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Some things are difficult to hear or admit even if they’re true. That you’re not meant for some people like some people aren’t meant for you, for instance, or that sometimes love just isn’t enough. These are just a couple examples of pills that are hard to swallow, but people on Reddit showed that there can be plenty more, covering nearly every aspect of life.

The online community discussed the topic in a thread started on the ‘Ask Reddit’ subreddit. They opened up about what they consider the hardest metaphorical pill they’ve ever had to swallow and provided heart-wrenching and thought-provoking answers. Scroll down to find them on the list below.

Bored Panda has reached out to the redditor who started the thread, u/Liteboyy, and they were kind enough to answer a few of our questions. Scroll down to find their thoughts below.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Sometimes I’M the problem. I’M the one who needs to chill out and back away from the situation.

worldwideweeaboo , Keira Burton Report

Final score:
186points
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#2

Your spouse does not exist to provide you with free therapy, laundry, food, cleaning, and sex. You have to respect someone's boundaries even if you don't benefit from them. You have to be able to look after yourself and pull your own weight. You should be able to help them and pull extra weight if they're struggling. If you are looking for someone to serve you or complete you, you are not ready for a relationship and you should not be in one.

swansung Report

Final score:
172points
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#3

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Sometimes your friends don't consider themselves as close to you as you do to them. The hard pill: This doesn't make them a bad friend, it just means that everyone has their own social network and you can't always be at the center of everyone's.

Royal_Nobody , Lisa Fotios Report

Final score:
137points
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The OP told Bored Panda that some things are best heard from someone you don’t even know. “I asked this question because I needed to hear something that I did not want to hear. Having a complete stranger say something you’ve been thinking or feeling emphasizes and confirms to you if you’re justified or not in how you feel. That’s because they have no bias, they aren’t even directing something specifically at you, which makes the advice or anecdote all the better.”
#4

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow No matter how wrong someone is or how painfully obvious a solution to one of their problems is to you, sometimes they have to figure it out on their own and there's nothing you can do to change that.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmno , Athena Report

Final score:
123points
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#5

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Someday, everyone and everything will be dead. It's not just that you won't be alive anymore, you won't even be remembered. Regardless of what you or anyone else does, the end result is the same.

IHad360K_KarmaDammit , Pixabay Report

Final score:
120points
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“The responses I received were interesting and thoughtful,” the redditor told Bored Panda. “A plethora of people engaging and encouraging each other, swapping stories and sharing experiences, was very comforting and nice to see.”

According to them, sharing stories can benefit people in numerous ways. “For example, people may experience something they feel is normal, but without the anecdotes of others and the added opinions of commenters, they would not discover 'x' is actually bad, or traumatic, etc.,” they said.
#6

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Heard this somewhere else and liked it. People don’t have to like you and no matter how “likeable” you are some people just wont like you. That’s ok.

You can be the most delicious strawberry but some people just don’t like strawberries.

poprof , Wendy Wei Report

Final score:
120points
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#7

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Sometimes trying my best is not enough.

anon , Ba Tik Report

Final score:
108points
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#8

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Don't throw good money after bad. Don't fall for the sunk cost fallacy. Just because you've invested a lot of time, money, effort, emotion into something or someone, doesn't mean that you should continue investing in them hoping that things will change. Sometimes its better to cut your losses and accept that while you may have wasted time and energy on something, that it's better to stop hemmoraging resources when it's clear that you aren't getting the outcome you want. It's still better to have wasted two years on something that didn't work out than wasting ten years on it because you figure you've invested too much to quit.

counterboud , Elijah O'Donnell Report

Final score:
105points
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#9

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow You’re not meant for some people like some people aren’t meant for you.

therealdavejones , RDNE Stock project Report

Final score:
102points
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#10

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life." - Captain Jean-Luc Picard

itjare , Kindel Media Report

Final score:
101points
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#11

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow No one wants to talk to a depressed person and depression actively makes you less desirable company to others.

That one hurts a lot, as someone who suffers constantly, I think I've often romanticized the idea that if people see that you're not doing well, then maybe they'll take the time to try and talk to you or brighten your day a bit. That's not how it works though, they just don't want to know. And it's hard to blame them because it's obviously not their problem.

That's a particularly hard pill to swallow for me. The world doesn't give a s**t, it will move on without you.

BlearyLine7 , Tusik Only Report

Final score:
90points
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#12

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Just cause you like someone doesn't make them not a s****y person.

Spontanemoose , Liza Summer Report

Final score:
87points
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#13

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow You do nothing on your own, everything you achieve is a result of other peoples actions helping you be able to be in the position you are today. You stand on the shoulders or giants in every way, this is your inheritance as a human, in the form of infrastructure, society, security, healthcare, technology, vaccination, peace, everything that allows you to have a choice in the course of your life is the result of someone in the past constructing a better world. Take this hard to swallow pill and consider it when you decide what actions to take in your daily life.

whhe11 , Cameron Casey Report

Final score:
85points
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#14

You aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things. People don’t think about you as much as you think. Relax. Don’t sweat your small mistakes.

CarlRod Report

Final score:
76points
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#15

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Super simple but...some things aren't just meant to be. A relationship, job, whatever. It's not lack of trying or wanting. It's just how she goes, bubs. The f*****g way she goes.

AgnosticUnicorn , Randylle Deligero Report

Final score:
74points
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#16

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow That it costs money to stay alive.

a-1yogi , Tim Samuel Report

Final score:
71points
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#17

I grew up religious, and feared sin and temptation. Anything that could be construed as sin, I would avoid at all costs. It took me forever to realize that temptations are healthy, and often point you towards something you need. It's taking the temptation too far that is wrong, not the temptation itself. Like, being hungry is ok, but overeating is bad. It's ok to be attracted to people, but objectifying them is bad. Those kinds of things.

anon Report

Final score:
71points
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#18

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow You're not responsible for anyone's happiness

dailyfield , Teona Swift Report

Final score:
68points
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#19

When I found out I was born with an abnormally small throat and I would never get to live my dream of being a pharmaceutical tester. That was a tough pill to swallow.

PMMeUrHopesNDreams Report

Final score:
68points
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#20

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Wanting to help does not mean you aren't making the situation worse.

orangemanbad3 , RDNE Stock project Report

Final score:
66points
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#21

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow you can never escape yourself

Moral_Gray_Area_ , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:
65points
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#22

That I have been the toxic person and destroyed relationships with people I really cared about. And the kindest thing I can do for them is to stay away from them.

satanshonda Report

Final score:
65points
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#23

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Just because I would never do something to or hurt someone intentionally doesn't mean they wouldn't do it back to me.

Zeracin , Keira Burton Report

Final score:
64points
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#24

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Sometimes the reason you aren't a doctor or lawyer or a well paying profession is simply because you were too lazy rather than not having the ability.

aigroti , Adrian Swancar Report

Final score:
64points
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#25

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow That sometimes you have to forgive people for being selfish. And that sometimes you yourself have to be selfish.

ZCM1084 , Gus Moretta Report

Final score:
60points
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#26

I'm never going to be as important to some people as they are to me, no matter what I do.

rns_020609 Report

Final score:
59points
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#27

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow I'm not a millionaire who is down on his luck. I was born poor. I am poor. I will die poor. I will never be very wealthy.

CalvinSpurge , Aaron Burden Report

Final score:
58points
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#28

People very close to you will die, and you will find a way to live on.

Vincent__Vega Report

Final score:
55points
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#29

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Sometimes love just ain't enough.

anon , Katie Salerno Report

Final score:
53points
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#30

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow The people you love can die, just like that. Suicide, accidents, whatever. And the reasons you’re missing them are, oftentimes, quite selfish. If they [unalived] themselves, then having them back here, right now, would probably just make them miserable.

kayisbadatstuff , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:
52points
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#31

That obesity can't just go away without doing something.

Woooshed_boi Report

Final score:
52points
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#32

there is profit in human suffering.

anon Report

Final score:
51points
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#33

Everyone is capable of evil. Even myself.

c0keinmouth Report

Final score:
50points
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#34

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow The only constant in my life is me. I can do all I want to keep another person in my life, but we ultimately do not decide whether they stick around or not.

Chango99 , Valeria Ushakova Report

Final score:
47points
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#35

No matter how much anyone likes you or loves you, they have their own life to live and you have your own life to live. No one else is really going to help you or fix things for you. You are on your own and always will be.

Kiyae1 Report

Final score:
47points
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#36

Being right doesn't mean I'll win, or that anyone will like me or care.

anon Report

Final score:
46points
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#37

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow You can't help anyone that isn't helping themselves. There's nothing you can do for them unless they help themselves too. *Nothing.*

codered434 , https://www.pexels.com/photo/ocean-wave-splashing-on-dock-1683492/ Report

Final score:
45points
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#38

Everyone has things you don't know about them

Damonatar Report

Final score:
43points
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#39

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow That all good things come to an end at some point. Just got out of a rough spot because of that. Things are really starting to go good, and I really don't want it to end, but one day it will. Hopefully that day is a long ways away.

Bnigma , Ricky Esquivel Report

Final score:
39points
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#40

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow It’s much easier to give advice than make change in ones own life.

anon , Alex Green Report

Final score:
39points
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#41

Your parents are not perfect, and you can’t change them.

MotherOfPapillon Report

Final score:
39points
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#42

I was born to sell my labor and die

anon Report

Final score:
37points
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#43

Life isn't segmented (child, teen, adult, parent) it's just a constant flow with no breaks to settle in

anon Report

Final score:
36points
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#44

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Some people like being unhappy

TeaDrinkingUnicorns , whoislimos Report

Final score:
35points
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#45

That my mother isn’t getting any better and she’s definitely in her last weeks.

Joe109885 Report

Final score:
35points
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#46

Windfalls usually happens to those who don't need it.

Like Millionaires winning the lottery

TechnicolorScience Report

Final score:
34points
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#47

Nowhere does it say there is anyone who will like you or that you have a special one out there

cmanonurshirt Report

Final score:
33points
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#48

no one is entitled to your kindness, friendship, and love

sad_barrett_ Report

Final score:
33points
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#49

You can't help everyone

WhyMEyeHere Report

Final score:
32points
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#50

Sometimes it’s genetics, and it doesn’t matter how you try to counterbalance it. It sucks and, most likely, not your fault.

Also it’s damned expensive

brandnamenerd Report

Final score:
32points
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#51

You can't change someone.

farts_n_darts Report

Final score:
13points
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#52

We are very rapidly killing our planet and us with it. For example, it took millions of years to form the ozone layer. How long did it take for us put a hole in it? Les than 1 million.

-Llamabb Report

Final score:
13points
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#53

Happiness has a ton to do with things you can't control, like genetics.

MadroxKran Report

Final score:
12points
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#54

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Trying to swallow one right now. That an 8 year relationship might not work. People can change and diverge over time.

goldeneag , Fred Moon Report

Final score:
11points
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#55

You're basically powerless.

CalebHeffenger Report

Final score:
11points
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#56

Not everything can be solves with an apology

swithhs Report

Final score:
11points
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#57

Opportunity cost is a very real thing. The time I spent scrolling through Reddit today could've been spent on something I actually enjoyed or on studying or helping people or anything else.

TinManOz Report

Final score:
11points
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#58

50 Honest Accounts Of The Hardest Metaphorical Pills People Ever Had To Swallow Your primary aim is not to achieve some purpose. You are not just a tool.

edgyversion , energepic.com Report

Final score:
10points
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#59

Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, you'll fail.

Tsquare43 Report

Final score:
10points
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#60

That, at the end of the day, I'm responsible for what happens in my life. Sometimes people do s****y things, that are unwarranted and out of my control, but I get to choose how I react to it and how it impacts my mental health. If I want to be free, its on me and no one else. Someone f***s me over, I shouldn't have trusted them. I got fired from my job, I should have been a better employee. Oh, that boss was a d**k? Well,he didn't show up with a gun and force me to work for him.

Basically, the world exists. Businesses, governments and the people that make them up exist regardless of me. I am responsible for navigating that to the best of my ability.

reasonableliberty Report

Final score:
10points
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#61

Pain, sadness, anger, fear, sickness, loneliness are all necessary for you to appreciate happiness, togetherness, serenity, healthiness and life in general.

SoupmanBob Report

Final score:
10points
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#62

The Krusty Krab is shaped like a crab trap

Captain-Thiccbeard Report

Final score:
9points
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#63

That I'm a good person, despite what my brain constantly wants to tell me.

Cyanide_Kitty_101 Report

Final score:
9points
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#64

There is nobody in the world who can save you, it’s all on you. Be it your mental health or your happiness, nobody can help you truly except yourself.

veganconnor Report

Final score:
9points
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#65

"What other people think about you is none of your business"

bettypiness Report

Final score:
9points
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#66

No matter how much you love each other, if it's not meant to be you can try as hard as you want and it's still not gonna work.

tinyoctopuss Report

Final score:
9points
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#67

Everyone we will ever come in contact with will be dead one day

CamSkeeze Report

Final score:
9points
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#68

My success is more a product of the circumstances I was born into than a product of hard work.

aronenark Report

Final score:
9points
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#69

Not everything will be logical or make any sense at all.

anon Report

Final score:
8points
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#70

You can't force people to reason, if they don't want to. Also if they want to do something with you, they would do something about you. And finally - for some people actions and words go in completely opposite directions. Always look at the actions. In a sense I knew all these things theoretically, but it's different when you get the experience to validate it

cybelechild Report

Final score:
8points
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#71

Egocentric Bias.

We tend to remember things how they pertain to ourselves, not other people. Often our memories of our experiences put ourselves in the best possible light to maintain our ego.

Somebody can do something that's really embarrasing. They'll typically recall that it was no big deal and people laughed.

We'll yell at people who drive poorly and complain about it later. When we do the exact same thing later on we chuckle and laugh it off to maintain ego.

When we complain about people being stupid, we've usually done the same thing before. We forget quickly due to our egocentric bias so our ego can be maintained. We s**t on others for doing the same thing because we don't remember we do the same s**t and it boosts our own egos to do so.

We're all dumb sometimes. That's okay.

bmatthewi21 Report

Final score:
8points
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#72

When I die, I think it is very likely that my consciousness will not persist, and that makes me sad and scared to die.

iamveryresponsible Report

Final score:
8points
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#73

Sometimes there's no right choice, sometimes the outcome will be bad no matter what you choose to do, but you still have to choose.

Trayohw220 Report

Final score:
8points
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#74

I am the most reliable level headed person alive in my family. Therefore I can't really count on anyone. I miss my Dad.

1dumho Report

Final score:
8points
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#75

Nothing in life dictates ease, fairness, or justice. We try to set up institutions to pursue these goals, but more often than not they are corrupted by the nature of people. It is hard to admit that your life is a burden you need to carry. It is hard to accept that sometimes, you will do everything right and fail. It is hard to address that however hard you push yourself, life is bound to throw new obstacles your way and never give you a break.

The hardest pill to swallow is that of total responsibility. But when we look in history at peoples who have attempted to relieve themselves from this duty, we find the genesis of despotism.

goodnt-guy Report

Final score:
7points
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#76

Solely being with her won't make me happy.

anon Report

Final score:
7points
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#77

Sometimes no matter how hard you try and work when if it's not for you it's not for you and then there's people that's much better than you.

SinkingCarpet Report

Final score:
6points
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#78

Apparently her love fades.

Erethiel117 Report

Final score:
5points
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#79

If you're male, the legal system doesn't give a f**k about you.

dystopianview Report

Final score:
5points
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