
Human ingenuity has created countless things that make our lives better but that has definitely been balanced with a whole lot of incredibly harmful inventions, too. Some things might even fit on both lists, as a lot of new inventions can seem like a dream come true — only to turn out to be horribly harmful after some study.
Redditor joddionnelly asked:
"What's the worst human invention ever made?"
Landmines
"landmines. cheap and easy to make, but they remain active and people forget where they put them."
- Youltold123
"There is also a thing called mine migration. The weather moves them around over time."
- Ferretoncrystalmeth
Anything Invented By Thomas Midgely Jr.
"Remembering the last time a thread like this came up, the correct answer is along the lines of leaded fuel."
- mrbios
"And CFCs. By the same guy apparently."
- MightySquishMitten
"Yep Thomas Midgley Jr. contributed to the death of an estimated 200 million people due to his inventions."
- antigrainer
Agent Orange
"Agent orange"
- MochaJ95
"Generations of families of people exposed to this are still struggling with the effects."
- Bunnybunbons
"That sh*t is still around in Vietnam too since they don’t disappear from the environment."
- Karasu18
"It disturbs me that everyone always talks about the soldiers exposed and not the vast quantity of innocent Vietnamese civilians exposed."
- Redqueenhypo
Planned Obsolescence
"Planned obsolescence."
- CreativeRip806
"This is a problem with a multitude of other global/widespread negative implications that we haven't even begun to fully experience. It's an issue that pisses me off more than any other."
- Cimmerian_Noctis
"I understand they need to regularly sell stuff to make money. But maybe we shouldn’t be producing products that end up in landfills by the millions every year."
- sketchysketchist
"You see all other answers, and there's always some good intent in there. CFCs made safe refrigeration widely available, fossil fuels have allowed a lot of progress, pop-ups were made in good faith, you could even argue that nuclear weapons have made the world safer..."
"Not planned obsolescence. Literally nothing good or good intentioned about it. Just a middle finger for everything besides the suits."
- Dahjoos
Nuclear Weapons
"In the end, I think nuclear weapons will be at the top of this list."
"We're only surviving currently because everyone has agreed that they wouldn't prefer to doom mankind to a fiery radioactive death."
"Don't you think it's only a matter of time before someone irrational decides to take everyone down with them?"
- MrAnonymous2018_
"Yes, I agree with you. Modern nuclear weapons take minutes to get to their targets, and are now harder to stop as they have dummy bombs that are launched with them, and they make an area uninhabitable for decades."
- Flakoring
"I the discovery and control of the nuclear energy is one of the greatest achievements in human history, however when people used this technology to make weapons they did a terrible mistake, it is one of the deadliest things ever invented."
- Little_Soldier_Bud
So-called Flushable Wipes
"Flushable wipes. These companies should be destroyed."
- LobstahmeatwadWTF
"Sorry I've never used or even seen one, what's wrong with flushable wipes?"
- DibaWho
"They are technically able to be flushed, but they are not plumbing-friendly. They are only 'flushable' in the same way Hot Wheels are, only in the most strict sense of the word. Since they technically will go down, the manufacturers label them 'flushable' when you absolutely should not do that."
- hitemlow
"They still write flushable on the packaging despite the fact that they have destroyed probably billions of dollars in infrastructure and make the worst mess to clean up that I can possibly imagine."
- Chasin_Papers
Lots of Chemical Weapons
"mustard gas is pretty nasty stuff."
- bread-of-time
"Back in the 70's I was looking after a WW1 vet who still had a wound on his leg from mustard gas."
- shazj57
"Yeah but nerve gas - and some of the other key-body-function-inhibitors that are out there - really put mustard in the backseat."
- iced237
"Got nothing on the semi-oily nerve agents like sarin. they coat sh*t and stick around."
- HuckleSmothered
Blinding Headlights
"Extra Bright 'Blinding' Headlights"
- bahauddin_onar
"Basically any headlights on pickups 2020 or newer because they're so freaking tall now too. Makes Close Encounters of the Third Kind look lame in comparison."
- Fartyfivedegrees
"At this point, I’m waiting for them to get tall enough for the headlights to go above my car"
- scolipeeeeed
Styrofoam
"I'll go with styrofoam. It's single use, takes 500 years to biodegrade, leaches carcinogens, and is f**king everywhere."
- Rhodie114
"Every time somebody litters, it breaks into 100 pieces, so you have 100 pieces to pick up."
- flodge123
"Let's also add that the sound of styrofoam is what Hell sounds like."
- biomech36
Making Problem Gambling Easier
"Casino slot machines that allow you to insert your credit/debit cards."
- CuriousCat55555
"Cruise ships now allow you to charge money to your room card right from the slot machine so you can continually play without needing to leave for more cash."
- atalltalltree
"And I thought having an ATM in the same room was scummy enough."
- LthlPnc
"Last time I was in Vegas, the ATMs at MGM wouldn't show you any info about your account. You could withdraw, but you couldn't see how much money was in your account."
- bucketofturtles
Bioweapons
"The most terrifying inventions are biological weapons. You can't see them and you die horribly. In the best case you die within minutes in the worst it can take hours or days. Or you don't die and there are permanent damages to you."
- Delta1136
"And through covid we have learned that since you can’t see bio weapons, 45% of the population will think they don’t exist and complain about losing freedom if you do anything to protect you from dying from them."
- JumboJetz
The Inability To Get Out Of Our Own Way
"A vicious cycle where we have the technology to solve our problems but can't because not everybody can agree on it."
- Coolius69
"It must be a real bummer being a super duper scientist or something."
"More often than not, they've got the answers. Just that no one wants to listen. Like screaming into a void every minute of your life."
- Deleted User
Everyone I Don't Like Is Wrong
"Adversarial thinking. The idea that 'we are right and they are wrong.' This is how every war begins."
- Deleted User
Antimatter
"Antimatter. We don't have very much of it, but the very idea of a substance that can annihilate matter is insane. For that matter, the colliders which can make it. The physics involved are terrifying."
- Rainbow_Dash_RL
"Has to be antimatter, it may cost trillions and we can only produce a very small amount but just imagine if technology advances and makes antimatter a weapon of war."
- STRONG-b00f-PaCk
While some of these answers definitely seem more joking than serious, they all represent a significant negative impact on our species and others, our society, and even our planet itself.
Some of those negative impacts were definitely intentional, like nuclear weapons, while others were entirely accidental. We truly had no idea how bad CFCs would be for our environment when they were developed; they seemed great in comparison to the toxic, flammable, or explosive coolants that were in use before their development.
It's important to understand that many of these horrible inventions didn't arise out of malice... but out of a lack of understanding.
- People Break Down The Most Underrated Inventions In History ›
- People Break Down The Scariest Inventions Mankind Has Ever Created ›
Finding love is something that nearly everyone hopes for at some point in their life.
For some, love practically finds them. They hardly need any time searching for the true love.
Others might have to work a little harder and be a little more patient. They never give up the hope that their one true love is out there, somewhere.
Then there are those for whom the search simply isn't worth it and have found themselves resigned to the fact that they may never find someone.
Whether or not that's how they want their life to be.
"Have you given up on love, if so why?"
Fear Of Getting Hurt
"To me the price I have to pay if I want to be in a relationship is I have to be vulnerable."
"And at some level I just don’t want to get hurt that bad again."
"I accept this, and have family, friends, work, hobbies, and things to look forward to."
"So while I wouldn’t say I have given up on love, I’m not looking for it and would be very wary of any new situation."- hdhdhdhdzjursx
"Gotta be honest, pretty much have."
"The last person I loved romantically found just about every way to put me down and reject me, all the while pulling me back in repeatedly."
"It was not worth it."
"I'm going solo but still kind of hoping for Miracle."
"I like me."- ATXDefenseAttorney
Don't Have The Energy
"Yes, because I'm tired."
"Tired of going out to find someone to love, tired of getting to know a new person and being comfortable enough to fall in love, tired of learning new things about this new person and whether we are compatible, tired of meeting each other's families and getting to know a whole new bunch of people..."
"Being single may be lonely, but I won't be exhausted."- Avelevanstar
"Not sure if I've given up, but I am getting real tired."
"Having to get to know new people, putting my heart out there without knowing if I'll succeed this time, so tiring."
"I'm learning more about myself in therapy, and I've seen ladies' heads turn when I speak, I've been told I have a nice voice, but chasing a lady is so much work for so little payoff."
"Never had a girlfriend before too, and I'm hitting 40 soon."
"Each new lady is a learning experience but it's also incredibly draining."
"Sometimes I just wanna curl up on my bed and ignore the whole world."- Blim004
It's Given Up On Them
"I haven't given up on love, but I doubt I will ever love again."
"After 53 years and so many attempts that ended in tears, I don't think I will ever have that chance again for a variety of reasons."
"I spend times just trying to come to terms that I will die alone someday."- kalwayne3573
For Their own Self-Care
"Yes."
"For now."
"Need to repair myself so the next guy doesn’t have to do it for me."- Beginning-Match592
Lack Of Reciprocation
"Given up on love as I am the only one loving, the others just need me."
"When they're done, they push me away."- gameygamer15
Traumatized By Past Mistakes
"Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love?"
"So that's why, though I hope time will heal me or sth."- guess_I_feed
"I was in a 10-year abusive relationship."
"Unfortunately I didn’t realize until very late and then I ended it."
"It’s too much of a risk to meet someone again as these type of people are very manipulative and you don’t realize the cruelty they are capable of until you are trauma bonded."
"It’s not easier being single but it’s a lot less heartache."
"I thank my lucky stars every day that I got out."- corickle
"My last four love interests either cheated or 'found a girlfriend'."
"It's left me believing I'm just not a person who can be romantically loved."- Owlmystery
Happy Being Alone
"I’m not capable of giving someone my all and I enjoy my time alone more than anything."
"Two failed marriages later, we chillin."- HDTempo
Life Is Good The Way It Is
"I had a big love."
"It didn't work out."
"Now I live a truly beautiful life alone and I wouldn't trade it for the world."
"I just spent the weekend with my friend, her toddler, new puppy and failing marriage and when I got home I nearly cried with the feeling of gratitude for my peaceful life."- spice-pop
"On romantic love, yes."
"I have so many social aversions and require so much space that I'm neither capable or interested to nurture such a relationship."
"I'm happier and more functional on my own."- USAIsAUcountry
Literally Don't Know What They're Missing
"Never been loved before, can't miss what I haven't experienced."- Allnutsz
Social Anxiety
"I wasn't socialized from the ages 12-22 and have severe social anxiety."
"It's hard to meet people when you're terrified of them."- owe-me
The true romantics should never give up the hope that their soulmate is out there, somewhere.
That being said, being without a partner is nothing to be ashamed of.
As the only person in control of your own happiness, is you and you alone.
Hiring Managers Explain Which Mistakes Make Them Want To Throw Away Someone's Resume
A resume is so much more than just a simple list of your work experience.
Indeed, your resume is the first step in getting your foot in the door to your dream job, highlighting not only your past experience but your skill set, as well as things about you that will make recruiters want to get to know you more.
On the flip side, sometimes there are things on your resume that will automatically send you to the reject pile.
Of course, this is bound to include common, careless mistakes such as spelling and grammar errors or missing vital information, such as a phone number or email.
However, no two hiring managers will have the same set of red flags they look for on a resume. This can make finding a format that will please everyone something of a fool's errand.
"Hiring managers of Reddit: What makes you immediately throw out a résumé?"
Not In It For The Long Run
"I once received an application from a man in his 60s."
"Solid CV, lots of experience."
"In his cover letter he wrote 'I'm applying because the Job Centre asked me to'."
"Please note that I intend to retire in 6 months time'."
"We had a good laugh, then sent him a very polite rejection letter and wished him a great retirement."-BeerPoweredNonsense
Make Sure They Actually Get The Right Document...
"One time I had someone upload how to upload their resume from Dropbox instead of their resume."- rabidwhale
Always Proof Read!
"I'll usually still interview unless there is no relevant experience, but I've seen some atrocious resumes."
"I've seen people use crutch words like 'uh' in writing for a job description."
"I've also seen a sentence 4 lines long with zero punctuation."
"The same resume will have 'attention to detail' as a skill set."
"I've interviewed for one of those resumes, and the applicant said 'I dunno" to about 80% of my questions, and it turned out he didn't even know what job he applied for'."
"It's not that I'm overly picky, but if someone can't spend the 20 minutes or less that it takes to proof read their resume, are they going to put a lot of effort into their job?"
"Maybe, but it's hard to know."- ChristyM4ck
Make Sure It's Legible
"The only time I have ever had to throw out a resume was because someone possibly had it in a bag with their lunch and the paper was soaking wet and dissolving as I tried to unfold it."
"It was just unacceptable to process."
"The application was left in a drop box so I don’t know if it was a prank or an actual applicant."- 416unknown
Unprofessional Email Address
"Back in 98 I asked a new group of hires at GIECO to write their email addresses on a list that was passed around."
"Remember email was kinda new back then.. "
"One young female employee's email address included 'mybaldc**tchie'."- catjugglinpimp
Never Send Someone In Your Place
"It’s been a long time but I used to do hiring for a cinema."
"Staff were often young, for many it was a first job, making popcorn and selling tickets type of gig."
"I would not pursue anything where parents came in with a CV for their teenager or if parents were contacting me on behalf of their teen."
"Big red flag."
"Either their kid didn’t want he job in the first place or they’re incapable of taking initiative and it doesn’t bode well for how they’d be as an employee."- FigJamAndCitrus
"Having your parents submit your resume while you stand silently beside them."- krim2182
It's Pure, Dumb Luck!
"I remember a meme or maybe a tv skit from a while back."
"The hiring manager had a huge pile of resumes on his desk."
"Someone asked how he was going to sift through them all."
"He took 2/3rds of the pile, threw them in the trash, and remarked 'I don't hire unlucky people'."
"Lol."- SpecialSpite7115
All About The Formatting
"This doesn’t matter 100% of the time but bad formatting."
"If it’s hard to read I probably won’t read it."- Far-Gain-3081
Depends On The Job
"If it's a professional position, significant spelling errors will make me pass on a resume."
"If it's a warehouse job or something, I'm less concerned."- staffsargent
Don't Treat It Like A Text Message!
"Former hiring manager here."
"I tossed MULTIPLE resumes that used text message abbreviations throughout the resume and cover letter and one that included emojis."
"While you can do pretty much anything from your phone, it doesn’t mean you should."- spectacularuhoh
Choose Your References Wisely
"Not me, but a friend who checks resumes/CVs had a belter."
"Candidate had a conviction and his reference was his friend 'Baz'."- LexiRae24
Make Sure You Have The Relevant Skills
"I know it’s pretty specific but If your looking for a scheduling job make sure you know how to use Excel and clearly state it on your resume."
"It will probably get thrown out otherwise."- LoyalPlanets
As stated before, no two hiring departments will have exactly the same prerequisites and red flags, so no matter how hard you work, your resume is never going to please everyone.
That being said, multiple misspellings and a cheeky e-mail address are a surefire guarantee of not pleasing anyone.
People Explain Which Things Were Once Highly Respected But Are Now Seen As A Complete Joke
In a world that keeps moving forward, many things change. People who seemed heroic fall from grace, inventions that were once useful are forgotten, and basic human rights are either ignored or taken for granted.
One way we've seen this happen is by thinking about all the people and things that were once highly respected that are now basically seen as a joke.
It all started when Redditor WildAnimus asked:
"What is something that was once highly respected but is now a complete joke?"
My Life As A Social Media Star
"Privacy. I know you're allowed to film pretty much everything, everywhere, all the time but do y'all really need to?"
– Reasonable-While-101
"And when you even mention that it's weird and rude to film people in public, a bunch of a**holes will jump all over you saying that "yOu HaVe No ExPeCtAtIoN oF pRiVaCy In PuBlIc". Like yeah, no one is saying you should go to jail or something, but could we all maybe try to respect one another a little more?"
– SchemeMoist
The High Offices
"Being US President"
– ral365
"I'll add being a Supreme Court Judge"
– p-terydatctyl
"I think this also extends to public office in general."
– joedotphp
Cheaters Never Prosper
"Lance Armstrong"
– ShakeyB2
"If he had admitted to use of steroids after the first accusation, I think people would have been a lot more forgiving. It’s the sh*t he did to his accusers that makes him a sh*t human"
– tjcoe4
"We sure found out how his arms got so strong."
– Zestyclose-Trash8556
The "News"
"Being a journalist. Said as someone who aspired to be one and am so thankful that I didn’t end up one."
– NarwhalSignificant22
"Journalism."
"Theres a reason we call it "The Media" and not "The News". The goal is no longer to inform, but to entertain."
– AlphaTangoFoxtrt
"It really is difficult to find a solution to the lack of real journalism. We got here because people would rather be entertained or enraged than informed."
– IErant
"Journalism. They were once defenders of the common man, seekers of truth and justice. Now they write bull sh*t about whatever is trending on f*cking Twitter and whatever propaganda the corporate overlords want them to push."
– NoseApprehensive5154
Inflation Will Do That
"Making 20 dollars an hour at your job"
– chronicsully91
"I remember thinking when I was younger “I’d be happy if I made 40k a year.” I make a lot more than that and am only just getting by."
– shocktard
"For my wife to be a stay-at-home mom like both of us want, I would have to make almost $40 an hour"
– Fyrrys
Don't Speak...Please
"Elon Musk. Man had a hell of a reputation for being a real-life Tony Stark. Then he started unraveling it all with the cave diver incident. (Your opinion may differ, the diver incident is when he went from "eh, he's cool I guess" to "he's a total jacka**" for me, at least.)"
"More recently he's completely tossed any shred of reputation he has by being a COVID denier, getting fully in bed with right wingers. being an utter sh*theel with the Ukraine war, and now his utter incompetence is fully on display with the Twitter takeover, taking a company that was previously doing just fine and tanking it in almost record time."
"(And of course, everything coming out about his legacy, like how he was let go from PayPal because he had no idea what the hell he was doing"
– We1tfunk
"Honestly I never really clicked onto just how much of a super villain he is until GTA online parodied him in their facilities DLC. Looking back, yeah it's a total likeness. A megalomaniac with all the money and a crazy tech start up plot to terrorise the world, and he gets foiled by a few weebs wearing a princess mask and body armour. It's the best metaphor for the 21st century I've ever witnessed actually"
– Flaky_Tumbleweed3598
Still Worth It?
"Netflix"
"Supposed to end the high cost cable, now its essentially just a channel you subscribe to"
– Yoshinoyachicken
"That was inevitable."
"What wasn't inevitable was cancelling every show before it even has a chance."
– Ender_Skywalker
"I blame all the studios pulling their shows to instead put them on their own crappy streaming service."
– kabukistar
"That's not Netflix's fault though. That is every single studio that exists thinking they can have their own paid service, after fighting tooth and nail against it for two decades. Netflix proved streaming works and now everyone wants Netflix's pie."
– SheriffBartholomew
"They did well and then HBO max happened and then everyone and their mother pulled their content for their own streaming service. Now you have 10 different subs with one or two shows worth watching and lots of sh*t"
– Kaizen420
Winner, Winner!
"The Academy Awards! I used to stay up late to watch the end & was so invested in the outcome!! For the past few years I haven't seen a single one of the nominated movies and feel so "meh" about the whole thing."
– lialoren
"I think the Academy Awards and the Grammies are in the same boat. People have woken up to the fact that the awards are rigged and who wants to watch that? It's a shame really."
– BasicB*tchBarb
"The veil has been lifted on most award shows. The more they try to compensate and include people who aren't attached to big studios the more they realize those people could care less about their award shows."
"The awards shows seem to be nothing more than big-name artists showing face to represent their studio. The shows are starting to see the flaw in their business model. You cant give awards to people who don't respect the award and you can't get someone to respect the award unless it's profitable."
"If the award doesn't get more eyes on your art or you aren't working on the next project participating in the show doesn't help you."
– Pencilowner
Teach Me Tonight
"Working in a school"
– Intelligent_Case_809
"Soon to be former teacher, this one absolutely rings true in my experience. I will have only been in it for 3 years, I have no idea how anyone in their right minds would make a career out it considering the current state of education"
– Verifiable_Human
That is completely tragic!
Do you have anything to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below.
Finding a career is not easy.
And many professions are stressful and prone to burnout.
So what do we do?
Apparently, we keep going.
We have to work in order to get money and survive, right?
But some career choices just don't seem to be worth the coin.
The folks on Reddit stepped up to help us avoid certain career paths.
Redditor kk-sahinul wanted to chat about the jobs that make the money not worth it, so they asked:
"What profession do you find unhealthy?"
I worked as a waiter. That's all I say.
Heavy lifting...
"Construction, breathing in all kinds of dust all day, working in weird positions, heavy lifting, loud, dangerous tools and so on."
thatsoneuglybaby
On the Road Again...
"I imagine trucking comes with a lot of problems."
Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
"My grandfather was a trucker his whole life, he started his own business and raised 3 kids off of trucking. It killed him."
"Sleep deprivation, sitting still for 10+ hours at a time, an endless stream of black coffee and later energy drinks to stay alert, eating nothing but fast food and truck stop fare."
"And even when he was 'home,' the phone rang non-stop, usually brokers asking him to run another load from VA to CA."
"And to top it all off, he would be gone for weeks at a time, missing significant chunks of his children’s lives. And all of this, just to enjoy retirement for 2 years before dying of total kidney failure."
ChallengeLate1947
Toxic
"Welding, did that for 15 years. Breathing in toxic fumes all day sneeze into a kleenex and it would be black."
Consistent-Panic-996
"My dad was a welder and after retiring got lung cancer and caught it early, but lost part of a lung. Luckily my husband is a lawyer and has a friend that does personal injury lawyer specializing in asbestos so my dad has been getting settlements from over a dozen companies. The companies were required to put $ in a fund for settlements."
ketomachine
Too Much
"EMT. Those hours are unbelievable."
Jrk16
"Why are 24 hour shifts so common in medicine? There is ample evidence that mental performance declines over even an 8 hour shift, let alone 24hrs. Seems that of all professions this is one where you'd want everyone to be sharp and fresh as much as possible."
Johnny_B_GOODBOI
"And the lack of sleep, the caffeine intake, the trauma, the assaults, the gas station food."
austinh1999
The Fields
"Farmers. My dad was exposed to toxic herbicides/pesticides and his doctors attributed his terminal stomach cancer to his decades of exposure."
username987654321a
"And that doesn’t even get into the insanely dangerous machinery they work with. I’ve read some real horror stories about guys getting caught in equipment and that’s all, folks."
kittyness02
Farmers are necessary. But not fun apparently.
Chronic
"Healthcare workers, chronic lack of sleep due to understaffing, potentially combative patients, various communicable diseases, sometimes threats from patients/their families."
HollyRoller66
Shaken & Stirred
"Bartending. There are so many alcoholics on both sides of the bar you become friends with. It can be difficult to keep yourself in check."
Mowings1
"I bartended for 10 years. Stopped almost exactly a year ago and while I loved being in that industry, getting out made me realize that drinking almost every day and doing drugs just to keep being able to handle those crazy weekend shifts wasn’t as fun as I justified it to be in my head. LOL."
freakybe
Not Safe
"Bouncer/Security. In my younger days I spent time as a bouncer, bar-back, and concert security. Nothing like having a drunken a** take swings at you for trying to do your job. Or getting blind-sided by a beer bottle to the head, etc. 100% not a long term sustainable role."
Toxikfoxx
Hazards
"Service work. Healthcare & K-12 teaching particularly. Medicine sucks due to inept healthcare & residency. My mother’s a teacher - overworked, underpaid."
Saint2th
"Where I am the schools are filled with lots of environmental hazards that really are unsafe to work around let alone have kids at everyday (mold, asbestos etc) it's unreal."
"People turn a blind eye or say it's not there but I grew up exploring every corner of that big old school... it's there. My mom was a teacher for four decades, got a different rare cancer 2x. The second one killed her. Underpaid is an understatement."
Bureaucrat_hell-loop
All of Us...
"Pretty much any job you don't like doing, which seems to be most for the majority of people. Forcing yourself to get up everyday to go do a job you hate just so you can break even at the end of the month."
chickadeedeedee_
Do what you love. If you can. And perhaps try to avoid some of these whenever possible.
Do you have any jobs to add? Let us know in the comments below.