The Absolute Best Ways To Subtly Mess With Someone's Head
"Reddit user theary18 asked: 'What is the best thing to say someone to subtly fuck with their head?'"
Sometimes it's fun to toy with someone.
Especially if it's an enemy or a loved one who simply deserves a good ribbing.
Some cryptic sentences can send anyone into a tailspin.
And oh the fun that can be had.
You have to be as vague as possible and as sincere.
You have to sell the sincerity. That's vital!
And then just watch them implode.
Redditor theary18 wanted to hear about the most creative ways to throw somebody off their game, so they asked:
"What is the best thing to say to someone to subtly f**k with their head?"
I love to come up behind someone and say "I can't believe they would treat you this way. I got you girl!"
Then I scurry away.
Tee-hee...
It's YOU!
For Me GIF by Liz Huett Giphy"Just tack on the phrase 'given your history' to any question you ask someone."
"Are you sure you want another drink? Given your history?"
"Do you mind driving? Given your history?"
hamletreset
Mean Kids...
"I moved to my elementary school in the 5th grade. Mid-year, a boy came up to me and said, 'I really thought you were gonna be somebody.' I'm now 45 and I'm still like, what the f**k was he talking about?"
NicklePlatedSkull
"Likely something they heard a parent say to someone. Kids love to repeat the dumb stuff you say the next day at school."
itsallgoodman2002
"All jokes aside he probably thought you were someone else. I've done the same things countless times and it's happened to me a few."
Download_more_ramram
"I would interpret this as this kid hearing there's gonna be a 'new kid' and then their imagination ran wild as to who this new star is going to be, that it will be like in some kid movie or something, but you turned out to be just another kid student."
i_was_planned
I Like You
"I don't get why other people don't like you."
Dependent_Main2643
"Another variant is..."
"I don’t care what everyone else is saying. I think you’re great!"
"They’ll take it as a compliment at first but then they’ll think about it and it’ll eat away at them."
Oh-Cool-Story-Bro
"A guy I work with says this time to me every time I help him 'I don’t care what everyone else says about you you’re alright. Literally everyone else. We did a poll.' XD guy says some crazy s**t. When he started he tried to convince us he was a flat earther. He just likes fucking with people."
ThreeBeatles
Rumors
“'I heard about you.'"
ignorantpigeon
"Whenever I hear this I always respond with 'if it’s all good, it’s all lies.' Usually shows my sense of humor and if it is bad things they heard it usually lightens the mood."
ElApolloLoco
"Years ago I worked at a cafe and function venue which was sold after a few years to a new catering company. The first time I met the new restaurant manager I introduced myself and she exclaimed 'Oh, you’re winoforever!' and I was a bit weirded out. Then not long later I met the new owner and she also said 'Oh, you’re winoforever!' I still wonder twenty years later what they’d both heard about me."
winoforever_slurp_
Problems
Drunk Party Girl GIF Giphy"Go up to someone at a party and say: 'I just want you to know that personally, I have no problem with you being here.'"
LuketheMook
"I once got drunk and effectively said that to a girl at a wedding. 'I don't care what everyone else thinks, I always liked you' or something like that."
Supersnazz
Parties are the perfect setting for these shenanigans.
Especially with the drinkers.
But get them at least semi-sober.
I got You
Okaay What GIF by ABC Network Giphy"If you are chatting with someone and another person walks up look at them and say 'I just want you to know that I was defending you' then turn and walk off. It's a good 2fer."
could_use_a_snack
Hush
"'We know, but don't worry, we'll keep it a secret.'"
ch3rrycsmos_
"A friend in high school (actually still a current friend) said something similar to me and it definitely f**ked with my head. 'You know you're not fooling anyone, right?' He wouldn't elaborate and it took me the rest of the day to figure out he was f**king with me. As a guy with imposter syndrome, especially as a teen, that had me turned for a bit."
ablackcloudupahead
You Again
"If it’s someone you interact with repeatedly, always introduce yourself as if you’ve never met before."
Stillwater215
"I keep doing this to a guy I see very occasionally. He's a friend of my sister-in-law, but I've introduced myself to him at least four times. Right now, I'm trying to picture his face and I totally can't, so if I see him again, I'll introduce myself again. He remembers me though. And I don't have this issue with anyone else, I just can't remember this guy's face for some reason."
KrtekJim
Big Mouth
"You really need to brush your teeth."
setthepinnacle
"Somebody jokingly left a message on the 'tip' line that said 'Take a breath mint.'"
"I'm like 90% sure it was just the first thing that came to his head but it f**ked with me for weeks. I was self-conscious when talking to people, being close to them with my mouth open, and I'd constantly be brushing longer/harder taking mouthwash a couple extra times a day, and using mints."
ToFaceA_god
Head Issues
Think About It GIF by Identity Giphy"Give all your friends a few dollars to compliment their hat if they’re not wearing one. When 50 people insist you’re wearing a hat, you start to think you’re wearing a hat. It will drive them insane."
Stillwater215
Hats off for that last one. That's harmless but devious.
Do you have any tips to add? Let us know in the comments below.
People Divulge Which Ordinary Skills Become Suspicious If Someone Gets Too Good At Them
Is it possible to be too good at something?
Many wouldn't think so, particularly those who strive to be perfect at anything and everything, or who are desperate to impress others.
What if you're so good at something, that you inadvertently scare someone?
Or worse yet, what if your unique skill set ends up giving something away that you were trying to hide?
Redditor I_Love_Small_Breasts was curious to hear which skills people might want to think twice before gloating about, leading them to ask:
"What ordinary skill becomes suspicious if you're good at it?"
What are you trying to hide?
"Really thoroughly deleting your internet search history."
"Most people with computers know how to delete their browsing history and hide folders."
"Enough that people borrowing their computer wouldn't be confronted with their porn."
"Or as one adorable advertisement suggested, they could buy their wife an anniversary present without her finding out."
"But if I knew someone who could hide their search history well enough that an e-crime unit or intelligence agency could get their hands on their laptop and not access everything, I would suspect that the laptop had either horrible snuff films or terrorist stuff."- Aduro95
Hi, remember me? No?
"Remembering random details about people or recognizing them from years ago."- phrasing7
"I can Remember peoples Faces and last names Perfectly."
"Its useful when trying to remember things."
"But Hella Creepy when I explain it to other people."- Mrmongoose14
Super sleuth!
"Being able to find almost anything."
"People start being suspicious that you're hiding sh*t on purpose."
"I've found things in other people's houses that I've never even BEEN TO by describing the places to look."- Millenniauld
lego elves emily GIF by LEGOGiphyWhere did you learn to do that?
"I had a record as a kid, used to break into cars and homes into my late teens."
"As I grew older if someone locked themselves out of the house I would help them out."
"I'm a grown man work in pharmaceuticals I look like a typical nerd."
"Boss tells us on the phone he's locked out of his house and can't get a locksmith I told him if I come down there pick his lock and get him inside can I get the day off?"
"He laughs says sure."
"I got my tools in the cars takes me 15 min to get there 10 min to pick the lock."
"Got the day off."
"Fast forward a year later."
"Our lab supplies closed was locked, the key was with someone at home."
"Boss says to me can I get in the closet, I told them as long they don't judge me or ask questions."
"Now some people in the office wonder what the hell do I do in my free time." - User Delted
A necessary skill?
"Folding fitted sheets."- lovesmasher
michelle buteau adult GIF by WNYC StudiosGiphyI'm not buying it.
"Remaining calm."- Fuel_Some
Where did you come from?
"Quietly walking and minimizing your presence."
"It's fun when people realize you're there and freak out because you came out of 'nowhere' despite walking right past them."- Nuksum
Schitts Creek Omg GIF by CBCGiphyHuman Calculator
"Knowing how to quickly calculate how many grams are in x ounces."- VictorBlimpmuscle
"Procedural memory."
" I have to type in numbers occasionally at work."
"If I have to type them in more than twice, I can't recall the number but I can retype it."- wildcardcrow
The table is hot.
"Shuffling cards, stacking chips, lots of gambling related dexterity skills."- ummque
Bet Win GIF by Slotomania OfficialGiphyOr are you just reading into it?
"Reading between the lines."- murica52
I still think it's cool...
"Flinging your tongue really fast."
"I've shown that talent to people and they eye me in a weird way."
"I'm aroace so once I've realized what people were thinking, I never did it again."- Bibliorphic
Um... Let's keep our distance...
"I know almost every pressure point that could or will hurt someone and I change pressure points depending on the situation I’m in."- KnownAsNashy
episode 1 GIFGiphyThose who are good at this might have a problem...
Making Lines with any powder.- Striking-Land-214
...maybe time to put yourself back out there?
"Masturbation."- Gay_a**_idiot
But how do I know if you're telling the truth?
"Lying."- Nutella_Uncrustables
Animation Lying GIFGiphyYou know my own life better than I do!
"Remembering someone else's schedule."
"I've had people get a little freaked out when I ask how a specific appointment/task is going when I remember them telling me about it days prior."- _Black_Fox_
...I think I was better off not knowing that...
"Being able to find odd foreign objects in food."
"Seems like I'm the only one who finds them and then everyone gets sus that they've been eating sh*t that shouldn't be in their food."- enhetcs
Or maybe they're just smart?
"If you’re in the US, converting to metric."
"The only Americans that are good at it tend to be either scientists or drug users/dealers, neither of which the average American trusts."- PrincessButterface
sin sum GIFGiphyRegardless of what other people might think, having a very particular set of skills is bound to come in handy.
Ask Liam Neeson.
Have you ever had an itching feeling about something happening, but no one else believes you?
All owing to the fact that you can't prove it.
It's a terribly frustrating feeling.
And while, more often than not, these suspicions we carry do not, in fact, turn out to be true, on some occasions they most definitely are.
Making it all the more frustrating that we were unable to prove our suspicions in the first place.
Redditor TheRedLego was curious of suspicions being held by other members of the Reddit community which they, at the moment, are unable to prove, leading them to ask:
"What’s a suspicion you currently hold, but can’t prove right now?"
I can smell it from a mile away.
"One of the upstairs neighbors is throwing dog sh*t out the their window at night."- ogresound1987
I'm telling you, Mom, my teacher just doesn't like me!
"That my English teacher didn't read essays, and based grades on how we were in class."- casshmg
GiphyIt Just doesn't add up.
"My father's caregiver, she named herself as domestic partner in the will, but my father always referred to her as his caregiver, coerced him to change his will making her the executor and removing his children 30 days before she killed him."
"His death was ruled a suicide and everything went to her."
"Properties, banks accounts, valuable items, everything."
"My sister tried to fight it, but at the advice of her lawyer, she let it go."
"I 100% believe the people who signed as witness and the notary were in on it and paid off."
"I found 2 of them on Facebook."
"One witness retired the same month my father 'committed suicide' and the notary went on an elaborate vacation the following month."
"The other witness called my sister two days after my father's death while on vacation in Hawaii to tell her he was dead on behalf of the caregiver."
"It could all be coincidence and I could be drawing conclusions from coincidences, but I know my father."
"After all he had been through in life, he wasn't the kind of person to give up and off himself for no reason."- BrilliantInfamous807
"The circumstances surrounding the death of my grandfather."
"First, he died in September of 2020, but we did not find out until January of 2021."
"His so-called best friend pushed an un-notarized will through the courts in order to get his hands on my grandfather’s estate even though my grandfather had rewritten his will so that everything he had would be divided between me and my brother."
"This first will cut my mom and her siblings out by name and there was no mention of us at all."
"Second, my grandfather was a stickler about his credit."
"He had the best credit score out of all of us, but when he was found there were tons of unpaid statements lying around his living room, which was incredibly abnormal."
"Third, I don’t even know where this man is buried."
"I know he was cremated, but I don’t know where his ashes are."
"There was no autopsy as far as I know either, his cause of death was listed as a heart attack."
"Lastly, that 'best friend' has a daughter, and I know she knows something."
"She spoke to my uncle and all she could talk about was how devastating the loss was to HER and HER family, and how she had such fond memories of coming over to play basketball and watch my grandfather put together cars in the 70s."
"My mom, her brothers, and my grandmother have absolutely no memory of these people."
"I don’t care about the inheritance."
"It was never even about that."
"I just wanted to be able to say goodbye, you know?"
"Why didn’t they call and tell us he died?"- User Deleted
It's all a scam!
"The ongoing construction on major city expressways is an embezzlement scheme."
"They’ve been doing construction on the same part of the expressway in Chicago for over 20 years."
"It’s never getting done."
"They’re just pocketing money."- oneder_them
construction crew GIFGiphySome people are too thin skinned.
"YouTube got rid of displaying dislikes for viewers because companies complained about being ratioed."- Hoppy_Croaklightly
A house of ill repute?
"My neighbor has 'friends' over every few days."
"They are all wealthy based on the cars they drive."
"I saw one guy pacing nervously before entering her house."
"I also saw a guy brushing his teeth by his car before going in."
"You know what I'm thinking."- lookssharp
We know what you're up to, Reddit.
"That over the past year or so, Reddit changed their algorithm to make sure more videos make it to the front page."
"And introduce their sh*tty video player."
"All of this just to increase key user engagement metrics to inflate their valuation prior to their announced upcoming IPO / stock market debut."- Volkovy.
Jimmy Fallon Smile GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphyA sad cover up.
"When I was 15 a kid in my class died and the cops ruled it suicide."
"I have just discovered some information which led me to believe he was murdered by his uncle but I can't prove it."
"And they are somewhat big shots so nothing is gonna happen."- More-Masterpiece-561
Taking what isn't theirs.
"I think that one of my relatives cashed my tax return check, which was about a week’s pay for me."
"I’ve been dealing with one of my parents nearly dying for the last two months, so I haven’t had the time to sit them down and ask 'Where’s my money, honey?'"- OfficePsycho
Knowing something is amiss, yet being unable to prove it, is like having an itch that you just can't quite reach.
Hopefully these suspicions are way off base, and there's nothing to worry about.
Otherwise, one can only hope some evidence comes to light, and soon.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
There are just some people who always trigger the spidey senses.
The problem is that we don't trust our instincts enough.
How many people have just left you feeling... ill at ease?
Probably more than we care to admit.
We don't want to be wrong about someone.
That is the main problem. Then we'd be embarrassed.
That feeling changes to relief when we see them on the news or a Dateline NBC episode.
Redditor Lucky_Solution7999 wanted to hear about the people who inexplicably rubbed us the wrong way. They asked:
"Hey reddit, what is one time you knew something was off about someone but couldn't prove it?"
When I was doing online "love" browsing a bunch, I was always good about being in tune to my icky feelings.
the guitarist...
"My buddy and the guitarist in my band started dating this girl we were on the same forum with. I raised concerns based on some red flags she posted, but everybody in my band said I was overreacting."
"Cut to about a year later. The girlfriend cheats on him and gets pregnant. When my friend goes to confront her about it, she has the baby’s daddy and five of his friends jump him and beat him into hospitalization. Hate to say I told you so, but…"
gothdaddi
A Guy
"I hired a guy a long time ago and worked with him for years. Very talented and smart, plus a nice guy. At some point, he started making super strange decisions. Kinda impulsive, very odd stuff (asking if he can invite his girlfriend to a staff meeting, for instance). A lot of crap that didn’t make any sense. He got hired to a better job and I lost touch."
"A few months later, he died of a large number of brain tumors. The timeline his girlfriend-turned-wife offered matched up with what we’d been noticing for years. I look back in the arguments and realize there’s no way I could have known. At the same time, that’s kinda the point: you really can’t know what’s going on with someone, so act accordingly."
patricksaurus
psycho
"My parents had a close friend when I was pretty young, maybe between 8 and 10 years old? He came over a lot, to drink or shoot guns with my dad, but I didn’t like him one bit. He just gave me a bad feeling. I remember sticking my tongue out at him every time his back was to me. Never said anything to my parents though, I just stayed away when he was over."
"My mom ended up hiring him to work at the pawn shop she ran, and after he started things went missing. I don’t remember how they figured out he was stealing but he had a gallon ziplock FILLED with jewelry. The cops tried to convince the owner not to press charges (since he got the jewelry back) but the owner went through with it."
"As soon as they booked him, his finger prints came back from an unsolved double homicide- he had brutally murdered an elderly couple when they came home mid-robbery. After he killed him, he drank their milk, leaving his prints on the jug on the counter."
AlwxWrites
“too comfortable”
"My mom used to have this friend years ago when we lived in a pretty nice looking house, and she would often show up uninvited and act 'too comfortable' in our house. my mom would always just say that it’s probably just because that lady comes from a different culture but i was suspicious of the lady stealing some stuff from our house. one day the lady invites my mom to the beach."
"My mom has a huge fear of water and can’t swim at all so she avoids it, but she tends to be overly polite, so she decides to go. at the beach, the lady pressures my mom to go swim assuring her that they’ll stay close to the shore and what not. the lady ended up shoving my mom in and standing back to watch as my mom had a difficult time keeping herself up and trying to swim back to shore."
4bunny44
2 Days...
"My best friend at the time worked with a guy who I had met a few times as I'd join them for afterwork drinks, clubbing, etc. I always felt uncomfortable being around him but didn't know why. He was nice enough and quite funny but something just seemed... off. Anyway, we were out one night and he seemed extra off and ended up disappearing from the club. We found out 2 days later that he had gone home, killed his gf, dismembered her body and put her in the bin out the front of his house."
lilpinaylander
What in the world? Talk about nightmares.
The Former
"A former friend's husband. He always tried just that bit too hard to fit into the group and be involved in everything. Always had to be the smartest guy in the room. I don’t know what it was but I disliked him from the moment we met and there’s not that many people I dislike."
"Long story short, he turned out to be a controlling, emotionally abusive sack of crap who hated me because I kept encouraging my friend to be independent and my husband and I encourage each other to have a life outside of each other."
Yanigan
“too comfortable”
"My mom used to have this friend years ago when we lived in a pretty nice looking house, and she would often show up uninvited and act 'too comfortable' in our house. My mom would always just say that it’s probably just because that lady comes from a different culture but I was suspicious of the lady stealing some stuff from our house. One day the lady invites my mom to the beach, my mom has a huge fear of water and can’t swim at all so she avoids it."
"But she tends to be overly polite, so she decides to go. at the beach, the lady pressures my mom to go swim assuring her that they’ll stay close to the shore and what not. the lady ended up shoving my mom in and standing back to watch as my mom had a diffcult time keeping herself up and trying to swim back to shore."
4bunny44
he's weird...
"I was friends with this kid for awhile and he was always weird. he always made some sort of sexual joke or comment about you or something he wanted to do to you, although the comments were weird everyone brushed them off as if they were a joke."
"Me and him were really close at one point and decided that we would get drunk, at first I felt uneasy as i do not drink and i wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of being around him and getting drunk as i know his personality. eventually he persuaded me to drink with him and after a few shots we were pretty drunk."
"After that we headed over to his place and had to act completely sober in front of his parents. After awhile it had been quite awhile since we had drank i was starting to feel/act more sober than a few hours before and from my point of view, he did too."
"After awhile he was starting to act his usual self and make the sexual comments but out of nowhere he started acting upon it too. The friendship had ended shortly after that experience."
BitLimp5448
"broke up"
"My best friend was a wealthy only child. We went to the same college and he had his own apartment off-campus. His party lifestyle attracted good and bad attention. Eventually, an older (mid-twenties) guy latched on to him and moved into the spare room with his girlfriend."
"This guy had a big fake smile and was constantly talking about holistic medicine, aromatherapy, blah blah blah. His girlfriend was basically a slave that cooked and cleaned up after him. I spent less time with my friend but I was there the day things boiled over. Items had gone missing and my friend was upset."
"He accused Mr. A**hole of stealing from him and that led to a fistfight. I (6'4" 250 Lbs) 'broke up' the fight and kicked out the unwelcome guest and told his GF to pack their s**t. Turns out the 'holistic medicine' they favored was heroin. The girlfriend was a runaway whose family was desperate for her return."
"She made it home and went into rehab after he got arrested in an airport out West carrying two ounces of sneezing powder in his hand luggage. He was wanted in three states for trafficking and someone who hated him even more than I did set him up for a 20-year stay at Club Fed."
patmcgroin
That Guy
"A guy in my college friend group. Nice, funny, seemed like a really good guy. He and I shared a lot of interests so we would hang out a lot just the two of us, but always in public places. I would get a slightly weird vibe from him but ignore it since he was being nothing but friendly."
"One night we had all been drinking at his place. I realized too late that I had missed the last bus home so I asked if I could crash on his couch until morning. Which in hindsight might have been the most stupid decision of my life, but I didn't think any of it at first as I was used to hanging out with him."
"The other people left and it was just him and me. I started getting a really bad feeling out of nowhere so instead of going to sleep like had planned I pretended I wasn't tired and kept talking to him. He offered to show me around his house. I agreed, but again had a very bad feeling about."
"It so I made sure to put my phone in my pocket before I followed him and never put him between myself and the door. Nothing happened, we just stayed up talking and I felt really stupid as I left in the early morning hours. Two weeks later he assaulted another girl in our group while she was at his house. After that I never ignore my gut feeling about a person."
SupaFroosh
Bullets Didged
"Was going to a very big university in a college town. Barely 18. Worked at a fast food restaurant that had people bring you food on skates. I got hit on a lot by college kids. Big football player asked for my number, I gave it to him- he looked handsome and nice. He texts me later and asks to go to a party with me. Idk why, instantly got bad vibes from him. Don’t know what made me feel that way."
"I said no thanks, I’m busy. He instantly tried to guilt me into going and I felt good about my decision about not going. YEARS later, I see his face on the news- he’s been found guilty of multiple assaults. He’s still in jail to this day. BIG BULLET DODGED. Always listen to your gut."
marlzbarkley23
fake...
"This guy seemed great at first. His situation was exactly what I was looking for, we were so compatible, he was pretty much perfect. Slowly he started to get pushy about certain things. I couldn’t put my finger on what was off, but how perfect he was suddenly seemed… fake?"
"We’d just had sex and he went to the bathroom. I noticed the condom on the floor and picked it up. It was empty. I asked him why and he said 'Oh, I thought you were okay with me taking it off.' I freaked out and left. Never spoke to him again. That was a few months ago."
HuffleSl*t_
One Shot
"In law school, I had a guy who' sat in front of me for contracts every day for a year. He definitely gave off some serious red flags when he would answer questions, etc Second year of law school and I didn't have any classes with the guy that I know of. Apparently he wasn't going to class anyway."
"I have no idea what took place but one day the dude shot his mother and then himself with what I remember to be an AK 47. https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2014/09/17/officials-vt-law-school-student-kills-mom-self/15811161/. Off topic but That same year one of our professors from 1L shot herself."
getyourgolfshoes
Block Him
"Had a guy in high school who was overly pushy about wanting to hangout with me after only knowing me for a day. Would constantly message at all hours of the night. One day when on my way home I took a back way and passed by him laying in his car down the road from my house just watching."
"Needless to say I blocked him on everything and cut all contact. Fast forward three years, and he was charged for murdering his sisters son who he was fostering. The little boy was only 18 months old and had evidence of months of excessive physical abuse that eventually lead to him dying."
EmBreezy1997
"retreats"
"It always seemed strange to me, when growing up, that a particular priest spent an inordinate amount of his free time with boys:"
"Coaching basketball, organizing canoe trips, 'retreats' for boys, boys choir, altar boys training sessions, etc. Sadly, later in life my doubts proved warranted as he was eventually defrocked for sexual abuse and indulging his pedophile urges."
Back2Bach
“bad seed”
"My mom's coworker was a good friend of hers. Her son was a few years older than me, it was a family of mom, dad, son, 2 daughters. The son was always a 'bad seed' as my mom put it and did drugs and went to a school for 'troubled kids' etc. He kicked my baby carriage type of stuff. Giving the family lots of stress. Many years later my parents and her and husband are at a Christmas party."
"The husband seems really really off, and my parents made comments to each other about what must be going on with him, he seemed like he’d kill himself tomorrow. A few days later the daughters find their dead brother and father in the house. The father did a murder suicide and left the women for themselves. He probably thought he was doing her a favor."
wowguineapigs
Bye Bye
"I got pulled off from all projects at work. I thought it was strange to see my schedule so empty. I consulted my boss. He said everything is fine. Took me out for coffee. I could see through his bullshit. Turned out I was right because I got canned."
theatre_gang
Paranoia...
"Ya know, that one friend some girlfriends/boyfriends have that make you feel they don't want to be just friends with your SO? There was one my ex girlfriend had that gave me that feeling. Very hard to prove when it could be just me being paranoid. I guess I was right since my ex gf and that friend of hers is now her husband and the father of her kid."
mizukata
This is a lot. This is why I avoid people. People are crazy.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
What is that saying?
"People always tell you who they are the first time, so listen."
When you don't have to search for the signs because they're smacking you in the face, run and run fast.
People always give a few warnings that are impossible to hide.
And scams just don't have the bite they used to.
Like, who is sending money or their social security number to anyone on Craig's List anymore?
Redditor sencecore wanted to hear about the warnings we all catch onto quick. They asked:
"What’s an immediate red flag for you?"
I always run when people tell me they're too smart for therapy. Sure. Ok.
Own Up
No Way Do Not Want GIF by Schitt's CreekGiphy"Someone who can't admit they're wrong. Or won't take responsibility for their decisions."
Psilologist
You'll be Rich!!
“Don’t worry, it’s not a pyramid scheme.”
Dan-Defyno
"No, we're actually a multi level marketing business! So each person runs their own small business that is assisted by their recruiter, their recruiter's recruiter, and so on! It's totally different from a pyramid scheme because you can make real. money."
"Now sign on the dotted like for the $350 introductory package so you can test our products for yourself--and you'll want to test them so you can better market them!--and then sign here to order the $1500 starter sales kit. You'll get enough product to sell to three people, plus a DVD training!"
StinkyKittyBreath
Don't tell me!!
"Spoiling a show or movie.'
lllParZivalll
"I one time witnessed a breakup and the dudes final words before walking away were the spoilers to the entire MCU, and his before-that girlfriend was a huge marvel fan but hadn’t watched a few of the new movies."
RicoDeFreako
"Someone spoiled the finale of the first season of Survivor for me. They didn’t do a live show for the first season. I was taping it and was going to watch it when it was done. We had a regular thing on Survivor nights, we always watched after we got home. I have never forgiven said person, and it’s been like 22 years."
MissPicklechips
Be Kind to the Staff...
"Being rude/argumentative with a cashier/customer service worker about a policy or rule they are made to enforce without choice. They. Don't. Make. The. Rules. Please, don't make their lives any more difficult than it already is. You wouldn't believe the kind if sh*t they have to deal with on a daily basis."
doopster77
Coin Problems
Pay Day Money GIF by MOST EXPENSIVESTGiphy"When they talk about or ask for money early on. Or when they suggest expensive dates and do not offer to cover them."
schetzo
It always leads back to the money. Never mess with the money.
Gifted
"A person I've never met asking me for a gift card."
SinisterYear
"This literally happened to me yesterday. Granted I'd already had a few online convos with this individual a few months ago, but then out of the blue she msgs and up and asks me for help in getting a $200 Google Play giftcard."
JarusOmega_
Like it Is...
"When someone says 'I'm not mean, I just tell it like it is.'"
Greatsodiumreef12
"100%. This person won't take any responsibility for the effects their words or actions might cause, they just lack the empathy to do so. Or I don't know, but it's a HUGE red flag. Also, if you 'tell it like it is' to them, they go absolutely crazy. It's sad to watch because you realize that there's nothing you can do to snap them out of their narcissistic bubble."
GotMuchToLearn
“condemned”
"Nazi tattoo."
zardoz_lives
"Went on a couple dates with a girl. Seemed cool. Went into the bedroom and she took her shirt off, only to find a lightning bolt SS tattoo on her shoulder. She didn’t think it was a big deal, however 'condemned”'what it meant. I noped out of that as fast as I could."
RoosterDad
Worst of it...
Kim Kardashian Drink GIF by GQGiphy"If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best."
griffmeister
In the Shallow
"Asks if I’m up for a drive to the woods outside of town late in the evening after dinner to help dig a shallow grave for unspecified purposes."
Southern_Snowshoe
"One time i was talking to this guy had really liked. And he asked me out and said: 'So I was wondering if you ever wanted to go shooting some time? It’s a private area and a bit remote, about a 45 minute drive from our town.'"
"I of course was suspicious over his wording and he caught on and immediately was apologetic and began to over explain. saying since i liked guns he thought it would be neat and an interesting first date. i felt so bad because he didn’t mean it that way but it sounded SO off initially lmao."
treeesaa
Not too Hard
"When a company says 'work hard, play hard;' that means they expect you to put in over 40 hours of work and have no work-life balance."
SnooPies2925
"You can have a work-life balance. That's why they're having volunteer and social events outside of work you can attend."
"For instance one of my past bosses wanted drag us all to a Pride event they were sponsoring. I was like, 'we're already working over 45 hours per week without overtime pay and now you want to take over our weekend!' We did not attend the LGBT event and the bank's photo op moment in the paper was a little smaller."
misogichan
"I once dated a girl who was obsessed looking for red flags. which is ironically a red flag, these types of people go out of their way looking for problems."
wldamonZ
"My last GF did something like this. Constantly talking about manipulation an how X did Y and what I was doing was manipulative."
"My friends pointed out how I was being gas lit by this girl hard. She then broke up with me to be with my room mate, which burned terribly to the ground. She wondered why she had little contact with family and friends as well. She constantly blamed them for character flaws and her own problems."
Bure_ya_akili
Be Clean
Wash Hands Reaction GIF by jjjjjohnGiphy"Whenever someone walks out of the bathroom without washing their hands."
1Shadowspark1
BOOM!
"Love bombing."
Gymrat1060
"I am regretfully guilty of this. I was often single so long that when I found someone I smothered her in texts and calls and wanting to hang out. An ugly mix of fear of being alone and lack of self esteem."
shellwe
"Too much affection too fast. I once dated a girl that started calling me babe and saying I love you within only one week of knowing me."
Gymrat1060
“mud season”
"Carpet in a bathroom."
retrofunkus
"The only dive bar in the town where I went to college was in the middle of nowhere. Both because it was a bathroom in the only bar, and because we live in a state where we have 'mud season,' the carpeted bathroom was horrifying."
wampastompa09
"My house had 3 layers of carpet in the bathroom, because the floor was freezing. The bathroom had been built out onto what had been a porch so it was over a poorly insulated crawl space. But still."
Renaissance_Slacker
You're Too Much
"Someone who is always complaining: about their job and coworkers, about their friends, about the server that was too slow etc. It’s exhausting being with someone who is always so negative and I’ve found that people like this often blame others for all of their troubles in life."
verbl17
Shut Up!
"Talking about their ex too much."
Silly-Tonight1839
"This depends. I’m just starting to date after 18 years of marriage. Most the men I date have also been married. These are people who were part of our lives. Not talking about them would seem weird. They probably appear in a lot of your stories of how you became who you are now. Now complaining about them the whole time or appearing to still be in love with them would be a red flag."
Coconut-bird
Just Eat
Music Video Mv GIF by Lady GagaGiphy"When someone is rude to a waitress/waiters. About the quality of the food."
Cute_Advisor_9893
The End Result
"I've spent my life ignoring red flags on the basis I have a tendency to overanalyze everything and make bad decisions through perpetual indecisiveness. The end result is sure I've met some of the worst sorts of people in the world, but I've also met some of the best. Red flags definitely exist for a reason, but sometimes people have just been through hell and still bare the scars."
AnonyMouse-Box
All of these red flags, and warnings. But will the rest of us listen?
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.