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We all have our own shower routine some of us like jamming out and busting out our karaoke skills while others like to take the time to reflect - and judging by the subreddit thread shower thoughts, there is some profound thinking that goes on between suds.
According to the group, a shower idea is "a miniature epiphany that makes the mundane more interesting. Maybe it's all the head scrubbing that knocks out these interesting thoughts, but if you are searching for life's meaning, the answer may be underneath your shower head." Scroll down below to check out more of these soapy epiphanies, and don't forget to upvote these genius ideas!
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While a lot of good and weird thoughts do come to us in the shower a 'shower thought' doesn't have to occur in the shower. The term has come to mean any idea you get while perform a mundane activity. Studies have shown that these epiphany moments usually occur in one of the 3 Bs - bathtub, bed or bus. Washington University psychologist R. Keith Sawyer, author of the new book Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation explains: "When we take time off from working on a problem, we change what we're doing and our context, and that can activate different areas of our brain. If the answer wasn't in the part of the brain we were using, it might be in another. If we're lucky, in the next context we may hear or see something that relates—distantly—to the problem that we had temporarily put aside.
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A lot of funny shower thoughts are silly more than profound, but some famous discoveries have come between scrubs. In 1990 NASA scientists were trying to fix the lenses of the Hubble telescope while it was already in orbit. The engineer on the project Jim Crocker was taking a shower in a German hotel and noticed that the European-style shower was mounted on adjustable rods. That's when it hit him - Hubble's small mirrors could be extended into the telescope if they were mounted in a similar way on folding arms. You never know when clever ideas will hit!
What is it about the shower that makes it the perfect environment to think? Our brain releases its best ideas when dopamine is triggered, which can occur during a warm shower. At the same time we are in a relaxed state and thus more likely to reflect inward. Lastly we are distracted. Activities like washing the dishes or washing ourselves are so automatic that it give our brain a break and allows our subconscious time to play in a more creative way.
#10
Luis Milian 5 years ago
when being a parent you don't realize that watching your kid grow up, you are also growing up with them.
#12
Martti Laurson 5 years ago
not for their entertainment. They are just picking the court fool for the queen
#14
The Girl on Fire 5 years ago
I have literally never heard that phrase before in my life. Is it common?
Bored Moogle 5 years ago
Yeah, stick the average Jo or Joanne in the forest now with nothing but the clothes on their backs and they will be dead within three days. Hell, even fully equipped they would still likely be dead within a week.
lemsip 3 years ago
And they also knew what wild plants were edible but not very nutritious, edible and nutritious or poisonous because they had discovered that from their hominid ancestors and before that their ape ancestors as the knowledge is passed down through the generations as humans evolved.
Pretty Pangolin 5 years ago
Wow, I forgot all about he Geico caveman. He was everywhere for a while.
Marnee DeRider 5 years ago
There is no such thing as "cavemen". Please stop perpetuating this myth.
Marnee DeRider 5 years ago
There might have been a very small percentage of people who happened to live where there were caves and made use of them (who wouldn't? They're great). But there weren't "cavemen" as in "we descended from cavemen".
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Foxxy 5 years ago
In some ways the cavemen were smarter and other ways dumber. There survival rates where ridulously low. But they are the ones that came up with some of the most vital things we still use in modern times. We now rely on technology more to do things for us that we are becoming lazy. They started the beginning of our existence and we are destroying it.
Tarmin Slingerfinger 5 years ago
Well it means that even people who have very little understanding of the world/subject(aka cavemen) can do it if they try hard enough, not that cavemen are incapable of doing hard stuff.
#19
#28
Wanda Queen 5 years ago
I remember catching my reflection in my daughters eye when she was little and thinking I looked awful, then realizing she thought I hung the moon, anyway. ;)
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What do you think ?
Wanda Queen 5 years ago
The one about language really struck me, as I was chatting with my cashier at Wal Mart last week -- she was lamenting her English, although really it was quite good -- but as we were chatting she told me she was an accountant in her native country and has a degree in business management, but here (US) she is working at Wal Mart while she tries to improve her English. She was obviously intelligent and driven, she was definitely warm and friendly, and I can't help but wonder how many redneck idiots in my area treat her badly for her English when they go through her line. As much as I enjoyed talking to her, I really hope next time I'm in there I won't see her -- because I hope by then she'll be on to something where she gets the respect she deserves.
diane a 5 years ago
Must be truly frustrating to be highly educated in one country and finding yourself somewhere you initially struggle with the language.
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AloofFox 5 years ago
No they've cut these down! There's only 30 now. *shakes fist* damn you, bored panda gods!
Nikki D 5 years ago
My shower thought today: I am 100% more motivated to wake up when there is leftover pizza in the fridge. It's better than an alarm clock.
Luuk Eegdeman 5 years ago
why does bored panda always delte a huge part of the list after they upload it. Like there were 120+ before now it's only 30
Alia G. 5 years ago
A copy paste of Minerva15's comment- For all of you wondering why the list was cut is because BP may have taken some of the submissions without the original posters consent, then they learned of this article and asked BP to remove their submission.
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Jilltdcatlady 5 years ago
If your eyes are shut in flash photos, you are literally faster than the speed of light.
Ben Steinberg 5 years ago
The title said '154 Shower Thought...' but I only see #103. I feel like there's 51 shower-thoughts that are missing or lost...
Alia G. 5 years ago
It's down to 30 now, although they did change the tittle. A shame, but you can go to the actual sub reddit to read more of the responses if you like.
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John Louis 5 years ago
I always found it kind of gross that when swimming in a pool with other people you are likely to accidentally drink some of the pool water. This water has touched every body part of everyone in that pool. Even if you don't drink it, it still gets in your eyes, ears etc.
Kia Dragon 5 years ago
That's right. Because dangerously overweight people have no idea that they are overweight without your commentary. And they don't deserve to feel beautiful by people who find overweight people attractive.
Pretty Pangolin 5 years ago
I heard that showering makes you creative because it ionizes the air. Don't know if there's real science behind it.
DeathMalice1485 5 years ago
Where'd the rest (#31-#102) go? i was in the middle of reading em!
minerva15 5 years ago
They're originally from Reddit, the original posters may not have felt comfortable of their comments being used for other purposes. I know this for a fact because Reddit often gets annoyed at Bored Panda for doing this.
Load More Replies... Wanda Queen 5 years ago
The one about language really struck me, as I was chatting with my cashier at Wal Mart last week -- she was lamenting her English, although really it was quite good -- but as we were chatting she told me she was an accountant in her native country and has a degree in business management, but here (US) she is working at Wal Mart while she tries to improve her English. She was obviously intelligent and driven, she was definitely warm and friendly, and I can't help but wonder how many redneck idiots in my area treat her badly for her English when they go through her line. As much as I enjoyed talking to her, I really hope next time I'm in there I won't see her -- because I hope by then she'll be on to something where she gets the respect she deserves.
diane a 5 years ago
Must be truly frustrating to be highly educated in one country and finding yourself somewhere you initially struggle with the language.
Load More Replies... AloofFox 5 years ago
No they've cut these down! There's only 30 now. *shakes fist* damn you, bored panda gods!
Nikki D 5 years ago
My shower thought today: I am 100% more motivated to wake up when there is leftover pizza in the fridge. It's better than an alarm clock.
Luuk Eegdeman 5 years ago
why does bored panda always delte a huge part of the list after they upload it. Like there were 120+ before now it's only 30
Alia G. 5 years ago
A copy paste of Minerva15's comment- For all of you wondering why the list was cut is because BP may have taken some of the submissions without the original posters consent, then they learned of this article and asked BP to remove their submission.
Load More Replies... Jilltdcatlady 5 years ago
If your eyes are shut in flash photos, you are literally faster than the speed of light.
Ben Steinberg 5 years ago
The title said '154 Shower Thought...' but I only see #103. I feel like there's 51 shower-thoughts that are missing or lost...
Alia G. 5 years ago
It's down to 30 now, although they did change the tittle. A shame, but you can go to the actual sub reddit to read more of the responses if you like.
Load More Replies... John Louis 5 years ago
I always found it kind of gross that when swimming in a pool with other people you are likely to accidentally drink some of the pool water. This water has touched every body part of everyone in that pool. Even if you don't drink it, it still gets in your eyes, ears etc.
Kia Dragon 5 years ago
That's right. Because dangerously overweight people have no idea that they are overweight without your commentary. And they don't deserve to feel beautiful by people who find overweight people attractive.
Pretty Pangolin 5 years ago
I heard that showering makes you creative because it ionizes the air. Don't know if there's real science behind it.
DeathMalice1485 5 years ago
Where'd the rest (#31-#102) go? i was in the middle of reading em!
minerva15 5 years ago
They're originally from Reddit, the original posters may not have felt comfortable of their comments being used for other purposes. I know this for a fact because Reddit often gets annoyed at Bored Panda for doing this.
Load More Replies... Related on Bored Panda
