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We often have a physical response to watching others in danger, even if we ourselves face absolutely no threat, and the subreddit r/SweatyPalms proves it.

Created back in 2012, this online community now boasts 2.3 million members who constantly share footage of people's stunts on tall skyscrapers, close encounters with wildlife, and everything in between.

So, we invite you to join us in scrolling through some of the subreddit's most popular posts and see which of them elicit a reaction from you. Let's test our limits!

#1

Active Volcano Looks Like Damned Souls Being Dragged To The Depths Of Hell

Active Volcano Looks Like Damned Souls Being Dragged To The Depths Of Hell

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

One presumes this is where the subterranean flaming pit of punishment myth originates. Easy to see how people who already poorly understood the mechanics of the fire hole would come to that conclusion.... also that is scary as hell 😳 would not stand

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#2

In 1990, An Accident Caused A British Airways Captain To Be Sucked Halfway Out Of The Cockpit. The Crew Held Onto Him For 20 Minutes As The Copilot Made An Emergency Landing. The Pilot Survived And Made A Full Recovery

In 1990, An Accident Caused A British Airways Captain To Be Sucked Halfway Out Of The Cockpit. The Crew Held Onto Him For 20 Minutes As The Copilot Made An Emergency Landing. The Pilot Survived And Made A Full Recovery

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We managed to get in touch with the moderators of r/SweatyPalms and they were kind enough to have a little chat with us about the subreddit. 

"We actually don't have to do much policing," the team told Bored Panda. "Like any sub on Reddit, we get spam and repost bots. We guard against those, but that's mostly it."

#3

Diver Sitting On The Edge Of Underwater Sea Cliff

Diver Sitting On The Edge Of Underwater Sea Cliff

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

Oh, thalassophobia! Its been a long time since I've seen you old friend!

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#4

Getting Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed Is Not An Option

Getting Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed Is Not An Option

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#5

Let Me Quickly Nope Out Of Here

Let Me Quickly Nope Out Of Here

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

I think this is in Ginnie Springs Florida, at least there is a sign just like this one in the spring there.

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The moderators said that the members are fairly active, and the posts receive a fair number of comments, too. "We generally get a good representation of Redditors who appreciate a jolt of fear and a good, old-fashioned adrenaline rush."

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"The pics that garner the most attention on our sub are the ones that involve everyday people in pretty extreme situations. I think those are the ones that resonate with members the most because it really doesn't take much imagination to see yourself in those (very) terrifying scenarios!" they added.

#6

Some Final Destination S**t

Some Final Destination S**t

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

Looks like the Jupiter Mining Corporation has gotten off to a good start with their pickup trucks. But it's going to a long road from there to the mining ship 'Red Dwarf'!

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#7

Talk About Sweaty Palms. Astronaut Bruce Mccandless Taking The First Untethered Space Walk

Talk About Sweaty Palms. Astronaut Bruce Mccandless Taking The First Untethered Space Walk

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#8

Gorilla Family Checking Out Wildlife Photographer

Gorilla Family Checking Out Wildlife Photographer

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According to Nathalia Gjersoe, who is a senior lecturer in developmental psychology at the University of Bath, there are various reasons why our body responds like this in the absence of any real threat.

For instance, do you wince when someone is punched in a movie or squirm when someone is shamed or humiliated on screen? "These reactions are triggered by empathy: feeling the same thing we believe someone else is feeling," Gjersoe says. "Empathy allows us to put ourselves in someone else's shoes."

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#10

Safety Standards In The 1960's

Safety Standards In The 1960's

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

Exactly what my mom would do “back in the day” when driving with us and had to hit the breaks a bit.. Those were the days.

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#11

I’ve Been Told By Employers That My Current Linkedin Photo Makes Them Nervous

I’ve Been Told By Employers That My Current Linkedin Photo Makes Them Nervous

BigHeart_BiggerDick Report

"Brain imaging studies have shown that there is a great deal of crossover in brain networks when we experience pain ourselves and when we observe others in pain. For example, people shown videos of patients being injected in the mouth showed activation in many of the same parts of the brain as if they themselves were being injected in the mouth."

So when we turn on footage of people cycling down incredibly steep precipices or dangling from precarious overhangs, part of our physical nervousness on their behalf is because we are imagining ourselves in their situation and how scared we would be.

#13

Hell No

Hell No

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

This is single handedly the most terrifying post on this page :/

A dude who likes to drum
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

HOLY COW HOW DO THESE PEOPLE GET ON THESE PLACES I WILL NEVER DO THIS AND THE DUDE IS JUST CASUALLY ON HIS PHONE??????

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

I just noticed that the lens is extremely wide angle. They may only be four metres up from the top of the building.

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

I like how people can't wrap their minds around this, so they automatically call it fake.

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

We have a place you can go (I forget the name) with different backgrounds. You pose and it looks like you are in a dangerous situation but of course you aren't really. Your friends and/or family take photos of you in this 'dangerous' situation. This photo looks like it was taken at one of these places

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

Holy s**t Im not afraid of heights but nope, nope and NOPITY NOPE NOPE!!!!! OMG that made my stomach churn!!!! 🤢🤢😧😧

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

I would fine 100k for every person that stupidly risk their lives like this.

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

this is actually just a couple standing on a green screen or a mat. they didn't actually climb it

volcanic_larva3
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

somehow my first thought was not "OH MA GAWD THEY GONNA DIE", but "how in the absolute f***k did they get up there"

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

These people are unbelievable really really dumb unless this photoshopped and if it real they must not care about life to much or don't care to not live another day. Like why. I know why. But it is not worth risking your life for, and you where to start falling you would think that to do what even do that. Goodness grief. Kids these days.

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

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes — eventually. Isn't everyone aware that since the advent of social media, more people have DIED taking a picture to post online in the hope of it going "viral"? When did "likes" become more valuable than "lives*?

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

In my opinion they are just stupid, idiot morons. Even a slight wind blow might take them away. But, you know, they're ready to everything for some likes on the social media platforms.

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

All for instagram. People do crazy things that can lead to death, but they do it hoping to go viral. It’s sad actually. What instagram does with young people.

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

Ok, so no denying this is terrifying- but it's the logistics of it for me: so many questions, Like did he climb up first, then her, and then she climbed onto his shoulders??- that seems more likely than her being on his shoulders the whole time (obviously) but like, HOW!?- is ther even enough room for them to both stand on there, him to duck down and her to climb on!?!

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

Oh God I'm really starting to regret scrolling through this thread

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

This kind of stuff is insane. I'm a pretty big thrill seeker but I would never do this. I'm looking to be thrilled, not dead.

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

These douche bags deserve to drop. Not impressed one bit.

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

At least hold onto that pole dammit. Btw, I'm pretty sure she did not smile when she climbed back down

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

There was a person not that long ago who fell off a high building taking a selfie almost just like that. Fell in such a way they somehow missed the building and went right to the ground.

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

Well he could have made it MORE death-defying by balancing on the dome at the top of the pole ...

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

What the hell is the matter with these people? Kim Kardashian is not impressed.

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

I do not find this terrifying at all, stupid, illegal, but not terrifying.

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

No, and those guys suck for promoting that kind of behavior

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

Absolute. F*****g. Stupidity. If this was a friend of mine, I'd dump them.

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

Best part? The pole he's holding onto is a lightning rod.

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

UNBELIEVABLY STUPID. Just unbelievable. No doubt for Instagram likes.

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

I can't even sit on my boyfriend's shoulders. He's 6'1" and I freak out.

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

still nowhere as terrifying as the stylus pen predicament *shivers*

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

I don't know if this is true. May be photoshopped. How would he have been able to get her on his shoulders!?

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

tell me how in the world did the woman climb the man while on a THIN building

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

How? Why is she hooked up to anything? I'm not sure he is either. Maybe they're using a green screen?

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

These people have real Darwin Award potential or are great a photoshop. I hope it's the second one.

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

They don't even appear to be strapped to anything! All it takes is a bit of wind and these two are going to meet Jesus. Look up the Mr. Ballen video on YouTube about a climber called Wu Wongning.

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

How in hell would she get down off his shoulders without slipping? I'm really hoping this is photoshopped, like everyone says

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

Must be the grandkids of the construction guy standing on a metal bar without any safety

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Another contributing factor might be the fact that the sympathetic nervous system, which coordinates our fight or flight response, may not differentiate that much between real and not real.

"Visual information that conveys a threat might be translated directly into feelings of anxiety or urgency, which in turn trigger responses such as muscle contractions or increased heart rate," Gjersoe explains.

#17

Someone's Illegal Pet Tiger Got Loose In A Houston Neighborhood

Someone's Illegal Pet Tiger Got Loose In A Houston Neighborhood

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#19

Glass Bridge In China Breaks During High Winds

Glass Bridge In China Breaks During High Winds

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

Imagine being on that bridge and your hear cracking sounds underneath you...

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#20

Dropped My Phone On This & Had A Huge "Whew" Moment When It Didn't Fall In. Drove Off & Realized My S Pen Is Missing 20 Minutes Later. Came Back To The Scene Of The Crime And Couldn't Believe My Luck

Dropped My Phone On This & Had A Huge "Whew" Moment When It Didn't Fall In. Drove Off & Realized My S Pen Is Missing 20 Minutes Later. Came Back To The Scene Of The Crime And Couldn't Believe My Luck

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Tamar Gendler, a Yale University psychologist, has proposed that we have two cognitive states for reacting to events in the world.

The first is our beliefs – those things that we believe to be true. We can say with considerable confidence that the protagonist of the movie will be okay in the end and that zombies will not subsequently break into our home and eat us.

#21

I Looked Over The Edge Of A Building In NYC And Saw This Crazy Reflection [oc]

I Looked Over The Edge Of A Building In NYC And Saw This Crazy Reflection [oc]

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#22

Alex Honnold Free-Soloing The Walls Of El Patrero Chico. Mexico, 2014

Alex Honnold Free-Soloing The Walls Of El Patrero Chico. Mexico, 2014

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

Please be one of those fake shots and he's really crawling on the ground?

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#23

Brown Bear Sneaks Up On Kid Who Actually Does An Amazing Job At Staying Calm Thanks To Dad's Help

Brown Bear Sneaks Up On Kid Who Actually Does An Amazing Job At Staying Calm Thanks To Dad's Help

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

And who helped dad stay calm? Calm enough to be recording/taking photos while your son is being eyed as lunch?

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#24

This Is The Kind Of Sh#t We Have To Deal With In Aus. I Hate Huntsman Spiders

This Is The Kind Of Sh#t We Have To Deal With In Aus. I Hate Huntsman Spiders

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

Despite their often large and hairy appearance, huntsman spiders are not considered to be dangerous spiders. As with most spiders, they do possess venom, and a bite may cause some ill effects. However, they are quite reluctant to bite, and will usually try to run away rather than be aggressive.

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The second cognitive state, Gendler suggests, is our 'aliefs.' These states are triggered by associations, instead of consideration, and can be either conscious or unconscious. We then feel uneasy even though there is no direct threat to us.

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#25

Imagine If He Didn't Check

Imagine If He Didn't Check

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#26

That's Kinda High

That's Kinda High

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A dude who likes to drum
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

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#28

Why Would Anyone Attempt This

Why Would Anyone Attempt This

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Yeet_girl360
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You'd be surprised the amount of stupid things people do for "wows" and "oOoOos". . .

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"Although our aliefs may differ from our beliefs, they trigger many of the same physical responses as a real threat such as trembling, sweating, and anxiety," Gjersoe explains Gendler's theory.

"This is why I sit rigid on the edge of my seat while watching the climber dangling from the top of the skyscraper with no apparent support. I believe he will be fine and that this video signals no threat to myself, but I alieve that some threat is occurring and my sympathetic nervous system responds accordingly."

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I guess we humans aren't so different from one another, are we?

#29

A Bear Running Upstream, A Little Too Close

A Bear Running Upstream, A Little Too Close

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#31

Spelunker Gets Stuck In A Partially Submerged Cave Section

Spelunker Gets Stuck In A Partially Submerged Cave Section

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Yeet_girl360
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He is extremely lucky cause he was able to turn around and go back.. but still...

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#34

A Tourist Sitting On Top Of The Pedra Da Gávea Mountain, Brazil

A Tourist Sitting On Top Of The Pedra Da Gávea Mountain, Brazil

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#35

Photographing My Friend In An Abandoned Theme Park

Photographing My Friend In An Abandoned Theme Park

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

Friends don’t let friends walk out on way high up rollercoaster tracks just to prove how stupid they both are.,

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#36

This Photographer Is Playing A Potentially Deadly Fight Or Flight Game With Polar Bear

This Photographer Is Playing A Potentially Deadly Fight Or Flight Game With Polar Bear

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#38

Keep Swiming

Keep Swiming

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

"Excuse me madam, would you mind scratching under my jaw? Yessss, that's the spot."

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#39

Always Check The Carabiners

Always Check The Carabiners

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#40

Bear With Me On This One

Bear With Me On This One

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

Doing my best bear voice impression. “ Just checking to see how your enjoying my river. I’ll be on my way now.”

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#41

Professional Climber Uses A “Knee Bar” To Bring Blood Back To His Arms

Professional Climber Uses A “Knee Bar” To Bring Blood Back To His Arms

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#43

This Guy Handling Those Giant Wasps

This Guy Handling Those Giant Wasps

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#45

Saw A Bentley Parked Like This In Zurich And It Immediately Gave Me Anxiety

Saw A Bentley Parked Like This In Zurich And It Immediately Gave Me Anxiety

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#48

Descending Only By Stair Frames

Descending Only By Stair Frames

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#49

Longways Down

Longways Down

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