Vulnerable People Reveal The Hardest Thing They've Admitted To Themselves
[rebelmouse-image 18361856 is_animated_gif=The truth hurts. The truth can be one of the most difficult things to face in life. And the truth can also set you free. In fact the truth in any form is the gateway to self freedom. We all do wrong in life and hiding away our craven thoughts and mistakes can compile on so many things like guilt and sadness, which makes the situation so much more unbearable. Sometimes the hardest things in life to understand are also the greatest learning lessons.
Redditor _\shokusei _**asked some people to share... **\What's the hardest thing you've ever had to admit to yourself?
PLAY PRETEND...
That the only way to stop being lonely was to act like I wasn't lonely in the first place. It totally worked, I even wrote a post about it on /r/socialskills if you want some more details.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL...
[rebelmouse-image 18361858 is_animated_gif=That something was definitely wrong. I bought some new shoes and it was causing tingling in my feet and legs. So I relaced them but it didn't change things.
As the days went by at work it got worse and started to make my legs go tingling further and further up. So finally I decide to get new shoes on my weekend. The next day my hands start tingling.
The day after that it has traveled all the way up my arm and so I could feel it in my pec area.
So this was the point, both my entire legs and my arms had started to lose feeling I finally told my wife "okay time for a doctor, my bad for me not addressing this a few weeks ago." Turned out to be MS
DON'T MAKE IT A REALITY...
[rebelmouse-image 18361859 is_animated_gif=Just because something COULD happen, doesn't mean it WILL. You don't always get closure, relationships don't always pan out the way you thought, your life doesn't always follow the script, it's not a movie.
But, I don't let it bring me down, because it holds true for good AND bad things. Sometimes, I've been so sure something would never happen, and then it just does, completely at random. I just try my best to be open to all the twists and turns life throws my way.
LISTEN CLOSELY...
[rebelmouse-image 18346065 is_animated_gif=I wasn't the perfect friend in an unappreciative world, I was actually bad at being a friend and an annoying person in general.
I was always thinking, "I am such a nice person, I am so thoughtful, I am such a good listener, yet people don't want to stay friends with me for some reason - they think I am uncool and can't think for themselves." I guess I was like a NiceGuyTM but in the friendship sense. I wasn't being such a great friend really, I was using being nice in a transactional way, I thought: I am nice to you, you will be friends with me. I wasn't being thoughtful for people because I really cared, it was just another bit of good will I wanted to trade for companionship. And I wasn't a "good listener," I just felt that it was what people wanted so I gave to them.
My kindness was shallow and craven, and people could tell. I didn't realize that people don't want some sad, overly-sensitive person -- at least not emotionally healthy people. They want people who are fun, who can roll with the punches, who don't make you feel like you need to boost their flagging ego constantly by gushing over their cloying gestures. Friendships are about balance, give and take. People who make good friends, people with healthy egos, don't like to be made to feel like they are the taker all the time or on the receiving end to friendly gestures that are just too much.
IT'S QUIET TIME...
[rebelmouse-image 18352788 is_animated_gif=I talk too loud, getting overly excited and brash, while talking about topics that interest me in social settings. Alcohol also increases my volume and assertiveness.
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES...
[rebelmouse-image 18980230 is_animated_gif=That I'm not as smart as I think I am. I'm not always right. In fact it's better to keep in mind that there's always a possibility that I'm wrong. It opens my mind a lot more, makes me more understanding and just less condescending in general.
JUST SAY NO!
[rebelmouse-image 18346862 is_animated_gif=It's okay to say no. I'm a people pleaser and it's been an uphill battle for me to learn to stand up for myself and not let people take advantage of me.
GET OUT OF YOUR WAY...
[rebelmouse-image 18980231 is_animated_gif=That some of my patterns of behaviors and thinking were destructive and only resulted in my sabotaging myself.
However, it's also the best thing I've admitted to myself because it allowed me to look at the root of the problem and address it. There's a lot of work to be done, but I believe it'll only help better my relationship with myself and others, and help me become my best self.
PEACE OUT...
[rebelmouse-image 18347251 is_animated_gif=That just because someone is fundamentally a wonderful person, it doesn't mean that they're the right person for me.
Sometimes it's fairer to break things off rather than just spending the rest of your life sort-of-happy-maybe-if-you-squint-a-bit. Better for all concerned.
OWN UP!
[rebelmouse-image 18348509 is_animated_gif=A lot of my problems are my fault.
Some are, some aren't.
I read in a book that it doesn't matter whether or not something was our fault. What matters is that no matter what happens to us (and who was at fault), we must take responsibility for how we respond.
MISTAKES GET MADE...
[rebelmouse-image 18347764 is_animated_gif=That i officially screwed up my college degree by a year. It was hard to gulp down that news.
SORRY... TRULY...
[rebelmouse-image 18980233 is_animated_gif=That even though I have a good heart, I've done some crappy things that I can't take back.
WHEN IT'S DONE... IT'S DONE!
[rebelmouse-image 18980234 is_animated_gif=I'm not getting a second chance with her, no matter how badly I want it. She has moved on and completely forgotten about me.
HEY GIRL HEY!
[rebelmouse-image 18980235 is_animated_gif=The gay wasn't going away.
That was a tough thing to admit to myself.
Same here. Took me 8 or 9 years to admit that one to myself after the first realization that I pushed right down to the bottom of my subconscious. To be fair, I was only 13 or 14 when it struck me for the first time, attending a catholic school and with a publicly anti gay marriage father. Years later I was talking with a girl online who I thought was cool, and she was talking about her experience of being gay. And I was like...wait, that's me too...
CHANGE THE MINDSET...
[rebelmouse-image 18980236 is_animated_gif=That I am my own biggest problem, and will never be happy because I don't feel I deserve it.
DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY...
[rebelmouse-image 18980237 is_animated_gif=That I feel numb inside. You know when people say jokes or you say jokes and your laugh feels empty? But you can fake it to make it sound like it's real? Or when you smile and it doesn't reach your eyes? Or when people ask you how you feel about them and you just lie because you don't feel anything at all when looking at them or even when you try so hard to say anything? That's what I feel everyday and I had to admit to myself that I am not happy and that I don't recall when the last time I truly was.
KEEP THE TOXIC BACK...
[rebelmouse-image 18980238 is_animated_gif=That the 13 year friendship I had with one of my best friends was toxic and irreparable. I always made excuses for it because of the length of time and the closeness of our friendship, but when I took a step back I realized it had all the clear red flags of an emotionally abusive relationship. That's when I realized I really didn't want the emotional and mental weight of being in that friendship anymore.
MEOW...
[rebelmouse-image 18980239 is_animated_gif=That I already had enough cats.
YOU ONLY NEED YOU...
[rebelmouse-image 18346072 is_animated_gif=I might die alone and that's ok. Living a full life might be enhanced by someone else but it's not a requirement.
PREACH!!!!
[rebelmouse-image 18980241 is_animated_gif=That not everyone likes me and it's ok to say no to people.
We've all met those people who try to not-so-subtly slip into conversation that they are wealthy or "cultured," and it always feels ingenuine and cringey to witness.
It almost makes us feel bad to think about how hard they're trying to appear better off than everyone else. Almost.
Redditor LandPiranha63 asked:
"What's something that screams 'pretentious'?"
Foodie Culture
"People that say, 'I'm a foodie,' like SMH (shaking my head), just order your food and sit down."
"I loved how 'The Menu' movie poked fun at foodie culture. I have a few friends like this, and it drives me nuts."
"My girlfriend and I went to dinner with them at a hyped restaurant. We had all been there before and they are known for a particular dish. It was good, but I really like their cheeseburger (kinda like the movie)."
"My friends poked fun at me for going there to order a cheeseburger. It was the best entree and they changed their tune."
- destroys_burritos
Fancy Coffee Orders
"Someone called me pretentious yesterday. I nearly choked on my honey-cardamom latte."
- MrDagon007
Wine Tasting
"My brother once took me out to a fancy dinner for my birthday. He asked to taste the white wine, so the waiter gave him a sip in his glass."
"He swirled it around, held it up to the light, smelled it deeply, then took the sip in his mouth, slurped air through it, swished it around in his mouth, and then finally swallowed."
"He turned to the waiter and said, 'I don't know s**t about wine, but I like it. Two glasses, please!'"
"I was so embarrassed, but it was also very funny."
- PiDiddleMiDiddle
Purse Dogs
"Remember when girls used to carry around chihuahuas in their purses as a fashion trend?"
"Thank goodness accessorizing dogs like that isn't popular anymore."
- LandPiranha63
Unnecessary Ingredients
"Using expensive ingredients that are only expensive because they are expensive (edible gold is a big example)."
"When they do not have any noticeable impact on either the taste, nutritional content, or the environmental or ethics of the food. It's just wasteful."
- Narutophanfan1
Fast Fashion
"Judging me for shopping consignment for my kids. I would never spend $40 on a GAP sweatshirt for myself, let alone for my fast-growing kids. But $3? H**l yeah."
- cjati
Pretentious Music Notes
"When you tell someone you don't like a band, and they claim you just can't comprehend the music."
"Same with movies. If you don’t like a movie that they like, they will say you just didn’t get it. But no, I got it, I just thought it was s**t."
- wmgh
High-End Burger Joints
"When it's a restaurant that doesn't have combo plates when it feels like it should, like a burger restaurant that sells fries separately."
"I f**king hate that. And of course, the side of fries is six or more dollars, like what the f**k?! They’re fries, right?!"
- trogloherb
Genre Snobs
"People who s**t on genres of music that aren't their favorite one. You might be surprised to learn that there are as many pretentious metalheads, rap fans, rock fans, and jazz fans who are just as pretentious as snobby classical music 'listeners.' Luckily these kinds of pretentious music aficionados are in the minority in every music scene."
- Majestic-Love-9312
Law Students
"Harvard students/grads who invariably drop the H Bomb or say they 'went to school in Boston' within the first three sentences after meeting them."
- Edward_the_Dog
Summer Days
"Using 'summer' as a verb."
"Like, 'Well, we live in Los Angeles, but we summer in Martha's Vineyard.'"
- ppardee
Instagram-Worthy
"Intentionally including the words 'Business Class' part of your ticket in your strategically staged photo at the airport.
Table shot with wine glass and ticket showing and captioning it, 'Oh, I LOVE this wine!'"
- suibhnesuibhne
Luxury Styling
"Luxury clothing with the brands logo all over it."
- BreadfruitPhysical26
Language Affectations
"My cousin who rolls every 'R' on a word that she says in Spanish, like burrrrrrito, but not other words with two R's."
"She's been to Puerto Rico twice."
- 001235
Hypocritical
"People who complain about the smallest things and act like they can do better when they truly can’t."
- shadow_master3210
Many of these behaviors left the subReddit cringing just thinking about it, but the one thing they could absolutely agree on? These definitely screamed of being pretentious.
Thanks to many inquisitive researchers throughout our world's history, many of life's greatest phenomena have been solved and explained.
But even with the plethora of resources available at our fingertips detailing how things work or why they came to existence, some scientific facts remain baffling.
Curious to hear examples of what makes our planet so unique and astounding, Redditor rambojambo11 asked:
"What is a cool scientific fact that you know that sounds unbelievable?"
Our unique environment still holds great mysteries.
Superior Body Of Water
"Lake Superior can hold all of the water from the rest of the Great Lakes combined with room to spare."
"This is more geography, but it always blows my mind when looking at a map that the continent of South America is almost entirely east of the United States."
– Marty_Eastwood
Infrared Light
"Infrared light was discovered all the way back in 1800. By accident. With a thermometer."
"William Herschel (who also discovered Uranus) was experimenting with a prism. He wanted to see if different colors of light had different temperatures. So he had the room completely dark except a beam of light hitting a prism and casting a rainbow onto the table. He had placed thermometers in each color band to see if there was a difference. As a control, he had an additional thermometer past the end of the light below the red band."
"Except when he compared his readings, he got something strange: the control thermometer was reading the highest temperature of all. This didn't make any sense. Was his thermometer faulty? He tried a few more tests with more thermometers in other places and came to an inescapable conclusion: there must be an additional invisible "color" below red that carried more heat than any of the visible colors. He named it infrared, which just literally means 'below red'."
– sharrrper
Who's Our Guide?
"GPS tracking is not the satellites tracking the object, but the object tracking the satellites."
– UnethicalFood
Making Waves
"The first radio signal broadcasted by humans to (unintentionally) escape the Earth's ionosphere was Hitler's opening address at the 1936 Summer Olympics."
– jx3z_o
All creatures great and small are miracles of earth.
The Ultimate Pre-Dator
"Sharks pre-date trees."
– Suuperdad
Sentient Prick
"because of evolutionary caution of being eaten by the larger females, male octopus can detach his penis and quite literally throw it at his woman."
"and if that is not even impressive weird enough, that detached penis has a brain on its own, programmed to stalk the female like a f'king terminator until she is inseminated!"
"these creatures are next-level mental!"
– Lord-Legatus
Safe Licking
"Giraffes’ tongues are black and purple to prevent sunburn while they’re feeding up high."
– aprilmayjunejuly21
This Is Hard To Swallow
"A species of fruit fly holds the record for the biggest sperm cells. Drosophila bifurca has sperm that are 5.8cm long. The body length of the males is about 3mm long."
– Salvelinus_alpinus
Burning Passion
"Female ferrets die if they don't find a partner to make with. Since they don't leave "Heat" Until they're mated with, the Oestrogen overload leads to Anemia, and death."
– TheEyeOfLight
Biology is fascinating.
Tiny Organ
"Some people have extra spleen or liver that are pea sized."
– iremovebrains
Home Invasion
"The immune system does not encounter viruses and formulate an antibody that matches its shape. Instead, the immune system pumps out random antibodies that sometimes happen to match a virus it comes into contact with, and then begins to produce more of that specific antibody."
– davilambic
These impressive scientific facts are just the tip of the iceberg. There are still many more out there that are jaw-dropping.
With so many scientifically proven facts approved and accepted by the scientific community, the most confounding fact remains that there are communities that deny proven data and information–especially ones that are capable of benefitting mankind.
They say opposites attract.
Though, in order for any couple to have good chemistry, they will likely have to see eye to eye on certain things.
Or, at the very least, be open to hearing their spouse's side of things in order to avoid constant arguments.
In all likelihood, though, even married couples who seem to have more in common than not will still disagree about something.
Possibly something small, like preferring the beach to the mountains for a vacation, or indeed something more fundamental, like religious or political beliefs.
A difference of opinion neither side is ever likely to change.
"Married men of reddit, what is one thing you and your wife have completely different opinions about?
Or Blue and Black, or White and Gold?...
"Whether any given thing that we are looking at is green or blue."- ThingThatsJustBegun
Plans Of Attack
"How to spend our vacation."
"My wife is the kind to plan a whole itinerary of things to do while visiting a place."
"I, on the other hand, just want to sleep in, eat all the food that I can't eat at home, and actually relax."
"Don't get me wrong, I wanna sight see, visit touristy things, and buy souvenirs, but to have back-to-back planned events for the whole trip can be exhausting."
"Knowing these differences, however, we compromise."
"I know I can't stay at the hotel all day, and she knows that we can't go out every minute."
Check "So we plan events and plan for relaxation ."- TheQuantumRed
Everyone Needs Their Personal Space...
"What constitutes her half of the bed."- Joks_away·
Relaxing For Some, Terrifying For Others...
"The idea that true crime documentaries are a great sleeping aid."
"For her maybe, but I'm the one lying awake getting freaked out by all the stories of people killing their partners for the life insurance payout."- Stu_Thom4s
There Is A Difference Between Dirty And Messy...
"The definition of 'clean'."- papasnork
Time Is Not To Be Wasted...
"Promptness.":
"My wife god bless her cant be on time for sh*t."- Real-Problem6805
Not All Items Are Multi Purpose
"The bed."
"I think it’s a bed, and she thinks it’s a table to store all manner of things, buried and twisted under various blankets."
"Her: 'I can’t find the remote!'"
"Me: 'Have you checked the Sleeping Table?'"- Lil_MRSA
Multitasking Or Procrastinating?
"Closing the loop on practical jobs."
"I like to completely finish a single task before I start another, even if this is sometimes a bit inefficient."
"Mainly because I have a bad memory and will probably forget to finish it later."
"She likes to do about 20% of seven jobs and then gradually nudge each one towards completion over days or weeks."- stevedocherty
People Go To Great Lengths For Their Passions
"Horses."
"My wife is a successful woman and yet still lives paycheck to paycheck just so she can ride a horse."
"Baffling."- kudatimberline
...I Think Some Explanation Is Needed...
"I just have to say dishwasher right?"
"No explanation necessary?"- LeadingAd5273
How To Spend Time In Front Of A Screen
"Video games."
"She hates them and thinks they do nothing but rot the brain, I grew up playing them and still do."
"On the flip side, she absolutely loves drama tv shows."
"I find them to be the most nauseating shows ever made."
"Therefore, when she watches her shows, I go play video games."
"It allows for neither of us to complain about the others favorite past time."- Bearded_Wonder0713
Humor Is Subjective
"The objective hilarity of my off the cuff jokes."- BobRoberts01
The Great Outdoors Isn't For Everyone...
"I’m a woman, but my husband and I disagree on camping."
"I enjoy camping and I love how cheaply I can travel while camping."
"We took a 15 day vacation a couple of years ago where we stayed in state parks the whole time."
"Our TOTAL accommodations cost was $400."
"He hates it."
"He can’t do the constant dirt, trying to set up camp and cook in the rain, etc."
"He usually puts up with it for about a week each year to humor me and so we can do family vacations on our tight budget, but he is suuuuuper done by the end of that week."- etds3
Music To Some, Noise To Others...
"Rock music."
"She doesn't get it, whereas I grew up listening to it."- thecookietrain
Not Everyone Likes To Lend A Hand
"I like to contribute to group outings, if I’m asked to bring something I’m happy to and like to get a good things people will love. She hates being asked to bring things and will get the bare minimum if we don’t have anything in the cupboards."- Smirknlurking
Compatibility is an important factor in any relationship.
Then again, it's a sign of love in it's absolute truest form when people can overlook the things which drive absolutely crazy.
Teachers Break Down The Biggest Differences In Students Before And After The Pandemic
One never usually expects every kid to be excited to go to school.
But when children all over the world were forced to finish their school years from home when the pandemic hit in 2020, they all might have realized that they might have enjoyed the ins and outs of school a bit more than they thought.
So, as schools started to gradually re-open, children practically couldn't wait to get back into a classroom.
For the most part, that is.
While many proud parents and teachers posted many happy pictures of children joyously returning to their classrooms, in no time at all, students quickly realized that going to school was going to be a completely different experience than before the pandemic.
Even today, when most, if not all, schools have dropped the protocols they implemented when re-opening after the pandemic, teachers have noticed changes big and small in the behavior of their students.
"Teachers of Reddit, what are the biggest differences you've seen in your students pre and post pandemic?
The Effects Of A Change In Envrionment
"High school teacher here."
"These kids hit two major disruptions: Going remote, and coming back."
"Most kids learned almost no content when teaching was remote."
"There are always those few who will learn no matter what, but honestly, having the ability to have a video game or fun website on in a different tab with no one able to tell was too big a temptation."
"Not to mention the kids who were forced into childcare roles of younger relatives during school hours, or those in families that had more people than tech and had to prioritize who could work when."
"Some amazing kids rose to the occasion, other kids just acted like regular kids."
"They are slowly recovering now."
"But a significant minority did better when school was remote."
"One girl had a hard time focusing, so she brought her phone into the kitchen and cooked all period while also answering all the questions and participating in all the activities."
"And one boy, for whom socialization was the hardest thing, burned through online classes once he wasn't held back by having to deal with people."
"These kids had a much harder time on their return (and unfortunately in the boy's case, his success during remote school meant some of his services were taken away only for him to crash and burn once he was brought back)."- HobbitInHufflepuff
Deadlines Lost Their Meaning
"A lot of students got used to not handing in work on time or at all."
"During the pandemic kids were getting passes because of tech problems and so on."
"We were told just mark it down as incomplete and move on."
"No reason was needed to be given."
"Now I'm finding that when I give a project and tell them to work on it at home, I have, at best, half my kids who will and the others are shocked that I was being serious."
"It will be interesting to see if they get back into the swing of things as time moves on."- thejonfrog
Change In Attention Span
"As a high school teacher in Australia (which is notorious for how we screwed up our latest Internet upgrade), I've noticed students might have a shorter attention span overall, but boy, do they switch on and pay attention for the first 10 minutes."
"It's fricking eerie."
"Welcome, but eerie."- joalheagney
"Post pandemic students have even shorter attention spans."
"Distractions are a major problem."
"Getting back into the structure and focus of in-person learning has been more difficult than expected."- StanYelnats3·
Lack of Enthusiasm
"To put things into perspective, I am a chemistry teacher."
"There are big gaps in knowledge, especially mathematical."
"Asking basic algebraic questions leaves a lot of blank faces when in previous years it was a non-issue for most students."
"The attention span has dropped to almost nothing."
"In previous years it was understood that cellphones shouldn't be out and if you were on a Chromebook you should be doing work."
"That's a huge issue at the moment."
"Almost everyone seems burned out."
'While there are still a few exceptions, there seems to be an overall desire to not be in class that I have not seen."
"Before, it was always an issue in the beginning of the year but would subside as we got to interesting stuff."
"I have not felt motivated to do the interesting stuff this year (I still am) because they show just as much enthusiasm as when I just give a worksheet."- youritalianjob
Delays Of All Sorts
"Elementary academic intervention specialist (mostly upper elementary) here."
"Most notable differences:"
"Selayed handwriting skills."
"Better at using technology."
"Social-emotional maturity delays."
"More difficulty with delayed gratification."
"Higher interest in time for peer interaction."
"Less proficiency in self regulation."
"Higher anxiety."- tiny_butt_toucher
Volume Control Issues
"Besides the obvious ones, something that I didn’t expect was that they are so loud."
"They’re completely unaware of how much noise they make."
"Pre-pandemic, even young kids were used to being in public places where they had to be quiet."
"School, church, libraries, movies, etc."
"As soon as we came back in person, it became extremely evident that these kids had spent the past two years in the comforts of their own homes and on classes with mute buttons."
"Even if they’re just sitting there doing their work, they’ll tap their hands, feet, pencils, they’ll hum to themselves, they’ll make any and all noises far beyond what I had ever seen before."
"And it’s really hard to get them to stop, because they don’t even realize they’re doing it."
"I teach second grade."- nctm96
Disinterest in Extracurriculars
"Involvement in extracurriculars is at an all time low."
"Fine Arts programs are failing due to student numbers, lack of teachers and funding."
"Programs are being cut at all levels."
"Not enough students are joining and there are not enough teachers for the students who do."
"Great times."- Akairichii
It's Not Just The Children Who Have Changed
"Inner city teacher here."
"As others have said, the attention span is lower."
"Many kids don't watch tv, they just play on their phone."
"Most may watch a show while being on their phone."
"It's all about next content."
"Something else is the spoon feeding they want."
"If a quick google search doesn't give an immediate answer, it's hopeless."
"They won't click a link to read three paragraphs to find an answer, they want google to give them the paragraph out of context, with the bolded part."
"On top of this is parents."
"Kids in many new aspects have a relationship with their parents that is friend based and not parent-child."
"Kids run wild and do what they please with little repercussions."
"Parents expect you, the teacher, to drive their kids even though we see the kid for an hour a day."
"It's all just passing the buck."- Parki2
Teachers often notice changes in certain children after they return from two months of summer vacation.
So changes were expected when children returned to school after the world shut down as a result of the pandemic.
Making one realize all the more how important it is to recognize how teachers are among the most "essential" workers of them all.