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Annoyed People Share The Unspoken Rule They Wish Everyone Knew

Annoyed People Share The Unspoken Rule They Wish Everyone Knew
Kelsey Chance/Unsplash

The thing about unspoken and unwritten rules is that sometimes people just flat out don't get the memo.

Reddit is here to change that.



Reddit user lofisky asked:

"What’s an unspoken rule that annoys you when people don’t know about it?"

I'm not here to judge why people might not know these rules or whether their reasoning makes any sense - or even if I agree with everything Reddit had to say.

My job is just to let you know that if you're out here doing these things, Reddit probably thinks you're super annoying.

Do with that information what you will. Hopefully, the thing y'all do is start letting people get OFF the elevator/bus/train/thing before you try to squeeze on.

Seriously.

Getting Off

House Rules Fart GIF by Channel 7Giphy

"Let people get off the bus before you get on the bus."

- HealthyInPublic

"Same with elevators/lifts."

- pwnicholson

"It's not just being nice. It's literally physics."

"First you need to vacate the space you want to start occupying."

- peepay

"My local hospital started paying people to direct people on elevator etiquette."

"The person makes you stand behind a line until the elevator is clear. The most amazing part is people still try to go against it. The last time I was there a lady budged in front of my kid who is on crutches."

- jn29

Pool Party?

"I am currently sitting at the pool at a resort."

"There is a group who decided to bring their own, rather large, portable speaker to blast music. Don’t do this."

- lincolnfalcon

"Had this in Ibiza last year at a hotel that already played music at a reasonable volume by the pool."

"Someone turned up with a tinny little speaker playing some mix he made on his little DJ setup in his bedroom at his mum’s miserable house in a crappy town in some horrible part of England."

"Don’t know if he was trying to promote himself out there or something, but we all would’ve preferred him to have just f*cked off though."

- LuxuryMustard

"I was by a pool and this girl next to me kept playing this pop song and trying to lip sync to it for a selfie video, she would then watch it and restart it to try and get a better shot."

"It was driving me nuts so I put 'I'll Go Until My Heart Stops' by 36 Crazyfists on full blast. Naturally she stopped; and then her and her friends looked at me like I was the complete crazy one here."

- samjmpage

Sharing Fairly

"When sharing food with the table, you eat your fair share."

"If there’s 4 people and 4 pieces, you don’t eat one and a half pieces or the whole plate, you eat once piece. That's fair. It's called a 'fair share' for a reason."

- Bellabunsxo

"This goes for everything! Notice how much stuff there is to go around and don't use more than your fair share without asking!"

"If you live in a house with 2 other people, and there's 3 towel hooks in the bathroom, you get to use ONE of them."

"If you share a kitchen cabinet with one roommate, your groceries shouldn't occupy more than half the space."

"If your friend cooked you dinner last night, cook them dinner another night!"

"Notice how much you take and don't take more than you give!"

- T-Flexercise

"Add to this. If its 4 pieces of X and 4 pieces of Y. You eat 1 X and 1 Y."

- theultimateThor

Happiness Hater

Cracking Up Reaction GIFGiphy

"Making fun of someone laughter or smile."

"I mean making fun of someone is already bad. But.. someone happiness expression??"

- Redfoxaa

"I remember a few years ago I was living with roommates and I unexpectedly had the day off work and was in my bedroom."

"My 2 roommates had thought I was not home and were gossiping about people and casually mentioned how annoying my laugh was to one another."

"To this day I am super self concours about my laugh and is one of the meanest things someone has ever said about me. Really hurt my feelings and was just such a random thing to gossip about."

- AffectionateDealer3

"My ex-husband used to do this. He'd say I have rabbit teeth and occasionally grab them in what he passed off as a quirky, playful act of endearment."

"I rarely bare my teeth when smiling anyhow because as a child and teenager, prior to wearing a retainer, it was truly not a pretty sight. My teeth are actually quite alright after the correction, I've even received compliments on them, rabbit-ish as my ex claimed they are."

- Even-Sympathy5728

Handicapped Enough

"If someone is using a cane/walker/crutches, please move out of their way, and move your children out of the way."

"I have MS, and have balance issues. I don't walk that slowly with a cane, but can't tell you the number of times I've nearly been knocked down by a child."

"Also, don't harass those with handicapped tags, because we 'don't appear handicapped enough' for your standards."

- NO_Cheeto_in_Chief

"My mom actually breaks down crying after almost every store trip because EVERYONE ignores her. Its like she doesn’t exist."

"No one sees her, they cut her off ALL the f*cking time, they get annoyed because she's not going fast enough, they don't move when she's coming."

"She gets so upset that she's slowly not wanting to go anywhere - she just has a leg injury and is only 53 years old. The injury was already traumatic and people are just so rude!"

- HappyHappyUnbirthday

Honesty

"Being an a-hole isn't 'just being honest' - that's an excuse to be cruel and you know it.”

- LEE-3314

" 'Brutally honest' usually just means brutal."

- nocatpicspls

"My first college roommate once told one of my friends 'You're fat and you can't be upset I said that cause it's the truth.' "

"She did awful things like that regularly to me and my friends. I made sure never to room with her again and she kept giving me apology jolly ranchers through mutual friends."

"Well, she made my very sweet bipolar friend lock himself in his room for 3 days with depression refusing to come out or eat."

"Actions have consequences. After she roomed with 4 other of my friends, they all came forward and apologized because they didn't realize just how awful she really could be at times."

- asad_potatoe

Respect The Circle

episode 8 hug GIFGiphy

"If you’re out with a group of friends standing in a circle, make sure to make space for everyone."

"Feeling like you’re not included cause you have to force your way into the circle is the worst feeling ever! Just be courteous & mindful of others."

- LeonardoDeFarto

"Standing on the outskirts of the circle sucks."

- sunsetskye_

"This exact situation causes me so much social anxiety it is crippling. I DETEST approaching groups, even groups of well-known and well-loved friends."

"I was taught to watch out for others, especially to make sure shorter people were included and could get to a position where they can see and hear, and weren't left staring at backs. I wish everyone showed this courtesy."

- TiffyVella

"Feedback"

"I remember my brother was telling a story and my dad interrupted him to say, 'your voice is really nasally. You should try to speak more with your diaphragm and sound less annoying. Alright, continue.' "

"Needless to say my brother didn't finish the story."

"Don't offer 'feedback' that's really just an insult."

- Sunupu

"I've had a teacher in high school, point at me and loudly say, 'Look at how she laughs!' "

"Good thing she's just a substitute teacher as our usual, and far nicer, one is on maternity leave. She's a jerk, trying to be the cool bad b*tch that's brutally honest with 'feedback,' but ends up being plain rude and intolerable. And so much cringe."

- totallynicehedgehog

Shopping Showdowns

"Taking up the entire aisle at the grocery store. Don't take every member of the family and walk side by side."

"Some folks actually make a list, and are trying to get in and out quickly."

- NO_Cheeto_in_Chief

"When you're walking in a shopping centre or down the street and you stop to look at something, step aside. Let other people through, f*ckwits!"

- Green_Prompt_6386

"God this one is true. If you ever believe that humans don’t need more natural predators, walk through Wal-Mart and tell me you haven’t changed your mind."

- Whosagoodboyyyyyy

"To that, I might add, don’t abandon your cart to go get something."

"Now instead of occupying a singular space, a cart is in one part of the isle, and a person is in another part of the isle. 2 or 3 people do this, the isle is twice as clogged, and I have to move their cart to get something because they are not attending to it."

"Also, doing the same at the end of isles. You pull out of an isle to turn to go into another, there is someone’s abandoned cart that all other traffic has to go around."

"Keep yourself to yourself."

- Mermaid_La_Reine

Micro-Manners

Salad Dressing Cooking GIF by Rooster TeethGiphy

"Never microwave seafood at work."

"It’s a very strong smell that many people find extremely unpleasant, plus it always seems to carry across the entire building/floor."

- xodanielleelise

"Or eggs."

"Both places I worked at previously, someone microwaved eggs regularly. I like eggs, but the smell they make from the microwave is dreadful."

- idontknowdudess

"I still recall the trash-like stench from a woman who microwaved a bowl of broccoli on our floor twenty years ago."

- anne_jumps

"Cauliflower especially."

"I recently bought one of those cauliflower crust hot pockets and made the mistake of microwaving it (at home, thankfully)."

"The whole house stank for DAYS. Never again- those are for the oven only."

- youstupidcorn

Vacate to occupy

"Let people get off the bus before you get on the bus."

- HealthyInPublic

"Same with elevators/lifts"

- pwnicholson

"Same for trains. It's not hard to understand that if you let people off, you'll have more room!"

"I'll add people that hang out right in front of the door and don't really get out of the way to let people in when there is plenty of room in the rest of the train or bus."

- RamenNoodles620

"This one, I hate when people try to barge their way through"

- lofisky

"It's not just being nice. It's literally physics. First you need to vacate the space you want to start occupying."

- peepay

A bit close there buddy.

Waiting In Line GIFGiphy

"How to stand in lines. Riding my ass doesn't make the line move any faster."

- FrenchJabroni

"Living in various parts of the world I’ve learned that personal bubble size in lines varies a lot depending on where you are."

- SuperMadCow

"Since covid times this is now literally a written rule and people still don't get it."

- Craw__

"Hoping on the top comment to agree. Need some personal space please"

- SeaAd4548

"My mother gave me the greatest piece of advice to deal with line-neck-breathers."

"Just take a step back. They'll move."

- ThatLousyGamer

Walk with a purpose

"Not taking up the entire sidewalk when people are walking the opposite direction towards you."

- togeko_

"Or if you’re in a group move to single file when someone is approaching from the opposite direction"

- likespeopleandbooks

"I stop when they close in on me — since I'm a disabled, elderly woman — and brace myself. I've only been knocked down once, by a somewhat drunk individual, and he was shamed to a ludicrous extent by the passersby who helped me. love Granny"

- Poldark_Lite

"Also, look the direction you are intending to go. When people don't know where you are trying to walk, they instinctively briefly glance at your eyes to see what direction you are heading. Learned this in NYC. Crowd group think is a marvelous thing. Like a school of fish."

- 8Blackbart8



"Door!"

looking episode 12 GIFGiphy

"Don't stand in a doorway."

- famously

"That’s actually annoying, like of all the places you can be"

- lofisky

"Don’t lay in a doorway either. Yes, I’m talking to you pupper."

- momvetty

"I cannot tell you the amount of times i’ve opened the door into someone because they have decided to stop and text(?) or generally f*ck around on the other side. Then of course look at me like i’m the monster for using a doorway properly."

- FeralXhild

"Don't obstruct any bottleneck, whether it's a door, a narrow point on a sidewalk, or wherever."

- BubbhaJebus

Bout that time... *yawn*

"When you see party hosts starting to clean up, hint at being tired etc., don’t continue the drinks/conversations. Quickly get ready to leave and offer to help clean up"

- WrongNeedleworker579

"Sometimes when I have friends over, my adhd kicks into gear and makes me want to get up and clear the table a bit. Just to move around and because the clutter is messing with my head."

"For most people this is a sign of wanting to wrap the evening up and get the company going. But that’s not my intention, I just can’t sit still anymore. So I make it a habit of mentioning 'I am not trying to kick you out, I’m just gonna get this out of the way. Want another drink? I’m going to the kitchen anyway'."

- Ietsmetdingen

"Also in general when the party is over ask the host how can you help clean up instead of just saying bye and leaving"

- TinyNuggins1

"i once had to tell a friend years ago to get out of my house because they simply wouldn't leave."

"i had two friends over for a mini game night, one was staying the night and the other wasn't. i told my friend who wasn't sleeping over, for a solid hour and half that i was tired, that it was getting late and he should get going and he just refused to listen. i even cleaned up my kitchen, put everything away, took all the empties out, the whole nine, and he was still sitting there not leaving."

"It was about 12:45am and he's still not leaving. so i say once again that i'm exhausted and it's time for him to go and he needs to leave. instead, he tells me to just go to bed and that he'll let himself out and proceeds to suggest putting a movie on and just chilling out. i snapped and said in a very sharp tone 'absolutely not! i am not putting on a movie and staying up for another two hours because you want to chill. i want to go to bed and set the house alarm. you need to leave now! and stop telling me to go to bed, i cant until you fucking leave! i need to set the alarm, what are you not getting!?'."

"After me snapping, it still took him a solid 15 minutes to finally leave. i never invited him over to my house again after that, and lucky for me we stopped being friends within the last year so i'll never have to deal with that again."

- urbanlulu

Public DJ's

Lets Be Heroes Ko GIF by Cartoon NetworkGiphy

"On a train or bus and you're playing music?

Use. Your. Headphones."

- Sentinowl

"kids in my high school walk around with speakers playing loud music from inside their backpacks actin like they're in a movie or some sh*t"

- leoscoven

"This drives me nuts! At work in the break room I just want to quietly chill on my phone, not listen to the bizarre telenovela one coworker watches, listen to another coworker’s heavy metal, and another coworker’s anime. Like how can they even enjoy what they’re watching or listening to with everyone else’s noise going on?"

- Low-Stick6746

"And the gym."

- bikesandtacos

If its yellow, still flush.

"shouldn’t have to be said but flush the toilet after using it :)"

- NoDesigner44

"And wipe the seat if you piss all over it"

- jackjams18

"I've lived on a well, in placed I paid for water, and places where I didn't worry about any of it. My opinion on a single pee changes depending, but always flush the poo poo, and make sure that shit is gone. Double flush if you gotta, hell triple flush... but if that doesn't work, you're carrying it out by hand."

- ImBeingArchAgain

"and stay for a second to make sure that it fully flushes."

- youcancallmet


Clean It Like You Mean It

"cleaning tools before you give them back to who you're borrowing them from"

- stomachdropper

"At least wipe them down with a half-ass rag to at least create the illusion that you even remotely took care of the possession they let you borrow. Even worse is when somebody returns something BROKEN."

- dashberlin1991

"broken is another thing, it's understandable when it happens cause accidents happen and it's something I take into consideration when lending tools out, warranty is a thing and usually replacing a tool isn't a hassle when broken but atleast let me know don't let me find out myself"

- stomachdropper

"Yeah, the problem is when they do not return you your tools back."

- kusashinra

So yeah, the whole point of unspoken rules is that you shouldn't have to speak them... but this is a written article so it doesn't really count, right?

Yeah, that's my way of saying I hope y'all learned something today.


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People Share The Best Advice For Someone Starting Their First Job

Reddit user CampDreamy asked: 'What advice would you give someone starting their first job?''

man holding book on road during daytime
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Starting your first job is always nerve-wracking. The start of anything new usually is. That's why it's helpful to get some advice.

Before I started my first job, a friend of mine told me that there were a lot of things I should be willing to do in order to become indispensable, but one thing I should never do is give up lunch.

Even if it's a busy day and everyone is working through lunch, take five minutes to buy something at the deli next door or pop something in the microwave. You will not do your best work if you do not eat a meal.

I was very glad to get that advice, and it was something I always followed.

I also followed my own personal rule of writing down the process to do anything at work, even if it was as simple as where to look for a particular file. Anytime I thought 'oh, I'll remember,' I ended up having to ask again. It's always better to write it down so you not only know how to do it, but are the one that people come to when they need to know how to do it.

I'm not the only one that has good advice for someone starting their first job. Redditors are full of advice and are ready to share.

It all started when Redditor CampDreamy asked:

"What advice would you give someone starting their first job?"

Think Positive

"95% of success is showing up on-time and not having a bad attitude."

– Firebolt164

"There’s a quote that goes something like: you don’t need an advanced degree to show up on time, work hard, and have a positive attitude."

"I basically used this as my mantra as I built my career (and still do)."

– tyrannosean

"This has been my experience in my first ~5 years of employment. Being someone that people enjoy interacting with, sticking to deadlines, and broadly trying to make lives easier rather than harder will get you pretty close to the top, and it’s a lot easier than working overtime every day."

– 2catsinatrenchcoat

"Yep, when I was younger I always thought that just showing up on time, being a decent person to work with, and doing a good job were the bare minimum that everyone did....I learned later that this will put you above approximately 90% of your co-workers."

– raoulduke212

Sound Advice

"Poop on company time."

– 1320Fastback

"Well, sh*t."

– CampDreamy

"Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That's why I poop on company time."

– mrselfdestruct066

Everyone Makes Mistakes

"Don't worry about f**king up. You're going to f**k up. We all f**k up. Constantly."

"Learn from it when you f**k it up so you do it better next time and you'll be the best employee in any job."

– MaximumZer0

"And when (not if) you f**k up, own up to it, and do your best to fix it. It's way easier to fix a mistake when it first happens than 3 weeks or even hours down the line. This applies to basically any field."

– super5aj123

Gossip Girl

"Listen to gossip if you want, but never spread it."

– GamerMomLife

"Yep. I worked in a private pool snack bar kitchen last summer, and nearly all of my coworkers were high school girls. The amount of sh*t they talked on each other was insane, but I just tried my best to not get involved. It never became anything other than sh*t-talking, but it's just a good idea in general to keep your head down."

– super5aj123

"I work in a kitchen with majority middle-aged women, and it's simular to what you described."

– DeadStar800

Do It All

"If they tell you to sweep, just sweep. You still make the same amount. Unless you’re an MD or something else, in that case you’re f**ked!"

– PublicEnema11

"A programmer consultant I knew in the 90s lived by the motto "it all pays the same.""

"You want him to spend his $50/hr time doing things that an unpaid intern could handle? Sounds like an easy day."

– Cacafuego

(Don't) Let It Burn, Burn, Burn

"Don’t burn bridges if you quit or get fired."

– kbrown423

""Never cut what you can untie.""

"- Robert Frost"

– sophistt_

It's All Public

"Assume everybody in the company plus clients will read every email you send."

– CouchieWouchie

"Yeah this is genuinely a great rule that will save your @ss. Write every email as if it will be read by the whole org."

– FrungyLeague

"Also speak as though anything you say is being recorded."

– squished_frog

Protect Yourself

"Document EVERYTHING. Every time punch. Every direction from your supervisor."

– DejectedDonut

"Do this if you are working outside your duties/responsibilities as well, or directed to do things. You want a paper trail of why you did what you did if something screwy happens."

"Ideally, the work place should concentrate on policy, protocol, training, engineering and admin controls and such... but well stuff isnt always ideal."

– Zech08

Work Friends

"You're going to feel tempted to make strong relationships with your coworkers - but remember that you shouldn't share with anyone what you wouldn't want known by everyone. You may think you can trust someone, but you should have a bit of caution."

"A lot of work relationships feel a bit like a friendship, but they are not. If they move on, or you do, it is rare that you will stay in touch. Accept it for what it is."

– Mobtor

Education

"Take advantage of tuition reimbursement to get degrees/certifications that will benefit your career and don't worry about "owing" the company for it."

"Many industries have pretty generous tuition reimbursement programs where they cover your school but you owe them time after they cut those checks. A typical program might have a requirement that if you leave the company you need to pay back anything they had paid out in the last two years."

"The thing is that you want to leverage that degree for a salary jump and the current company won't give it to you because they have you "locked" in now, right?"

"So you interview for your next job and when that company gives you an offer you explain that you're on the hook for the tuition reimbursement at your old company "and since you will be getting the benefit of that education I will need a signing bonus to cover my financial obligation to my current employer.""

"Keep in mind that the signing bonus will be taxable income so you need to shoot for an amount that will have taxes taken out and leave what you need to pay back the tuition."

"I've known too many people who didn't get a degree that could have really helped them but they didn't want to be "on the hook" to their employer. I even know one guy who spent close to $30k out of his own pocket to get a master's degree because he didn't want to "be stuck here" when he was done."

– tacknosaddle

The Little Moments Matter

"Don’t miss any major life events (or the major life events of close family/friends) for work. You might feel pressure from your employer not to take the time off."

"The family/friends will still be around for many years, the first job probably won’t."

– mxxiestorc

Learn To Save

"Pension! Pension! Pension!"

"Put as much as you can afford to into your pension. Retirement might seem a lifetime away but the sooner you save for it the sooner you can achieve it."

– Grayzo

Money, Money, Money

"Pack a lunch! Eating out can put a huge dent in your paycheck!"

– awileycat

"Can't stress this enough. For the price of eating out unhealthy food for 1 day you can usually pack healthier lunch for 2-3 days."

– QuantumExileMusic

Oh, yes! I found out about that last one the hard way...and still haven't learned!

An hourglass with blue sand sits among a field of rocks
Photo by Aron Visuals

Just the other evening, I was walking home, and I barely survived.

I tripped on a dead tree branch.

The next thing I knew, I was flying in the air and landing on my back.

My belongings were strewn about.

And my to-go burger was dead.

A simple walk.

A simple dead branch.

And almost lights out.

Redditor Typical_XJW wanted to hear about the times people eluded death, so they asked:

"How did you almost die?"

Don't even get me started on any and every car ride.

We're always moments from the end on highways.

Back in the Day...

Hunger Games Student GIFGiphy

"Almost drowned when I was 5 or 6, been hospitalized twice for sepsis between 2016 and 2019, and had a stroke this year. I'm 29."

ChristmasKid88

On the Disk

"MRSA infection in the disk on my lower spine between L5 and S1. Showed up two days after a cortisone shot but the hospital said it was from something else. Was in hospital 25 days multiple emergency surgeries."

EatA**FromBack

"I worked for a doctor who did these in-house and other procedures, and it 100% made me not trust medical facilities, cleanliness, and sterilization procedures. Had about twenty patients all come down with the same gut infection, 'coincidentally,' the same patients who came in for endoscopy procedures the same day."

dimlylit_

Saved

"Saving a younger friend from drowning, he panicked and almost took me out."

loztriforce

"Had that happen with a younger cousin when we were kids. His brother and I went to save him, he climbed on both of us and pushed us under. Lifeguard didn’t even see us until he pulled younger cousin out of the water, then we popped up gasping for air."

coffeejunki

Shucked

"16-year-old farm kid me, stepdad told me to go pick up a load of corn seed for planting. I had gone with him many times before, and driven the truck (full ton dually diesel) and hauled light stuff with it. Nobody told me how different it is to haul 10,000 lbs of seed on a big flatbed trailer on gravel. I had a lot of common sense and was driving slowly and carefully."

"Still… 10,000+ lbs pushed me down a gravel hill skidding, praying to god I stopped before the stop sign at the T intersection to a busy highway. I came to a grinding halt JUST as the front of the truck crossed the plane where the gravel turned to asphalt. A semi was coming from one direction and regular cars from the other. I shudder thinking about what if on that one. Don’t let untrained kids tow potentially deadly, heavy trailers, with zero training."

datnetcoder

Finding Tracks

College Sports Sport GIF by Sealed With A GIFGiphy

"Was backwoods camping in Yellowstone and if I hadn’t considered for 30 seconds if I REALLY needed to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I would have walked out of my tent headfirst into a brown bear, which I heard before leaving and found tracks of next to my tent in the morning. Spookiest moment of my life in hindsight."

danvo5

Bears are a no go for me.

Camping is an even bigger HECK NO!!

Several Strikes

Reassuring Jimmy Fallon GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy

"Twice. 1. Woke up to my apartment on fire."

"2. Hit head-on by a drunk driver on a small bus, just after everyone got off bus exploded."

lizard_king0000

Oh Barb

"Lmao okay, so I was getting my teeth cleaned, and I got nitrous oxide because I have so many exposed roots. Well, my hygienist at the time was this lovely lady from Minnesota. Kinda flaky, but super sweet, and talked about her family all the time. So I'm in the chair and she hooks up my mask, and away we go. I actually fell asleep! Except not so much."

"Turns out Barb had forgotten to turn the oxygen on and had been feeding me straight nitrous. She only noticed because I started gasping for air while unconscious. So that's how I almost died at the dentist. I never saw Barb again, but I tell you, that was the best nap of my life!"

CharismaticAlbino

Climb Up

"I was snorkeling. I had my other stuff stored on a rock by the water, about 3 meters high. When I got out, I decided to climb straight up. Almost at the top, the rock I was hoisting myself up on came off and I fell back first onto the coral. If a friendly wave hadn’t come in, I would have broken my back, at least."

Yugan-Dali

Blood Loss

"I was diagnosed with a rare fatal blood disorder from birth, doctors projected I’d live till about 6 and then die from massive blood loss. As this was the mid-90s, they tested the idea of using stem cells from my sibling's umbilical cord; administering the first successful stem cell transplant from a sibling donor and I’m still here to tell the tale!"

Material_Cry1697

These were some tremendously close calls.

Do you have any near-death experiences to share? Let us know in the comment below.

Paper heart ripped in half
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

When it comes to the dating scene, most of us have a pretty low opinion of people who choose to cheat on their partners, not to mention serial cheaters.

But that doesn't seem to stop some people from doing the deed.

Curious, Redditor miaah214 asked:

"People who have cheated before, why did you do it?"

Revenge Cheat

"He cheated first, and I was young, petty, and thought revenge would make me feel better."

- Witch_on_a_moped

Immature and Selfish

"Unbridled ego, unsatisfying regular sex life, and a girl who threw herself at me."

"I was an idi*t, I acted like an a**hole, and I will regret it for the rest of my life."

"It was a hard truth to face. It was a dark time in my life where my ego and my immaturity caused me to hurt several people I loved."

"Fortunately, I learned from it, and while I can't take back the pain I caused, at least now I know that I am 100% capable of being an a**hole and so can choose not to be one."

- Seba_King

Insecurity

"Insecurity. I was always on the lookout for someone who would make me feel more desirable than the last. It was a serious youthful lack of judgment."

"Once I grew up emotionally, I realized what a piece of s**t I was and the hurt I caused. Hard to live with, to be honest."

- Penfold_for_PM

Just Desire

"100% pure lust. That’s it. I’m not proud of it."

- mydepressingpoems

Lots of Options

"Willing partners. It was amazing how many times when I did have a steady girlfriend that I would suddenly get propositioned by random women or worse yet, my girlfriend's friends or sisters."

"Too many times to be a fluke."

"It was like they figured if you are in a relationship, you're worth pursuing."

"But when I was single, most times I couldn't get a woman's attention."

"So it was an ego boost, but ultimately, I decided to be a better person, and I met a person who I truly thought was 'the one.'"

"And to a certain extent I did, it just didn't last through no fault of my own."

- Patient-Quarter-1684

In Need of Validation

"When you grow up being in turn neglected and told you're not good enough, validation is like a drug, and intimacy is the ultimate validation."

"Sooooo much therapy to undo this."

- RowhammerBitflip

"This. I’m just recently realizing how I didn’t receive enough attention and validation from my parents and how much it’s influenced my choices. Meeting someone and having them be into me physically is the easiest validation boost I can find."

"People who grew up with parents actually interested in them and with an instilled sense of self-confidence don’t know how good they have it."

"I don’t inherently feel important or relevant so I’m always looking for someone to tell me otherwise."

- tellitothemoon

The Thrill of It

"Because I was a f**king a**hole 20-year-old who only thought of himself and getting some action. The high of it."

"I'm 37 now. No cheating since then."

- Temporary_Fault6402

The Real Joy

"My ex was done in the bedroom and even said they were no longer interested in me physically or sexually."

"I should have left at that point, but with kids and the financial hit of divorce, I just looked to fulfill that need."

"I later divorced, and it was a big financial hit, but oh my god, what a relief it was getting out. Getting out of an abusive relationship is where the true pleasure comes from."

- loomdog1

In Need of Attention

"My partner cheated on me shortly after I had his baby. I wanted to leave, but I convinced myself to stay. The logistics of having a baby and 24-hour care are challenging on your own. He refused to have sex with me."

"At some point, someone got me in a weak spot. Somewhere between exhaustion, low self-esteem, and the sheer opportunity of having an orgasm were too strong for me. I’m deeply ashamed."

"Shortly after I picked myself up, the relationship ended. I should have left sooner."

"Someone telling you that you are beautiful, talented, and special after being invisible can feel like a drug. I don’t expect sympathy from anyone for my actions. But I do have a lot of sympathy for others now."

- throwawaythrowyellow

The Easier Option

"Because I chose a cowardly and easy path. Instead of going to therapy and ending my toxic relationship, I cheated on them with someone who I had convinced myself I was in love with and loved me."

"As it turns out, breaking up with someone is a lot less harmful to everyone involved than cheating."

- dodongosbongos

Devastating Choices

"Not me, but a guy friend cheated and the reason he gave was that he loved his fiancée but they had very different sex drives."

"He also said that when he brought it up to her (the difference in their sex drives and the problems it would cause) she begged him not to leave and insisted it wouldn’t be an issue."

"He told her it already WAS an issue and, as a last resort, she said she would understand if SOME DAY he felt the need to look elsewhere…just as long as she never found out."

"The girl admitted to saying all this but explained that she would have said anything for them to stay together in that moment, she didn’t think he’d actually be 'f**ked up enough to cheat' and she never imagined he would do it so soon."

- Dramiotic

The Perfect Combination

"A perfect storm of poor impulse control, untreated mental illness, and boredom."

"People on the moral high ground will tell you not to cheat for reasons like morality and integrity; from the moral low ground, I can tell you that the lifelong guilt, shame, and remorse are not worth it."

- LowCarbBeesechussy

Emotionally Done

"Because the relationship was done and I was already moving on emotionally. I just didn't care about her enough to care whether she was hurt or not. Honestly, in hindsight, I have zero idea why we were still together. It DID make the eventual breakup a lot messier."

"I was young and it taught me an important lesson. If you're done, just be done and leave. There's no point in dragging it out. If you're ready to start looking for another relationship, start by ending the relationship you're already in."

- codefyre

Ready to Make Up for It

"I had a perceived lack of affection. I felt ugly and disgusting and like I was just an emotional tampon."

"I would never do it again. In therapy, I learned a lot about the reasons I did what I did and in all honesty, if she would even entertain the idea of trying again, I’d spend every day making up for it and making sure she felt more love then can be imagined."

"I’m currently fulfilling into the man I know I can be. I just wish it took a more positive trigger in order to start that for me."

- Anthonys455

Let's end it -- the article, that is -- on a lighter note.

The Worst Kind of Cheating

"My wife wasn’t around. The house was empty."

"I couldn’t wait for her to get home, so I watched the next episode without her knowing."

"Honey, if you’re reading this… I’m so sorry."

- six6sickx

"You're a monster."

- Efficient_Ad_8367

It's so hard to imagine what's going on inside someone else's head or why they might choose to do the things that they do, especially if it's something we don't agree with.

It's at least heartening to see that many of these Redditors used these experiences as learning opportunities and have since gone on to treat the most treasured people in their lives a little differently.

Smartphone showing a lighting switch app
Moritz Kindler/Unsplash

Making yourself feel at home takes work but not as much as you think.

Homeowners, for example, are apprehensive about renovations because of how much costs.

Even tenants renting a home can feel like they're stuck in a situation where they don't feel comfortable because of minor inconveniences they think requires major solutions to fix.

Cut to this Reddit thread, where the ideas for affordable home improvement options were shared that may make you wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Curious to hear some tips from strangers online, Redditor Super_dupa2 asked:

"What small upgrade made a huge difference at your house?"

We tend to overcomplicate things when solutions can be simplified.

Taking Charge

"Methodically buying phone chargers with long enough cables to not have to ever move one again."

– ihadtowalkhere

"I am a pretty mellow dad (benign neglect parenting style for 5 kids) but I have two rules. Nobody messes with my bedside charger and nobody steals my two pillows."

"So, as such, I make many, long chargers available for everybody. It costs me a fortune:)"

– nicktam2010

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

"Blackout curtains for sleeping. Such a game changer."

– blehbleh1122

"And they keeps my bedroom cooler."

– BunjaminFrnklin

"Insulated blackout curtains make a 10f difference in my living room on hot days."

– TryUsingScience

A Cool Idea

"Attic heat exhaust fan. Our attic used to get up to 140F on the hottest days, and on those days our ceilings were hot to the touch. The whole house was consequently uncomfortable. Now the attic fan is thermostatically controlled to 90 degrees, and the whole house is cooler."

– jermleeds

"I added a passive whirly bird that does the same thing. Heat rises and escapes before it can accumulate to those extreme levels. It also happens to be clear acrylic so now there's always light up there too which helps keep away any vermin.

– cantwejustplaynice

No major bathroom renovations are required to make tenants happy.

No More Slamming

"Soft close cabinets and toilet seats."

– AreWeCowabunga

"We have a soft close toilet seat at our home and every time I'm at a hotel, I completely forget that they aren't usually soft close and the slam startles me 😂"

– PinkHamster08

Nozzle Upgrades Can Do The Trick

"A better shower. If you can't redo the whole bathroom, just replace the head. This also works if you rent, just keep the old one in a box, so you can bring the nice one to your next house."

– maartenvanheek

"I'm a renter and I finally installed a better shower head this year, after just using the default head in all my apartments for almost 20 years. 10/10, highly recommend."

– Am_I_a_Guinea_Pig

Perfect Welcoming Gesture

"My wife and I own a smallish apartment complex . One of the things we do every time a new tenant arrives is replace the toilet seat. I learned that trick from my parents who had about a dozen single-family rentals. It's amazing the goodwill you receive from a tenant simplify giving them a new toilet seat. We actually put the box behind the toilet so they know it's new."

– YouInternational2152

It's electrifying!

Think Smart

"Smart outlets for Christmas lights, both inside and outside. I have them scheduled to turn on at sunset and turn off at midnight."

– Revolutionary-Try746

"Smart outlets are one of my favorite purchases. During Halloween and Christmas, we’re using multiple outlets for inflatables, house lights, and tree lights. The smart outlets allow you to have everything synced so they all turn in at the same time."

– cppadam

Things Are Looking Bright

"Replaced dated lighting fixtures - fixtures are now properly grounded, the interior looks more updated, and there is more/better light."

– SnooCauliflowers9981

Energy Conservation Option

"Motion activated light switch for the laundry room. Never have to worry about turning off the light when leaving with an arm full of clothing."

– AmazingAsian

Creating an environment can make a huge difference.

Source Lighting For The Win

"Lighting can absolutely make a huge difference in the way you feel in your room. Get some shoulder height (when you are sitting) lamps for your living room. You will notice a shift in how much more relaxed you feel when you use those instead of the overheads."

– ShoesAreTheWorst

Home Art Gallery

"Spending a day mounting my artwork. It felt so much more like my home after that."

– GinGimlet

"Every time I've moved, I put that off for way too long, then finally break down and do it and the house feels so much better to be in."

– Triolion

One major upgrade was our VE hybrid tech water boiler and warmer we got from Japan.

The Zojirushi kitchen appliance uses VE, or vacuum electric, technology for very minimal electricity to maintain the water temperature at a constant 195° so we always have hot water at the touch of a button.

There's no more time wasted boiling hot water over the stove every time we want tea or the occasional instant cup noodles.

Game changer.