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Life is beautiful, but it is also shrouded in many mysteries. The intricacies of the human body, electricity, and how sounds create music are just a few of the many things that are difficult to understand despite simplified theoretical explanations.
Apparently, many share the same fascination with the world. Recently, a Reddit user asked, “What is something that, no matter how simply put, you still cannot understand?” Dreaming while sleeping, the vastness of space, and sailing against the wind are just some of life’s many facets that blow people’s minds.
Enjoy scrolling through these responses. It sure is fun to do these deep dives from time to time.
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#1
How people can be so cruel to others for no reason.
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#2
How convicted felons are allowed to be elected President of The United States but a 34-year old with a clean record can’t.
Steve Sharpe 2 hours ago
I'm not american and don't know who the non-orange person is. If I had to guess though, the fact of them being thirty four years old will have had absolutely nothing to do with them not being allowed to be in charge (unless they're too young, as it seems america has a fetish for geriatrics...) any more than them not having a criminal record will have been. Don't get me wrong, I'd be mildly irritated if Trump somehow wound up in charge of my country too, but comparing apples to quarks is a made up, imaginary problem. The issue with that is for people who have a good knowledge and understanding of the real issues, and for every last person who disagrees with you, and for casual observers, people who are on the fence, people who don't know about the situation, and just about *everyone* who isn't you, you're expressing a HUGE amount of support *for* Trump. See, there's a lot of bad things even I could bring up about Trump. Not just superficial things like how he can't count past ten -
#3
The worship/fascination/idolizing of celebrities/movie stars/musicians and politicians.
I can not fathom caring about someone who has zero idea I exist, and then advertising for them and spending my money to support them. I just can't wrap my head around the logic.
Little Bit 2 hours ago
Me too. I have absolutely zero interest in celebrities and I don't think I could even name 10 so-called A-listers.
#5
NFTs. Specifically, how they could possibly have any actual value. (Which, I guess, it's been determined they don't. :-D ).
Scott Rackley 5 hours ago
No form of currency has any actual value. Something is only worth what someone else will trade for it.
#6
The big bang, how nothing can explode into the universe. how there was no time before it.
#8
Bitcoin.
#9
How 1s and 0s turn into music.
Lew k 4 hours ago
Technically it doesn't. Sound is by nature analog. The analog signal is compressed into a digital code but has to be converted back to analog in order to listen to it. Same picture. Its analog information it's just converted to digital for transmissions purposes. You can't naturally produce the range of sound with just 1s and 0s. You need the constantly changing waveform that is natural to analog but analog signal is more difficult to transmit as it is highly suseptible to signal to noise interference.
#10
Being willfully ignorant. If the information is there, and you're told it's there and how to access it, why would you intentionally avoid it? Why wouldn't you just go to it and be a little smarter for it? I don't understand.
Personally, I think if it's willful and intentional, it circles all the way back to stupid.
#11
Electricity.
I know the practical side of course, I can use it (not as an electrician of course, but I can hang a lamp and charge my phone), but I don't understand how it actually works.
#12
I don't get people that go gambling. Like do whatever you want I guess it's just odd to me how much money people throw away on this c**p.
Little Bit 2 hours ago
Sometimes people see it as a means to an end. They think that one day they'll get that big win which will solve all their problems.
#14
Dreaming while sleeping. It's sometimes just so weird.
Beak Hookage 31 minutes ago
I've actually gotten to the point where I start dreaming before I'm even fully asleep. Just dozing is enough.
#16
Sewing machines. And I worked for a seamstress for many, many years. No matter how often she explained and demonstrated, I came away with the same feeling... witchcraft, plain and simple. Part of the spell must be that other people can't *see* the magic. I, however, am immune. It's magic, I just know it is!
#19
Rubik's Cube. I know there’s a pattern for how to solve it, but I’ve tried countless times and I’ve never been able to solve it.
#20
How in 2025 people still cannot resolve their differences and go to war. How children grow up while bombs are dropping with no food or shelter.
#21
How a person could have a billion US dollars and still think they needed more money.
Little Bit 2 hours ago
In my experience, the more money a person has, the greedier they become. Have you noticed how it is always the people who can easily afford to pay their taxes without it even making a dent in their bank account are the ones who go out of their way to avoid paying anything?
#22
Sailing against the wind. And I do have a PhD in physics.
#23
How computers actually work and can play complicated games.
#24
How governments, law enforcement and banking sector cannot put an end to these blatant scams.
How there is no class action lawsuit against google, x, meta etc for not doing their due diligence and allowing the scam websites and fake "customer support" phone numbers be advertised without consequences.
How crypto is not banned. The crime literally thrives in the cryptoland and nobody bats an eye.
How google, meta etc are allowed to collect data from your every online move and you cannot opt out.
How our phones listen in and that's not a savage violation of privacy and human rights.
#26
How people can be diehard soccer fans. Or any sport for that matter.
The team changes every season, and players you've boo'd last year now play for your team. Management changes, tactics change, uniform changes, even the stadium won't last 30 years.
So what are they a fan of? Why do they hate other teams? What's better about their team, because last year it was completely different.
I just don't get it.
#27
How Vinyl records work.
Daniel Atkins 4 hours ago
Agree i know its is pressure waves but the fact that a groove on vinyl can contain all sorts of many tones in music.
#30
Music. Like how from your phone "music" travels through air (bc wireless headphones) and then it gets to your ears and you hear it?
#31
How a negative number x a negative number = a positive number.
#32
Languages. I have tried to learn at least one, out of many languages I’d wanted to speak but I guess my brain is broken. It’s like a form of dyslexia where I just can’t understand nor even comprehend what is being spoken. It’s been frustrating to say the least.
#34
Magnets.
Jeff White 3 hours ago
I have a Ph.D in Chemistry, fully understand the spin of electrons and why aligned spins would create a magnetic field. Yet ... I don't understand magnets.
#35
How a basic wax record and player works. I get it’s a grove that is tiny hills and valleys and the needle picks up on each little one but how the f**k does that equal a voice coming out of a large metal tube. It’s witchcraft as far as im concerned.
#36
Standing up immediately when the plane lands and the seatbelt sign goes off.
I legitimately cannot understand how 45% of the people flying have never experienced this scenario and realize they should stay seated.
EDIT: people mad that they do this 😂.
#37
How scammers* sleep at night
(ETA: scammers who aren't being forced to on threat of death, as I know that is a problem).
#39
How a scratch-off or lottery ticket is actually a Christmas or birthday gift and not just the *possibility* of receiving anything material.
A game of chance where you might end up with nothing is not a gift to me. .
Daniel Atkins 4 hours ago
And then the giver wants to split the prize if it is large. Im not going to tell if i won big.
#40
Why evolution couldn't provide us longer arms to reach that itch you can't scratch.
#42
As an Indigenous person in the PNW…there’s a lot.
Let’s start with daylight savings. There’s a funny quote that goes “only a white man could make himself believe that, if he cuts off the end of his blanket and sews it onto the other end, he’d have a longer blanket.” Lol.
Jeff White 3 hours ago
Daylight savings time response: you're are totally missing the analogy. A much better example: In certain times of the year the blanket will be too far forward on the bed and cover your head. In the other half of the year, the blanket will slide towards the end of the bed and thus leave your shoulders uncovered. The only thing you can do is move the cut end of the blanket to one end or the other (depending on the time of the year) to make sure you are always best covered.
#44
Cheating on your significant other for any reason :/.
Little Bit 2 hours ago
What if your significant other turns out to be violent, controlling and abusive and you're just trying to find yourself a better life?
What do you think ?
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