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Some secrets are bigger than others. No matter how open and honest we might think we are, there are still some things that we prefer to keep to ourselves. After all, people are social beings, and our reputations, as well as being accepted, are vital. Naturally, wanting to fit in, we keep some information about ourselves to ourselves. 

Inspired by user u/BoredHypnotist, the anonymous members of the r/AskReddit community revealed the most ‘socially unacceptable’ facts about themselves. These are things that anyone would have a hard time mentioning in public. Scroll down to see what kinds of secrets some folks have. It’s also a reminder for all of us to learn to be less judgmental and kinder to each other.

#1

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I think babies are ugly as hell.

Vanman04 , Nathan Dumlao Report

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Quwiyint
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I completely agree, babies are just not fun to look at. I don't know why, but I just cannot stand to look at babies, they gross me out.

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#2

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I am a woman who is willingly sterilized.

iamthegreyest , Toa Heftiba Report

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arthbach
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do people think this is socially unacceptable? It's a very logical course of action if you know you don't want to have any (any more) children, or being pregnant/giving birth would damage your health etc. It's not the sort of thing a person can do without thought and consideration.

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#3

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I don’t take care of my hygiene as much as I should. Especially when it comes to showering and brushing my teeth. It’s not that I don’t care, but depression makes it hard as hell sometimes.

pillarofmyth , Superkitina Report

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seana lammers
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hang in there. Hoping you can get some therapy to help you feel better.

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Judging others is never going to go away. It’s something that human beings do on both conscious and automatic levels. Analyzing the behavior of the people around us is a way to recognize how we ourselves (do not) fit into our social groups. Used sparingly to make us look at our values and actions more objectively, social judgments can push us to make more positive decisions that end up being good for us and our social group.

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However, there’s a darker side to making these social judgments. Some folks judge other people to feel better about themselves, hide their own flaws, or fit into society at the cost of someone else’s reputation. This sort of exclusionary behavior might make you feel safer yourself, but it can also end up destroying relationships and ostracizing individuals.

#4

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I’m a 38 year old man who sleeps with stuffed animals. 

CorgiDaddy42 , zelle duda Report

#5

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I don’t like talking. It’s not that I’m afraid to talk, I just prefer to stay quiet most of the time. Unfortunately, we live in a world that requires you to talk a lot if you want to make connections.

WhatAreYouSaying05 , Clay Banks Report

#6

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I'm very very happy to get home after work and stay in bed for the rest of the day, most days of the week.

TheTwistedToast , Sora Shimazaki Report

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Even though we have free will, it would be naive to think that we have control over everything that happens to us. Sure, taking responsibility for our actions can empower us. That being said, there are so many things outside our control that we can’t really do anything about. It’s important to be honest with ourselves about what we can realistically affect with our actions.

For one, we cannot determine the circumstances of our birth, how we were raised, and what our genetics are. However, many people are judgmental of folks born into broken homes or who have a predisposition to mental health issues. Criticizing someone for their family‘s choices, upbringing, or genetic quirks is unfair. However, someone who’s doing their best to improve their circumstances and fight back against the problems they’ve been handed by (bad) luck is worthy of praise.

#7

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I ignore texts and calls. It starts with "I'll respond later" and then after awhile I feel like it's been too long to reply so I don't. It's not malicious but I assume it feels that way to others.

Glowingtomato , Jamie Street Report

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Flopsy
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I sometimes do that as well. And sometimes I reach out a second time to people who I suspect are doing that because I don’t want friendships to be affected by such silly things.

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#8

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I have Tourette's, including coprolalia/swearing tics. I'm very lucky though, because I seem to fit in pretty well in restaurant kitchens, and I love that line of work 😄.

Honkhonk81 , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

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#9

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I have no friends and am comfortable being alone. Prepared to die that way too :D.

Unlucky-Confection73 , picjumbo.com Report

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Mitchell
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being comfortable alone is a blessing. Unfortunately it’s not great for long term mental health. But if I have to choose, I choose being alone.

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Things like attitudes and opinions are within our power to change, however, we might feel uncomfortable doing so just to fit in with the rest of our social group. It would feel like we’re betraying our deepest values if we did so. At the same time, having completely different beliefs than the majority of your social circle can make life very difficult. This might be why some folks choose to hide their true feelings—they don’t want to face rejection or take part in countless arguments.

What kind of behavior is deemed socially (un)acceptable is going to depend entirely on your culture and social circle. Something celebrated in your hometown might be seen as bizarre in a big city or even downright ‘shameful’ in another country.

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#10

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I had a baby at 17, got pregnant again a few years later, and could not afford another child. My sibling, who could not have children, adopted my baby.

maliekins , Guillaume de Germain Report

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setsuriseikou
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As long as you, your sibling and the kids are happy now, I see no problem whatsoever

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#11

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I have no idea how to manage friendships.
I have friends and I'm friendly....
But sometimes I forget to text back and if they don't call or re text I could go months with no contact.
Unless I find something funny to share then I'm sending it to everyone.

bridge_the_war , Simon Maage Report

#12

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I like candy corn.

ComesInAnOldBox , Mary Jane Duford Report

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Javelina Poppers
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have been known to eat circus peanuts, you know the marshmallow confection that comes pre-stale in a bag.

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Social norms change over time, too. Behaviors that seem odd to us now might have been perfectly fine decades or even centuries ago. On the flip side, what was once judged in the past might be mundanely accepted in this day and age. Social norms aren’t static. While we can guess what might be deemed acceptable in the future, we can never be certain—cultures can change in very unpredictable ways.

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If you feel like opening up anonymously, why not share the most socially unacceptable facts about yourselves, dear Pandas? What do you think we can all do to be less judgmental and more accepting of other people? Has anyone revealed a secret about themselves that fundamentally changed how you looked at them? Tell us all about it in the comments.

#13

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread That I come off as “cold” when I’m not masking

But man….sometimes I really am tired of masking. My reactions feel so fake to me and I can’t stand it. But everyone else seems to love it so…whatever ig.

LinaValentina , cottonbro studio Report

#14

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I used to practice facial expressions as a child because i was always told i was robotic and expressionless(by my parents, no less) and studied how the popular kids at school acted so i could make friends. i think i’m autistic but i’m scared sometimes that people would just assume i’m a psychopath.

PositiveCompetition8 , cottonbro studio Report

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iamjusthereforthecruise
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my parents told me i am expressionless more like cold because i hardly smile, i've had lectures from my parents, relatives, heck even a teacher once. My friends even told me that they taught i would be a bully when we first met. i consider smiling for no reason a chore, especially when i have to do it because i'm forced, but i can't help it

Alexandra
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This makes me think of women who are told by men that they should 'smile': apparently it's even more incumbent for women to smile than for men. One woman was so fed up that she routinely would answer to the umpteenth request for a smile that her husband/mother/father/sibling just died, just to wipe off that sanctimonious smile from the other person's face.

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usernameorwhatever
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Im autistic, and practicing facial expressions is not unheard of with this diagnosis. I used to do that by mirroring other people. My friends call me a “cyborg” lovingly just because I don’t understand social things. If you’re trying desperately to express feelings, it seems more of a “struggling to express emotions” thing than a “no emotions” thing. Before I got diagnosed, I also was scared I could be a psychopath. (Not that being psychopathic is a bad thing on its own)

XanthippeⓐWulf🇨🇦️️🇬🇧
Community Member
6 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes and yes. I was diagnosed very early on, so there was no question, but masking & mirroring is almost like a way to cope. People seem to desperately need you to emote to feel comfortable around you, and you feel like you desperately need to emote so that people get off your a*s about your RBF. It can be exhausting 😔. I am in an adult social group with a lot of different types of neurodiverse people and it's helped a whole lot, but yeah, I completely get where you are coming from.

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detective miller's hat
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I learned to be totally cold and emotionless by the time I was 5 because it was the safest way to act around my mother :/

Somethingpenguin
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't show expression to my parents anymore, because i've trained my mind to not show 'weakness' to my parents as they use that as an excuse to yell at me.

Scott Wilkins
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Let's say you are? MOST sociopaths are harmless and even decent people. Not having the same emotions or reactions doesn't automatically make you harmful.

Max Fox
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You obviously have absolutely no idea what "sociopath" actually means. Typical traits of a sociopath: disregards others feelings, aggressive and impulsive, manipulative, controlling and a compulsive liar. Yep, totally sounds "harmless". Sociopaths have most of the same emotions as other people. They can feel happiness, sadness, fright, anticipation, anger, and such. What they don't have is empathy or guilt, nor do they care at all about anybody but themselves. None are decent people, but a person who is really good at being manipulative can convince a lot of people that they are "decent" until it's too late.

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Kelly Scott
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have RBF. Once I met a customer when I wasn't at work and he gave me that super annoying "You should smile!" line. I told him when I wasn't working, I wasn't being paid to shine.

Grace Knowlton
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I learned that I am autistic and it is a blessing after being the weird kid my whole life

David Edwards
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s very possible you could be on the spectrum. You’d be surprised who is

Jazz
Community Member
6 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The autism and psychopath link was made by the man who coined the term Asperger’s and is being pushed out into society by “charities” that are “helping” and “informing” like Autism Speaks. I swear, they make us seem like super villains, but we are not. And the puzzle piece symbol they use is wrong, bc there is nothing missing from us. We are all human, and just because we think differently does not mean we are alien. They teach inclusivity, yet most of the time people tend to forget those with special needs. There are many good resources like Embrace-autism.com and others I can’t think of at the moment. Research before you judge, people.

KillerKiwi
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, I have a really bad RBF. My mom says I look like a bored hot dog.😬

Katherine Forest
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's called face yoga. It's completely normal excercise and it helps everyone improve their expressions for the purposes of communication with other members of our species. It has helped a lot with my depression and social anxiety because I can now better express myself to others.

dire wolf
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have resting "I could gut you like a fish then go out for a lovely dinner with friends and no one would ever imagine" face and have had since my teen years. As a child, I was told by class mates and others that I smiped too much, so I changed it. Frankly, it's been an advantage!

Gozer LeGozerian
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not everything is a diagnosis. I really wish people would quit this self diagnosing fad.

Wondering Alice
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My teachers insisted to my parents I was incapable of expressing emotions - which they knew to be untrue because I did at home. My default face is still blank. I work in education, a while ago I invited 2 ND teens to come practice expressions with me, we had fun. I opened it up - and a fair few who came are not ND. I think between so much interaction with people starting at phones along with a few years wareing masks has left a lot of people finding this hard. I'm often saddened by the offhanded way adults make too big a deal out of such things to youngsters - in my mind it is they who lack empathy rather than the kids who are left feeling at best insecure by having their ability to express emotions correctly questioned.

BlackCatWithWhiteSocks
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I m aspergers. I practice facial expressions. At work they call me android . I sometimes I just mirror people and also pretend emotions. Thats mostly with the outside world. In my safe, personal life, I m comfortable

El Dee
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people's faces sit such that they look like they are smiling or happy when their face is at rest. We are drawn to those people but their natural expression is not an indicator of their mood. On the other hand some people have what they call Resting B***h Face which puts people off. Likewise the facial expression is not an indicator of their mood. We see people and we judge based on that before speaking or getting to know them. If you realise early enough you have RBF you can consciously learn to have a different expression so that others will perceive you in a more positive way..

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#15

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I'm a girl and I grow out my leg hair due to being harassed by an 80 year old man who said I had "pretty legs" when I was 11, so I guess I decided that just never going to happen again.

matryoshka_03 , Karolina Grabowska Report

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arthbach
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Leg hair is normal, and it's natural. If an individual want to remove their hair, that's their choice. 80 year old men hitting on 11 year old children - nope, always wrong. It should be reported.

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#16

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I would deliberately pretend that i don’t hear people calling me or asking me stuff in social situations. Also in a crowd when people are chitchatting in a circle, i zone out if im not interested.

lonelygalexy , Jakob Dalbjörn Report

#17

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread Being borderline sociopathic for a profession


I've become "jaded" to seeing death, the mentally perturbed, physically traumatic injuries that you would only see in movies, even the downright depressing scenes, the list goes on.


The type of things people should only have to witness behind their screens or even only once in there life; I've adjusted to seeing in person on a weekly basis. It's to the point I can't call myself normal as I end up laughing to the most f****d up jokes.


Call it dark humor or a "coping mechanism" but if the event just happened, normal people would be mortified.


Its a bittersweet profession as a paramedic with high call volumes. I get a peek into everyones emergencies when they're at their lowest and often times these calls rub off on us (even the bs calls), but at the end of the day when s**t hits the fan, It's their emergency and not ours.


Better yet we have a hand in helping them physically and mentally. I have to tell people their loved ones are gone, but I get to convey it in the best way to let them heal the fastest. I have people who try to commit s*****e, but I get to save them when they or a loved one makes the call. I have people living the s**ttiest day of their life, but knowing it would've been their last if I hadn't came, makes it worthwhile.

Wafered , Pavel Danilyuk Report

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arthbach
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is most definitely not a job I would want to have, but I am exceedly grateful for those who do this.

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#18

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I’ll leave. I’ll just go home and love it.

HerezahTip , Inside Weather Report

#19

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread My parents are cousins. Nobody (outside the family) knows.

No adverse effect on the kids (although I AM on Reddit a lot…).

_Halboro_ , Justin Groep Report

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arthbach
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The risk of autosomal recessive genetic disorders for children of totally unelated parents is 3%. This rises to 4-6% for first cousins. Problems really only occur in populations where cousins marrying cousins is the rule, rather than the exception.

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#20

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I was one of the last kids to have ever been a patient in an insane asylum here in the US. The one I was in closed down in 1993.

OneF**kedWarthog , Jon Butterworth Report

#22

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I hate working but that doesn’t mean i’m lazy. I live my life by doing a bunch of side huddles and love it. I make about $10k/year but I have everything i need: food, shelter, and a wonderful community. I “work” about two months a year but otherwise i lay on the beach with a joint in my hand and a cat on my lap.

hunnnyybunnny , cottonbro studio Report

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Mitchell
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This sounds perfect, though ,maybe lacking in forward thinking. I’m old so my first thought is “how will you support yourself when you retire?”. Hopefully OP has plenty of time to enjoy this idyllic life before worrying about such things.

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#24

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I'm autistic, and nine times out of ten i forgot that when people ask me for my opinion or input on something that they actually want the opinion that caters to theirs.

Jaded_Advertising_30 , charlesdeluvio Report

#25

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I have taken human lives. Sure, during military service, but just the same.

GamingTrend , Thang Cao Report

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Nonplussed Puss
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did a combat tour, and never once fired my weapon in anger. I am much more glad of that now than I was then.

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#26

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I stare blankly a lot during conversations. Like as if I'm zoned out, but I'm paying full attention. Especially if it's a particularly long conversation, I just can't be bothered to keep up with constant eye contact.

LittlePumpkin_121 , Gayatri Malhotra Report

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#28

I was in a mental health hospital and I still have regular emotional breakdowns.

MisterENTP Report

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Ariom Dahl
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope you have access to help and support when you need it. ((virtual hugs))

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#29

30 People Reveal Socially Unacceptable Facts About Themselves In This Viral Thread I always have a b***h face but the second someone smiles at me, my whole minute was made.

Desperate-Throat-466 , OSPAN ALI Report

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iamjusthereforthecruise
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

dude my default facial expression is a cold face, and even my happy or angry or annoyed reactions are minimal, people who are close to me are the ones who actually notice, but i still smile a lot though

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#30

I am a people pleaser and have learned how to chameleon into almost any social situation. I don’t know who I am so my dating life is: becoming acceptable and try to be the perfect person to my partner so they fall in love with me, then I break and say this isn’t working for me, leaving them in ruins. I hate myself for it but I don’t know how to connect otherwise.

Dinomight3 Report

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Cathy
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My friend dated someone like this. Accept you need therapy because this is not the way to live..

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Note: this post originally had 50 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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