Traditionally, when you're a kid, the adults in your life may try to shield you from the realities of the world. But eventually, we realize our parents are also people with full lives lead before we were even a glimmer in their eye.
Once you've grown up, you might put together the pieces you couldn't see when you were younger.
As we lose our innocence, we come to find out a lot of strange things may have been happening right in front of us, but only time would reveal those truths.
Redditor imnotsteven7 asked:
"What's something you realized about a family member once you got older?"
Here are some of the things people realized about their family much later in life.
Dad was trying his best.
"When I was a kid my dad and I had a tradition every week of going to the video store and renting a movie or two to watch together. I remember I used to get really upset at him because every single time we'd actually start to watch the movie he would fall asleep."
"It wasn't until I was older that I realized that the reason he would fall asleep was because he was exhausted from working two very physically demanding jobs to try and give me the best life he possibly could. On top of that, even though he was tired he still made an effort to try and start a little tradition with me and spend time with me."
"Those memories of me having to nudge my dad awake are so great in my eyes, because they made me realize what a caring and hard working man he was and still is to this day."
- -eDgAR-
"That my father (who I blamed for my miserable childhood) was possibly the best person I have ever known. Turns out, I made my childhood miserable all by myself; he was just trying to correct my path whilst raising 4 kids as a single parent and slowly dying from cancer."
- Bramyam
"You were a turd kid but grew up into an introspective adult. How did you achieve that?"
- Arctic_Snowfox
"Emotionally difficult life circumstances and events humble you, and make you realize that good things are taken for granted."
- FistInMyUrethra
What being the "cool" adult really means.
"My aunt was always the fun one who gave awesome presents because she was living well beyond her means, drowning in crippling debt, and committing various financial crimes."
- MightyMinx
"Yup. The 'cool' adult when you’re a kid, always turns out to just be an irresponsible adult."
- Proper_Praline
"My friends and classmates whose parents were 'cool' turned out to be terrible parents in hindsight. Letting your kids and their friends drink and smoke weed openly in the house when they are waaay underage is sh*tty parenting."
- Vegetable-Double
He had a traumatic past.
"That my dad actually had a pretty traumatic childhood. His mom died recently and he and his semi-estranged siblings are working together for the first time since they were kids to clean out her house. I've been learning a lot of new childhood stories as a result."
"My mom told me that my dad has always told her that the best thing he can do to make up for his sh*tty childhood is to give me and my siblings a better one. My dad isn't an emotional, lovey dovey guy at all, so hearing that really got me good."
- ActivityFar178
"My father does not show emotion either, I realized he cared about me when I saw how my friends parents treated them vs. How mine did. As I grew up I realized my dad matured at a very young age for similar reasons."
- spenser1994
He was "traveling."
"That my uncle wasn’t traveling—he was doing 30 years for homicide."
"He was working for sketchy people at some time and the gray area between legal and illegal sometimes gets mixed up over here, so according to him he didn’t do it (which is plausible) as all evidence was circumstantial and he was not directly affiliated with anyone and the people he worked with murder was far from an uncommon option to solve issues."
"He was condemned on qualified homicide with maximum sentence of 30 years, did I think 22 under closed regime and a few more in open and right now is completely free after some sentence deductions."
- Much_Committee_9355
Cop or gangster?
"My uncle was/is a gangster. I thought he was a police officer because of all the guns he always had with him."
- shooki007
"This is funny to me because I have a cousin who I thought was a criminal because of how he looked. Turned out he was an undercover cop at the time."
- pris-0
"I used to live between a cop and a drug dealer. Both great neighbours."
- nanfanpancam
It can take time to see what's right in front of us.
"That my grandfather, who was the best grandfather I could ever ask for, had been a sh*tty, abusive father."
- Hemenucha
"I finally pieced together that my grandfather, who raised me, has never been sober in my entire life. He started drinking in the morning, stopped when he fell asleep. He ran a pawn business with a full glass of scotch always within reach, even in view of customers. He fired a manager for suggesting he hide his drinking."
"That glass was never empty nor left his side, even while driving with my child self in the car. He went so far as to pack a cooler specifically for ice and booze on road trips. He once got on my a** for asking him not to bring a literal open glass of alcohol into my car when I started driving as a teenager. Still, it took me a ridiculous amount of time to realize he was an alcoholic."
- Pervy_writing
"Conferences" aren't what we thought they were.
"That my parents were smoking pot when they had their 'conferences' before watching Godzilla movies with me as a kid."
- StoneCold_SteveIrwin
"I call it getting air lol but I'm sure my kids know."
- Pkdagreat
"My parents called it 'talking about Christmas/birthday presents' and that’s why we weren’t allowed in the garage when their friends were over."
- BananaSlug1876
The gay relatives.
"My uncle didn’t go out to California and THEN turn gay."
- Accomplished-Fig496
"My aunts that live together weren't sisters."
- Trollamp
He was right.
"That my uncle was right about my mum."
"He suffered with alcohol addiction due to depression and when my rabbit died he accused my mum in a blind rage of killing my rabbit. He was drunk so I didn't really believe him but he said I'd realize what she was like when I was older."
"Then it hit me about a incident when I was little my mum was cross at me shed taken my hamster to the bath put him in the tub and threatened to drown him. Turned on the taps and I beat her legs pushed passed her and got him. I started thinking if she did that was it possible she'd killed my rabbit."
"I don't think she did but over the years as I grew older I noticed more and more what my uncle meant he died in 2009 at 40 from pneumonia in our house."
"My mum was being odd when I got in said she was waiting for the doctor for him and then we found him not breathing in his room, I don't think she deliberately didn't call a ambulance earlier but there's always a part of me that wonders."
- ExpensiveMoth
Auntie Was A Man
"(Originally my uncle) is a transgender woman and going to see her as a kid I didn’t understand the concept of transgenderism. I knew she was a woman but in a way she wasn’t, living with her girlfriend."
"My younger sister was smarter than I was and clued in at 4 years old that two girls living together must mean they were lesbian."
"Another thing about that is that I always knew that she was my moms sister but always wondered why she never came to family dinners or for Christmas or birthdays."
"Then all these years later I hear my grandpa talking about his political views and realized he’s a pretty far right conservative and it all came together."
– motorcitywings20
Blood Money
"I always thought my uncle was just a great fun guy that was always a blast to have at christmas dinners. He used to give me $50-100 for Christmas (which is a lot of money for a 9 year old). My parents would get big cuts of expensive meat and expensive bottles of champagne...."
"Turns out he's just a raging heroin addict and mostly those gifts were obtained through crime."
– DPEYoda
The Grandfather's History
"So this isn’t me personally but it’s mainly my mom and grandfather who found this out about my grandfather’s brother."
"My grandfather had a military family all of his three brothers went to Vietnam and Korea. He on the other hand couldn’t go due to him having polio as a young child and messing up his leg. My entire family knew about his brothers being in the military and going off to war and killing people. However, one of my grandfather’s brothers was ALWAYS traveling or gone on “vacation” (you may see where this is going)"
"This all happened when the guy was in his 20s - 30s and then he retired from the military. Going ahead 40+ years my whole family was sitting around the table during thanksgiving and having a good time. I wasn’t born yet so idk what happened specifically. My grandfather’s brother then stands up while everyone is eating and hits his glass with a spoon to get everyone’s attention. He then proceeded to tell everyone he was a spy for the CIA and how he would go on recon missions into Mexico, Vietnam, Korea, and MANY other places. He had just turned 75 which is the age when he is legally allowed to spread the information because most of the information would be of no use by then."
"The few times I met him he was a great guy with the nicest wife. He had the classic biker beard and really long hair. He has sadly since passed away along with my grandfather. His stories however still remain!"
– yougaygitrekt
The Disorder
"That my 'aunt' (My grandmother's cousin? ) acted differently because she was mentally handicapped due to some disorder caused by inbreeding. Her parents were Appalachians, her father was named Alpha Omega and he got caught banging his cousin behind a shed and the family made them get married. They had several disabled children."
"Edit: disorder was PKU. She and her siblings all had it, it is known to be an incest issue. The baby doesn't initially develop handicapped but becomes that way due to an amino acid building up in the body and causing brain damage. It is treatable now so the kids don't become disabled I think? Wasn't treatable back then."
– SincerelySasquatch
Swingers
"My aunt and uncle were swingers and that’s why the couples living on either side of their house kept moving in, getting a divorce and moving out."
– Lifes_like_this
Blended Family
"Was part of a blended family, and found out my grandparents on my adoptive side were putting money away for my younger sister who was biologically related to them, but not me. I was adopted at 6 and my sister was born that year. They didn’t start saving for her until I was already 10, meaning I’d known them longer than my sister."
"They also would make a point to tell me how I was just as real family to them as anyone and blood didn’t matter. I found out when my parents got divorced at 18 that the whole time they were giving my sister money and not me."
"Gut punch."
– josiahpapaya
Tragic Past
"An uncle was an alcoholic who got into an accident and killed a family of four. He survived. He didn't serve a day in physical prison, but mentally, he was wrecked."
– Viker2000
You Never Know What Anyone Might Be Struggling With
"I always thought my Uncle was just naturally mean and didn't like us, in reality he was just in an unhappy marriage and took it out on everyone else. Since his divorce I still can't believe it is the same guy."
– Alert-Coconut6503
Reflecting back on our childhood can be difficult, but often healing.
We may realize the people in our lives were trying their best and we didn't see it at the time.
However, we cannot change the past.
We can only move forward with the knowledge we have now.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
Currently, the federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25. There's still a large portion of the population, 1.6 million people, who are working at or below the minimum wage as of 2019.
With inflation, this number really doesn't add up when we look at the cost of living.
Tons of minimum wage workers would want to make $100k per year if they had the chance. But would the money be worth the often boring, repetitive, and even physically demanding jobs?
We went to AskReddit to find out.
Redditor Drakken11577 asked:
"Would you bag groceries for the entirety of your working career if you got paid $100,000 a year to do it? Why or why not?"
Let's see how this debate plays out.
Money is money.
"Yeah. I go to work to make money. That’s money."
- Bloebmn
"I would like a job with the least amount of responsibility."
- redrumWinsNational
"Yep. Presuming you aren't working 90 hour weeks or whatever and it's just normal work hours, I don't particularly mind what I do for work. I'm there to cover the expenses of the fun stuff I do when NOT working. As long as work/life balance is good so I can enjoy me free time I don't mind it being repetitive."
- Sasparillafizz
It's like a game.
"I used to bag when I worked at a grocery store and it was great. It was like playing Tetris with real objects and I got to chat and joke with people who came through the line."
"A perfectly packed bag is so satisfying."
- I_Am_The_Cattle
"Have you ever managed to get it all in one bag? I've had times customers hand me one bag and go 'I don't think it'll all fit in there,' I look back and go 'challenge accepted.'
"Not only is a perfectly packed bag satisfying, when you managed to pack it so everything fits in nicely in the one bag; now that's another level of satisfaction."
"Of course I only try to get it all in one bag if they're isn't too much and if there isn't a lot of heavy items."
- pixie13903
Bag Boys.
"Hell, I'd even wear a name tag that says 'Bag Boy.'"
- JTodd078
"Bag Boys For Life."
- howwouldiknow--
Raises with inflation.
"Does that wage increase with inflation? 100k might not be much in 20 years. With some persistence and dedication however, I think my working career could be over by then 100k/year."
- Due_Independent3191
"Sure..yea you get regular raises in line with inflation."
- Drakken11577
"Can someone put you in charge of real life please?"
- WhatWouldSatanDo
"Mmmm gurl what those BENEFITS look like tho?"
- UGLYWOLFF
"The benefits are $100k a year for packing groceries."
- rantxtotheend
"Even 50k with great health benefits, I would probably leave for a job with 100k and no benefits."
- A_Change_of_Seasons
It wouldn't motivate them.
"I personally wouldn't. I would get bored in no time being a robot. I personally rather do something that motivates me to get up every day."
- Davicillo
"I agree. I need to feel fulfilled with my work. Going to work takes me away from my child and family. I know I can live on very little money because I have in the past. My work needs to give me more than just financial reward."
- frikadela01
"I agree. I’ve left higher paying jobs because they were mind numbing. I’ve stayed on lower paying jobs because I really enjoyed and was learning something new I could leverage for later."
- OhIamNotADoctor
"I bagged groceries in high school. For most of the year, there were busy parts of the day, and then long stretches where nothing would happen. So you'd either be frantically bagging things for a huge line of people, or just staring at the wall. Plus standing still and hunched over reaching down into bags all day isn't good for your posture. It's not fun."
- RahvinDragand
They make that money already.
"I make 100k a year. It's the easiest job in the world, but I hate it. I'm at a point where I would rather do something I like doing for less money than be miserable. Bagging groceries does not sound like something I would enjoy."
- unmerciful0u812
"I used to make 80k doing something I hated. Now I make 65k working at a nonprofit I love and couldn’t be happier."
- mike_lawrence
Pros out weigh the cons.
"I'd like to say yes, and I'd probably take it. It may preclude me from ever doing anything else I may enjoy and there's obviously no room for advancement, yet at the same time the job details on this are very lucrative."
"For the most part while the job itself is boring and repetitive, and also a lot of customer drama, this type of job isn't going to be one you'll take problems home with. You won't be on call after hours to respond to emergencies, nor are you going to have to take work home with you either."
"You also won't have to be constantly retrained or go back to school or recertified, etc..."
"There's a lot of upsides to this, I'll grant you. A few downsides too, but weighing them together I probably would take something like this."
- llcucf80
The money wouldn't make up for it.
"Yup. Packing was my first job. And I hated every second of it. Between the co-workers who bullied me at school, the insane customers and the sheer boredom, it was extremely unpleasant."
"For those who say the money makes up for it? In my experience money makes up for a sh*tty job for surprisingly limited time."
- gpcprog
"Average salary is something like 53k in the states, median is only around 35k since everything is so skewed to the top, so I'm guessing the majority of people are jumping at this opportunity even if they aren't happy with the work type though."
- cromli
Trophies
"Not gonna lie, when I was in high school, my manager at the grocery store where I worked wanted to send me to the regional bagging competition. I thought I was too cool for that and declined. Looking back I wish I had gone and maybe gotten a trophy. That would have been awesome."
- chickenlounge
This, this, this...
"Yes. Not many jobs that pay $100k annual can be forgotten about once you leave the "office". $100k for something I can 100% forget about when I'm off the clock? Yes."
- WiseDonkey593
"This, this, this. This is why it would be such a great life. No stress once you’ve clocked out for $100,000 p/a? Incomparably sweet deal."
- PanpsychismIsTrue
win/win??
"Absolutely, I currently bag groceries for far less than that already… win/win."
- Sh1rinz
"I wouldn't... UNLESS the hours were the usual M-F office hours. Bonus points if I can work 4/10's or 9/80's. Also... if I'm hourly... can I still work overtime at the $100k a year rate and make even more?? That would be a deal and a half."
- Buy-N-Sell
I'll take It!
"I’d kill for a job like that."
- Dangerous_Concept341
"Wouldn't be anywhere near 60 hours. This is a real job. I would guess the average grocery bagger gets maybe 24 hours a week. So for this hypothetical to be as accurate as possible to the job that actually exists, it would be 24 hours per week for 100k. I would definitely take this job."
- mynextthroway
The Organizer
"Yes, I’m extremely good at Organizing & $100,000 a year would be worth putting up with peoples attitude and lack of humanity skills."
- TrippyTrixxxy21
"You could also, laugh at them for making less than you. as 100K a year would equal a pay of about 48$ based on a 40 hour work week. At 52 weeks total."
- darknessblades
What else can I do?
"Can I like… sweep the isles or fetch carts, and help old ladies out to their cars too? Or is it strictly packing bags."
- Primal_Directive
"When I was a bagger, I did that stuff and more, it’s really just whatever the managers want you to do so they don’t have to do it. It’s mostly bagging but there’s a lot of other random stuff you’ll be doing too."
- DJDarwin93
Tranquil Fun
"Sure thing. It's simple, low stress (I worked in a couple grocery stores before), can't be blamed for very much at all. Right now I make less than 100k and I'm responsible for oodles of stuff. Less for more? Hell yeah. The only downside I see if that those types of jobs have no benefits and often mandatory holiday work."
- ohmynymph
40 Years +
"I could literally do anything I want in my free time with that much money, and live super comfortably. I could fucking pay off my parents mortgage while STILL living comfortably. Not to mention if you live below your means you can invest that and then by the time you’re old and don’t want to work anymore, bam, you’ve got 40 years (in my case) of saving $10,000 a year and investing another $10,000. I don’t dream of labor. I can’t think of any traditional job that I would rather have than getting $100,000 a year."
- derpberp1
What are the hours?
"Totally depends on the working hours/conditions and shifts. I’m in the UK and work 37 hours (37 paid, 1 hour enforced break a day unpaid) a week for an above average wage, I get 38 days total annual leave, excellent working conditions - no evening or weekend work. Match my current conditions, increase pay in line with inflation and let me compress those 37 hours over 3 or 4 days a week then I’ll sign the contract right now."
- InncnceDstryr
ANYTHING!!
GIF by ShowtimeGiphy"I’d shovel dog crap for 100k a year."
- monkeymayhem_
"Mate, I'd eat dog shit for 100k year...just uh, not a lot of it."
- SausageintheSky
There are trade offs for both.
The money, as wonderful as it is, might not be enough to do the job forever.
Whatever the case, it sure would make a lot of people's lives better if we gave everyone a living wage.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
You may have heard of the phrase "retail therapy" before, which is the act of buying things for personal enjoyment.
Well, there's some truth to that.
The University of Michigan actually studied the affects of shopping on our sadness levels. Purchasing something you enjoy can actually decrease sadness 40 times better than not purchasing something.
There are tons of other benefits like dopamine increases, anxiety reduction and improved mood. We wanted to know what people are buying to give them that rush of happy hormones and increase their joy.
Redditor greyblacknavytan asked:
"What can you buy for $75 or less that will provide the most happiness?"
It might be time to start a wish list!
A sweet treat.
"The chocolate bar I’m eating right now is doing it for me. It's a Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate sea salt and caramel."
- knovit
"$75 of Tony’s is a great use of money imo."
- lostinbass
The amino acids in chocolate actually change our brain patterns to make us happy, so definitely a good investment.
Your neck will thank you.
"Get a nice pillow. So worth it. I got the a memory foam one from Amazon for $50. My neck is in premature heaven."
- googlemeagoose
"Memory foam pillows are hit or miss. For me, they're all miss. Feels like I'm resting my head on a rock."
- Snoo74401
"I was the same way until I got a pillow that you stuff to your own firmness with shredded memory foam. It has the feel of a memory foam pillow but it's 'fluffier' if that makes sense. Add to that the customizability of the firmness and you have a perfect pillow IMHO. Just don't throw the extra stuffing away immediately, sleep on it for a while and adjust as needed."
- liberal_texan
Splurge on some nice food.
"Food."
"I'm poor but not so poor that food is the main concern. What I mean is some nice cuts of meat, chanterelles, russet potatoes, cream, a nice wine and the rest for beer. I could make a meal for kings on that. It would make me so happy!"
- Redditor
"For sure, similarly you could even provide a meal for a group of friends for that amount which would make a group of people happy."
- Chocolateismy
Invest in your hobbies.
"Invest in a hobby like good hiking boots or high quality yarn for knitting or so on. Hobbies keep you happier, healthier, and can help you make new friends."
- Fredredphooey
"Good hiking boots are going to cost more than $75."
- Captain_Hammertoe
"Save money by buying just one boot."
- Ian1732
11 years of happiness.
"I paid the Humane Society about $75 when I adopted my cat; he has thus far provided me with 11 years of affection."
- MatthewHWood
For something silly.
"Googly eyes and some blue tack."
- asthma_mermaid
"This is my favorite first date. Just walk around sticking googly eyes to stuff together. It's always so much fun."
- Skrappyross
"Another one I really liked was leaving sweet notes in books in a bookstore."
"We took some notecards and wrote a short paragraph or two about a favorite book. What we'd enjoyed about it, how we wished we could read it again for the first time, that we were excited the new owner of the book is on the verge of that experience. We signed them with our (common) first names, but included no other contact information."
"Then we snuck them into books in a bookstore."
"It was a super fun date."
- TheDiplocrap
Just vibes.
"I clicked on this thinking I'd be enlightened by some suggestions... Instead, everyone is telling me to do drugs, go to the gym, and relax with a vibrator."
"OK... You all convinced me. I'm going to buy a vibrator."
- jonsconspiracy
"Vibrators are pretty enlightening tbh."
- dumbbinch99
Make a donation.
"3 cataract [treatments] to restore sight via the Fred Hollows foundation."
- SaffyAs
This can apply to any foundation of your choosing! You're sharing joy with those who need it.
A bidet.
"100% a bidet. A clean butthole makes for a happy day."
- thr0w4w4yanon
"Bidets are so underrated. I just don't feel clean without it anymore, yk?"
- possumpussie
Maybe you don't have $75 to spend right now.
Well, even the act of filling up your online shopping cart and hitting "save for later" can give a rush a dopamine.
You're definitely worth that little bit of joy from buying that item that's been sitting in your cart for weeks.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
People Share The Things That Require More Heroism Than People Are Given Credit For
When we think of a "hero" we might think of someone in a cape who's saving civilians from terror. Or maybe we think of the essential workers we've called heroes throughout the pandemic.
Heroism is simply defined as "great bravery," according to Oxford Languages.
If being a hero is about showing courage, bravery and strength, heroic feats happen all around us every day with ordinary people.
Redditor thejppass asked:
"What takes significantly more heroism than people recognize?"
People on AskReddit shared what they thought made a hero.
Going against the grain.
"Saying no in room full of people saying yes because there is a reason to say no."
- HobbitFoot
"It's especially brave when you consider it goes against a lot of instinctual human behaviour."
"We are partially meant to agree with the masses, for social acceptance and a few other reasons. Or at least not act against the masses and make a big show."
"It helps to be aware of this in a way."
- deterministic_lynx
Saying something.
"Speaking up."
- SavesNine9
"It's even harder when you know there might be repercussions for going against your superiors."
- SeaAppointment32
Getting out of toxic relationships.
"To walk away from a toxic relationship."
- Shalllom
"Toxic family relationships."
- kkehoe5
"I think a hard part of toxic relationships is that there was enough "good stuff" to get into the relationship in the first place, and often people try to stay in the relationship to fix it or patch it up to try to get back to the idealized good part."
"That's why it's so hard to walk away from those relationships, compared to someone you are indifferent to."
- SeaAppointment32
Walking away from a fight.
"Walking away from a fight, I have been in situations where people were provoking me and saying the most horrible things they could think of to get me to lash out, walking away from those situations and looking weak (even though it took more strength) was probably the hardest thing I have ever done."
- Totallycasual
"One incident that made me know I was in love with my husband was when we were dating and some asshole guy in a bar tried to pick a fight with him. Instead of getting into it he turned to me and said 'let's get out of here.' As we were walking away he said 'damn that guy was big I sure didn't want to have to fight him' and he got laid that night instead of getting his a** kicked."
- grannybubbles
Or maybe finishing the fight.
"Standing up to a bully."
- Stetzy93
"My biggest regret of my childhood is not beating the sh*t out of at least one of my bullies the countless chances I had, but to this day I understand why I didn’t. I vividly remember the feeling of fear and how small I’d feel in their presence. Could have easily taken a couple of them, but that wasn’t even an option in my mind as soon as I got to school every day"
- i_tune_to_dropD
Admitting when you're wrong.
"Admitting (to yourself most importantly) that you’re being selfish/are wrong about something."
- Oreoking10
"Sometimes admitting your not selfish can be just as hard for some people too."
- NeverGonnaGiveUZucc
When the party's over.
"Asking people to leave your house at the end of a party."
- Miserable-Back2482
"We had this issue on New years eve. My girlfriend just started cleaning around everyone. She said it's the universal 'you ain't gotta go home but you gotta get the hell outta here.' It worked."
- WrathofJohnnyBoah
"Slap your thighs as you stand up and say 'welp..'"
- Jeramy_Jones
Vulnerability.
"Being publicly vulnerable."
- xk543x
"Specially as a man... its easier to act though. We push people away while its lonely its far more manageable. If you show vulnerability the consequences are far worse. It takes a lot of courage. Its much harder to show vulnerability. I know it first hand."
- mizukata
Donating an organ.
"Donating an organ (while alive). It's a lot of time to figure out if you're a match, first off, going to lab tests initially then other health tests. Once confirm match, having to go through the procedure itself."
"You could be a healthy donor but then not so healthy after the procedure, or your donation may not go over well with the new host. But if it all works out, whether or not you know the person receiving the organ, it's an amazing thing."
- thutruthissomewhere
"The guilt and the heart break when it doesn't go well I wouldn't wish on anyone."
- ckretmsage
Being a full time caretaker.
"Caring for a loved one 24/7."
- carlthedogboy
"Being the long term caregiver for an ill family member."
- CarmichaelD
Heroism comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms.
It's no surprise that some of the most brave acts are about being emotionally vulnerable and standing up for what you believe in.
As the saying goes, heroes don't always wear capes.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.
Egregious acts and unethical practices have happened in schools since they first began.
Not too long ago, the news was filled with stories and commentary on Paris Hilton's YouTube documentary where she opened up about her time in the troubled teen industry.
In Canada, the Indigenous community is bringing home the lost native children that were discovered in unmarked graves in former residential schools. The same reckoning began in the U.S. in 2016.
Though we may not be seeing these extreme examples of unethical actions in public schools today, there are still grievances among our youth. We went to AskReddit to hear about the things we force our students to bear.
Redditor hugscar asked:
"What are unethical practices schools do?"
Some of these will shock you.
Zero tolerance policies.
"Bullied and harassed students having the same repercussions as their bully for defending themselves."- novato1995
"I remember when the zero tolerance policy started being applied to both/all parties, a behaviorist predicted an upswing of violence, plus an increase in violent intensity (from slaps to punches; from punches to stabbings; from stabbings to shootings)."
"If I am remembering right, that prediction is being found accurate."- liquidarc
Typography Number GIF by Kev LaveryGiphyA lack of consequences.
"I had a bully in middle school grab and twist my thumb hard enough to snap tendon (or whatever is in your thumb. It's been a while) and nothing happened to him since he would have to sit out football if he was punished."- TheLaughingSage
"So for my school I have 2 things."
"They have a no pass list."
"You are only allowed to be out for 5 minutes at most, and no passes first or last 10 minutes of class, no exceptions."
"If you break these rules, or you're just a b*tch/troublemaker in class enough times, you get put on the no pass list for at LEAST a week, so you get 0 passes at ALL."
"It could be for that class for a week, it could be the whole day for the rest of the year.
"I'm sitting at home with a concussion and not at school right now because some kid physically assaulted me."
"She gave me a concussion, two bruises, a red star shaped mark on my head, and 3 different muscle tissue injuries."
"Her doing this has prevented me from performing in front of thousands of people this Friday."
"She has not been punished or talked to at all."
"They have said 'I think you and her just have conflicting ideas and she might have been triggered by things in class and you really don't know each other well'."
" When she came up behind me, grabbed my hair, and yanked me down to the ground by my hair."
"This is bullshit especially because she did this earlier in the year too, and if she does it one more time especially since she is still at school and has not been punished in the slightest, my parents are going to press charges."- cat_lover_21.
Chained fire escapes.
"Our assembly room/gymnasium had the fire escape doors chained shut, and the police department was aware of it."- snarlyelder.
Required textbooks.
"Requiring you to purchase textbooks brand new from the college's bookstore because that's the only way to get the access code to complete the required assignments on the publishers website."- austininlaw
Limiting access to water.
"Less severe but limiting kids access to water, I.e. you can’t have your drink bottle at the table."
"Which sucks when you live in Australia and at summer the temperature gets up to 36c and school is during all the hottest hours of the day."- TeamLarge7729
Scorching Music Video GIFGiphyA "told you so" moment.
"I was a decently misbehaved third grader."
"Told my teacher I had a stomach ache and I needed to go to the nurse."
"I asked a number of times."
"She thought I was just trying to get out of individual reading time."
"My appendix burst on the bus ride home."
"I was never one to ask to go to the nurse."
"Just a hyperactive kid my teacher apparently had enough of."
"Denying medical attention to an 8 year old seems unethical."
"This is not a 'boy who cried wolf' story for all those saying 'I told ya so.'"- jurassicgrif
Bathroom access.
"Not allowing kids to use the restroom."
"As someone who was diagnosed with multiple reproductive issues at an early age, I had some pretty intense periods."
"And this rule made school even worse."
"Got the nickname 'Paint Bottle' because my school was infamous for denying the bathroom."
"they were closed to all students during a set time because of 'misuse') and I literally had no help from anyone at all. Never realized it was as bad for other people too."
- RebelRebelPebble
"Not being allowed to go the toilet."
"You gotta go, you know?"- Averyjackman.
Stay Out Fran Healy GIF by TravisGiphyInvasion of privacy.
"This is probably very specific to my home country but period checks."
"I'm from Malaysia and yes sadly this is a thing and I've witnessed it firsthand. Mostly to make sure girls aren't lying about their periods just to get out of prayer activities."- roticanaidraws.
We're failing our students by passing them.
"Passing students that aren't ready for the next grade because they need to pad their passing rates to keep funding."
"It's setting the kids up for failure down the road."- VoijaRisa
Happy Back To School GIF by Jimmy ArcaGiphyUnattainable prerequisites.
"Making classes a graduation requirement then not letting kids take those classes because they’re full since everyone needs to take them."- intense_fingerguns.
Cost Cutting Measures
"More of a University thing but using students as unpaid labor, mostly grad students and 'interns'."
"Also my school used prison labor to make all the dorms and dorm furniture, said that Healthcare for student workers was 'too luxurious' (exact quote!) and canceled it, canceled all shift meals for student workers, and raised our tuition to pay for our president's massive pay increase and to redo the stupid stadium used for Olympic trials for literally no reason."
"Literally I think he's the highest paid uni president in the US by a long shot."
" I know he gets a 400,000 every single YEAR for just his housing."
"You get a cookie if you can guess what uni I went to lol."- 1kingdweebus2
Money Minimum Wage GIF by Creative CourageGiphyDress codes.
"No hats or hoods."
"iI don't know if this rule is in another school but it was back then when i was in elementary, but you weren't allowed to bring fast food food."- Slow-Revolution-9617.
No facial hair policies.
"One of my old high schools had mandatory shaving."
"All guys must be clean shaven every day."
"And in the principals office was the cheapest bag of bulk single blade razors you’d ever seen."
"Sometimes they forgot to tell us where the shaving cream was."
"I started shaving in junior high so afternoon classes were 50/50 if they’d make me go shave."- GingerMarquis.
You're all in trouble.
"Collective punishment."
"This is a literal war crime according to Geneva Convention, so if you hate the teacher the gave a collective punishment, you can literally sue them in the international court and if the teacher will be found guilty, they wouldn’t be able to pay fines and fees due to their salary being low and will probably be in prison."
"School uniforms are a violation of human rights too because according to UN convention on the rights of a child a child has freedom of expression."
"Many schools will say it’s a local rule for students to wear uniforms in their school, but international laws are ABOVE the local ones."- fedunya1.
Too much homework.
"Giving a heavy workload in middle school/early high school and saying that it teaches time management. "
"All it does is speedrun burnout."- MoonarLune.
Not meeting compliancy standards.
"Not accommodating for disabilities properly."
"I actually have a story for this."
"I’m not sure if it’s really a disability, but I am legally blind in my right eye."
"We were going to march in a parade in 7th grade."
"I was placed on the far left. "
"The reason why it was a problem is that I am blind in my right eye so I was not able to see people to my right without turning my head."
"We needed to face forward. It made it way harder to know where I needed to be."
"I tried talking to the band teacher about placing me on the right but he didn’t listen and kept me there despite my concerns."
"It made things a lot harder than it needed to be."- The_Fluffy_Riachu.
Children are often given little autonomy or rights when it comes to taking control of a situation.
During the pandemic, some parents are practicing giving their kids more "choices with limits" to bring about well-being for their kids.
Ultimately, the lesson here might be to believe our youth when they feel something isn't right.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.