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35 Strange Behaviors People Thought Were Completely Normal, As Shared In This Viral Thread
Each and every one of us has a unique perspective. What we see through our very own pair of eyes, what we experience, is incomparable to anyone else’s day. And while that sounds very poetic and romantic, there’s still a huge overlap between how different people sense and experience the world. One of the beautiful things about being human is that we have so much more in common with each other than we think. You probably sense a big ‘but’ coming…
In some rare cases, however, what we believe is completely normal is, in fact, anything but. Internet users shared their most interesting tales about the strange things that their friends thought were something that happened to everybody, only for it to turn out to be the exact opposite.
From people thinking that the effects of lactose intolerance happened to everyone or sharing a toothbrush with their entire family to thinking that tigers were female lions, there’s a bit of serious and hilarious weirdness for everyone. And then there are the people who eat their cereal with orange juice who are in a league of their own! Check out the most peculiar stories below, Pandas! Do you have any similar tales that you’d like to share with the other readers? Drop by the comment section and tell us all about it.
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#1
I'm in college and I'm lucky enough to be able to rent a house, but I do have housemates, one of which we will call Cade. Cade is 6'4", somewhat portly, kinda a quiet guy most of the time but a pretty sassy gay dude once you get past the first barrier.
Anyway, one day I came into the kitchen and I see him washing the dishes. Cool, no big deal, we don't have an automatic dishwasher and it was his turn. I'm about to leave when I see him pick something up off the counter, bite into it, then set it back down. I only stop to look because I notice oddly the thing is bright yellow, and usually people don't just eat bright yellow things.
Turns out Cade eats lemons. Like apples. With the peel still on. I confronted him about it and he thinks it's the funniest thing ever that I'm freaked out by it, so now once or twice a week I get a snapchat of him aggressively eating a lemon at me. I think we're gonna be friends for a long time.
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#2
My sister said to me once, “hey, what dream did you choose last night?” I was so confused. She explained that every night she goes into a dream room and picks what she wants to dream about. I got super jealous.
#3
This one is about me. In my early 20’s I started having a lot of pain in my upper left jaw. My dentist said there was nothing wrong with my teeth and that I should go see a sinus specialist. Get to the ORL (ear nose and throat doctor) and they comment on how stuffed up I must be.
I’m slightly baffled, and say that I’m actually breathing much easier that day than usual. Aaand that was the day I found out that most people can breathe through their noses MOST of the time and not just on special occasions. Turns out I’m allergic to dust mites in a “how have you not had anaphylaxis and died” way, and had been experiencing an allergy attack for 23 straight years.
That doctors visit legitimately changed my life. I no longer had to choose between breathing and eating.
There will always be outliers and no two people’s life experiences will ever truly be the exact same. At the same time, it’s important to recognize that, barring powerful genetic quirks and extremely unorthodox upbringing, many of us have very similar needs and drives that are shaped as much by our biology as by the environments in which we were raised.
For example, writer Ariane Sherine, who has written about living a long and healthy life, previously told Bored Panda that there are fundamental things that contribute to it. Things like exercise, good food, altruism, and quality relationships.
“Close, fulfilling relationships with others are one of the most important things when it comes to happiness, whether romantic or platonic. Studies show that the more close friendships and relationships you have, the longer you live. Volunteering and helping others are also likely to make you happy,” she said.
#4
So just a little background so this makes more sense, one time when I was little like about 8, I was laying in bed looking out my window at the moon and suddenly I saw two moons. It freaked me out so I went to my mom, asking her if this was bad and she said “no, that’s normal” and sent me back to bed. Well, fast forward to me at about 17, I went to eye doctor with my mom to get my prescription updated. To keep it short, I told the doctor I saw two sets of letters, and he looks at my eyes closer and tells me I have a lazy eye, and that it’s not normal. So my mom, who’s right there, goes “that’s not normal?! I thought everyone saw double!” And the doctor was just like “.....no”. Turns out my mom had the same eye situation, but it was never addressed so she just figured everyone had it. Oops.
#5
Here's me!
I remember that, for a long time, I thought it was completely normal to not be able to get a full breath. I distinctly remember being 16 and asking my friends "you know that feeling when you actually get a full breath in your lungs and it feels AMAZING" and no one had any clue what I was talking about.
Turns out I had undiagnosed asthma for most of my life. Makes more sense now.
#6
My husband had no idea he was lactose intolerant. He thought everyone had diarrhea everyday. He’s 26 and found out last year. How’d he find out? His mom told him. She’s known his whole life.
“There are other things that contribute to happiness and well-being including taking regular exercise, eating healthily, having enough money to feel comfortable, having job security, and enjoying experiences rather than possessions,” Ariane told Bored Panda.
“Self-care and taking time for yourself are also very important. But I'd say close relationships are probably the most essential things to happiness.”
#7
My aunt put a fence around the pool to keep the ducks out. She didn't believe us when we told her they could just fly over it... Does this count?
#8
My sister’s ex husband thought the moon was the sun but in “night mode” so it’s more dim.
The man was 43 years old.
This is when my sister realized this was the final straw and needs to get a divorce.
#9
My ex and her entire family share a tooth brush she argued it like they were all sharing a hairbrush... glad that ended
Our biology more or less demands that we form tight-knit social bonds, be kind, and get enough movement. The vast majority of us are hardwired for this and it’s what makes us happy.
Psychology expert Suzanne Degges-White told Bored Panda earlier that our biology, as well as the culture we grow up with, shapes our attitude toward altruism, kindness, and being social.
"Many of us are raised to believe it is the 'right thing to do.' Basically, all spiritual belief systems have a version of the 'Golden Rule, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,'" she explained. "We also do good turns because we know that one day we may be in need of a little 'generosity from the universe,' so it's like putting 'money' into a karma account."
#10
This was me until about two years ago.
I thought that Kiwis made everyone's mouth itchy. Like it was just part of the fruit experience. I also thought mangos were "hot" for everyone.
Well my wife informed me that I probably allergic to those fruit since mangos aren't supposed to burn your mouth and kiwis shouldn't make your mouth itch. I truly didn't believe her. Months later I'm choking on mango. I can't breath, my face is getting red. I couldn't even get the word put to tell her I couldn't breath. EpiPen and an ER visit later. I'm allergic to mangos and kiwis and a host of other tropical fruit.
No fruit should make your mouth burn(aside from the jalepeno and peppers). And no fruit should make your mouth itch or lips swell. Apparently that's called an allergy.
Oops
The Big Dipper ⭐️ 2 years ago
I’m pretty sure some people’s mouths get itchy from eating pineapple, something about enzymes?
#11
One time my best friend and I were on a voice chat as it was getting pretty late. At one point he said that he should probably head to bed because he was starting to see gory and otherwise disturbing things. Apparently he has hypnagogic hallucinations every so often and just assumed that it was normal when to see stuff when you get tired
DDmaybeandor 2 years ago
For those commenting, “It’s not normal?”, I’ve never had this or heard of anyone else having it as normal phenomena.
#12
I had a sleepover with a friend in middle school one weekend. I went to shower and she gave me a towel. It had a weird smell to it, but I couldn’t find any other towels inside the bathroom, so I used it by patting myself barely and just air drying.
Turns out her whole family shares a towel to prevent having to use new ones every time. I told her how weird that was and she was shocked to find out that my family has THEIR own towels to use, but we put them in the wash every 2 or so uses.
I didn’t sleep over there again.
“Humans are wired so that when we do something kind for another, we feel good about ourselves and neurotransmitters like endorphins and oxytocin have been shown to get a boost when we do something good for another. It is through cooperation that society functions, so the survival of the human race depends on being willing to help others. Family values, spiritual beliefs, and biology all play a part in this motivation," she said.
"Many of us take pride in being of service to others as it is culturally valued and we want to hold significance in our worlds. So when we do good deeds, we show others our willingness to help those in distress/need; we live out faith-based encouragement to treat others the way we would like to be treated, we uphold family values, and our brains get a positive jolt of happiness when we help others.”
In other words, as diverse as our goals, ambitions, and life experiences might be, there are some fundamental things that simply do not change. Realizing this is kind of inspiring, don’t you think? We’re not so different after all… with a few peculiar exceptions that are found in this list, of course!
#13
My roomate in college thought you washed clothes on every single cycle on the washing machine. Our machine had a delicate cycle, a cotton cycle, a solo rinse cycle, a permanent press cycle, etc.
He always complained about the washer taking forever.. its because he was washing his clothes 4-5 times every time he did laundry.
Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago
How to get super clean clothes. (Also how to wear out your clothes very quickly!)
#14
Had a friend who I took shooting when we were like 20. He’s never shot before and when he was trying to aim he was tilting head strangely. When I questioned him about it, he said “well which eye do you see out of?!”
He had been blind in one eye his entire life and thought everyone was like that.
#15
My friend can't recognize faces. I only figured it out for sure when he almost got into a strangers truck because he thought it was me because she had red hair. I've known him for like 6 years. He seemed surprised when I said that wasn't normal.
#16
I helped my older cousin move into a new house as a teenager, we worked non-stop for over 12 hours. I was so f*****g exhausted that at one point I vomited in his front yard.
The next day he acted like I was faking being tired, to which I responded, "how the hell do you fake vomit?". He goes, "easy", and proceeds to instantly *projectile vomit at will!* I just looked on in horror and bewilderment. He acted like it was perfectly normal and assumed everyone could do it, he got offended when I told him it was bizarre as hell. The f**k.
#17
Storytime:
Hubby learned to drive at 12yo. During the summer and holidays, he regularly drove his Grandad's truck into the fields to deliver everyone lunch and water. He also would drive the tractor to and from fields.
As a result, when I met him in his late 30s, he had a perfect driving record. His defensive driving was phenomenal. The only tickets he ever received were: driving without a seatbelt, and parking on the sidewalk. (The latter was right in front of our house and a b***hy neighbor called it in).
Fast forward 10 years. He goes to the eye doctor for the first time in 20 years. He needs glasses. The Night we pick up the glasses, he is driving towards a traffic light. As he rolls to a stop, he states: "WHOA, the traffic lights aren't star bursts anymore" Have they always looked like that????"
#18
My friend thought that everyone was regularly taking worming tablets to stop getting worms. It wasn’t until she got married and told her husband she was going to go pick up their worming tablets that she found out it wasn’t normal.
#19
My ex husband has reflux really bad. Once I saw him chewing something while we were out shopping and so I asked for a piece of what I thought was gum. NOPE.
It was food that we had eaten about an hour earlier.
He told me his food would always come back up all the time and he would just rechew it and swallow it back down. I was like WTF. NOOO.
#20
Not kidding. My boyfriend of almost 8 years thought lions were boys and tigers were girl lions... kind of like bulls and cows
#21
One time in my 20s at work a coworker and I started getting into an argument about what color Monday was (it's red) and didn't realize this was not normal until another co-worker walked by and asked us what the hell we were going on about synesthesia for.
#22
In college, a bunch of friends and I were sitting around talking about things we did as a kid. One of the guys in the group said "didn't you hate when you got a cold and your mom would give you an enema?" He soon found out that he was the only one.
#23
So this was actually me,but growing up my mom would always tell me to grab donuts from the Walmart bakery area and eat it while we walked around the store (we lived in the country so we only went to the store every two weeks). For a long time this proceeded until it was common practice and eventually I just did it without even telling her. Around early middle school a girl who has a crush on me sees me eating a donut in walmart and asks me if I just take those. I respond "of course", she proceeds to take one and eat it with me to prove she's as cool as me but I just don't understand.
I then relay to my mom how this silly girl had no idea walmart had free donuts.... And that's when she told me she had been paying for them for years. But I had not asked her permission for a long time so there is no telling how many donuts I unknowingly stole from Walmart.
It's not very often you get to find something strange out about yourself that you thought was perfectly normal.
#24
I have a friend that thought it was normal to go 2 weeks + without a sip of water.
#25
There was this guy I went to college with - when he was in the shower, if the urge hit him, he would just take a s**t in the shower instead of getting out to use the toilet. He did this the whole time he was a kid apparently, and it wasn’t till he got to college and had to share bathroom facilities that he found out other people showering in adjacent stalls weren’t cool with smelling s**t as he waffle-stomped a log down the drain.
#26
I was talking to my husband on the phone and he told me to hang on, he had to put his clothes back on. He was at work. I asked what the hell he was doing and apparently he always takes all his clothes off to take a dump. Even at work. I knew he did it at home but he always would then get in the shower after so I figured it was just a preface to showering. He said he balances them over the stall door so they don’t get “poop particles” on them. I told him no one else does this. He didn’t notice because in the men’s room he’s used for the last 10 years there’s only one stall. I’m not sure why no colleague ever asked him why he’s hanging clothes over the stall door...
Ana Ferreira 2 years ago
Tell me your mum was a germaphobe without telling me your mum was a germaphobe.
#27
Until my early twenties, I thought lucid dreams were the norm. I cringe thinking of all the times I heard someone describe a bad dream and I said something along the lines of “Why didn’t you just change the dream?”
Growing up, I said this to several close family members, and NOT ONE told me that was weird.
Christopher Buteau 2 years ago
I achieved it younger lost it older. When I talk to people younger I say...you should turn on the lights in the dream.
#28
I have a friend who has lost an immense amount of weight, yet eats and drinks like c**p all the time. It had been revealed to me by him that, “he often feels so full sometimes, that he just makes himself puke to feel better.” This has been going on for quite a few years now. He’s straight up bulimic and thinks it’s just a neat little way to get rid of all the bad foods and drinks he gorges himself with. He’s gotten so good at making himself puke, it’s almost silent. No gagging sounds no messy puke splatter. Just a stream of chewed up food and beers. I’m quite sure that even his wife is oblivious to this.
#29
My friend genuinely believed that 'Leprechaun' was just a term for indigenous Irish little people.
#30
My friend didn’t know martinis weren’t normally served in giant water-sized glasses and thought she was getting ripped off when she ordered one at a bar. Her parents were alcoholics.
#31
A family member thought that hallucinations were something everyone dealt with. They thought that monsters under the bed and other cultural tales of ghosts were real things which were further confirmed by their experience.
It this led to later diagnosis of schizophrenia once they couldn't cope well enough to deal with the symptoms and it became evident to family members.
#32
My neighbours ate their Cornflakes with orange juice instead of milk. Their parents had conditioned them all to think this was normal and acceptable behavior.
#33
A little late here, but my ex didn’t think you needed to wash cutting boards. I was doing his dishes and started to wash it and he got upset. I thought that was a common sense thing that someone in med school should know.
#34
Me and my sister at a festival in line for the toilets.
Me: You wanna pee first? I can hold your beer.
Sister: Naw, thats fine. I will just place it in the beerholder.
Me: ...... you mean the urinal?
#35
They carried a pizza box sideways under their arm.....
Wow! Im so glad it made other people as uneasy as it made me. It was a neighbor at a neighborhood pizza party that was kinda strange already. Everytime someone talks about him I'm like, "I knew he was strange since the pizza box incident."
What do you think ?
OnAFreakingRollercoaster 2 years ago
Upvote for the use of the word rollercoaster 😉😉
Load More Replies...
BonnyDK 2 years ago
When I first started dating my husband I realized he had peculiar behavior. He was seeing a therapist for about 10 years that told him he had a shyness disorder. He was fine with me but had a hard time looking in the eyes of people he didn't know while talking to them. Especially if they were close to him. The first time I noticed it was 6 weeks after we met. After a while I ended with a list of things that were not the "norm". He was intelligent top of his profession but a bit different. Then the seizures started about 2 years after we married. After a bunch of misdiagnoses he finally had an MRI and found a brain tumor. The type of cancer he has comes with a list of recognizable behavior changes. Textbook my husband. I showed his friends the list and his mom and they just told me he had always been like that. The dr said he probably had the tumor his whole life. I cannot for the life of me figure out how they thought it was normal and why they didn't take him to the Dr.
Maria 2 years ago
Oh wow. Did the tumor get safely removed? How did he change afterwards?
Load More Replies... The Big Dipper ⭐️ 2 years ago
Doesn’t really belong here, but my weird talent is being able to suck the sides, but not the middle, of my stomach in. It kind of looks like I’m really thin, but there’s a can in the middle of my stomach.
OnAFreakingRollercoaster 2 years ago
Upvote for the use of the word rollercoaster 😉😉
Load More Replies... BonnyDK 2 years ago
When I first started dating my husband I realized he had peculiar behavior. He was seeing a therapist for about 10 years that told him he had a shyness disorder. He was fine with me but had a hard time looking in the eyes of people he didn't know while talking to them. Especially if they were close to him. The first time I noticed it was 6 weeks after we met. After a while I ended with a list of things that were not the "norm". He was intelligent top of his profession but a bit different. Then the seizures started about 2 years after we married. After a bunch of misdiagnoses he finally had an MRI and found a brain tumor. The type of cancer he has comes with a list of recognizable behavior changes. Textbook my husband. I showed his friends the list and his mom and they just told me he had always been like that. The dr said he probably had the tumor his whole life. I cannot for the life of me figure out how they thought it was normal and why they didn't take him to the Dr.
Maria 2 years ago
Oh wow. Did the tumor get safely removed? How did he change afterwards?
Load More Replies... The Big Dipper ⭐️ 2 years ago
Doesn’t really belong here, but my weird talent is being able to suck the sides, but not the middle, of my stomach in. It kind of looks like I’m really thin, but there’s a can in the middle of my stomach.
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