People Break Down The Worst Double Standards They've Ever Heard
Reddit user No-Challenge-3305 asked: 'What's the stupidest double standard you ever heard from someone?'
A double standard is defined as:
"a code or policy that favors one group or person over another"
However not all double standards are formalized. Most of the double standards individuals face daily are based on customs, stereotypes, traditions or other less formal societal codes of conduct.
Double standards are inherently unfair to one or sometimes both parties.
They may exert control or compliance with gender or socioeconomic stereotypes on everyone or serve to repress one group while favoring the other. But they shouldn't be confused with all unequal rules.
The sign at the amusement park that says "you must be this tall to ride" is there for a very good reason.
Double standards fail to pass any logic test, with some being more ridiculous than others.
Reddit user No-Challenge-3305 asked:
"What's the stupidest double standard you ever heard from someone?"
My Time Vs. Your Time
"I had a production manager who would come in late and leave early most days and then make problems for anyone who needed a half day for anything."
~ TheGreatGrappaApe
Giphy"My first manager at my current job was a harda** about hours. Would basically say 'There's the door' if you asked to leave early or come in late, no matter how rare or needed the occurrence was."
"Always talked about how dedicated he was."
"Dude would roll in at 9:30 leave at 11:00 for lunch. Get back at 1:00 and go home at 3:00."
"He constantly talked about how he just LIVES at work... even though we were all there, and he had been seen at the golf course every day."
"One of the funniest moments was when our client was parked behind him, and needed my manager to move his truck to be able to leave, but said 'I'm not gonna ask him to move his truck, because I'm afraid he'll just leave'."
~ bcos4life
"Stealing" What He Gave Them?
"My uncle used to hire undocumented immigrants while complaining that illegal aliens were stealing people's jobs."
"He liked to hire them because they worked hard and were cheap."
~ ScrubIrrelevance
"So he himself was stealing other people’s jobs because it’s not like the illegal immigrants were able to make the decision to employ them instead of a US citizen or person with a visa."
~ CaptainObviousBear
Just For Me, Not For Thee
"'I want an open relationship to explore my sexuality, but I don't want you sleeping with anyone else'."
~ MamaPagan
"I didn't realize people actually said stuff like this until my most recent ex said it to me."
"I was baffled, to say the least."
~ Vetzero
GiphyThey Are "Those People"
"My mom had a problem with welfare recipients until my sibling went on it."
"Then, back to nasty welfare recipients when they got off welfare."
~ Eringobraugh2021
"My cousin is on multiple government programs, and counts the seconds until her 3 separate child support payments come in... then sh*ts on 'Deadbeats' all the time."
"She even bragged about using her EBT to get tattoos."
~ bcos4life
Boys Will Be Boys
"My ex believed that teen girls who fall pregnant while still in school should be expelled and not allowed to finish school at all."
"Sounded like he thought they were contagious or something."
"After a heavy argument I said 'OK fine then boys must also be expelled', but no apparently it's not the same thing."
~ boekieblaker21
Piety Not In Practice
"My aunt calls me a sl*t for wearing short skirts."
"She doesn't know who the father of two of her three children is."
~ Perfect_Patience1109
Giphy"When I was young, a relative used to constantly call me a 'whore' and accuse me of being pregnant, when I had never even had a boyfriend."
"Meanwhile, she was sleeping with someone else's husband."
~ haloarh
"Isn't that usually the way?"
"The one calling people names and pointing fingers is probably the most guilty."
"Hypocrites."
~ NoThanksJustLooking1
It's Only An Entitlement If Someone Else Gets It
"My FIL served in Vietnam. When he came home, he used the G.I. Bill to get a free college degree (in social work)."
"He didn't like being a social worker, so he spent much of his adult life working as an appliance salesman, an electrical supply salesman, or (for significant chunks of time) was unemployed."
"He owned a house and raised two kids."
"When he retired, his sole source of income was Social Security."
"He never paid a dime for medical care because of his VA benefits."
"He sold his house (that he paid like $65k for in the 70's) for a healthy profit, moved to Nevada, and settled into a retirement community."
"If you ask him, he'd happily tell you that 'the problem with this country is all the people and their damned entitlements. I don't know why people don't just get a job'."
~ Redditor
Cheat Codes
"My friend’s mom said Men cheating and women cheating are different because men only care about the physical and not the emotional."
"Come to find out, she was being cheated on by her current husband, and I am assuming this is how she coped."
~ Head-Roll6309
"The responses I got to being cheated on from coworkers were different. I was blamed by other people for not giving her what she needed so obviously she should go out and cheat to get those things."
"And I responded with 'Do you think the same about men cheating?'."
"'Of course not. Men cheat because they can't be trusted and will f'k anything they can. Women cheat because they are being mistreated by men and it's his fault she has to go out and do that'."
"Was a great comment to me, the panic attack filled person whose life was falling apart and entire world was destroyed by her cheating."
"I left that workplace pretty soon after those comments."
~ polorat12
TMI, Dude
"Dude I worked with felt I needed to know that he'd have to have a wife and a mistress because he didn't want someone who sucked his d*ck kissing the kids."
"And I was like 'have you considered maybe washing your d*ck better?'."
~ VinnyVincinny
"Really they can’t reconcile respecting someone they have sex with."
~ Zer_0
Consent Is For Everyone
"'He can't refuse sex. He's the man. The woman always decides when and where we have sex. Everybody knows that'."
"In marriage counseling, my ex-wife (while we were still married). She was serious, too."
~ Azzizzi
"My ex-wife would get visibly angry when I wasn't in the mood but she was."
"More than once I'd ask her like 'you know how messed up it would be if these roles were reversed, right? If I got mad at you for not being in the mood?'."
"And her response was just 'well, you're a guy'."
~ AutoDefenestrator273
"Ugh, it sucks that you went through that, and I'm sorry. The idea that men want sex all the time no matter what is so damaging."
"Everyone is allowed to not want sex, and I wish people would stop acting entitled to other people's bodies."
"Even when people aren't reacting with anger if a male partner turns down sex, this myth still causes real damage in relationships. I know both men and women who've expressed fears that they're broken or their relationship is somehow dying if the woman has a higher libido or even if the male partner turns down sex once."
"It's awful and I really wish people would stop buying into this idea."
~ VinnyVinnieVee
And Now For Something A Little Lighter...
After these serious topics, let's end on a lighter note.
Unless you're a cat.
Feline Fatitude
"I call my cat chubby all the time but as soon as someone else does it, I get so offended."
~ Green_Bench7560
"I also call my cat fat. He is not. I asked the vet."
"But I'd be super offended if he developed the ability to talk in English and then called me fat."
~ Dmahf0806
Giphy"Growing up, we had a cat who was a grand lady but she was kind of a chonk. Pleasingly chonky."
"We took her to the vet for a regular checkup and got a different than usual vet, who came in and said, 'Whoa, well let's look at this little porker!'."
"My parents and I all got mad instantly. We were allowed to joke about her weight. No one else was."
"That's the rule. Also 'porker' sounds so rude."
~ SageThistle
GiphyDouble standards are all around us.
Which ones do you find particularly foolish?
Women Explain Which Things They Wish Men Would Stop Doing
Reddit user enkiv2 asked: 'Women of Reddit, what's something specific that you wish men would stop doing?'
We all have things that we enjoy and things that we absolutely can't stand, and that's also totally true of the things that people do around us or do to us.
And women have something to say about men's behavior, how they treat women, and what women would like them to stop doing, effective immediately.
Redditor enkiv2 asked:
"Women of Reddit, what's something specific that you wish men would stop doing?"
Clean Hands Required
"Stop trying to touch me (in any way) with dirty hands. Go clean your talons first."
- isthishowweadult
Know When to Stop Flirting
"If a woman tells you she's a lesbian when you're flirting, it means one of two things:"
"1: She is a lesbian."
"2: She is pretending to be a lesbian so you'll stop flirting with her."
"Either way, you should stop flirting with her."
- BW_Bird
No Unsolicited Pics
"Please stop sending d**k pics to random women online. It's just straight-up creepy and gross. If a woman wants to see your d**k, she'll ask for a picture."
- F**K_INDUSTRIAL
Take Rejection Gracefully
"Stop harming or threatening harm to women who reject them."
- prezzyofthedgc
End All Body-Shaming
"Stop being mean to girls they find unattractive."
- webbrlx
The Alpha Male
"Stop calling yourself an 'alpha' or 'sigma' male."
"You aren’t necessarily hurting anyone by doing it, but no one takes you seriously when you talk like that."
"I think people who call themselves Sigma consider themselves 'lone wolf' types. In my opinion, I think they’re trying to come across as one step less douchey by not believing they exist to boss people around, but it is clearly ineffective."
- aliteralbagof_d**ks
Step Aside
"When you need to get past me, please don't put your hands on my waist/hips/lower back to move me aside. I don't know you. Stop touching me."
- teddybearer79
Don't Make Me Laugh
"Just because a woman is not smiling, it is not your job to change that."
- Idol_Luna
Just No
"No is a complete sentence."
"Sorry, I was bored at work, so this was a bit short. What I meant is, if you are in a relationship with a guy, no would be a short, perhaps cold answer, but I don't think that's what OP meant."
"I meant it as, if a guy bothers you for any reason, like he wants your phone number or any socials you don't want to give him, you don't need to provide a reason, because a simple no should be enough. Unfortunately, a lot of men (yes I know, not all) won't take just a no for an answer and must know the reason, because whatever."
"So, to answer the original question: I wish some guys would just accept a simple no and would stop asking again and again and again for something that has already been answered with a no."
- H**lKaiserFox
Not "Like a Girl"
"Thinking that being a woman is a reason for her mistakes."
"I was one of the only three girls in an engineering course (of 60 people). And if I did a mistake in class, it was because I was a girl. But if my male coursemate made a mistake, it is only because humans are not perfect, and next time he will do better."
- Hezal05
Commitment and Loyalty
"Stop acting like they’re single while having a girlfriend."
- Sea-Dark-4953
Weaponized Incompetence
"Stop practicing weaponized incompetence."
- Kaitzilla
"What does that mean? I’d look it up, but women are just naturally better at researching things."
- orchidofthefuture
Show Some Manners
"Stop spitting on the floor in public. Why do they do it?"
- fruitmachine_future
Better to Be Safe than Sorry
"Stop dismissing our safety concerns and trying to gaslight us out of taking basic precautions."
- Raaqu
Not Everyone Is Compatible
"If a woman says she doesn’t want children, don’t respond by saying she doesn’t know better."
"I don't know where you guys get off of telling a grown woman that she doesn’t know what she wants, but it needs to stop. If she doesn't want children, respect her decision, and date someone else."
- sunny_rain316
We've surely all done something that bothered someone else in the room, whether that person told us or not. But there are certain behaviors that men practice so frequently that women have a response ready, just for this occasion.
While men surely have their annoyances regarding women, they surely could learn something from this list just the same.
When intending to show a woman how much she means to you, giving her flowers is a fairly common solution.
When trying to do the same for men, however, what to give them is a bit more challenging.
True, plenty of men will be overjoyed to get a bouquet of bright red roses or pink and yellow tulips.
Unfortunately, there are still far too many men who are too insecure with their masculinity to be caught dead holding a single rose, let alone a bouquet.
Leaving one to wonder, what is an appropriate substitution?
"What’s the gifting equivalent of flowers for a dude?"
Nothing Says Love Like Home-Baked Goods...
"Fresh baked cookies or brownies."- zazzlekdazzle
"It's a traditional romantic gift from the opposite sex that can also be given as condolence or congratulation."
"In every scenario where a girl might get given flowers, a guy might get given baked goods."- Efficient_Star_1336
Please Their Ego, And You'll Be Fine...
"Maaaan, just some appreciation and maybe a compliment."- Far_Kangaroo_8111
"I’m a simple man and don’t usually like being gifted anything."
"But a hug and heartfelt compliment or kiss from a SO goes a long way."- Fenix_Fire66
White Lotus Flirting GIF by HBOGiphyNo Need To Shop, Just Look At The Ground
"A cool rock."- simonearth
"My best mate would be over the moon if I found a cool rock and gave it to him."- NotoriousJAM
More Precious Than You Think...
"A 10mm socket."- speedyhemi
"There are only 1000 10mm sockets in the world and they move around, so if you can’t find yours it means that someone else is using it right now."- unbearablebastard
Nothing Better Than A Warm Embrace
"Hug works for me."- randymysteries
Season 9 Hug GIF by The OfficeGiphySomething To Eat, Not Just See And Smell
"Lots of guys on here saying flowers."
"Sure, some guys might want flowers, but don’t let this convince you that all guys secretly want someone to give them flowers."
"I’m a 38 year old guy."
"I don’t want flowers."
"I don’t want to find a vase for them."
"I don’t want to clean up when they wilt and the petals fall off."
"I don’t want you to waste your money on them."
"Don’t get me flowers."
"Get me something I can eat or drink instead."
"Beef jerky."
"Nice coffee."
"Nice booze."
"Dessert."- gilded-perineum
"Hot meal?"- kurainikuraini
"A home cooked meal!"- Popular-Ad2193
Korean Drama Cooking GIF by The SwoonGiphy"Everything Is Awesome"...
"A Lego set."- dysFUNctional_kitty
"Yes!"
"I don’t drink alcohol or like flowers, but there is always room for one more Lego set on my shelf."- DelusionalPianist
And NOT Well-Done...
"A pack of ribeyes."- fishstock
"I have rarely loved my wife as much as when she came home with a barbecue kit."
"She told me I didn’t treat myself often enough."
"So she got a couple of beers."
"Went to the butcher for a couple of burgers and a steak."
"All I had to do was turn on the grill and sit back."- mirage2101
Still In The Botanical Family...
"Potted plant."
"I love flowers, but like, bring me the whole plant."
"The flowers will die in a few days."- PVDeviant-
Little Shop Of Horrors GIF by MauditGiphySeems Fairly Obvious
"Beer."
"A six-pack is always a nice gesture."- Excellent-Practice·
Just Make Sure You Get The Right Kind And Sauces!
"Chicken wings"- wm_destroy
"Plus Ranch or Blue Cheese (depending on preference)."- RatherDashingf11
Just Don't Expect To Ever Hear From Him Again...
"RTX 4090."- Jetzve
"The only right answer."- _Revlak_
Video Games Gamer GIFGiphyIt should perhaps be mentioned that not all women love getting flowers either.
Pollen is a notoriously bad allergy.
However, no matter the gender of the recipient, any gift to show how much you appreciate them should be met with gratitude.
After all, it's the gesture that counts.
Though, it shouldn't come as a surprise that some people will be even more visibly grateful to receive a gorgeous Wagyu rib-eye than they would a bouquet of daffodils...
Frustrating 'I'm The Client, Not My Husband' Experiences According To Women
When Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice-President of the United States, it was a historic moment.
As she became the first woman to hold the title, causing a major crack in the glass ceiling which still, amazingly, has yet to be broken.
Unfortunately, there are still a distressing number of people who carry antiquated opinions when it comes to gender roles.
Feeling that only a man could possibly be in charge of certain things or that women aren't cut out for certain roles. Preposterous.
Thankfully, this can sometimes lead to someone's foot being deliciously shoved right into their mouth after they embarrass themselves by assuming their husband, or male partners or assistants, are the ones in charge.
When the women they are speaking to are, to use another antiquated term, "the ones wearing the pants" in these situations.
"Woman of reddit, what is your 'I am the client not my husband stop ignoring me' story?"
Make Your Own Tea!
"My scenario doesn’t quite fit the bill but I’m a female business owner with a male business partner."
"I’ve had a few customers born in the dark ages and reps that ask to 'speak to my boss'."
"But the worst was a guy who snapped his fingers and told me to 'put the kettle on girly'."
"Needless to say he didn’t get his cuppa and he certainly didn’t get the discount he asked for."- Blondeinsideandout
"You Work On Commission, Right? Big Mistake. Huge!"
"So a while back my wife and I were hitting up local dealerships trying to find a replacement car for her 2006 Nissan subcompact."
"The first thing I would tell each salesman was that we were shopping around for a daily for her to drive."
"Honda dealership was stereotypical car salesman."
"'We can't even let her take a test drive unless she shows intent to buy'."
"Ford dealership ignored her completely and tried to sell me a mustang."
"Toyota was like, 'oh you must want to look at our (insert soccer mom vehicle here)'."
"But when we got to Mazda, I told the sales guy the same thing, that we were looking for her next car, and he immediately nodded, turned to her and asked 'what do you look for in a car?'"
"And then he just listened to her."
"He didn't ask me anything for the rest of the time we were there, focused entirely on her and answering her questions. Never rushed her or pushed her towards a different model."
"So yeah we'll probably be getting her a soul red Mazda3 cuz of that guy."- Raeshkae
Honda Meme GIFGiphyTo Assume Makes And A** Out Of "U" And Me...
"We wanted a fence around our house."
"I have always worked from home, and my husband has always worked in a field where he cannot take time to meet with contractors, etc."
"He and I agree on terms up front and then I make decisions from there."
"It doesn’t matter in life, but for this story it does."
"I make more than my husband."
"We had already agreed on this company based on various factors."
"A man came over to give an estimate during a work day, which ended up being less than we expected to pay."
"I was ready to sign the papers and he said 'I’d rather talk to your husband about the numbers and get his signature since he will be the one paying for it'."
"I asked him to leave my property and never come back."- Diligent-Reaction-23
I'm Right Here!
"Husband and I took my daughter to urgent care for stitches."
"Husband is holding the kid, and I check her in at the front desk iPad."
"Front desk man looks to my husband and asks for the insurance card."
"We’re on my insurance so I hand him the card."
"Next he tells my husband the copay, looking at him, behind me, when I’m the one standing at the damn desk."
"I pull out my card with my name on it, and pay."
"A**hole."- Fire-Kissed
ron swanson spinning GIFGiphyThis Borders On Medical Negligence
"When I was a baby for some reason I wouldn't 'latch on' when my mother breast fed me, so I wasn't eating well."
"The doctor completely ignored my mom and only talked to my dad because she was 'too hysterical'.'
'He was on the verge of finding out what that looked like."- TheHitListz
How To Lose A Tip In Three Easy Steps...
"Took my boyfriend to a very expensive birthday dinner in DC and made sure he got the best wine that night."
"The total came to about $400 just for the two of us."
"I made the initial reservation so our notes stated that I would be treating."
"Having come from working at a high end restaurant, I’m familiar with proper service steps."
"The first strike was when I ordered the wine for us and the server gave the bottle to my boyfriend to approve and taste without giving me the option."
"Second strike was although I clearly said I was treating, they placed the check in front of my boyfriend, on his birthday."
"Final straw was the manager coming over to introduce himself to my boyfriend."
"Handshake, banter, the works, without acknowledging me."
"Happened a second time at the end of the meal."
"Two manager visits."
"And I was the one trying to provide the experience and bankroll the night."
"They definitely heard about it."- kuriosramblings
GiphyThere's nothing wrong with men hoping to be chivalrous, and treat their lady to the nicer things in life.
However, chivalry is merely the characteristics of what it takes to be a knight or gentleman, including courage, honor and courtesy.
With that in mind, perhaps the most chivalrous thing any man can do, is treat a woman as their equal.
Or, when appropriate, their superior.
If you're a human being with friends of the opposite sex, then you've no doubt borne witness to at least one instance that made you aware of the double standards men and women live under.
Men are expected to head out there and grab the world by the balls, so to speak. If a woman does the same, though, watch out. Her daring is enough to malign her forever.
That's just one example, but it's enough to make you sigh and feel some empathy, right?
While some responses were more humorous than others, people shared their thoughts after Redditor Outrageous-Caller-09 asked the online community:
"What do you sympathize with the opposite sex for?"
"I just can't..."
"I just can't imagine not having pockets, I'm sorry!"
Ooga12359
Whenever I meet a woman who is wearing an outfit that has pockets, she is understandably OVERJOYED.
"I feel sympathy..."
"I feel sympathy with them for their baldness and/or receding hairlines."
worstbreakever
This is all too common – of all the medical breakthroughs out there, you'd think we'd have found a baldness cure by now.
"My boyfriend said..."
"Unwanted public boners. My boyfriend said that during puberty a slight breeze could set it off and it was a very awkward and uncomfortable phase."
krim-bus
Am a dude. Can confirm that this was a VERY awkward and uncomfortable phase.
"Periods."
"Periods. They must suck big time."
CowBizzel
Of this I have no doubt. For every woman who is fortunate not to have cramps or other period-related issues, there are countless women who do.
"All the pain..."
"All the pain you have to go through, periods, childbirth. Gyne exams must be awful. Menopause must be awful."
twithdeltablues
I certainly don't envy women for all of this. I grew up with a single mother and felt like I had a front row seat to all of her discomfort.
"I sympathize..."
"I sympathize that men are expected to be the pursuers and ask the woman out. What if he’s shy?"
binglebell
This is a good point. The pressure can be debilitating!
"As a man..."
"As a man I feel bad for the amount of creepy people a woman might encounter online the moment someone learns their gender."
LeaphyDragon
Online harassment is a very real and serious problem. Many women are bullied offline because of it.
"Male rape victims..."
"Male rape victims not being taken seriously simply because they're men."
Unique-kitten
This isn't to say that women have it "easier" – countless sexual assault and rape cases go unprosecuted year after year – but societal expectations for men are such that they run the risk of being mocked or even laughed it, derided as weak should they come forward.
"Walking around..."
"Walking around with a set of dick and balls sticking out of your body."
Klutzy-Barnacle7298
Hey, hey! It doesn't help that they're so sensitive either. We didn't ask for this, you know!
"Dealing with..."
"Dealing with creeps and guys who can't take NO for an answer."
SASHTv
Rejecting someone's advances can be scary... even dangerous. Women never know how men will react.
Men, ask the women in your life about the experiences – you might learn something new.
And women, don't be afraid to ask the men in your life any questions either. You might come away more enlightened.
Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.