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Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned

What is ‘obvious’ to you and me might not be clear to someone else. And vice versa! Common sense isn’t all that common. Not to mention that all of us, no matter our education, have gaps in our knowledge that we’re not aware of. It takes quite a bit of guts and tons of humility to admit that.

Members of the r/AskReddit online community recently opened up about the ‘really obvious’ things they only just realized. Scroll down for a good laugh, as well as a reminder that we’re not so different when it comes to our info blindspots, after all.

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#1

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned Learned I was allergic to latex from talking to my friend. She told me that since I’m allergic to some citrus I may be allergic to latex and asked me if condoms bothered me. I responded and said yes but they bother everyone who uses them.

That’s how I learned that burning and itching and a road rash are not normal after coitus with a condom. ? (I’m 26).

sydneyyasmine Report

1point

#2

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned That sign you see near schools with the two people crossing holding books? I was stuck in traffic a few weeks ago and suddenly realized it wasn't two women with purses.

JumboDakotaSmoke Report

1point

#3

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I learned where "Pulling out all the stops" came from a couple of years ago (watching a documentary on Interstellar's music).

It's from playing organs...air is blown thru the organ's pipes to play notes - and you have "stops" in there if you don't want a particular pipe to play. So when you pull out all the stops, you get all the pipes playing...

tallpaleandwholesome Report

0points

#4

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I was at least 50 when I learned that the little piggy who went to market wasn’t shopping.

0points

#5

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned My mom was doing her best.

hopstopandroll Report

0points

#6

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned My sister learned recently that when you're at the grocery store and opening the egg carton that you're checking for cracked eggs and not just making sure that they are in fact eggs in the carton.

everett640 Report

0points

#7

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I'm not "quirky", I have ADHD. I'm in my 50s.

sudomatrix Report

0points

#8

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned How the American bail system works.

I thought it was a sum of money you paid to avoid jail. I was surprised when I realized you get the money BACK if you show up for your trial.

Electronic-Pool-7458 Report

0points

#9

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I was like 25 when I found out the jugs of washer fluid outside the gas station aren’t free. I was walking out of the gas station with a buddy one day, grabbed a jug of washer fluid, and he asked me “did you just steal that?” And I was like “No, dude, it’s free”. It’s not, I stole washer fluid for nearly ten years of driving and no one ever said anything to me about it.

BruceWang19 Report

0points

#10

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned In high school science class we were watching a video and it was then that I realized Reindeer are, in fact, real creatures and not just mythical beings for the purpose of pulling Santa’s sled.

MoneyCost7188 Report

0points

#11

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned That the drummer for Nirvana really was Dave Grohl, and not just a guy that looks really similar.

kristenrockwell Report

0points

#12

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned Water towers are for water pressure, not just a town putting its name on a tank and saying "Hey look how much dang water WE have."

agreeswithfishpal Report

0points

#13

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I feel so dumb for this but I just learned that ‘Rainbow Baby’ is a mother’s next baby after having a miscarriage. I just assumed it was a term of endearment for a queer baby. I know. I know. ??‍♀️

Advanced-Win8418 Report

0points

#14

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned Not me, but my 21yo cousin just realized he is mildly allergic to peanut butter, and has been his whole life.

Up until now, he had assumed EVERYONE'S throat closed up a little while eating a pb&j sandwich, but they just fought through it.

itisverboten Report

0points

#15

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned That the best time to start saving for my future really was all those years ago.

eggmayonnaise Report

0points

#16

I recently realized that “Howdy” is short for “How do you do?”

I actually just googled it, and it’s technically short for “How do ye?” However, my realization still makes sense.

OneCoolStory Report

0points

#17

I was 39 when I realised the pointy bit on a the lid of a tube of something, for example tomato puree.. Was for braking the foil seal. For years I used a fork to break the seal until I watched someone remove the lid , turn it around and place it over the seal. Mind blown.

villaclarkie1982 Report

0points

#18

I just found out yesterday that I have aphantasia, meaning I can't visualize images in my mind. When I think about an object I just know that I'm thinking about it, but I don't see anything when I close my eyes.

LewieDrewie Report

0points

#19

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned My car key remote isn’t broken, the battery died after nearly 10 years.

MykeCecc Report

0points

#20

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I can't eat any type of nut. It messes with my stomach lining. I genuinely thought nuts just made everyone sick after eating them. Like salsa. Edit: I've discovered something about salsa today.

h3lls1ng3r Report

0points

#21

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned That cows have to get pregnant before they can make milk.

burgerbob272 Report

0points

#22

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I'm Norwegian, and was at least thirty before I realized that the tomatoes crossing the road schoolyard joke (two tomatoes cross the road, one gets run over, the other says "Come on, catch up") has, in what I assume is the original English, a punchline. Well, for a schoolyard joke, anyway.

Norwegian kids tell the same joke, but there's no catch up/ketchup pun in Norwegian, so they just tell a joke where the squashed tomato is now ketchup. At some point a kid who knew enough English to have heard the joke but not enough for the pun told it to younger kids, who assumed it was funny because an older kid was telling it, and it has been repeated between children for generations.

0points

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#23

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned A pickle is a cucumber that's been pickled.

0points

#24

The word "bed" actually looks like a bed.

Sad_Dentist_8730 Report

0points

#25

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I grew up in Poland. When a person was arrested on a crime that was publicized, the media will only list their first name and the first initial of last name, to protect their identity before conviction, e.g. Peter G. My friend thought that all criminals had one letter last names and he was surprised the police wouldn’t just go all Minority Report on them and arrest all people with one letter last names.

Blimunda Report

0points

#26

Heard this on a podcast yesterday, Fes from that 70s show, FES= foreign exchange student.

DadEoh75 Report

0points

#27

It’s called a “funny bone” bc it’s a humerus.

zoitberg Report

0points

#28

That the phrase mint condition means like new because it's the condition coins leave the mint in.

xtremecute Report

0points

#29

I am not responsible for other people's lives. Feels a little better accepting that I don't have to stress too much over supporting my family. I shouldn't feel too overwhelmed to the point of having suicidal ideations just from the stress alone. Edit : No, I don't have kids. I'm single, been supporting my family (parents, siblings) for 10 years.

AdventurousSort3250 Report

0points

#30

I only realized recently, at 40 years old, that a "fortnight" is called that because it's like "fourteen nights"...

I think because I always remembered it as two weeks, and not 14 days.

jaxonfairfield Report

0points

#31

That sometimes things are just the way they are, you can't change the situation you're in, only your actions and your emotions and how you react to them.
I guess I realized that certain situations sometimes feel unfair or are not favourable to your needs and you have to find happiness in the best way you can and live your life. Sometimes you gotta make sacrificies because that's the only option.

_BibiGirl_ Report

0points

#32

I know "felix" is the Latin word for "happy," but only recently did I discover the name Felix is also known to mean "lucky."

Now I'm getting the irony of naming a *black cat* "Felix the Cat."

(For those who don't know, Felix is an old cartoon, and there's a superstition that a black cat crossing your path is very *un*lucky.)

ThePurityPixel Report

0points

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#33

Colonoscopies aren’t just for looking for cancer and other issues. It’s preventative for cancer because they remove the polyps where it starts. I’m pretty up on medical stuff, didn’t know that.

Bitter-Basket Report

0points

#34

I'm 50 ish. For the last couple years I kept feeling that I'm getting close to retirement and I'm only going to have a few years to do what I want... Then I realized I could only be halfway there! What if I live till I'm 90? That's 40 more years! I have time to do absolutely anything I want to! It was just this crazy sort of epiphany that went you're looking at this all wrong! Life isn't over at 60 or 65, you still have a lot of time!

La_Murano Report

0points

#35

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I didn't know there are two little bumps on the F and J keys so your hands know where to center while typing. I only learned this when my kids wanted to try typing and it's the first lesson!

YosemiteDaisy Report

0points

#36

My wife and I are both in our 50's. She told me recently that she just realized the song Black Velvet, by Allanah Myles, is about Elvis.

StillN0tATony Report

0points

#37

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I used to think that clapper thing in movies was to get the actors' attention. Not for editing.

rattlestaway Report

0points

#38

The "Mad" in "Mad Men" meant "Madison Avenue."

Alaska_Jack Report

0points

#39

Last year I realized that when you sign your "initials" they are called that because they are the first letters, i.e. the initial letters, of your name.

ultimateman55 Report

0points

#40

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned That Loch - as in Loch Ness - is the Gaelic word for lake.

Catsacademy Report

0points

#41

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned I should have been twisting the bottom of my deodorant to push the plastic cover out instead of using my teeth.

Mysterious_Ad9307 Report

0points

#42

Common Sense Isn’t All That Common: 45 ‘Obvious’ Things People Only Just Learned When I was 15 I realized rice isn’t pasta chopped in small pieces.

0points

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Mantas Kačerauskas

As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

Jonas Grinevičius

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

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