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“What Is Something Considered To Be ‘Normal’ By Society That You Refuse To Do?” (40 Answers)
We tend to go through life accepting a lot from society. We use these pieces of paper to buy things? Got it. I must work somewhere to earn more paper to ensure I can eat and have shelter? Yes sir. We must abide by rules the government decided on even if we disagree with them? Okay, sure. If we questioned everything that society considers normal, we’d go crazy. But recently, Reddit users have been discussing some socially acceptable things that upon further reflection, they decided they’ll never do.
2 months ago, Reddit user fuzziblanket asked, “What is something considered to be ‘normal’ by society that you refuse to do?” We’ve gone through the responses and curated this list of some of the most interesting topics that you may have never even questioned before. Whether you commonly do these activities or not, enjoy reading through them and determining if you still consider them normal. Be sure to upvote the answers you’d like other pandas to see, and let us know in the comments what “normal” things you’d never be caught doing.
Then if you’re looking for another Bored Panda piece pointing out odd yet socially acceptable things, look no further than right here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
recording yourself doing an act of charity or a good deed in general. completely devalues it the second you hit post
What’s considered “normal” is determined by society, but there are many societies around the globe that have their own quirks. In the United States, for example, it’s totally normal to drive your car anywhere you go, even if it’s just a mile away because there might not be decent sidewalks or crosswalks to get to your destination. In many other countries where roads are built to better accommodate pedestrians, this would be considered bizarre. It’s also normal in many European countries for kids to walk or bike to school by themselves, especially when they’re about 8-years-old or older. This would be very rare in the US. Even when in their own neighborhood, American kids are usually expected to have adult supervision at all times. When paying at a restaurant in the US, patrons typically hand the server their card, the server takes it to their computer, and then they return with the receipt. If a server in a European country tried to walk off with someone’s credit card, the customer might assume they were being robbed. Societal norms vary greatly based on where you are, so there's nothing wrong with questioning them. They might be more arbitrary than you think!
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#2
Forbidding my (straight male) partner to spend time with female friends. He's a grown-a*s man; he should know how to hold healthy boundaries. It shouldn't be on me to keep him from cheating. If he's really gonna fall into the pants of the first girl I leave him alone with, she can have him.
Similarly, blaming someone else for my partner's failings, and/or trying to "win back" someone who doesn't want me. He's a big boy who can make his own choices (even bad ones), and I want a partner who wants to be with me, not someone I had to talk into staying.
(For the record, my dudeman of 20 years is awesome.)
Sarah Spencer 2 years ago
Anyone that enters into a relationship and starts setting the terms and conditions of their new partners interactions is definitely not a healthy person to be with!
#3
I don't know if it's been mentioned already, but I'll throw in my 5 cents.
The need to be available 24/7, i.e. always having your phone on you.
I like going for long walks and leaving my phone at home. I don't feel guilty for missing texts or calls, it's just stressful being expected to be available all hours of the day.
LagoonaBlueColleen 2 years ago
It's sad times when people are apologizing for not responding within a minute to a text. I have to tell friends to chill out. A text is not going to disappear. We all have other priorities and no one should expect anyone to stop their lives all of a sudden to engage in a conversation out of the blue.
One of the socially acceptable activities mentioned on this list is drinking alcohol. While alcohol has been around for centuries, it’s also the most commonly abused substance. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a couple drinks, especially in social settings. Alcohol is linked with many cultures, as sharing a bottle of wine with a loved one or enjoying some beers with your best friends can be great ways to bond. Holidays tend to be filled with booze in many places as well.
But regardless of how socially acceptable drinking is, it’s completely fair to question it too. People who have experience with alcoholics in their families or personal lives may decide that drinking will never be for them. Others decide to refrain from drinking for religious or health reasons. Drinking heavily can lead to developing heart, liver, or kidney issues and can even increase an individual's likelihood of developing cancer. It's completely up to individuals whether or not they decide to drink; no one should ever feel pressured to order a drink because its expected by society.
#4
give a s**t about celebs. Sometimes they're fun to talk about for like 5 minutes but other than that? Aren't they just people? I don't get it.
#5
Work myself to death.
Edit: I commented this, passed out, and now it blew up. Thank you for the awards.
Also please use your vacation days. Your sick days. Take your dog out. Hang out with the family. Even if you're alone like me - Go do something you like.
#6
Talk to toxic family members
Sarah Spencer 2 years ago
This!!! Being related to someone does not grant them permanent space in your life. If they are not good people, you DON'T owe them your time, your forgiveness or your love.
Smoking is another habit that’s considered socially acceptable in some places but more taboo in others. We’re all well aware of cigarettes being carcinogens, and most of us have seen terrifying examples of what smoking can do to the body our entire lives. Yet for some reason, smoking is still incredibly common and accepted in many countries. In Greece, for example, about 38% of the population smokes, including 47% of men. According to cardiologist and tobacco control researcher Konstantinos Farsalinos, “Greeks aren’t highly motivated to quit. There is plenty of education, and we have smoking cessation centers, but they are not popular. There is not a lot of social pressure to quit smoking. Although there are laws prohibiting indoor smoking, those laws are not obeyed. So that reduces the social pressure. So, the smoker tends to forget the reasons why smoking is bad for you. Most Greek smokers only quit when they develop disease.” While the culture around smoking is different everywhere, it’s definitely worth questioning if it’s accepted wherever you live.
#7
Push for the removal of homeless. They need help, not further persecution.
Jiminy 2 years ago (edited)
Honestly, it depends. We have organized beggar clans, which get driven into the country in spring and back home in autumn. They refuse any and all help, they even refuse to use the toilets specifically installed for them only they have a key for, and instead s**t on sidewalks and p**s in parks and bike parking spaces instead. I get persecution.
Bernd Herbert 2 years ago
But that doesn't sound like "homeless" but criminal
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Scagsy 2 years ago
All this talk of using the sidewalk as a toilet or 'homeless drug addicts' is purely anecdotal and does not represent the majority of homeless people. You always remember the bad stuff and completely overlook everyone that does not fit your narrative. Yes, there is alcohol and drug abuse in those communities largely due to serious mental health problems. It's easier to face the day if you are numb from the pain for a while. You don't have to be homeless to have an alcohol or drug addiction either. Generalising is dehumanising. Imagine you lost your job. How long would it be before the house gets repossessed? Imagine how you would feel. What would you do? Where would you shower? You would need an address to apply for jobs and claim benefits. What would life be like? It's worse than you can imagine. It's easier to die. So remember that every homeless person you see has chosen life and is trying their hardest to survive. Their life is harder than yours. Cut them some slack.
Kalulu Chance 2 years ago
Thank you for finding the words that I could not.. Speaking as a homeless person, myself.. there is no need to add insult to injury and life can be incredibly cruel. You should try to avoid judging those you can not understand because they have probably been through hell and simply not come out the better for it. Everyone who makes it through this hell will be left with some kind of scarring.. physical, mental or both. It is unbelievable how cruel people can be.. to persecute those who are already barely surviving at all. I live in a hotel shelter now myself but i WAS on the street before, unable to trust any person or system for assistance because I KNEW BETTER... People are sick as hell, and let me tell you.. The people who are afraid to receive assistance have ended up that way because of things that have been done to them. I even regret having had to rely on the shelter system! I have had shelter staff do MANY HORRIBLE THINGS TO ME so far already. it is just another trial to endure
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Lazy Panda 2 years ago
These comments are a giant pile of what-about-isms. Ok, so there are some fraudsters who beg and aren't even homeless, and some who have freely chosen a non-home-having adventure. But certainly there are far too many people who are homeless because of financial disasters, escaping abusive situations (so many LGBTQ kids who aren't welcome at home), can't work because of disabilities or illness whether mental, physical, or addictions. There are all these working people making minimum wage who can't possibly eat and pull together a security deposit on a safe apartment. All the evidence I've seen here in the US is that if somebody gets a safe place to live, they're more able to tackle the other problems (medical and psych treatment, jobs, addiction treatment). So how about we help everybody who needs and wants it and worry about those who don't LAST instead of first.
Kymber-Leigh Means 2 years ago
I know there are struggling homeless. People who became homeless because of an unfathomable circumstance. Homelessness is a vicious cycle. It's quicksand. What bothers me is states like Tennessee that make being homeless a crime.
Ted Rifenburg 2 years ago
people are terrible, i work everyday. EVERYDAY. I cannot afford a security deposit and rent where i live, My family lives in a small hotel room that im killing myself to provide for them, and God forbid you go to the state for help. All they want to do is make my life more intolerable by attempting to take my son cause we are barely l surviving. My son eats before i eat. He is first priority. but because I'm struggling like crazy, im a piece of s**t to their narrative.
somnomania 2 years ago
it's true, multiple studies have found that simple things like providing housing for the homeless, GASP, helps them get on their feet again!
Alana Voeks 2 years ago
A lot of homeless people tend to have psychological issues. Some are just down on their luck. Some are lazy. It just depends honestly, and not everyone has the ability to have a job and not be homeless (the stats for that are slim).
Amy Stone-Chandler 2 years ago
People making excuses to "rid the homeless from their location" infuriate me! They have to chose locations they can get food, money, use public washrooms and be warm!
SoloDadof3 2 years ago
Some people need to understand, some are homeless by choice and don't want to live society's way!
Susan Kiser 2 years ago
I find it horrible and even embarrassing that our country has so many homeless vets and kids
Jyndaru 2 years ago
It will definitely get worse with inflation. My rent is going up about 20%, food prices are up, gas, everything. And no raises. Might be adding to the homelessness problem soon myself.
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Lisa Yamaguchi-Townsend 2 years ago
Like with any social group homeless people are made up of people with a variety of backgrounds and reasons for being homeless. To lump them all in the same group would be a disservice to you, society, the people helping, and to the actual homeless. Yes there are those who generally need help and deserve our sympathy and help. Then you have the group who don't want your help, don't want to be told what to do and will sh*t on your yard just because they can.
iseefractals 2 years ago
It depends, and everyone really needs to stop pretending otherwise. Nearly half of the homeless in the US are mentally ill, addicts or both. Until we come around to the idea of forcibly medicating the mentally ill homeless it's not really going to change, and addicts can't be forced into sobriety. The ones that want help, deserve it, and should get a lot more than they do. It doesn't do anyone any good to pretend that the rest aren't having a negative impact in a multitude of ways on their surroundings. In europe, it's mostly Romani, who seem determined to be parasites, who treat where ever they happen to be as a bathroom, remove all garbage from dumpsters and public trash bins leaving cities to look like dumps, there is a constant haze of toxic smoke from them burning trash in their numerous shanty towns, along with increasingly large packs of dogs they just allow to roam free. They refuse all offered help and are a constant blight on where ever they happen to be.
L.a. Williams 2 years ago
I hate this some are mentally ill and their brain doesn't have capacity to realize how bad they are. I get that some people are Jerks.
RoseTheMad 2 years ago
I used to talk to this homeless guy in my hometown, he always seemed so intelligent and good to talk to, so I'd give him some money to buy some lunch or whatever. Turns out that he and a bunch of other homeless people would put together the money they collected throughout the day to pay off their dealer... :/
Passivepagan 2 years ago
Alot of things get blamed on homeless as well when they had nothing to do with it. For example, piles of household trash including furniture on wood lines etc. It gets blamed on homeless folks and homeless encampments when in reality it's assholes dumping truckloads of their trash from home anywhere they can to avoid having to pay the fees at dumps and transfer stations. Homeless folks get blamed or accused of theft, property damage, vandalism, etc when in reality it's usually young kids or folks deep in the throws of their addiction that are doing it. Most homeless folks are simply trying to survive to the next day. Many homeless are actually some of the nicest most generous people you could ever meet... If you ever take the chance to have a real conversation with them. Try it sometime.
Liam Lowenthal 2 years ago
I'd say this is too vague a comment. There are too many variables to consider to have this be *that* simple. If it needs to be clear, it's pretty much what Jiminy said. There are chains and professional beggers. There are also people with homes who dress up and make money begging. If you want to fix something, fix the mental health neglect in this county, as well as affordable housing, living wages and maybe catch up the state of the financial issues to 2022, instead of leaving it back in the 80s. That's how you can help real homeless people.
Liam Lowenthal 2 years ago
Oh and maybe the educational system. Too many people are riding the bible verses without a lick of intelligence.
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Henry Shane 2 years ago
Depends, I do a lot of inner city volunteer work. This is a very Grey area, many due have issue that can not easily be fixed and bring a bad vibe that others need deal with. My work would be much easier for those that can be helped, if these negative elements were removed and associations could end. Homeless and disadvantaged are not printable with the same brush. They are diverse like any group and in this case the bad shines brightest and shadows the good from getting the help they need. No one wants to deal with this though so everyone pretends to help to look good while never really doing s**t. We need to address the real issues not take money hand out food and ignore everything else.
Linda Lou Jett 2 years ago
I have to disagree with this one. Ever have 20-30 homeless people pitch their tents on your property and then have all their advocates (which always includes some local big mouth lawyer looking for publicity) tell you they have rights and can't be punished? And then you listen to those same homeless people say they don't have a hard luck story, they choose to live that way and society should support them. Sorry ,but it ain't happenin' dude.
JaniG 2 years ago
The situation varies a lot from state to state, it's not all about America. In the state where I live, the social network is developed a lot, health care is free (well, more accurately paid by productive people). Yet there are many homeless people, some of them really by choice. I see a lot of hypocritical compassion here but a minimum of real solutions.
nora bloom 2 years ago
I live in Boulder colorado and here the homeless people are awful, but in no way am I trying to say that everyone without a home is like this. These people want food and money without truly trying to get out of the situation. Here people are very empathetic and try to help them, but no matter what, the problem gets worse and they continue building tent camps of about 30 tents right next to the public library. Our town is amazing and usually I agree with the towns political views, but in this case I just feel like we should not let them poop on the bike paths and catcall young girls while on drugs. I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way, I still believe that everyone deserves basic human rights and no one should have to live in poverty, the only thing is these people can’t count on us being intimidated into giving them money for meth.
Jerry Ryan 2 years ago
I was back in my home town a few months ago.walking my dog down town around 3 pm just to get the honor of seeing a homeless man standing right in the middle of the library parking lot taking a p**s.some had been living in woods but the police went in chased them out and now they moved to a very small city park right up the street from the p.d. and police won't do anything about it.should've just left them alone in the woods in the first place
Cam 2 years ago
Allowing them to remain on the streets is a veiled compassion that continues to fail these people over and over again. In many situations, the forced removal of these people into places of forced reconciliation with their problems is the most compassionate thing a concerned society can do. Giving them resources without expectations or accountability is malice disguised as mercy. Quite frankly, it's disgusting.
Shoshana Sherrington 2 years ago
There are many different kinds of homeless people and they can't all be treated the same. There's the kind that if you just give them the help they need they will get it together and live a good life. All they need is a chance. Then there are the mentally ill or drug addicted as well as the "free spirit/I have a right to live on the street". The first needs to be helped in ways they may not consent to, it's simply not safe/healthy for them to be there for themselves or anyone else. The second half, I'm sorry but no one has the "right" to live on the street and you are simply opting out on normal life because you can't be responsible. Our goal should be no more homeless on the streets ie getting them the help they need and not encouraging that third group
Bryan With A Why 2 years ago
The vast majority on the streets are drug addicts that need to be given accountability. They will only get clean if they really want it, they can't be forced. But they should not be coddled or defended for breaking the law (yes, sleeping on the street used to be and still should be illegal)
DensaiFire 2 years ago (edited)
Eh if I'm being honest, I can understand both. See I used to be hugely sympathetic, but after working around the homeless day in, day out, having my life and safety threatened by random bums, racist remarks, pissing And s******g on the sidewalks, refusing any and all help to get better... I've stopped caring and that little humanitarian spirit I had once is no longer there. There were 2 or 3 I cared about, they were some of the good ones, they were actively trying to get help
Margaret Lowe 2 years ago (edited)
PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY ARE F'ING MENTALLY ILL! NO ONE SANEWOULD CHOSE TO LIVE THE DIFFICULTY LIFE OF A HOMELESS PERSON! YOU INSENTIVE PEOPLE!!
Scagsy 2 years ago
I agree with the sentiment behind this comment. But Margaret, please turn off the [CAPS LOCK] because it comes across as shouty and anti-social (unless your eyesight demands it) and lose the profanity and exclamation marks, and people will be a lot more supportive and receptive to what you have to say. Sorry if I sound patronising, I tried really hard not to. I am genuinely trying to help.
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Hubert Martin 2 years ago
Homeless in America is like failing level one. It's not easier anywhere else, to be honest. There are so many opportunities here. People flock from all over the world to be here. I'm an immigrant. You have to work here to get anywhere. It's fair. If there are mental factors at play, they should be taken to asylums where they will be clothed and fed. They should not be allowed to gather and lean on each other to continue in such an environment. Is it not better to force them into treatment than give them this illusion of choice which only leads to self-harm?
Lazy Panda 2 years ago
You talk about asylums that clothe and feed people, but that really isn't available. In the US, the mental health system is severely lacking. The closest thing to what you're describing is the prison system, and being sick is not and should not be a crime.
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Challenge Central 2 years ago
This isn’t so cut and dry, a great deal of homeless near me have no desire for help nor to be off the street. I agree that they need help but there is a plight for home and business owners as well.
Shawn Seymour 2 years ago
In Austin TX. They don't want help. They want drugs. There are jobs. You might like the jobs. But there are jobs. There is no excuse.
Jean Gibbs 2 years ago
I was out there for years. So.e of the places you can get here are dangerous and because I didn't t want to hook up even preachers called .e Rouge a d because of that trouble maker. Fi ally fou.d he with lady family when I was beat up.Have nothing against men. But the tri es or cla s devote their own I ternary rez and it ca. Be life threatening if you buck a tribe. You usually have to fi d a wY to leave atea
Patrick degnan 2 years ago
Most homeless people are homeless by choice or because they have mental health issues that make them unable to function/coexist in a shelter/halfway house environment. I've often engaged with panhandlers and they usually refuse open beds at shelters. A common tactic where I live is asking for help buying a train ticket and they always refuse the ticket being bought outright for them at the ticket office.
Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
I volunteer in a homeless shelter, and this is a harmful generalization. Many of our clients are women whose financial situation has changed because of divorce or abandonment. Others have lost their homes due to medical debt. It's getting better, but many people found themselves homeless after the subprime mortgage debacle. And there are literally millions of homeless teens who have fled from parental abuse.
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Tamra 2 years ago
And may you find an equal measure of compassion, should you ever need it.
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Tamra 2 years ago
Yes, because being homeless is obviously a safe, wonderful way to live. 🙄. Spoken like someone who hasn't really had anything bad happen to them.
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#8
Wear makeup. If I can deal with my face, so can everyone else
Similarly to smoking, people around the world have very different views on recreational drugs as well. Marijuana is particularly controversial, as it has been legalized for recreational use in 6 countries, 19 states in the US, and parts of Australia. In places where it is legal, like the state of Oregon for example, it usually is considered socially acceptable. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but it’s legal and harmless, so people tend to mind their own business. However, in other places where it is heavily enforced, like the Philippines where it is considered a "dangerous drug", people are a lot less likely to openly discuss their marijuana use. How socially acceptable recreational drugs are depends greatly on individual cultures, but even in places where marijuana is common, there will always be those who simply have no interest in getting high.
#10
My dad just scolded me because I was unwilling to put in 60+ hrs/week at a new salaried job by saying 'I've worked 70/hr since I was out of college!'
Yeah dad, that's probably why you missed every important life event and smoke a juul at age 57
#11
I don’t drink or do illicit drugs. Alcohol messes with my medication, and pot gives me anxiety. I am a sober person and people often give me s**t about it and call me boring.
Mary Rose Kent 2 years ago
I’m sorry to break this to you, but you’re hanging out with the wrong people. Unless everyone is drunk, being with drunk people is really boring!
#12
Hang out in a social setting where the music is so gawdam loud that you have to scream at the person next to you to communicate.
Another thing mentioned on this list that some people swear they’ll never experience is dating apps. Online dating originally began in 1995 when Match.com launched, but as our culture has become increasingly obsessed with the internet since then, finding love online has only become more and more common. In 2020, the Pew Research Center found that 30% of Americans had ever used a dating site or app, including 48% of people between the ages of 18-29. These numbers have likely only gone up since the onset of the pandemic, though, and online dating is even more common among members of the LGBT+ community. Pew found that 55% of LGBT respondents had experience on a dating site or app, with 21% of them saying they had even been in a serious relationship with someone they met online.
#13
Two months ago, my dad died. He had cancer and had had it for like a year.
I told my work over and over again that he was really sick. I work in an office and am on a computer all day. I have a company-supplied laptop. I have the ability to work from home, but I was not allowed to do so because I was an hourly employee.
I told them that his condition was worsening. I live five hours from my parents. They refused to accommodate me, even when I offered to work every day from my parents house, just so I could be with him.
They said 'well maybe when the situation gets more dire.'
I tried to apply for FMLA (I think that’s the right acronym) and I wasn’t eligible because I was hourly and hadn’t been there for a year yet, despite the circumstances. A week before he died I told my boss that it was almost time and I might have to take off work.
They were not concerned and told me as long as I got my work done and didn’t miss deadlines. I took the day he died off work—I just had a bad feeling, and was packing to go see him when he passed.
I told my work and they don’t have bereavement leave. So I offered to work remotely during this period and again they refused. Again, I have a 'good job' working at a huge corporation, in an office; my job requires a degree.
I was forced to use all of my sick time and some of my PTO so I could attend his funeral and help my mother with arrangements.
And I'm stuck here because I can't afford to quit without something else lined up. I've been looking. They obviously don't see us as humans.
You don’t owe your company anything. I would give anything to go back and time and quit, just to spend the last few weeks with my dad.
Whatever company you work for doesn’t care about you, only about how much you make them. Don’t worry about screwing them over or anything because at the end of the day, you could die and they would consider it a small inconvenience.
LagoonaBlueColleen 2 years ago
This. Companies think they're the most important s**t on the planet over humans. Idc if it's business or what. They're run by humans who've forgotten where they came from and the meaning of what's important. We're not slaves to corporations. We're brainwashed into believing we need them.
#14
Have kids.
I'm a 38 year old woman with lots of experience with kids - I like kids! - but people think that is a reason to birth them.
Mary Rose Kent 2 years ago
Being able to opt in or opt out of hanging out with munchkins is great! I love being Aunt Mary Rose and not Mommy!
#15
Ironing. Life is too short. I don't even own an iron and my clothes are just fine.
Jar of Pickles 2 years ago
I may be weird, but I love ironing. The best part is when you watch the transformation of a shirt, from a wrinkled to a smooth one. I love it!
When it comes to apps specifically, they did begin as a way for same-sex couples to meet. Grindr, a location-based app geared towards gay and bisexual men, launched in 2009 and started somewhat of a sexual revolution in the gay community. Since then, dating apps have become the norm for everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Tinder launched in 2012, and now has over 50,000,000 users. But just because dating apps are now socially acceptable doesn’t mean everyone has to use them. In fact, about half of Americans say that online dating has had neither a positive or negative effect on their love lives. If you prefer to meet people the old fashion way, there’s no reason to feel pressured into using the internet.
#16
Don't follow sports
John Smith 2 years ago
I get really annoyed when people don't understand "I don't care it is boring to me" as an excuse to explain it to me in minute detail, as I just don't understand it. My usual response is to start explaining software development to them. Strangely they aren't interested and don't want to talk about it.. and yet don't get the link.
#17
Yes. People are flabbergasted when I’m not informed on the latest celebrity news and honestly I just don’t see a reason to keep up with it
#18
Smoking. I can't stand cigarette smell.
Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
I'm a smoker (down from 30/day to 10/day and on my way to quitting completely), and I always ensure I'm well away from everyone when I light up. No one wants to breathe my smoke or even get it on their clothes. It absolutely is a disgusting habit, and I wish my parents hadn't smoked, because I probably would never have started.
Social media is another thing that has become socially acceptable, but still doesn’t appeal to everyone. Since social media began in the early 2000s, it has dominated the internet. In 2004, MySpace was the first site of its kind to reach over 1 million monthly active users, but today, Facebook has 2.89 billion active users. Facebook has been the most popular social media site globally for over a decade now, but Youtube is quickly catching up, with 2.29 billion active users. Among the other most successful sites are Instagram, which currently has 2 billion active users, and TikTok, which has only been around since 2016 and already has 1 billion active monthly users.
#19
Walk in the house with shoes.
Why people want to track all the junk from the outside and smear it over the floors , bed, and couch?! No thanks
Legendteller 2 years ago
Here in Finland that's considered VERY rude and it makes sense to take the shoes off.
#20
Call my coffee something other than small, medium & large.
#21
Bore other people with photos of everyday stuff they see all the time anyway. For example, the meal I am going to eat, the shoes I bought, the place I am at.
LagoonaBlueColleen 2 years ago
If it's on social media people have the choice to just scroll past it.
Despite how popular social media sites are, it’s understandable why some people would want to avoid them. One of the biggest reasons people cite for staying off these apps is because they can be a huge waste of time. The average global user spends about 2 hours and 27 minutes on social media per day, with average users in Nigeria and the Philippines spending over 4 hours per day. It’s easy to rack up hours on these sites though, as they are typically designed to be addictive. With features like “likes” and feeds designed to constantly show users new content, these websites are aimed at getting users hooked.
#22
Do “lives” on social media. Since when did vanity and narcissism become so acceptable?
No one cares about your dining experience or “get ready with me” moments.
#23
Text while hanging with friends, or out to dinner, or driving, or in a movie theater.
Firstname Lastname 2 years ago
I'll text my man to update him on if I plan on being home soon, as a courtesy, but otherwise my phone is out of sight. Texting around others is rude.
#24
One Night Stands
Sex doesn't mean anything to me if I can't build a connection first
Social media is also notorious for causing users to compare themselves to others, which can negatively impact their self esteem. One study from the University of Pennsylvania even found that reducing social media use to only 30 minutes a day resulted in a reduction in anxiety levels, depression, loneliness, sleep problems and FOMO (fear of missing out). Like everything else, there’s nothing wrong with using social media in moderation. But just because it’s considered “normal” to spend hours a day on these sites does not mean you need to create an account today. If your life is perfectly fine without social media, I’m sure it won’t be any better with it.
#25
Going in debt $30k-$70k for a vehicle.
Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Which begins to depreciate the minute you drive it out of the lot. I've always bought used cars, and I've never regretted it.
#26
Shave/wax my pubes. I actually really like having pubic hair. It doesn't bother me or my partner, and I find waxing and/or shaving extremely uncomfortable and not at all worth it.
#27
Buy fast fashion (or pretty much any fashion whose supply chain is questionable). I used to. Then I found out not only how and where those clothes begin their lives, but also how and where those clothes end their lives.
It was so horrific, I decided I was done. I now buy secondhand, or I save and buy pieces from independent tailors from sites like Etsy. And I research the tailor too.
I also took some of the money I saved from clothes shopping and got a sewing machine. I am learning to sew and make my own summer dresses (I'm not good enough yet to take on complex clothing, but I'm learning)
Mary Rose Kent 2 years ago
My grandmother made most of my clothes for me when I was a child, and she had an old treadle machine that she eventually replaced with something more in keeping with the times. After my poor grandfather died after living on without my grandmother for 11 years, my aunt had all of the grandchildren—who were all adults—had each of us walk through my grandparents’ home of 60+ year (a home my grandfather built) and put a Post-It with our name on anything we wanted to take home with us. I chose a small number of things, all of which were made by one or the other of my grandparents, and I took home everything I asked for.
I think this list has taught us that just because something is considered "normal" does not mean we have to go along with it. We all have the right to make our own choices, and what's socially acceptable totally depends on where we end up living. Enjoy the rest of this list, and remember to upvote the answers you most agree with. Then let us know in the comments if you think of any other "normal" activities you would never do that didn't make it onto this list.
#28
My wife and I had a very small wedding on a beach with only our parents there. Then, we drove to a mountain and hiked to the top with our photographer for our first dance.
It was incredible and people keep telling us they wish they could’ve done something that simple but social pressures made them spend more.
Now, we’ve just had to spend more than the entire cost of our wedding just to buy the plane tickets to attend my sister’s big wedding.
TheReader19 2 years ago
Treat it as a nice holiday, but seriously; I wouldn't go into debt to go to my own wedding much less anyone else. If I couldn't afford it I wouldn't go sister or no sister
#30
Have tons of social media accounts where I'm constantly posting pictures of what I'm doing every day. Remember, if it's not photographed and posted online, it didn't happen.
#31
Didn’t see it here so figured I’d share. Live in a city. I was born in a large city, lived there until I was 11. Then moved to the woods. I’ve lived in the woods since then and although I have visited cities since, I could never live there. Too many people, too much noise and I just don’t feel comfortable. I feel more comfortable taking walks at night in the woods than I would in a city.
Mary Rose Kent 2 years ago
I lived in San Francisco for most of my adult life (40 of my now 66 years), and my last apartment there was the best one I’d ever had, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life there. Alas, once I was no longer working, I had to move, and after a year (minus two days) of living with my favorite brother and his wife on their farm in rural Oregon, I ended up with a job in a small town on the Mendocino coast of Northern California. I have come to love small-town life in a way I would never have anticipated. I just wish I weren’t so far from my dearest friends, who all live in the Bay Area.
#32
Have never and will never use a dating app.
Slytherin_4_LYF 2 years ago
Sometimes that is the only way people can get to know new people. Haven't used one in a while, but i def would again if i needed to.
#33
Small talk.
#34
This might be oddly specific, it's wearing flip flops.
I grew up in a tourist beach town, I have never owned a pair of flip flops in my life. I find them wildly uncomfortable and people in my hometown look at me like a crazy person when I tell them I don't own a pair.
#36
brushing before breakfast:
doing that is basically wiping before you s**t and i refuse to do that
#37
Buy copious amounts of dishes, Why the f**k do you need 27 plates for the two people in your household. Im looking at you mom.
Random Panda 2 years ago (edited)
Do you never have guests over? I also have a dumber reason for it - so I can use my dishwasher. I wouldn't run it for just two or three plates (it's wasting water and energy) and I hate washing dishes, so I have enough to use until the dishwasher is full.
#38
The Hustle Culture. Although I like the idea of bettering your life but always thinking of doing something or the other will leave you with burnout. Taking a break regularly is nessecary
Edit: It's good if you are in a bad place. But it's not always about working your a*s off. What's important is taking a break and keep it from becoming toxic
Yeah, you heard 2 years ago
What does this even mean? To me, hustling means coercing or tricking people into doing something or buying something. I don't think that's generally accepted though is it?
#40
Play wordle
What do you think ?
Cactuar Jon 2 years ago
Businesses bending to please customers no matter what. This whole 'the customer is always right' mentality. It is soul destroying for the workers that have to deal with these kinds of customers and it's about time businesses start standing up for themselves against entitled baby adults who act like it's the end of the world when they have to cover their own return postage costs. Humans should not be treat so badly by other humans while trying to provide them with a service!
Lisa Swager 2 years ago
Agreed. Be the customer who gets awesome service because you are polite, respectful, and worth helping to have a good outcome.
Load More Replies... Bill Evs 2 years ago
Smart phone obsession. I know people who seemingly can't put their phone down for more than a few minutes at a time.
Monday 2 years ago
My mother is like that. I have the tendency to forget about the existence of my phone for days at a time though, which isn't really great for communication either.
Load More Replies...
Debbie 2 years ago
Didn't read the entire list, but to me it seems many were just "getting older and more relaxed and less caring about what other thinks" things. Could also be titled "Things you stop worrying about when you are growing older".
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Some of them were definitely like that, others were just pretentious (like the ones that refuse to say "grande" or "venti")
Load More Replies...
John Baker 2 years ago
Use Alexa. Not only are there privacy issues, I do not talk to inanimate objects.
Tamra 2 years ago
I'd like to say I'm the same, although I did cuss a tree limb when I tripped over it yesterday. Falling, at my age, is not funny. F*****g tree limb.
Load More Replies...
magpookie1133 2 years ago
Why is wearing tall heels not on this list? I refuse to wear things that causes pain in my feet and cause disfigurement in toes over time. I just don't get it.
Jennifer Lee 2 years ago
I can't believe that wearing high heels is still a thing. They feel horrible and they deform your toes. I haven't worn heels in years and my toes are all perfectly straight and smooth.
Load More Replies...
Elissa H 2 years ago
Thinking my way is the only way... I'm so tired of people thinking that what is right to them/for them is right for everyone. Especially now that the government is making decisions for everyone based on their own private/religious beliefs.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
I'm of two minds on this. I can see your point of view, for sure, but humans wouldn't have succeeded as a species without cooperation, and without thinking of the group as a whole. We're social animals because alone, we're not that great. We're fragile, we're weak (compared to other animals that are similarly sized), we're slow...if a human and a chimp had a fight, the chimp would eat the human's face off. If 50 humans fought the chimp, they would win. If 49 humans sat back and did nothing while one fought it, then the chimp would win and move on to the next person. And the next. And the next. Now imagine that chimp is covid and you can see why vaccines and masking and social distancing are so important
Load More Replies... SoloDadof3 2 years ago
People downvoting your comments when they are on subject, then getting a ban because BP refuses to even have a person check first!
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Yeah, getting your comments hidden because it's an unpopular opinion is a bummer
Load More Replies...
Karen Barker 2 years ago
The obsession with hero worshipping the military. It's overdone and ridiculous.
Ruby 2 years ago
Always having your phone out during concerts. Live in the moment people, why do you need to record a whole darn song and block the view for others?! The amount of phones in the air filming nowadays when the band gets on stage, it's crazy.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
That one seems weird to me too - like, you aren't doing a better job of recording the concert than the professional videographers are doing (probably at that same concert), all you'll hear on the phone is the screaming of the people around you (because phone microphones work different than human ears), and all you'll see is a distant blur of lights because the camera can't pick out what the human eye focuses on...it's really just a waste of time
Load More Replies...
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
For me, it's watching gory movies. Like the Saw franchise, or Final Destination, or any other movies where they viscerally show people getting killed. There's something really wrong with a culture that has movie theatres full of people watching human bodies being torn apart, but showing people having sex is still considered to be pretty taboo.
Ein Steinbeck 2 years ago
Fvck late-stage capitalism and all of its fans. I refuse to put corporations over humans.
I've been watching you since 2 years ago
Acting like the customer is always right. Not true AT ALL. The saying is just a way for rude people to manipulate employees and get what they want most times.
Noel Benavente 2 years ago
Celebrating my birthday or congratulate people on theirs... i absolutelly see no reason.
Charlie Glass 2 years ago
I don't understand why there are paragraphs on not drinking and not smoking and about dating apps between the numbered points. This website is hard to read.
PixelatedPeach 2 years ago
I never had any interest in downloading TikTok, but my mom always likes sending me TikToks she likes, so I finally downloaded the app just so I can watch what my mom sends me but I just don’t bother with it otherwise 🤷🏼♀️
Linda Tisue 2 years ago
Taking a cruise ferry. More over taking a car in the ferry so one can drive around. I live in Sweden.for all the ecofriendly people, somehow Swedes think it is their birthright to take those polluting cruises.
Sabrina Bowen 2 years ago
Having friends. I don't have friends, I don't want friends. I have my husband a d that's often more social interaction than I can handle or want.
Amo Mazzuchelli 2 years ago
This is a "just do you" post, I like it people shouldn't feel pressured to do thing they just don't want to do
Lorie Shewbridge 2 years ago (edited)
This may not be totally the norm, but using the insanely hard-to-read cApItAl AnD sMaLl letter typing. I HATE it. Please stop it, people!!! I know, I did it there, just for effect so you could see what I meant. 🤬
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
I get the reasoning for it though - it's meant to denote mockery and sarcasm, which is inherently VERY tricky to get across with the written word. It's meant to be read the way a kid would repeat back something you said to make fun of you: "I said to go clean your room!" "I sAid tO go cLeAn YoUr rOoooOmM"
Load More Replies...
Iga Błażejewska 2 years ago
I will never drink coffee. I find it equal to alcohol and cigarettes and pot, it's addictive and it irks me that caffeine addiction is so normalized.
RaroaRaroa 2 years ago
I gave up by #7. Nothing on that list is stuff I consider people are "normally" doing anyway. Except the posting their good deeds, which is fine by me. It does no harm, and if it's the only reason someone does a good deed, who cares. The recipient of the deed still receives.
Bryan With A Why 2 years ago
It's the only reason I read this article because it's 100% on the dot. Nobody cares about your pride or your mental illnesses. Just fix yourself and work on building a better family and stop caring what the world thinks.
Load More Replies... Alana Voeks 2 years ago
The idea that you NEED to respect your parents. They brought you into this world, but you can take yourself out. Not only that, but don't you think the ones WITH EXPERIENCE should be working for the respect, not the other way around? Doing the bare minimum is not earning respect. That's doing your due diligence for bringing a life into this world.
Lisa Swager 2 years ago
I hate the media-centric displays of who is gay today. I dont care who you do, you do you! I just dont need it taking my news feed. Not my business.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Down voted for SURE. This is SUCH a hetero-centric point of view. Nobody asked for your input. But you know who does care about celebrities coming out? Gay people. People who are still in the closet. People who still have to fear for their LIVES when they consider coming out. People who worry about being attacked, having their lives on the line, for walking or talking "too gay". When gay is normalized, people like me won't have to worry as much. When people like Lil Nas X, Elliott Page, and Kristen Stewart come out, and talk about it, and share it, they are making life immeasurably better for people like them. But sure, they should STFU because it annoys your breeder a*s.
Load More Replies... Stefan 2 years ago
Having a pet. For me, it doesn't make any sense. Why would you breed and slave an animal, remove all their wild instinct for absolute no use other than serve humans' lack of affection.
ThePlantMoss 2 years ago
Dogs have been domesticated for thousands and thousands of years, humans love companionship - and animals are nonjudgemental and loyal
Load More Replies... Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Out of all the topics that are glamourized in pop culture and music, you chose to make polygamy your example? Not like, rape, child molestation, murder? Polygamy is your hill to die on? Weird.
Load More Replies...
Cactuar Jon 2 years ago
Businesses bending to please customers no matter what. This whole 'the customer is always right' mentality. It is soul destroying for the workers that have to deal with these kinds of customers and it's about time businesses start standing up for themselves against entitled baby adults who act like it's the end of the world when they have to cover their own return postage costs. Humans should not be treat so badly by other humans while trying to provide them with a service!
Lisa Swager 2 years ago
Agreed. Be the customer who gets awesome service because you are polite, respectful, and worth helping to have a good outcome.
Load More Replies... Bill Evs 2 years ago
Smart phone obsession. I know people who seemingly can't put their phone down for more than a few minutes at a time.
Monday 2 years ago
My mother is like that. I have the tendency to forget about the existence of my phone for days at a time though, which isn't really great for communication either.
Load More Replies... Debbie 2 years ago
Didn't read the entire list, but to me it seems many were just "getting older and more relaxed and less caring about what other thinks" things. Could also be titled "Things you stop worrying about when you are growing older".
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Some of them were definitely like that, others were just pretentious (like the ones that refuse to say "grande" or "venti")
Load More Replies... John Baker 2 years ago
Use Alexa. Not only are there privacy issues, I do not talk to inanimate objects.
Tamra 2 years ago
I'd like to say I'm the same, although I did cuss a tree limb when I tripped over it yesterday. Falling, at my age, is not funny. F*****g tree limb.
Load More Replies... magpookie1133 2 years ago
Why is wearing tall heels not on this list? I refuse to wear things that causes pain in my feet and cause disfigurement in toes over time. I just don't get it.
Jennifer Lee 2 years ago
I can't believe that wearing high heels is still a thing. They feel horrible and they deform your toes. I haven't worn heels in years and my toes are all perfectly straight and smooth.
Load More Replies... Elissa H 2 years ago
Thinking my way is the only way... I'm so tired of people thinking that what is right to them/for them is right for everyone. Especially now that the government is making decisions for everyone based on their own private/religious beliefs.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
I'm of two minds on this. I can see your point of view, for sure, but humans wouldn't have succeeded as a species without cooperation, and without thinking of the group as a whole. We're social animals because alone, we're not that great. We're fragile, we're weak (compared to other animals that are similarly sized), we're slow...if a human and a chimp had a fight, the chimp would eat the human's face off. If 50 humans fought the chimp, they would win. If 49 humans sat back and did nothing while one fought it, then the chimp would win and move on to the next person. And the next. And the next. Now imagine that chimp is covid and you can see why vaccines and masking and social distancing are so important
Load More Replies... SoloDadof3 2 years ago
People downvoting your comments when they are on subject, then getting a ban because BP refuses to even have a person check first!
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Yeah, getting your comments hidden because it's an unpopular opinion is a bummer
Load More Replies... Karen Barker 2 years ago
The obsession with hero worshipping the military. It's overdone and ridiculous.
Ruby 2 years ago
Always having your phone out during concerts. Live in the moment people, why do you need to record a whole darn song and block the view for others?! The amount of phones in the air filming nowadays when the band gets on stage, it's crazy.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
That one seems weird to me too - like, you aren't doing a better job of recording the concert than the professional videographers are doing (probably at that same concert), all you'll hear on the phone is the screaming of the people around you (because phone microphones work different than human ears), and all you'll see is a distant blur of lights because the camera can't pick out what the human eye focuses on...it's really just a waste of time
Load More Replies... Phil Vaive 2 years ago
For me, it's watching gory movies. Like the Saw franchise, or Final Destination, or any other movies where they viscerally show people getting killed. There's something really wrong with a culture that has movie theatres full of people watching human bodies being torn apart, but showing people having sex is still considered to be pretty taboo.
Ein Steinbeck 2 years ago
Fvck late-stage capitalism and all of its fans. I refuse to put corporations over humans.
I've been watching you since 2 years ago
Acting like the customer is always right. Not true AT ALL. The saying is just a way for rude people to manipulate employees and get what they want most times.
Noel Benavente 2 years ago
Celebrating my birthday or congratulate people on theirs... i absolutelly see no reason.
Charlie Glass 2 years ago
I don't understand why there are paragraphs on not drinking and not smoking and about dating apps between the numbered points. This website is hard to read.
PixelatedPeach 2 years ago
I never had any interest in downloading TikTok, but my mom always likes sending me TikToks she likes, so I finally downloaded the app just so I can watch what my mom sends me but I just don’t bother with it otherwise 🤷🏼♀️
Linda Tisue 2 years ago
Taking a cruise ferry. More over taking a car in the ferry so one can drive around. I live in Sweden.for all the ecofriendly people, somehow Swedes think it is their birthright to take those polluting cruises.
Sabrina Bowen 2 years ago
Having friends. I don't have friends, I don't want friends. I have my husband a d that's often more social interaction than I can handle or want.
Amo Mazzuchelli 2 years ago
This is a "just do you" post, I like it people shouldn't feel pressured to do thing they just don't want to do
Lorie Shewbridge 2 years ago (edited)
This may not be totally the norm, but using the insanely hard-to-read cApItAl AnD sMaLl letter typing. I HATE it. Please stop it, people!!! I know, I did it there, just for effect so you could see what I meant. 🤬
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
I get the reasoning for it though - it's meant to denote mockery and sarcasm, which is inherently VERY tricky to get across with the written word. It's meant to be read the way a kid would repeat back something you said to make fun of you: "I said to go clean your room!" "I sAid tO go cLeAn YoUr rOoooOmM"
Load More Replies... Iga Błażejewska 2 years ago
I will never drink coffee. I find it equal to alcohol and cigarettes and pot, it's addictive and it irks me that caffeine addiction is so normalized.
RaroaRaroa 2 years ago
I gave up by #7. Nothing on that list is stuff I consider people are "normally" doing anyway. Except the posting their good deeds, which is fine by me. It does no harm, and if it's the only reason someone does a good deed, who cares. The recipient of the deed still receives.
Bryan With A Why 2 years ago
It's the only reason I read this article because it's 100% on the dot. Nobody cares about your pride or your mental illnesses. Just fix yourself and work on building a better family and stop caring what the world thinks.
Load More Replies... Alana Voeks 2 years ago
The idea that you NEED to respect your parents. They brought you into this world, but you can take yourself out. Not only that, but don't you think the ones WITH EXPERIENCE should be working for the respect, not the other way around? Doing the bare minimum is not earning respect. That's doing your due diligence for bringing a life into this world.
Lisa Swager 2 years ago
I hate the media-centric displays of who is gay today. I dont care who you do, you do you! I just dont need it taking my news feed. Not my business.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Down voted for SURE. This is SUCH a hetero-centric point of view. Nobody asked for your input. But you know who does care about celebrities coming out? Gay people. People who are still in the closet. People who still have to fear for their LIVES when they consider coming out. People who worry about being attacked, having their lives on the line, for walking or talking "too gay". When gay is normalized, people like me won't have to worry as much. When people like Lil Nas X, Elliott Page, and Kristen Stewart come out, and talk about it, and share it, they are making life immeasurably better for people like them. But sure, they should STFU because it annoys your breeder a*s.
Load More Replies... Stefan 2 years ago
Having a pet. For me, it doesn't make any sense. Why would you breed and slave an animal, remove all their wild instinct for absolute no use other than serve humans' lack of affection.
ThePlantMoss 2 years ago
Dogs have been domesticated for thousands and thousands of years, humans love companionship - and animals are nonjudgemental and loyal
Load More Replies... Phil Vaive 2 years ago
Out of all the topics that are glamourized in pop culture and music, you chose to make polygamy your example? Not like, rape, child molestation, murder? Polygamy is your hill to die on? Weird.
Load More Replies... 
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