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Our perspective on the world is shaped every day by everything we consciously and subconsciously see and experience. Some core ideas form in our minds that are rarely challenged later in life. But they should be. The general idea of 'right and wrong' that we see so often growing up doesn't really continue into the real world. Bad things happen to good people, bad people often face no repercussions for their actions: reality is harsh.

One Reddit user wanted to see what other 'hard to swallow' truths people have already learned. Over 31k people had something to say, sharing things that are difficult to accept, but are the actual reality once you step out of the dream world.

Bored Panda picked out the top raw and honest answers that are better to learn later than never. Scroll down and upvote your favorites, and make sure to share your thoughts; maybe you disagree with some of them? And if we're still missing out on some 'harsh realities', please tell us in the comments below!

#1

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Hard work doesn't always pay off.

y_notavailable , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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Колю Майката
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the avocado toast's fault!!1!1!!! Not the fact that rich people get richer by stealing poor people's money, we totally don't do that!!1!!1!1 /s

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#2

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Bad things will happen to you for no reason.

Burnt_Smurf , MART PRODUCTION Report

#3

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Some people just can’t be saved, you could give them every benefit in the world and they still could choose to throw it all away and you can’t do anything about it.

IfTimeCouldDie , RODNAE Productions Report

#4

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Some parents just don’t love their children.

avaritze , Lenin Estrada Report

#5

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Your government does NOT have your best interest at heart.

CaptainD743 , Pixabay Report

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F. Jeske
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please specify the government you talk about. I have a complete different perception here in the Netherlands.

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#7

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Some people just don't get a happy ending, some people never find happiness or satisfaction. People tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel but for some people there isn't, they never get to see any light, just darkness.

Kermitting_OOF-Side , Pixabay Report

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Firstname Lastname
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And for some of us, the light is like a cat laser pointer, enough to distract us and give us hope, but ultimately not much.

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#8

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Beauty matters in how people treat people.

NakedKittyAlucard , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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king raven
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read some statistics saying that attractive criminals tend to receive shorter sentences than unattractive ones. Messed up.

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#9

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones That it’s more likely to succeed if born rich than if you born talented

anon , Thibault Trillet Report

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Stephen Smith
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would prefer to be born talented and succeed at becoming rich, than be born rich and succeed at staying rich.

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#10

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Sometimes, YOU are the problem in a relationship. And if people keep on leaving you, it may well be your fault. Even if you don’t feel like it is.

anon , RODNAE Productions Report

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Karl Baxter
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work with a guy who’s been married and divorced 3 times. Spend an hour or so around him and there are many clues as to why but I don’t think he has ever considered himself to be the common factor in his failed relationships. He’s currently working on wife number 4 but I don’t hold out much hope for this marriage either.

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#11

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones The world goes on after you die.

Euro_Girl , Mike B Report

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JoyfulZebra
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"One generation passes away and another generation comes; but the earth is forever." (Ecclesiastes 1:4)

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#12

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones There is no karma. Bad things happen to good people. Bad people do bad things that never catch up to them. Good people do good things that screw them over in the long run. It’s all random.

Coach_Bolton , Mike B Report

#13

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Us 1st world citizens have it much better than we think we have it.

anon , Godisable Jacob Report

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Sandra Morison
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know I was lucky.......born white in the UK gave me so many advantages . I do try to appreciate it.

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#14

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones First impressions are a very f*****g big deal.

Robliterator_ , Cytonn Photography Report

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graham warley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On average you judge someone you meet for the first time in about 15 seconds. You are rarely wrong.

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#15

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Not everyone is going to like you, no matter how hard you try.

-eDgAR- , Keira Burton Report

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HelluvaHedgehogAlien
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Umm… am I crazy? Why are there two double posts with the exact same comments—

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#16

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Money and good looks matter

userid404 , Alexander Mils Report

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Колю Майката
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rich people: "money doesn't matter" | Poor people: OK then, if it doesn't matter can you give some of it to us? | Rich people: Nooooo this is not how you do it!!1!1!

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#17

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones We're not all special.

Some of us will not find love.

We're not all equal.

TheDevilsAdvokaat , Tan Danh Report

#18

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones You will likely be lost to history. In just a few centuries, nobody will remember or even knew you existed. Sad, I know, but you just have to accept it.

Timyoy3 , Pixabay Report

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N Miller
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ego. People want to believe they matter, that they are important. A big part of that is a legacy and being remembered. It's a not insignificant part of (some of) the reasoning behind having kids - to have someone who carry on for you.

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SAF saf
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LOL ....few centuries?! You'd be surprised how many people don't know the names of their grandparents let alone their Great Grand Parents. most people are forgotten in like 2 generations.

g90814
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was lucky enough to actually know most of mine (grand and greats).

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SCP 4666
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But this is what happens to 99,999% of all people. When you look at history only leaders, some scientists and artist are remembered by the world. Everyone knows Julius Caesar but does anyone know one of his legionaries?

TheEndIsNigh🇨🇦and🇬🇧in🇺🇲
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In reality, we only matter to a small number of people right now, in this moment. Not that it matters at all, but if you think about it, possibly to someone living just 5 miles down the road, I don't even exist.

Karl Baxter
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I reckon everyone should have a strong psychedelic experience once in their lives - if only to realise your place in the universe. It is very humbling and liberating to find out that little of what we perceive as our lives and things we waste pointless time and energy on actually matters in the grand scheme of things and that’s OK.

K- THULU
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep.... But maybe not bring acid into this.... That perspective is a WHOLE other kettle of fish that I'd rather not revisit!!! LOL!!!!

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Meeliasi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually I find this terribly reassuring. It took me a while to get there, and I had some getting older to do but now this feels like total freedom to me.

Lsai Aeon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My family doesn't remember I exist now, why should the future be any different?

Angeline Shalyn
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought about this the other day and it was really freaky , also knowing that 100 years from today, almost everyone on this planet right now will be dead, even the babies born yesterday

Demosthenes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Straight up cause for celebration! Fame is a vicious double edged sword. A better harsh truth is that fame leads to misery.

Roger9er
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesn't matter, all that matters is the moment you live in.

GadgetGirl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At an old cemetery near me, there is a gravestone with no name, just "Mother". Sometimes I think about what a powerful personality she must have had that her family and friends thought this was the most appropriate name for her headstone.

Cassi Lyris
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*and there's absolutely nothing wrong with this. Be good to the people in your life right now, they're what matters anyways. Who actually cares about Ben Franklin right now? Charlemagne? Exactly.

foryouwhynot IB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Few centuries? Hell, if I’m remembered a decade after I pass away it probably won’t be for anything good!

Ambry Petersen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not for those who do genealogy. I have a list of ancestors stretching back to bc.

Nigel McCulloch
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Saw a grave stone the other day from a YouTube contributor from the UK, it was the burial plot of a famous comedian (Tommy Cooper), it was a small plot all over grown and forgotten, that brought home to me the passing of time and the shortness of our life!

Kevin Felton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What makes you think it'll take that long. Seriously after your grandkids die no one will even know you lived.

Roberta Bray-Enhus
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s right. The only thing that will let people know you were alive is your tombstone. And that’s just basic. It doesn’t tell anyone who you were,what you did in life,what you achieved in your life. It’s your birthday your death day,and maybe someone will put on the stone that says beloved whatever you were. A beloved son,daughter,mother,father husband wife child grandparent etc.. that’s it!

Allan Hart
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well than do something important in effort to not fall victim to this insecurity

Gabby Ghoul
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For most of us it'll won't take centuries to be forgotten, perhaps only decades or merely years.

Brandon Parisien
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can't it be now? I have to wait a century after I die, likely 40yrs from now?

Les Clark
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Basically no one past your grandchildren will know your name unless they go looking for it.

Ron
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is the point to this? I've never met anyone who thought otherwise

AnonymousApple
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In just a few centuries? That's ambitious. I figure I'll be forgotten MUCh more quickly than that.

AliJanx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's funny, someone important to me wants to live forever, or at least a few centuries. Me? When I'm done, let me go. I don't want to linger. My contribution is raising my kids to vote and contributing members of society. I want to be known for smiling and laughing. I don't care what others think about my lack of seriousness, because of some of the difficulties Ive dealt with, i look for ways to laugh.

Nonna_SoF
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'll be a skeleton collecting dust at a university then. I've got a rare skeletal deformity, so it would be a waste to just throw it out.

Paul Dodd
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably this is also incorrect, given record keeping in many countries. Thanks to records of births, deaths and weddings we know at least the dates and names of people from centuries ago. If e.g. social media gets saved indefinitely, we might know more than we want about our ancestors in the far future.

Pamela Leigh
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, people you don't about will never know about you. But we all changed the world just by being.

Celine RM
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me, a very introverted and shy person : that's perfect! Do NOT bring the spotlight onto me-

Urbangirlatl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Few centuries? When the last person who remembers you dies, so goes the last memories. You are just a name on a family tree.

Mary G
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not sad. It is why you should live every day to the fullest, and try not to make too many mistakes. When I was just a kid I used to walk around our church graveyard in Philly, and noted the almost unreadable head stones from the Revolutionary War and realized no one knew them today - who they were, their stories. It's just the way it is. That's why I want a green burial.

Jessicah
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Every [one] has two deaths, when [s/]he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his[/her] name." - Ernest Hemingway Or the extended version: "There are three deaths. The first is when the body ceases to function. The second is when the body is consigned to the grave. The third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time." - David M. Eagleman

It's me!!!!
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That doesn't really bother me. What bothers me is that when I die I won't be able to take some of my material things that I cherish with me. For example my favorite art work that I own. Among other things...

Lauren Capp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish to be thought of well by those who know me but when I'm gone, I'm gone. I don't want anyone to mourn me, live your life!

Marvin Price
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Centuries? The vast majority of people are forgotten the moment the remains are dealt with.

Marvin Price
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Centuries? I will be forgotten as soon as the remains are dealt with.

Octavia Hansen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think of this as carte blanche to do things for the future. Out in the desert of Arizona, Nevada, Utah and California are 1000s of rocks with my name on the bottom. When the right earth quake comes along, they will all turn over and then EVERYONE will ask who this person was and why all the rocks. What I do now does not ruin the scenery. In the future, it's gonna confuse EVERYONE! You can make a mark. There's more to ancient civilizations than the pyramids or Stone Henge. And just about anything underground will last longer than anyone can predict. Need to leave a mark? Why not . . . but don't ruin something that's already doing its job.

Alison Lover
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most of us won't matter. But we have our little circled that cared and that is more important.

Lisa Intally
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We value great artists over time, but god forbid you want to be an artist in the US. You may like Kurt Cobain, but he was homeless at one time and the US looks at those people as garbage.

K R
Community Member
1 year ago

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Tams21
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many of us walk by people every day who's existence is lost to the present ☹️

Kat Hoth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think a few centuries is pushing it. I'd say at most 4 generations.

Stephen Smith
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true. From official records I know loads of my ancestors that died hundreds of years ago, so do a lot of people that do family history research .

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#19

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Mistakes do define you. The little ones don’t, but if you make a big mistake, it will alter your life to an extent. Saying that they don’t matter is a lie that will prevent you from diagnosing life problems later down the line.

CaptinHavoc , Liza Summer Report

#20

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones You don’t always keep the good friends you meet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make more later on down the road!

viking162 , Matheus Ferrero Report

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#21

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones You’re the bad guy in someone’s story, so many of your enemies will never admit to doing anything wrong, but the thing is neither will you in some situations.

People justify their own behaviour to themselves. That’s why so many people can’t apologise and double down on the s****y things they do.

the-salt-of-dungroon , Monstera Report

#22

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones All human beings are capable of being viciously immoral. There’s a point where we can be forced or force ourselves to become completely animalistic. We can perpetrate murder and genocide, as just one example, and if justified to ourselves correctly, we will feel no remorse. We like to think that the only people capable of such horror are a minority but the truth is that we are all capable of it given the right circumstances.

viktor72 , Anna Shvets Report

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dehumanizing someone, considering them an animal, a rabid animal, is how humans justify killing them—-and spinning it that “the rabid animal” actually deserved to be put down. It’s totally f****d up, but it’s what we do. Soldiers in a war are sent there to kill as many of the enemy as possible. That enemy is vilified by being portrayed as less than human, as vicious animals, as deserving to be killed—-and people applaud them for killing more of the enemy than the enemy kills them. I know it’s a way to dissociate, to justify going against everything we’re taught about not killing people so we don’t go insane from committing an act that society would otherwise consider aberrant. But maybe by not dehumanizing others, by retaining the context that we’re all humans and shouldn’t be committing acts of violence against each other, maybe we might finally leave our worst tendencies behind us, and finally take the next evolutionary step—-one that the knuckledraggers continually keep pulling us back from—-by becoming a truly elevated species that doesn’t give in to our more animalistic tendencies. (Hey, I can dream, can’t I?)

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#24

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones People refuse to accept that this IS the reality. Lots of time and money is spent cushioning that blow.

We live here. We live now.

Best get used to it.

Wyrdeone , Keenan Constance Report

#25

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Pain is inescapable. Not even acknowledging that pain is inevitable and preparing for it ahead of time can lessen it.

You will be taken by surprise, you will be hurt, you will not enjoy it, you will not be able to numb it, and there is nothing you can do except take it on the chin.

Cryptids4Sale , Inzmam Khan Report

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K- THULU
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, the Buddha said all life is suffering.... And he wasn't fkn wrong....

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#26

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones Very few people truly accept their mortality, and most of the time when it truly sinks in, people get scared and want to avoid it.

MettaMorphosis , Pavel Danilyuk Report

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Rupp
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Making your final plans is the best time to mess with people. For example, I'm stating I want my remains scattered, but I don't want to be cremated....

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#27

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones People can just simply fall out of love with you for no reason.

You fretting about whether it's you or something else or the investment is basically you giving them the reasons to strengthen the reason why they stopped loving you. When they could very much not have a reason at all, feelings and priorities can change.

anon , RODNAE Productions Report

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K- THULU
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And some pretend to so as to not harm the one's they love....... Rather be a martyr than a millstone.....

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#28

People Are Sharing "Harsh Realities" That No One Wants To Accept, And Here's 29 Of The Most Insightful Ones People like to be lied to. They don’t like finding out they’ve been lied to

cozygo , Teona Swift Report

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Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do not like to be lied to! I CAN (for emphasis) handle the truth. Whatever you do, don’t lie to me. Whoever has lied to me will find out how much I don’t like it.

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