, well maintained house and the owner was very friendly. I kept thinking 'let me guess, the other tenant is a serial killer or something?'"
"Well, he wasn't a serial killer but he was a 40 year old, unemployed alcoholic who, in the 45 minutes I was in the house, threw a massive temper tantrum because the landlord/homeowner had accidentally forgotten to clean out the lint trap after doing laundry. I'm talking foot stomping, nasally whining like a little kid who was denied dessert. That was when I realized why the rent was so cheap. Told the guy I'd think about it and never contacted him again. It was worth paying more to live with actual adults and not an entitled manchild."
– apocalypticradish
Red Flag Option
"Two years ago when I was on Covid furlough from my day job, I was looking around for other options just in case my job ended."
"First interview offer I got, I should have been tuned into the various red flags. But I had nothing else going on so I showed up."
"Turned out to be a cattle call for one of the more insidious MLM companies."
– Hysterical_Realist
Some people found true love. Others, however, didn't luck out as much.
Dreamy Boyfriend
"My boyfriend. He was too nice, too kind, did too much for me. He asked me about my day and actually wanted to hear everything I wanted to say. He asked where I wanted to eat and actually wanted to go to the place I wanted, instead of wanting me to say the place he wanted. He wanted to give me a bubble bath and a massage without expecting anyting in return. He wanted to give me an orgasm even if it took an hour."
"Seemed really sus until I realized.... that I was in the first healthy relationship with a genuinely good person I've ever been in."
– triflers_need_not
Soul-Wrecker
"Mine started similar and i couldn't believe that i finally met a nice guy who truly cared for me but turns out he was a narcissist who destroyed my soul and my mental health. Now i'm afraid that if i really do meet a nice guy who cares for me, i won't be able to trust that and will destroy the relationship with my suspicion and distrust."
– Faunastar87
Gotta Love Yourself First
"Yep! My story on the nose! Narcissistic parents, toxic family, every single relationship I'd ever had, and most friendships, were one sided, emotional black holes. Wasn't until the pando that I spent so much time alone with myself that I started to like myself. Once I started liking myself I started questioning all the personal relationships I'd ever had: If I'm not complete garbage then why did my parents treat me like I was?"
"If I'm not worthless, why did I let my husband get away with treating me like I was? I started educating myself about recovering from narcissistic abuse, going to therapy, etc, and decided I was going to start being unapologetically myself from then on. The first date I went on after that was my boyfriend, over a year ago now. I was smitten, he was smitten, and for the first time in my life I knew I was with someone who liked ME, not the 'please like me I'll do anything if you'll just like me' character I'd been playing my whole life."
– triflers_need_not
After Saying, "I Do"
"My first marriage. Didn't realize how manipulative he really was until I kicked him out."
– notentirely_fearless
The examples above are a good reminder that if something innately feels like it's too good to be true, that's because it is.
Our gut is there for a reason.
It's up to us to be open to hearing the rumblings deep within our core indicating that there may be red flags on our road to Dreamland.