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I’m sure you’ve heard someone say before that “people can’t change”. While this may have been uttered by a bitter, pessimistic individual, it’s actually a pretty common belief to hold. Whether it’s in reference to someone who cheated on their partner, someone struggling with addiction or a student who just won’t do their homework, feeling this way about another person isn’t likely to encourage them to change their habits.

But this list is a prime example that people can change. I think the issue is less about whether or not people can and more about whether or not they want to. People can certainly enact change within themselves, but we aren’t often successful in trying to alter anyone else. Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, addresses this in a piece on his website saying, “For a person to truly change, they must feel that the change is theirs, that they chose it, they control it. Otherwise, it loses all its effect.”

You May Also Like:

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Assisted Suicide. I was against it, but after seeing my uncle suffer with extreme Rheumatoid Arthritis for a few years before eventually dying from it, I’m all for it now. If we put down our pets when they’re suffering, why can’t we do the same to our humans with their written consent?

mcflurvin , Marcelo Leal Report

Final score:

414points

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Inga Paškevičiūtė 2 years ago

A human life riddled with pain and agony is not a life anymore. Some people get so in their own feelings that they forget their loved ones are essentially suffering. "How can I play God and decide who gets to live and who gets to die?" What about basic compassion? Assisted suicide is cherishing human life, it's giving the opportunity to the suffering people to die with dignity.

218points

Irrilogical , ational Cancer Institute Report

In the case of wanting someone else in our lives to change, we often have to sit back and fight the impulse to impose our own opinions. It can be painful, but as Mark notes, “The best attempts at helping someone often backfire. You can’t make someone be confident or respect themselves or take responsibility—because the means you use to do this destroys confidence, respect, and responsibility.”

So what does he recommend to gently guide loved ones towards better choices while maintaining our relationships? First, he notes that leading by example can be an effective tactic. If you think your partner is drinking too much and it’s beginning to negatively impact their life or health, you can set an example by inviting them to stay in with you more often or opting for nonalcoholic drinks in their company. It might not cause them to reconsider their own choices, but it does present them with an option they might have previously not even considered.

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Universal healthcare. When I actually learned more about healthcare systems in other countries and then compared it to my own (I live in America) it really showed me just how far behind we are. For years I staunchly thought it was a horrible idea, but now I’m pissed everyday cause the US doesn’t have it.

Final score:

361points

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Ian Reynolds 2 years ago (edited)

I really don't understand how people think universal healthcare is a bad idea, it exists in all EU countries plus the UK, and people aren't weighed down with medical debt.

203points

Abortion. Grew up Christian (not anymore). I started shifting more left but didn’t know if I could call myself pro-choice. So I researched it. 70%+ of abortions are done by women who live below the poverty line. 60% of those (45% of all) are done by women who also already have a child.

So its a mother who already struggles to feed her child making an impossible choice. Maybe instead of telling her what to do, we can figure out how to provide her basic needs and healthcare and educate her so she can get out of poverty.

Chiefnastynate Report

Final score:

339points

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Kanuli 2 years ago

Even if you eliminate the poverty no one should be allowed to force you to keep a lump of developing cells in your body. One which will change your body and life forever, and you might potentially not even survive it. Especially if it was conceived after rape, or if it generates a risk to the person carrying it.

203points

Next, Mark recommends providing them with better questions, rather than answers. Avoid explicitly sharing your own opinions, and ask the other person questions that allow them to reflect on their actions. Mark provides the example of rather than telling someone they need to request a raise, you could ask them, “Do you believe you’re fairly paid?” They won’t feel judged, and it’s empowering for them to come to their own conclusions. Whether they agree with you or not, they’re at least considering the topic you raised.

Lastly, Mark notes how important it is to provide help unconditionally. Whether you think you know what’s best for them or not, resist the urge to tell them exactly what to do. Make yourself available, so they can take you up on the offer if they want to. Lots of people don’t want to hear advice, but they may relate to a personal story you share of a similar situation. And you’re not forcing them to do anything, especially change; you’re just opening up their mind.

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Homosexuality. I “knew” that the Bible said it was wrong (fewer times than it said divorce was wrong). In college I actually met a lesbian for the first time. I had known them for months before I found it out though, so my brain was confused.

“But they’re normal! But they’re gay! So does that change anything? How does that affect me? Wait . . . That doesn’t affect me? So then what is the issue?”

I’ve never gone back to that stance.

Jabber-Wookie , Jack Lucas Smith Report

Final score:

274points

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Kanuli 2 years ago

I even heard the context on which they claim it’s wrong was actually saying “man shouldn’t lay with a boy”, so against pedophiles not gays.

126points

Timmy Pillinger 2 years ago

Or temple prostitution.

28points

Hedgeh og 2 years ago

Spot on. There are no mentions in the Bible of modern gay relationships, ie a loving consensual relationship between two adults. All the mentions of it - and there aren't that many - are warnings against abusive relationships. And the OP is right that there are more warnings against divorce - including from Jesus who never mentions homosexuality at all - that the evangelicals are strangely silent about.

27points

iseefractals 2 years ago

It's 2022. The bible should have zero worth in dictating the standards of society (and really....don't f*ck kids should be pretty much a given, the fact that the book about the never was from the make believe gives an opinion on the matter is probably not going to sway anyone foraging ahead down that particular path)

7points

v 2 years ago

I wouldn't even give them the courtesy of saying they're high minded enough to be against pedophiles. Where I used to live, conservative Oklahoma, it was a common, accepted, occurrence for grown men to make lewd comments about under age girls and many of these same people would publicly be "proud" if they heard of an underage boy in a "relationship" with an of age woman. They're not so much against pedophiles as they are about "protecting" their boys.

5points

Miss Marmite 2 years ago

i’m pretty sure (might be wrong) but the word homosexuality wasn’t added to the bible until the 1940s

4points

Eric Lafleur 2 years ago

Some priests should read the bible more then...

0points

Braydee Hinkley 2 years ago

My super religious (but insanely respectful) grandpa actually told little teenage atheist me this (“man shall not lie with boy” rather than with man) one day during a conversation about religion. I never really knew why until I came out a pansexual a few years after he died. I guess he knew before I did 🤷🏻‍♀️

0points

NsG 2 years ago

Too few people never make it as far as "that doesn't affect me, so then what's the issue?". They can get stuck in the cognitive loop of "does that change anything? How does it affect me?" But never manage to answer that crucial question correctly. IT DOESN'T. Assuming they aren't an active politician who is making policy decisions based on who they want to f*ck, and on the basis they aren't also trying to sexually assault you, whether someone is straight, gay or anywhere along the LGBTQ+ spectrum is none of your concern. Be an ally, be supportive, but at a basic level, it's really none of your business.

13points

Jon Steensen 2 years ago

...On the other hand, way too many people are also far to quick to reach the conclusion, "that does not affect me, so then what is the issue". Vesions of this include "setting the price of the drug I develloped so high that some people cannot afford it and therefore die, does not affect me, so why should I care? Or the CO2 that my Hummer emits may lead to desertification in Africa, but since I do not lieve there, what is the issue?... and so on. I do not nessesarily see evaluating only if something is harmfull to you as the best thing you can do, as it may be a too egoistic and narrowminded way of thinking. Instead you should just look at what harm is done in total, and weigh that against the benefits gained, and in that case the tiny amount of disgust that some people may have over the idea of homosexuality does in no way justify the destruction of someone else's happiness (it may even become so bad that they end up comitting suicede, so your actions indirectly cost a life)

5points

Cuppa tea? 2 years ago

As I witnessed legalisation of same sex partnerships in Ireland I'm on the "it doesn't affect me" side. For explanation: I'm straight, I fully support same sex partnerships. What I mean is - legalisation didn't not affect me in any way, so I don't have problem with it.

2points

Peter 2 years ago

The biggest effect on me is the annoying road closures during pride marches. I can just about live with that 😂. So crack on and live your life the way you want to.

0points

Prune Tracy 2 years ago

I have serious doubts that the modern Bible is ANYTHING like the original book. It has been translated and edited so many times, there's no way it hasn't turned into the world's biggest game of Telephone.

9points

Notyomama 2 years ago

My thoughts exactly.

0points

Valisbourne Spiritforge 2 years ago

The only time someones sexuality affects you is if they are a potential romantic/sexual partner for you. If they don't align with your sexuality, then they are off the list immediately. No big deal. I never figured out the problem to begin with, that's usually the least interesting thing about people for me.

8points

Black Pearl 2 years ago (edited)

Same here! When I was a small child one of my babysitters was showing me a video and pointed to two guys. She said, "Those two guys like each other, and that's very bad." I remember being convinced it was bad for a long time, but then I met a pansexual girl who was dating a girl and realized it wasn't actually bad. Now as a teenager I fully support LGBTQIA and I'm even starting to think I'm actually part of that community as an asexual. My parents are also very supportive of them, but I never ended up telling then what the babysitter told me because I thought they would say the same. Now I wish I had though because maybe it would make it easier for me to figure out if I'm really asexual or not.

8points

Perfect Storm Of Dreams 2 years ago

If you grew up in a repressive culture like mine, it could just be you've repressed that side of yourself.

0points

Nightshade1972 2 years ago

I'm an atheist. In college, I briefly dated a guy who was, at that time, a devout xtian. Years later, we caught up on FB. He's now an atheist himself. What changed his mind? When we were in college, he was a member of a campus religious group. One of their members came out as gay, and the entire group shunned him. My ex said, "Wait a minute, even being raised fundie, I don't remember anything in the bible that was specifically anti-gay..." He went home and re-read his bible with a much more open mind/critical eye. When he realized how much of it was inconsistent, contradictory, and just didn't make a lot of sense, that's when he realized it's nothing more than mythology. He left the campus religious group, and now considers himself an atheist.

5points

Arianna Gardner 2 years ago

Some could argue that the past church leaders shifted the intended original interpretations because priests were pedophiles and so twisted temple prostitutes but did not want to be called on it. "homosexuality is s sin" is just the scapegoat of it all.

5points

Daniel Yamada 2 years ago

The number of times that a topic is noted in the Bible does not indicate anything about the importance of that topic.

4points

Lisa Valen 2 years ago

People are still people, regardless of their sexual orientation and why should anyone care anyway?

4points

Ace Girl 2 years ago

Kudos to the writer here, but using the Bible to justify homophobia is a smoke screen.

4points

Hedgeh og 2 years ago

Unfortunately not. A lot of people like to absolve themselves of critical thought, and a great many do that by turning to holy books or other external sources. Then they can point at the source and shrug and say "but this says - " and not have to grapple with it. I know a lot of people who do this, and a large number of them use the Bible.

6points

Kantami Blossom 2 years ago

I would love to know why hard-core Christians will complain about gay people because of the Bible yet completely ignore all the other things the Bible forbids, there's nothing more hypocritical than some politician complaining about LGBT issues "because the Bible says" when they're on the second or third marriage and have routinely committed adultery.

3points

JustAFan 2 years ago

Catholic here. You can't be racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, etc. and call yourself Christian. The most important principle of Christianity is to love and accept people as they are. It's incredibly unfortunate that so many "Christians" feel this way, but these are just prejudiced, ignorant people who are hiding behind religion to try to justify their hate for people they don't understand. We're not all like this, and I'm so sorry to anyone who has faced hate for these reasons (Or any similar ones).

3points

Perfect Storm Of Dreams 2 years ago

You're right and i agree that hateful people aren't true xtians. Not all religous people are like this, but the problem is there are too many of their church leaders that encourage the hatred and tribalism. Name a Catholic church that openly accepts LGBTQIA relationships without trying to "reform" them. Society will pull the churches along and they will suddenly interpret those Bible verses differently.

0points

Amy Taylor 2 years ago

I love the ones that quote the Bible as their reason for being against it, yet they ignore all of the other "sins" like eating shellfish, shaving your beard, or women wearing pants.

2points

APL 2 years ago

Agreed. People don't get their prejudices from the Bible; they develop prejudices and then cherry-pick the Bible to support them. Of course, their prejudices can be coddled by their religious community, I'm not saying otherwise.

1point

v 2 years ago

That doesn’t affect me....and yet far too many people think that it does. The honesty of it is that they purposely choose to let and make it affect them because they build this little world in their little mind and, in this little world, they are being persecuted by THE GAYS! with every breath they draw.

2points

Craig Reynolds 2 years ago

Other people's sexuality and preferences have zero effect on me so why should I care what they are? Their life choices/preferences have zero effect on me. If it also has zero effect on you, why TF do you care? Can't you just live your life and leave others alone to live theirs?

2points

Nikki Sevven 2 years ago

The Bible doesn't say any such thing. The verses commonly thought to condemn homosexuality actually condemn sexual violence and pederasty.

2points

Kayjunmoon 2 years ago

The damage that religion does.

2points

Callie Ge 2 years ago

The Bible does not mention homosexuality, The actual verse is that “Man should not lay down with a boy as he would with a woman” it’s talking about pedophilia not homosexuality. When the Greeks translated the Bible from the old Hebrew they made some mistakes, they had no Letters for some of the Sounds so they thought near enough was good enough. His name was Joshua not Jesus.

1point

Oceanwave 2 years ago

Love everyone not the sin. When you actually think about it, it’s nit just an unproductive union biologically speaking but rather disgusting in itself.

0points

ADDchallengedINFP-T 2 years ago

where, and with exact words does the bible claim that homosexuality is wrong? Don't forget that this book was written yeeeaars ago by some "scholastics".

0points

Cathy Hurd 2 years ago

They're still the same person

0points

Rachel 2 years ago

As a Christian, I have no problem with LGBTQ+ individuals. We are called to love and treat everyone equally. Also, from my understanding of Scripture, it is homosexual acts that are condemned, not the desire. Same with any desire (alcohol, anger, gossip, gluttony, laziness, self harm) it is not the thought but the following through/ acting upon that desire which is a sin.

0points

Christof Irran 2 years ago

The belief that homosexuality lacks normalcy is rooted in ignorance. See attached Wikipedia's list of animals displaying homosexual behavior. 2022-0420-...113361.jpg

0points

Don't Look 2 years ago

Now question what people’s sexuality has to do with literally anything public and it’ll just make you question why it matters outside of the individuals life.

0points

APL 2 years ago (edited)

Here's a Bible verse I like to chuck at soi-disant 'Christian' homophobes: "Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 23:9, KJV)

0points

Suzanne Haigh 2 years ago

Does the bible actually say homosexuality is wrong?

0points

Dan Tom 2 years ago

There is a lot of debate as to what the bible actually says about homosexuality. It's all in how it has been interpreted. I do know that in Hebrew(original language of Bible) there was no one word that described homosexuality. Also, gay relationships were accepted during the time the bible was written. It wasn't until many years later that they were condemned.

0points

Jods 2 years ago

If Eve was created from Adam’s rib and they went on to produce offspring, is that sort of incest?

0points

Rick Hoppenbrouwer 2 years ago

Studies show that the second born male in a family has a 40% higher chance of being gay then the first born. And it apparently starts right in the womb.

-3points

Maeve Quigley 9 months ago

Source?

0points

Susan Bosse 2 years ago

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TheKrucifix 2 years ago

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Nathaniel 2 years ago

If you are straight and labelled as phobic it is most likely because you have made a phobic comment, not because of your sexuality.

24points

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Vaccines. My mom has always been an anti vaxxer, so I grew up with all the propaganda. Once i moved out and had to get all my vaccines for my job, I *did my own research* and learned the truth.

TheWeathermann17 , Mufid Majnun Report

Final score:

262points

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Paul Neff 2 years ago

There are scary levels of bad information against vaccines. It's almost like some people are mad AT science itself...

128points

When it comes to what we change our minds on, it can be anything and everything. Maybe when you were growing up you hated brussels sprouts because of the way your parents prepared them, but after trying them roasted in the oven and drizzled with a bit of balsamic glaze, they became one of your favorite vegetables. Politics are certainly a common topic that people’s opinions ebb and flow on. Perhaps as a teenager you felt one way because that’s what your parents told you was right. Then when you went to college you joined some activist groups, and your political ideology did a 180. According to the Pew Research Center, even social media can play a role in affecting our political beliefs. In 2018, 14% of Americans say something they saw on social media caused them to alter their opinion on a political or social issue.

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Jehovahs witnesses. I grew up as one and when I finally started doing research outside of their publications I couldn’t believe what I saw, and I left.

EDIT: I was disfellowshipped because I didn’t have the balls to disassociate myself. There were a lot of horrible things that happened to me in the religion in 2017-2019, so I felt my only way out was suicide. I failed my attempt in January of 2020, and was disfellowshipped in August of 2020, about four months after I got out of rehab. I lost my home, my job, my family, and my friends. Pretty much my entire life foundation. But I’ve built a support system from scratch and now I have friends who love me for me, and not just based on religion.
It’s sad but not many people get to start a brand new life in their 20’s so I’m grateful in many ways as well as grieving those I lost.

ANOTHER EDIT: Thank you for all of the love and the awards! It’s so heart warming to see so many people going through the same experiences. We are never alone and I’m sorry so many of you have been effected by this too.

FINAL EDIT: If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, I really don’t need you commenting on this to tell me I’m wrong and you’re not in a cult. What I’ve been through speaks for itself. So please let me be.

ILUVFLIPFLAPS , Stuart Grout Report

Final score:

241points

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Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago

I would be dead if I was a Jehovah witness coz I needed a blood transfusion. How anyone could choose a deity that we don't know actually exists, over saving the life of your own child/partner etc. F**k that s**t.

158points

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Climate Change. Looking at the evidence it's clearly a hoax.

Just kidding, I was a firm denier until I had to do an assignment proving or disproving it in highschool. Realised I couldn't find any decent source to back up my claim. Basically changed my mind on the spot

chuckychuck98 , Melissa Bradley Report

Final score:

238points

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A 2 years ago

That's good science. Question everything and believe the evidence

136points

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Helium balloons; helium is a finite resource of immense scientific value and we use it for party decorations

thenewwayfarer , Danilo Batista Report

Final score:

234points

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Saint Thomas 2 years ago

Well, today I learned something ! I thought it was produced chemically, or by some sort of extraction process from other stuff. Turns out it's a natural gaz, and yes, we're slowly depleting the world reserves.

100points

Certain groups were more impressionable, however. Men between the ages of 18-29, for example, were the most likely to be affected by what they read online, with 29% of them reporting that a social media post changed their views on an issue. The people who note that social media affects their beliefs also credit those sites for inspiring them to become more socially active. 67% of them said that social media is important to them for “finding others who share views about important topics” and 63% of them say social media is important for “getting involved with political or social issues”. 56% of them also noted that social media is important to them personally for “giving them a venue to express their political opinions”.

#10

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Horse racing. I come from an area that takes great pride in it. I've recently learned more about it and feel that it is animal abuse. They are shot up with steroids and other drugs and die more often than you would even think.

GarciaNovela , Jeff Griffith Report

Final score:

199points

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De Burke 2 years ago

Greyhound racing is even worse

111points

#11

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Working Hard.

More specifically, working hard in a corporate environment. I like to work hard for things that I own and maintain, my home, my family, my body, my hobbies. But I've worked for almost 20 years for big tech companies. I've started at entry level jobs and worked up to middle management. Support jobs. Sales jobs. I've made 6 figures.

What I've noticed is that they want to pay you less and keep training and experience as a reward. That is to say, you are not working for a paycheck. You are working towards the next thing. But they convince everyone to work hard in an entry level position, working unpaid overtime and you might be rewarded with a higher job. Statistically, you will not be promoted. There are 30 people on your team who all have that same goal and you can't all be supervisor or manager.

Now, I just work for my paycheck. If you would like me to work harder, you can pay me more. I'm not going to go above and beyond for 2 years just to get passed over again.

KevinAnniPadda , KAL VISUALS Report

Final score:

186points

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Paul Neff 2 years ago

Competition, in many if not most cases, is utterly pointless. Merit alone rarely accounts for who gets a promotion, rather who got the boss to like them for other reasons. I have seen too many WTF promotions to believe in that system.

56points

#12

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers I didn't think orthopedic shoes were for me, but I stand corrected.

trace-evidence , ray3578 Report

Final score:

184points

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Nathaniel 2 years ago

Ba Dum Tish!

96points

By 2020, 23% of Americans on social media said that “they have changed their views about a political or social issue because of something they saw on social media in the past year”. That alone (the jump from 14% to 23% over the course of 2 years) is a perfect indication of how people’s opinions change over time. People between the ages of 18-29 were still the most impressionable in 2020, with 34% of them reporting that their views had shifted from social media. The topics that people were most likely to change their minds about were the Black Lives Matter Movement, police brutality/need for police reform, political parties/ideologies/politicians, and race relations in general. One 64 year old woman stated, “Reading articles on the BLM movement has opened my eyes to the degree of systemic racism in this country and the world.” While another respondent, a 50 year old man said, “I used to support BLM, but now I see them as violent domestic terrorists not interested in addressing the real problems within the Black community. BLM is about a communist revolution not about helping the Black community…”

#13

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Mormons.
My ex-wife’s sister married one.
Before they met, my opinion of Mormons was “oh they’re basically just Christian’s with a couple wacky beliefs. They have multiple wives! How kooky yet ultimately harmless.”

The more of his family & community I met and interacted with, the more clear it became that Mormonism is a cult that preys on weak people like my ex-SIL. She converted within three months. His temple wouldn’t allow her own mother or father inside during the wedding. They had to sit outside in the sun, alone, then pay for a separate “ring ceremony” they were allowed to attend.

Learning more about a different culture or religion usually makes me more accepting, but maaaan f**k Mormons.

wbotis , versageek Report

Final score:

179points

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Al Christensen 2 years ago (edited)

I was raised a Mormon. The oppressiveness is very subtle and creates sort of a Stockholm Syndrome among true believers. One of my biggest objections with them is their one-size-fits-all view of life that they claim is God's Plan. Conform conform conform...

94points

#14

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Feminism. I thought it excluded the inequalities men face. I learned that if the problem women face is fixed it takes care of the ones men do as a bonus.

ThomasLipnip , Miguel Bruna Report

Final score:

179points

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Nathaniel 2 years ago

Feminism is equality.

145points

#15

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Homelessness. I used to have no patience or or empathy thinking that if they really wanted to change their circumstances they could find the resources. My mind changed when I began working with special education children and realized most of these people probably have specific learning disabilities that our school system/their families failed to identify or help them with. I also realize how privileged I grew up (my dad was a store manager and my mom a teacher so nothing too special but still we had everything we needed and good relationships with each other) and how much worse some people grew up with and how easily people can get trapped in bad circumstances.

mooch1118 , Clay LeConey Report

Final score:

175points

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Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago

I used to think most homeless people were criminals, druggies or alcoholics but after watching quite a few docos and lots of research I discovered that most homelessness is caused by unfortunate circumstances. Things like mental illness (main cause), disability, aged out of the foster system, family abuse, job loss which cause housing loss, medical debt (US) and much more. A lot of homeless turn to drugs and alcohol once they are on the street. It's a way tonumb their reality, as well as pass the time. There is not enough support for homeless people and what services there are, there scattered all over the place or just not enough to go around. Homelessness is FAR more complicated than you actually think.

13points

DonkeymanPicklebutt , Colin Lloyd Report

While we’re certainly all capable of changing our minds, it can be challenging to get there. We tend to be stubborn, so Dr. Maria Cohut of Medical News Today took a look at why exactly that is. She references a study that investigated “what, exactly, happens in the brain that makes people so unlikely to change their minds”, and notes that facts are often not enough to alter people’s opinions. “For instance,” the researchers of the study wrote, “over the last decade climate scientists have expressed greater confidence that climate change is man-made. Yet, the percentage of the population that believes this notion to be true has dropped over the same period of time.”

#16

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers All lives matter VS Black Lives Matter. I’m not racist, and I thought saying that “all lives matter” was better than BLM because it included everyone, meaning that everyone is important. Thankful I have a wife who is smarter than me and helped me to realized that BLM is important because of the attention that it shows/brings to the group of people who are being treated unfairly. That’s the nice thing about being open minded is you can change and not feel bad about it.

Final score:

166points

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El Dee 2 years ago

I am still shocked that people didn't understand the message of BLM (the slogan) it that Black Lives Matter TOO. Not sure if it's stupidity or racism that makes people think otherwise..

66points

#17

Cats! I never grew up around cats, thought they were mean. Now I date a girl who has a cat and I have a cat of my own. I love them so much.

dremy11 Report

Final score:

157points

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Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago (edited)

I hated cats for years, didn't help that my dad was anti cats, I am allergic to cats and the first time I pet a cat the bugger scratched me. Anyway over the years my mind has changed, I don't hate cats anymore (I hate a lot of cat owners instead lol) If I wasn't allergic I would even consider having one as a pet.

17points

#18

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers That case where McDonald's had to pay a bunch of money to a woman who spilled hot coffee on herself.

tychobrahesmoose , jgbarah Report

Final score:

152points

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Ripley 2 years ago

McDonald's didn't pay her a bunch of money. All she wanted was her medical costs covered and they wouldn't even do that. And then the badmouthed her to the world to make her the villain. Arseholes. But yeah, I believed this story for years . . .

168points

According to the researchers, confirmation bias is a strong force. This was tested through an experiment where participants were randomly paired off with partners and shown images of real estate listings. The participants were then asked to evaluate what they would expect the asking price of each property to be, either more or less than an amount set by investors. Each participant then decided how much they would be willing to invest. Next they were asked to take functional MRI scans facing their partners, with a glass screen dividing them. Each participant could see on the glass screen images of the properties, the asking price estimates and how much they said they would be willing to invest. Then, the participants were shown their partners’ responses.

#19

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Turns out girls don't have cooties. It's actually pretty great to spend time with one. You don't even have to pick on them to get their attention... Who knew!

Face021 , Vanessa Serpas Report

Final score:

152points

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Giles McArdell 2 years ago

This is just what someone with cooties would say.

128points

#20

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Being sober, took a eightish year landslide to one of the darkest places I've been in my life and not once in those eight years you could of talked me into putting down the bottle of whiskey that was glued to my hand. Been sober coming up on five years now and I couldn't think of being anything other than sober. I won't sit here and say it's not easy, it is honestly one of the hardest things I have to deal with on a consistent basis. But the rewards are priceless.

DeathCoffins1 , Mahdi Bafande Report

Final score:

144points

POST

Stardust 2 years ago

Congratulations 🥳. It was probably a very tough journey since being addicted to something makes your brain not want to stop it. Congrats again

48points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

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Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#21

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Getting therapy. My upbringing is within an asian household so when it comes to dealing with emotions, we tend to shove that into jar and move on.

I used to think that receiving therapy is for the mentally ill, weak etc. I don't have "problems" therefore I don't need therapy. But after recent events in 2021 with certain people I tried therapy and after a few sessions it just revealed some baggage I wasn't even aware of.

Honestly I wish I started earlier when I was in my 20s. I would be more emotionally prepared, and would probably have had healthier relationships with women if I had dealt with the trauma growing up and from my first relationship that devastated me.

Jono-san , Kelly Sikkema Report

Final score:

142points

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Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago (edited)

We have a friend from Shanghai and felt the same about therapy as that's how he was brought up. That was until he ended up in a mental health facility. Now he is much more understanding when it comes to mental health and the necessary support.

4points

The researchers found that, when their partners agreed with their evaluation of the property value, participants would be more willing to invest more into those houses, especially if their partners had said they would invest larger amounts. Yet when the partnered participants disagreed about the property value, their opinions would fail to influence each other’s final decision as to how much they would be willing to invest in that house. The conclusion researchers came to, after studying the brain activity revealed by the MRI scans, is that our “brains fail to encode opposing views”. We ignore beliefs that contradict our own and cling to ideas that strengthen ours.

#22

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Pineapple on pizza is absolutely delicious as f**k. and the only reason I ever thought it was bad was beause I was bandwagonning on the hate just like everyone else is. It's hard to appreciate a piece of food if you literally go into it with the intent of hating it.

heihowl , Chad Montano Report

Final score:

139points

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Zedrapazia 2 years ago

For me, it was exactly the opposite. I thought it'd be okay until I tried and immediately hated it. However, I don't hate on others what they eat, it's just my personal decision.

60points

#23

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Legalization of marijuana. Used to be incredibly anti drug and pro keeping it illegal. Now I fully support decriminalization at the very least (still extremely anti drug personally, but came to my senses regarding real life)

razzledazzle626 , Richard T Report

Final score:

137points

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May 2 years ago

Same. We were inundated with anti drug propaganda as kids, and up until my late teens I thought you tried weed once and next day you were a junkie (drugs were also non existent in the area where i grew up, so I didn't know anyone who had tried it) Then I read some stuff, and met some people, and though I've never used drugs myself I'm definitely pro legalization and regulation. That's the logical route, based on the science.

48points

#24

Mother Teresa, my family spoke highly of her when I was a kid, she received a number of honours from Indian government, won the Nobel Peace Prize and the church made her a saint, I thought she was a good person until a friend told me the truth about her and showed me some articles.

SuvenPan Report

Final score:

136points

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Nathaniel 2 years ago

She was an attention whore and a hypocrite. Says a lot about the Catholic church that they made her a saint.

95points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

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“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

Although opinions can be difficult to alter in brief moments, according to Christopher Soto at NPR, our personalities naturally change throughout our entire lives. Soto first explained that our personalities are organized into the “Big Five” trait dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, negative emotionality, and open-mindedness. According to various studies, most of us can become more agreeable, conscientious and emotionally resilient as we get older. Soto notes that these shifts typically happen over decades and are hard to pinpoint to specific causes, but they can be beneficial to our lives. Further developing these specific traits can even lead to happier, longer lasting marriages, according to a study in Sage Journals. This slow personality evolution can also explain how our beliefs can shift over time as well.

#25

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Roundabouts. Based on all the complaints, I assumed they were confusing and unnecessary. When my city put in a bunch, I realized that I no longer had to wait 3 minutes at all of the punishment lights. Love roundabouts now.

...Of course that didn't stop the older population of the city from trying to have them removed. One guy even ran for city council on the platform that he would immediately put the stop lights back in. Change is hard, I guess.

AlternatePersonMan , Lucas Miguel Report

Final score:

116points

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Zero 2 years ago

Mythbusters did a great episode testing the efficiency of them. Even with some mild confusion, traffic still flowed better. And when everyone knew the rules, it flowed a lot faster than a 4-way.

9points

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

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French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#26

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Nuclear Power. I used to be anti-nuke, based solely on the potential worst-outcome of a catastrophic failure. While in college I saw a presentation on the various short-term and long-term negativities of all the different power generation methods and nuclear is actually one of the safest, even including the 3 major incidents of Chernobyl, 3-Mile Island, and Fukushima. Additionally, coal-burning power is so unfathomably bad for everyone involved in every stage from mining the coal to living anywhere close to the plant that it is just orders of magnitude worse than anything else. Nuclear has the best balance of reliability, base-load, safety, and ROI of any method known for generating power.

mike_b_nimble , Frédéric Paulussen Report

Final score:

114points

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Kanuli 2 years ago

Ok, talking about safety is alright. What about the storage of waste? Deconstruction of old reactors (storing that waste too) I would go this way: if we stop using it, we stop developing new methods , netter procedurs and so on. So not a complete no, but still, it’s not forever a go to way of producing electricity.

49points

#27

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers People going on morning runs. I kept reading stuff about how it helps with anxiety and depression. I didn't really understand because one, who tf has the energy to get up before the sun rises to RUN??? and two, what if ppl look at me weird etc etc... One day after a major afternoon breakdown which lead to deep sleep i woke up at 4am. Felt sick of looking at my room, changed into leggings and a hoodie, left the house without anyone knowing (i left a note) and started walking. Eventually, i started running. I felt my brain shut up for those few hours i spent running, i reached the next city and stopped to sit down at this random park. It just,, it felt so nice. I ran all the way over to the next city with nothing but my phone, earphones, and a bottle of water. The only way for me to get back home is to run back or call my dad to pick me up. I ran back. When I got home i felt so much better. Started going out to run once a week since then, found a usual spot for people who run, met nice people. Happiest I've ever been. Those sane and healthy f*****s were right.

miniminicool27 , Emma Simpson Report

Final score:

114points

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Wilko Lunenburg 2 years ago

Started walking (running hurts) for at least an hour every morning and I can confirm it is a great feeling

44points

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

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Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

While humans have a tendency to be stubborn and hold fast to our opinions, it’s refreshing to read this list of examples that we are capable of being open-minded. Especially because we live in a world that is so unpredictable and constantly changing, we should be allowed to do the same as well. Be sure to upvote the responses that gave you reason to pause and think, then let us know in the comments something you’ve changed your mind about!

#28

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Marriage. It’s really not for everybody.

sprinkletoast , Євгенія Височина Report

Final score:

113points

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Wilko Lunenburg 2 years ago

If you love each other it isn't necessary at all!

33points

macaronsforeveryone Report

#29

College education. I always thought it would benefit everyone to get one. These days, the benefits don’t _always_ outweigh the debts and many people in trades make very good money.

Final score:

109points

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Caroline Nagel 2 years ago

I would recommend to learn a trade. Electrician, carpenter, plumber... are all much more useful than most managers.

6points

#30

Empathy. I used to always want to give people the benefit of the doubt if it meant they were learning or working on themselves, because I know I’d want the same. Turns out some people will take your kindness and run with it, and you need to cut yourself off from people that do or you’re going to find yourself mentally or emotionally drained. Can’t pour from an empty cup and all that.

Imoneclassyf*ck Report

Final score:

101points

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Prune Tracy 2 years ago

But unfortunately, sometimes that results in nobody left.

11points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

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“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#31

Alcohol as a vehicle fuel. First touted as a sustainable solution to transportation, now exposed as a greenhouse gas nightmare. Corn growing states embraced the idea, got it written into law and now we're kinda stuck with it.

Henri_Dupont Report

Final score:

27points

POST

Giles McArdell 2 years ago

Upvoted as I got taken in by this, seemed such a good solution at first too.

9points

Relativity_Star10538 , English Wikipedia Report

#32

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Marxism. When I was growing up it was the great evil from Satan that made you hate God and murder people. When I read it for myself, I discovered it was just a philosophical system and none of those things. In fact, it was about the only thing I'd encountered that explained why things are as they are.

Final score:

22points

POST

JustAnother Soul 2 years ago (edited)

I think it would be an interesting exercise to encourage people to do a little research on whatever is the opposite of what they believe and talk to people who have different views without judgement but just with the hope of understanding things a bit better. Edited to add: within reason

15points

#33

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Multiple genders.

Initially thought it was just a bunch of confused kids taking a stand on something nonsensical out of over-stimulated boredom.

Now i realise its a drive for acceptance and inclusivity, and I'm all for that.

Still convinced that surgery should only be an option at 18 though :)

Da33le , Delia Giandeini Report

Final score:

22points

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Kanuli 2 years ago

It should also be taught that on top of genders there are diseases and genetic mutations that can alter your sex or make you born with none or both. I prefer speaking about humans, and humans are complicated. But still a biological being…evolution hasn’t stopped, so why should we stop evolving our views and beliefs?

14points

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

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Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

#34

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Anime.

I always thought it was stupid, cringey, only for weirdo's. Until I found out that my best friend(we didn't know each other for that long when I found this out) basically only watches anime. Like, he's no weeb(no hate, you guys are just really intense about your anime) or anything, but he loves it. So I obviously saw some snippets of him watching Attack on Titan and I thought that it doesn't look too bad. So he said we should start watching the dubbed version together. Needless to say, I have seen/finished about 10 to 20 different anime since he introduced me to AoT last year and I am hooked. Planning on starting to read some manga soon.

NervousGrowth5780 , Gracia Dharma Report

Final score:

19points

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Paul Neff 2 years ago

It is just good storytelling. It often has the benefit of staying truer to the source material too.

11points

#35

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Disc Golf. All the guys I grew up with that played were huge douchebags. Years later a neighbor dragged me out on a nice day and I’ve been playing ever since. 10+ years.

moarturnips , Neff Conner Report

Final score:

17points

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Corey Smith 2 years ago

I got into it in the mid 90s and have been playing ever since. It's fun, you're outdoors, and you're getting exercise.

1point

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

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College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

#36

Algebra. It's Like a cool puzzle that makes you feel smart.

Mally258 Report

Final score:

14points

POST

Robert T 2 years ago (edited)

Basic algebra is still very useful, but some of the more complicated stuff I learnt at school, I have literally never found a use for! Mind you, I can still remember x = -b +/- the root of b^2 - 4ac all over 2a after 30 years!

4points

#37

Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers Immigration from other cultures. I thought, and still think, that any human should be able to live wherever they want. However, some cultures, when in big numbers, end up forming ghettos in our cities and making them unsafe. i.e: Madrid, Lavapiés, a district in the middle of the city was historically a middle-lower class neighbourhood, but because of massive immigration there are drug raids every day and it's not as safe to walk there at night. Still safe though, Madrid is a very safe city, just not as much as it used to be.

Espacode , Tim Mossholder Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Ace Girl 2 years ago

I admit I don't know the details, but I'd wager to guess that poverty due to unsupported population growth and lack of access to good jobs is the more likely culprit, not the ethnic makeup of an immigrant group.

22points

Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

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I'm a Visual Editor at Bored Panda since 2017. I've searched through a multitude of images to create over 2000 diverse posts on a wide range of topics. I love memes, funny, and cute stuff, but I'm also into social issues topics. Despite my background in communication, my heart belongs to visual media, especially photography. When I'm not at my desk, you're likely to find me in the streets with my camera, checking out cool exhibitions, watching a movie at the cinema or just chilling with a coffee in a cozy place

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What do you think ?

POST

VodkaInMySweetTea 2 years ago

Saying the pledge of allegiance every day in school. We all grew up thinking it was normal. Until we had twitter and TikTok and could hear from people in other countries. This is not normal! No one else does this?!? except for militaristic, dictatorship style countries. It's an intentional method of training younger generations to do whatever their government asks because "patriotism" and "national pride". It's creepy and it's weird. And no country should ever get your blind allegiance.

16points

Pete from Cali. USA 2 years ago

Same with the national anthem at sports games it's done so often that it's not special anymore and somehow it became super political.

6points

Random Anon 2 years ago

Yup people need to have their own epiphanies. More often than not, no matter how logical and convincing your points are, most will simply brush them off as a "difference of opinion". Until that lightbulb moment.

13points

jessica johns 2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Justin Arnold 2 years ago

And here we are at today's blocked-for-Android post. Always good to have Bored Panda remind us all how much they dislike visitors who use Android.

6points

Kristal 2 years ago

I have android, what is blocked? I read the whole article and I can see comments. Only thing 'blocked' are comments that are hidden due to many downvotes.

5points

Melissa Wohlgemut 2 years ago

Oh it's because I have android? I was wondering why some are always blocked

3points

Chucky Cheezburger 2 years ago

Honest question here. What's blocked on android?

2points

James Doe 2 years ago

Works fine on Firefox on Android...

2points

APL 2 years ago

Nope. I'm on an Android phone and I could read it just fine. Maybe you need to try another browser? I'm on Chrome if that's any help.

1point

Troux 2 years ago

My opinion of BP has changed after reading this post.

1point

Jessica254 2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Parmeisan 2 years ago

I noted with interest that the majority of these are not about someone having researched a topic, but rather having encountered it in their own lives. It's hard to change your mind, especially hard to lose a prejudice, without personal influence of somebody close to the topic / belonging to the group.

4points

Joyce Blodgett 1 year ago

When my son was just six weeks old, I went into his room to check on him before going to bed myself. He wasn't breathing, so I started screaming for my husband, and at the same time, picked up Son and tilted him head to toe, over and over, until he started breathing again. Husband wanted to shake him, but I knew not to do that, and the tilting worked safely and well. Scared the tar out of me that my newborn baby was so close to death. Husband didn't want him sleeping in our tiny bedroom (1976, tiny trailer house), so I slept in Baby's room for a few months until I "got it" that it was a one-off incident. He didn't suffer any kind of damage, thankfully, although he was killed in an accident just days before Thanksgiving when he was 31 (16 years ago). Still, I saved his life that night, and got to have him for nearly 32 years, so I would've done it again, knowing I wasn't 'shaking' him, just tilting him to get him breathing again.

0points

rosalia gurkenstein 1 year ago

GMOs. As a teenager I really hated GMOs, after starting to study food sciences in college I actually got educated on the different methods and reasons. Changed my stance a lot. There's still some modifications I find unnessecary or bad, but I'm far from thinking all are bad.

0points

Althea Armwood 2 years ago

Can I just say that we as people have too much judgement and not enough emphathy? We look at things from the outside and just because we can't understand it, we judge it as wrong instead of not FOR me. Hindsight is 20/20 but recognizing that there are things beyond you and your understanding would greatly reduce the hate and anger people project over an opinion that can change by experiencing it. So, instead, we could just have a little bit of selflessness (or a whole lotta "mind your own business") and say "to each their own".

0points

Dee Mendes 2 years ago

To this I would add Marvin Heemeyer, the "killdozer" guy. often portrayed as some sort of underdog antihero who got back at The Man without killing anybody, he was actually a bitter whackadoodle who had every intention of killing his perceived enemies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Heemeyer

0points

Teresa995 2 years ago

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POST

VodkaInMySweetTea 2 years ago

16points

Pete from Cali. USA 2 years ago

Same with the national anthem at sports games it's done so often that it's not special anymore and somehow it became super political.

6points

Random Anon 2 years ago

13points

jessica johns 2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Justin Arnold 2 years ago

And here we are at today's blocked-for-Android post. Always good to have Bored Panda remind us all how much they dislike visitors who use Android.

6points

Kristal 2 years ago

I have android, what is blocked? I read the whole article and I can see comments. Only thing 'blocked' are comments that are hidden due to many downvotes.

5points