People Explain Which Things They Think They Do Right But Aren't 100% Sure
What is normal anyway?
We all have behaviors and quirks that some may look at with a furrowed brow, but they just don't get the genius.
And besides, all the other cool kids are doing it.
Aren't they?
RedditorShlegnogwanted to see who would fess up about some qualities we possess. So they asked:
"What’s something that you do that you’re pretty sure is normal, but you don’t know for sure?"
I talk to myself to go to sleep. It's soothing. Anyone else?
Pockets
Animated GIFGiphy"Putting my hands on my pockets where I keep my phone/wallet when I closely pass by someone, just in case they may be a pickpocket."
TheYeti4815162342
Wiped
"That one dude yesterday and elsewhere on reddit posted that he only wiped once after pooping and was certain that he didn't need more than one wipe to get the job done. I definitely use multiple wipes until the tissue is clean... but now I'm questioning if there are secretly a bunch of (literal) nasty-a** people out there."
SmokeGSU
Keep Dreaming
"I daydream constantly. I'll sit there and be imagining I'm the hero of some story, or I just won a billion dollars and how I'm spending it. I just have an imagination I get lost in when nothing is happening. It's so easy to get lost when you have an extremely vivid imagination. Sometimes I think it's childish, but then I realize it's honestly just a relaxing habit that maybe some adults are too stressed to be able to practice."
__________lIllIl
Mind Reader
"If I'm out in public (grocery store, school pick up line, doc office, etc), I'll have a quick thought of 'I wonder if anyone is reading my mind right now. Quick! Don't think of anything weird!' and then I proceed to automatically start thinking of weird s**t or trying to tell this imaginary mind reader that I'm totally not a weird person or side-eyeing people that I see."
ArtsySAHM
Conversations
Talking Blah Blah Blah GIF by Wiz KhalifaGiphy"Having imaginary conversations with people, that I know will never actually happen in real life."
Bulgasauri
Conversations with others who aren't there. That is a popular one.
LOUDER
Sea Lion Reaction GIF by CameoGiphy"Whenever I haven't talked to a person for a couple of hours, I just say something out loud to test if my voice still exists."
Flux-bite
Popping In...
"Horrible intrusive thoughts. They pop in without warning, and without trigger. It's usually the standard 'what if I drove off the side of this bridge' or 'I bet it would hurt to stab myself with this thing' but they can even be worse: I was washing dishes yesterday."
"My wife was heading to our bedroom to pick something up. For some reason, I imagined her grabbing my gun and blowing her brains out. It really upset me. I had to pull her aside and give her a big hug, and I explained to her what happened, to where she reminded me 'I can't even load the f**king thing.' Do ya'll do s**t like this?"
GeauxAllDay
Guzzle
"The amount of water I can consume. I know they say you should drink when you are thirsty, but I can be thirsty a lot, especially during warm weather / summer days. I can easily drink 100oz (or about 3L) of water a day."
Jim105
"I drink so much water. I swear it's easily a gallon per day if I have water by me the whole day. It's funny too because everyone in my social circle hates water and almost never drink it and I just don't understand how that's even possible. Water is amazing!"
SimplyComplexd
Creeping in
"Against my will, my mind will imagine horrific scenarios wherein some tragic death scene of a loved one plays out. It used to be my doggies, but now that I'm a mom, I imagine *my* death, because that would be tragic to my kid (and maybe I just can't imagine my own kid's death, thankfully!). It's f**ked up and its gotten better generally, but when I'm stressed out, it'll creep back in."
epigenie_986
Name that Tune
Happy Dance GIF by benjamin lemoineGiphy"If I have a song stuck in my head I often click my teeth to the drum beat. When my wife notices me doing it she asks me what the song is."
CornerMoon
Louder!
"When I have a cringe thought or something negative on my mind I'll make some noise out loud to interrupt said thought."
Favnonpornomag
"My therapist actually told me to do this. She said if I have a negative thought (about myself was the issue) she said actually saying no out loud interrupts the thought and keeps you from continuing it. I feel like it really works!!"
crashbanecoot
"I do this. I hate it. I’ve been caught occasionally and try to weave into a song, as if I just happened to be singing when they strolled by, like that is somehow better."
crescendo83
Add it up...
"When I add 7 + 4, I break up the 4 into 3+1. 7+3 is obviously 10, 10+1=11. There is probably several other examples of math problems I break up in my head to make solving easier."
nivekps2
"This, believe it or not, is actually how common core math is supposed to be taught. Not the whole 'Put these numbers into boxes and break those boxed number up etc...'"
belac4862
"Actually I worked as a math tutor and that is exactly how we taught them that method lmao. like ofc they should break the numbers up into boxes, that’s how you learn to see 7+4 as (7+3)+1"
redbottleofpoison
Taps
"Slap my thighs as if they are percussion instruments when I’m bored."
XX_OVERLORD
"I do this with everything. I even change the shape of my hands to make different sounds, so I'll tap my fingers like drumsticks, flat hand for a similar style to you. I'm basically a one man band at this point."
KaleidoscopeInside
"If my keys are not in my pocket, I will sadly slap my empty pocket all day because I’m used to my hi-hat being there lol."
labamaFan
Tongue It
chips GIFGiphy"Look at each side of a potato chip/Dorito to determine what side I want to put against my tongue."
Konebred
Where is It?
"Whenever I leave a spot I've been sitting in outside, I make sure to look back and check if I've dropped anything."
consciously_comad
"I look back at the spot where I was sitting, but only to see if I left a butt print. (Not outside though! Inside, like in a waiting room)."
Appropriate_Day_8721
"Always. Picked up the habit after I lost my PE kit 19 times in one term of secondary school. One time the lost and found lady returned my PE kit to me before I’d noticed it was gone."
carmina_morte_carent
Scene to Scene
"Create scenarios in my head of how conversations would go, even though they’re likely to NEVER happen."
ManufacturerLess7116
"I seem to pratice potential conversations all the time. Or re-act a scene from a movie in my head. Or Redo a conversation I had earlier with somebody. By the third or fourth time replaying the conversation I sound so much smarter and quick wit. You know what, I going to pretend that’s how that conversation really went with my coworker."
CH11DW
“wetting”
"I wet my toothbrush, put on the toothpaste and then wet it again. Always wondered if this was normal but never asked."
tehkitryan
"I used to do this until very recently. I was wondering one day if the second wetting makes any noticeable difference. After a bit of testing, no wetting is very noticeable and not recommended, but I didn’t notice any difference between one or two wettings. I now absolutely despise the word 'wetting' as of typing this comment, but I only wet my toothbrush once."
LucidLumi
Clear!
Rubbing Season 3 GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy"Clearing a notification off my phone as soon as I get it, deleting most of my texts after a few days, and then swiping up on any open pages/apps at the end of the day."
byah1601
Me and Myself
"I talk to myself all the time, will also speak gibberish and make random other sounds. I feel weird about it, but I'm convinced it's way more normal than not. I think maybe I just somewhat subconsciously hate when things are too quiet."
leotonius
"My wife and I do this so definitely not you. Do you also ever feel compelled to mimic a sound after you hear it? It doesn't matter what it is, speech or some random sound, I find myself almost forced to do it especially if it's a unique or standout sound. Most of the time I don't even register the compulsion, I just hear the sound and mimic."
BookooBreadCo
We're all gifted. Feel no shame people. That is all.
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Life is beautiful.
But life is really damn arduous.
Every day we're witness to the unfairness of it all.
That can cause some deep internal struggle.
And then that's why people change.
Sometimes for the worse.
Redditor Brianna6871 wanted to compare notes on what makes us all... over it, so they asked:
"What has caused you to become bitter?"
Becoming bitter is easy. I try to fight against it.
Loyalty is overrated...
Happy Season 5 GIF by The OfficeGiphy"Being with my company for 8 years then finding out new people that I trained make more than me."
km8907
"If it makes you feel any better, this is very common. Loyalty is overrated. The more you stay, the more they take you for granted. I also made the same mistake."
sensiferum
K.I.T
"Attempting to stay in contact with friends and then realizing they wouldn’t do the same for you once you stop."
Snowgoosey
"I agree. I used (and still do, to some extent) to have the mentality of 'don't make it into a competition, if you care about someone- contact them!'" And I did. But after 10 times of being the one initiating the conversation I just wonder if they'd bother to do the same."
"Each time they say 'I've been meaning to call you!' and they never do. And I'm talking good friends who share history together, not someone I met a month ago at the gym. I still love them of course, but this bugs me and leaves a bitter taste whenever I think of them."
Michelle_Evelyn
Hard Pills
"Expectations. I had these expectations about how life was supposed to go, how I was supposed to be. Life didn't work out that way, and I know it was my own doing by having those expectations, but I'm still bitter about it."
edgarpickle
"I find that going from 'promising and intelligent young person' to 'average middle-aged man' has been a hard pill to swallow that snuck up on me. I will say that having a young child and great partner still gives me lots of joy and hope."
GarconMeansBoyGeorge
Burned Out
"Working in healthcare."
RemoteForeign3300
"Worked a decade in healthcare, seven years in the military and three as a civilian. Every professional I ever met, from the doctor on down to the nursing assistant, was burned out and sick of seeing patients. It was amazing I stayed as long as I did."
BroScience4LYFE
"Yes, I feel like part of me changed drastically because of this. Don't get me wrong, I really like to work in a hospital but sometimes it make me lose faith in humanity."
Yeny356
Life
Angry Aubrey Plaza GIF by Parks and RecreationGiphy"Aging and realizing that good, kind people suffer and die far more often than the sh**heads of the world."
Josephdirte
Aging is a good thing but can be sad. Who doesn't miss the past?
Nothing to do...
I Have No Idea Reaction GIF by MTV Movie & TV AwardsGiphy"After realizing that hard work is not fairly rewarded. Someone else who is lazier and/or less competent can get something that you wanted/deserved, and there's nothing you can do about it."
kofed62181
The End
"The death of my wife."
Pitbull60usa
"I’m with you. My husband died 3 years and 4 days ago at the age of 42. It’s not just that your favourite person and best friend in the world is gone. It’s that everything you thought would be your future is gone too."
"Cancer f**king sucks."
Intelligent-Low6442
"Dude I'm so sorry I couldn't imagine. Just know she wouldn't want you to be bitter at the world. She would want you to be happy, easier said then done but do some s**t for you man maybe take a trip or something."
"Nothing will ever change the pain, but shaking life up might at least mix it up with other emotions. All the love!!"
knowledge-is-power91
The Past
"Realizing my childhood trauma left me unable to form meaningful relationships and now I have to invest a crap ton of money and time to maybe (!) achieve some sort of progress and peace. I envy the people who grew up with loving parents and have the confidence to choose good friends, partners and look at life with hope."
whatdrivesme_insane
Worse and worse...
"The unshakable hopelessness that the world is only getting worse and worse. No matter what we do to try and better ourselves financially will be met with some new corporate bullshi**ery that will knock us back down. I'm losing my motivation to keep pressing forward. I just want to retreat into my apartment and do what makes me happy until I die."
"Working on my masters in education right now, and as much as I want to teach in school, all the horror stories I see all over the place are making me wonder if this is the right choice. It really feels like I'm jumping into a bureaucratic hellhole, but I've invested this much time, money, and energy into this career that I have to see it through."
Cedrico123
Trust Fail
"My ex cheated on me. My job told me a bunch of lies to get me in the door and now I feel mistreated. Housing is a nightmare and landlords just take your application money and give the place to someone else. It feels like everybody is just out for themselves and I can’t trust what anyone says. I’m tired."
exhale358
Oh Humanity
Good Night No GIF by Robert E BlackmonGiphy"People."
JimAbaddon
"The general public has gotten so much worse over the years. I really dislike having to interact."
NCBadAsp
Life can certainly get us down. Even if we try squeezing the lemons into lemonade, you tend to get some pulp in your eye.
Do you have any experiences to share? Let us know in the comments
People Divulge The One Secret That Would Change The Way People Saw Them If They Found Out
Everyone has a secret–a shameful history, an embarrassing tendency, or a life hack they want to keep to themselves.
Whatever it is, secrets can either completely destroy one's reputation because of a regretful past or make them venerated for an admirable act done anonymously to avoid praise.
These mysterious qualities keep you from fully understanding who your friends really are.
Do you truly really know your boss, the person you've looked up to all your life, your child, or even your spouse?
What would happen if you discovered something about them that wasn't intended for you to find out?
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor Difficult-House6853 asked:
"What’s a secret that would change how the people around you look at you if they knew?"
If you think you know everyone in your little community, you have another think coming.
Former Group Member
"I was in a cult for a couple years."
– Sleepy-Spacemen
The Escape Plan
"All of my friends and family are Jehovahs witnesses, they think I am but I plan to leave. 85% of them will shun me when I leave."
– Allegedlystupid
Complete Christening
"Our house was the first one on our street to be built. My husband and I had sex in every single house on our street while they were under construction. I imagine our neighbors would look at us differently if they know we’d f'ked in their house before they even had a chance to."
– MediocreMerkin
The discussion people have with themselves can be startling.
The Passive Confidante
"People think that I’m a good listener, and that just makes them say things to me that they really shouldn’t. I’m only listening because I don’t want to be rude, not because I care. Don’t tell me your family secrets, please."
– A_Guy_From_The_ME
Inner Dialogue
"My intrusive thoughts. Holy sh*t sometimes i surprise myself on how gnarly i think in just a second."
– MaybeNot_MaybeYes
All The Vulernabilities
"How incredibly terrified I am nearly all of the time. I'm not confident, I don't think I'm in control any more, I don't think I can do this. And still, here I go"
– Bron_3
Let's play trivia with the people you think you know well.
Lawbreaker
"I’m a convicted felon. Nothing violent, a white collar crime."
– PhotographIcy600
Easily Detached
"I have a very hard time liking/growing fond of people, even after knowing them for years. I could just drop all contact with them and not miss them at all. Was like this even as a child, all the way to now…"
– Infinite_Ebb_2856
More Than Meets The Eye
"I’m a janitor. But I’m worth over a million dollars because I own real estate."
– Flashy-Weather3529
Everyone is entitled to keeping secrets.
But has anything good ever come as a result of revealing something you've kept close to yourself?
I have. Coming out while I was in college made me feel like a heavy burden was lifted once I received an outpouring of love and support from friends and family.
What changed was not only their perception of who I truly was, but also how I viewed them.
I regretted having underestimated them–thinking they wouldn't embrace me for who I am as a person–when the exact opposite wound up happening.
I do acknowledge that everyone does not have the same experience.
I've been very lucky and I count my blessings for all the love surrounding me in my life.
Due to the nature of the discussion, this article contains movie spoilers.
There's nothing quite like sitting down to watch an incredibly good movie with equally great company and food.
But the movie can become a particularly special experience if it's surprising in some way, like having a unique plot twist.
Redditor Gooderzk asked:
"Which movie has the best plot twist?"
The Prestige
"'The Prestige.' It seems so obvious when I rewatch it, but when I first saw it I was blown away. The ending was a big shock to me, as well."
- kee80
"I love how the movie tells you exactly what will happen in the opening scene, and you spend the whole movie letting yourself get fooled exactly like it said, but then the prestige happens."
- OldManHipsAt30
Inside Man
"'Inside Man' is a good movie like 'The Prestige.' It tells you what is going to happen at the start and there’s so much sh*t going on for the rest of the movie you absolutely forget they ever did that until you get to the end."
- ImmoralModerator
Frailty
"I would never call it my favorite, but I always thought its twist elevated a would-be schlock story into something memorable."
- ArthurBonesly
Primal Fear
"When I read the question, 'Primal Fear' is the first thing that popped into my head. Great movie with a great twist at the end."
- archie905
Saw
"Yeah, it's gross, but 'Saw' had a great plot twist."
- MlecznyHuxel99
"Not only is it a great twist, it’s not at the end, either. There’s one movie, the twist, and then allll the fallout afterward. It doesn’t just twist and fade to black."
- Randvek
"That plot twist redeemed it for me. I just wasn't enjoying it, and then bam, 'What the h**l did I just watch!?!'"
- jackfaire
Arrival
"'Arrival' has an incredible twist and is probably my favorite movie of the last 20 years."
"The twist holds up incredibly well on repeat viewings. That's the sign of a good twist in my opinion. The bad ones (including some mentioned here IMO) tend to invalidate a lot of the movie. Great twists add layers of depth to previous events."
- doktarr
Cabin in the Woods
"Well, the entire movie is one big twist; 'Cabin in the Woods.'"
"Not spoiling it. It must be watched blind, but, totally worth the watch."
- valeran46
Oldboy
"Hard to find the Korean version, but in my opinion, 'Oldboy' is a must-watch if you can find it. It’s English subtitled but nothing could prepare me, lol (laughing out loud). Don’t watch the remake, only the original version."
- Striball
The Sixth Sense
"'The Sixth Sense' was such a big deal that the director is still able to make big budget flops over and over again anytime he wants to."
- PMYourTiny
Gone Girl
"Am I the only person that wanted to jump into the screen and strangle that woman???"
- themissrebecca103
"Just from watching that movie I've had this hatred for the actor that played the chick, she did such an insane job of depicting her character that now I just cringe at her face in other movies."
- Crazy-visit-5078
Se7en
"'Se7en.' I was not expecting that ending and will never watch that movie again."
- FreshStarLiving
Parasite
"I went from, 'Hey, this is a really fun and entertaining movie, but why is it up for an Oscar,' to 'Holy f**king mother of God' in about five seconds flat, lol (laughing out loud)."
- MissPinkieB
Shutter Island
"'Shutter Island' is an obvious pick."
"Probably the greatest plot twist I've ever seen, at least on par with 'The Sixth Sense,' in my opinion."
"And it gets even crazier when you realize that Andrew Laeddis was faking his delirium at the end because he wanted to be lobotomized. He had fully 'come back' to his normal cognitive capacities but simply couldn't live with the guilt over what he had done."
- washington_breadstix
Crazy, Stupid Love
"I was taken by surprise during the twist in that movie."
- 0rangePolarBear
Book of Eli
"I wasn't expecting the twist. But if you rewatch the movie, you actually see it's shown since the beginning. D**n, Denzel Washington can act."
- Khaos_Gorvin
For those who love a movie with a solid twist, this list is a great place to start. In the meantime, for those of us who have seen these films, it might be time for a rewatch.
It's not surprising that each country is different, with various beliefs and rules, but what is always eye-opening is what one country will deem a basic necessity, another will deem an expensive, even allusive, luxury.
Americans in particular are often perplexed by the luxuries that Europeans are able to enjoy on a daily basis, which Americans would not be able to have without paying a premium.
Redditor Specialist-Metal-458 asked:
"Americans, what do Europeans have every day that you see as a luxury?"
Required Vacation Time
"My husband (we’re Canadian) did his post-doc in Finland; when he was signing his contract, they said, 'You’ll get six weeks paid vacation and you HAVE to take it.'"
"He was shocked. He had friends elsewhere doing post-docs who were doing 14-hour work days, six to seven days per week, and with no vacation, let alone PAID vacation."
"One of the years when he was nearing the end of his cycle, HR reached out and in a panic said, 'You have 3.5 days that you HAVE to use,' unbeknownst to us. So, we booked a trip for an extended weekend away."
"I miss that. And it’s something we both negotiate when starting new jobs; rather take a bit of a lower salary with more vacation time."
- ahope1985
Paid-Paid Vacation
"Six weeks vacation, extra pay just for vacation (at least in Germany), government healthcare."
- Royal_Acanthisitta51
"Wait. Is that paid... paid vacation??"
- a**lly_ExpressUrself
"Yes, lots of companies give half a month extra pay for vacation each year. Some also give half a month's extra pay for Christmas. It's like, 'Here's some extra money for you to have a nice vacation or a nice holiday.' It's quite common for larger companies."
- DnDVex
"I am an American who is now living in Sweden and a Swedish citizen, and I will never NOT be amazed that I have the legal right to four continuous weeks of paid vacation during the summer. THE LEGAL RIGHT."
"Literally amazing."
- ingenfara
Affordable Drinks
"This is only really true for Southern Europe, but cheap wine by the glass, cheap coffee, and pastries."
"Cafes in the US are marketed as very trendy and if you want a pastry and a coffee, you should be ready to pay eight to ten dollars. In most of Italy, Portugal, and Spain, you can get coffee and a croissant for three euros (approximately three dollars)."
- kulkdaddy47
Particularly Affordable Wine
"Where I live in Spain, the standard price for a glass of wine in a cafe or every day (non-fancy, equivalent of a diner) restaurant is 80c - €1. In a restaurant, I’ll usually order a half liter for about €4 (That’s 2/3 bottle of wine)."
"Soda and bottled water are more expensive. Soda is usually €1.20-1.60."
- KimchiMaker
"At Denver International Airport last month, I paid $23 for a glass of wine that I know would cost about $7 per bottle at Costco. Probably €4 per bottle in Italy. It was like getting robbed in broad daylight without a gun, but I get really nervous before flying."
- Missmoneysterling
Slower Living
"Time! I spent time abroad in Italy for school, and there was just so much less of a 'rush' everywhere. Oftentimes the latest person to my classes were professors. Everyone really took their time and I didn't really feel the bustle of constantly 'going' somewhere when I was there."
"I mean, dang, the village my apartment was located in shut down for a few hours in the afternoon so the shopkeepers could go have lunch. It was wild."
- SpaceMush
University-Bound
"Affordable universities… our daughter is going to university in Scotland. Our US friends always respond with shock at the 'luxury' of going overseas for school until I tell them it’s half of the cost of an equivalent US college. That includes travel expenses."
- Crafty-Arachnid6824
Accessible Public Transportation
"This blew me away traveling in Europe. It doesn’t matter where you are, even if it’s some middle-of-nowhere farm town, you’re never far from a train station, and you can just hop a train and go anywhere you want."
"I would love to have that here, but noooo, we only have rail links between some major cities, and since I live in a more rural area, I have to drive four or more hours everywhere. In Europe, all I had to do was drive 20 minutes to a train station and then just chill on the train for a few hours. It was great!"
- SirTophamFat
Well-Balanced Work
"An American friend of ours was gobsmacked that I have a well-paid, head of department level job, don't work unpaid overtime, and get 33 days paid holiday a year, with eight days of public holiday on top."
- Major_Twain
Extensive Travel
"They can travel between different countries in Europe without spending days driving or flying."
- WhimsicalGrenade
"And without border controls or checkups! I can just sit in a car here in Germany and drive to France and all the other EU countries, just realizing I’m in another country because of the traffic signs."
"Once I sat in a Train and slept in, after like 30 minutes I woke up, got off the Train, and realized I’m in Enschede, Netherlands. (Living in NRW, so pretty close to the border). I was like Hm, okay, I've got 50€ in my pocket, so I decided to visit a coffee shop and walk a bit through the City until the next Train in the right direction arrived. Like I’d do in every other City while traveling by train."
- DisguisedAccount
Publicly Acceptable
"Being able to walk around town with a beer is awesome."
"Public transportation in non-huge cities is also awesome."
- ooo-ooo-oooyea
Bathroom Conditions
"Bathroom stalls that actually go to the floor. I don’t need to know what shoes the guy taking a s**t next to me has on."
- maxncheese67
"Don't forget the intentional gaps on the doors."
- jensbert
E. All of the Above.
"Healthcare. Life work balance. Walkable communities. Great train service."
- zunzarella
Legitimate Sick Days
"I recently read a post about an American residential doctor who couldn't afford to take a vacation because they had to spend it on sick days."
"Not going to lie, my brain short-circuited at that a bit. Was a doctor supposed to come sick to a hospital full of other sick people to avoid personal financial penalties?"
- HQMorganstern
Paid Parental Leave
"Paid parental leave. I had used all of my leave with my first kid, so when I had another kid a year and a half later, I was back on my feet teaching in under six weeks."
"Dogs get better treatment than working mothers."
- ElegantGoose
The Need of a Car
"Not having to use a car every single time that you leave your house... For a lot of people, you have to go drive somewhere to safely take a walk... This place can be a h**l, and it is numbing."
- _aelius
It's All About Perspective
"As a European, I'm amazed how you guys (Americans) are looking at certain things I consider basic needs as luxuries."
- FridgeParade
As the final Redditor pointed out, it's terrible to think that Americans see what others view as basic necessities as a luxury that they can only dream of having.