With over 7.2 million members, ‘There Was An Attempt’ (TWAA) is one of Reddit’s largest communities. To understand what makes it so special and why it’s beloved by so many, Bored Panda reached out to the moderators who run the subreddit and keep it thriving.

“TWAA is a place that collects all the best attempts from across the globe. If it’s been attempted… you’ll find it here,” says u/PlenitudeOpulence, the lead mod. “There’s an innate joy in watching fails, and TWAA has that by the boatload.”

In the grand scheme of things, TWAA’s popularity doesn’t just rely on people’s love for watching others’ fails. There are plenty of places online for that, but TWAA has really cemented itself as an iconic community on Reddit.

“I think people love TWAA because it captures the full spectrum of human experience,” says u/Sabbah. “Sure, it’s funny to watch failed attempts, but these posts often bring out a mix of emotions—from empathy to curiosity. People can see relatable struggles, and that blend of laughter and reflection keeps it engaging for a broad audience.”

Second-in-charge mod u/BlueberryBubblyBuzz, who also goes by u/Kumquat_conniption, believes TWAA stands out because it shows humanity in its rawest form, something we often miss in today’s digital age.

“With social media making everyone’s lives look perfect, there’s something refreshing and real about watching people fail,” they share. “Most of what we see online is carefully staged, but watching a fail? That’s real. It reminds us that we’re not the only ones messing up, even if it happens more often than we’d like.”

“Maybe when we’re constantly comparing ourselves to seemingly perfect lives, it feels good to see someone else fail. Like, ‘Hey, at least I’m not having as bad a day as that guy!’ That could be why TWAA is so appealing.”

Of course, it helps that the subreddit has a catchy name. “‘There Was An Attempt’ just rolls off the tongue,” says mod u/OhhYouKnow. “The phrase itself sticks in your head. Personally, I love the content because it shows a very real side of humanity. Plus, our userbase is made up of some pretty cool people.”

What really makes TWAA stand out, however, is how its followers find a certain inspiration in the fails. There’s a sense of camaraderie in seeing people genuinely try, even when things go wrong.

“Fails can be inspiring, as they remind us that everyone stumbles and grows from mistakes,” explains u/Sabbah. “Seeing others face setbacks and bounce back can motivate us to be more resilient, take risks, and keep going. Sometimes, the funniest fails hold the most powerful lessons.”

“I think watching people attempt incredible things, even when they fail, can be very inspiring,” agrees u/BlueberryBubblyBuzz. “When you see footage of someone doing something perfectly, like an Olympic performance, it can feel like you’ll never be able to do something like that. But when you see others failing, it reminds you that behind every success is someone who failed over and over. It’s a great reminder that setbacks are part of the journey and not a reason to quit.”

Running TWAA is no easy task. The mods hold the posts to a high standard, and not everything makes the cut.

“We do get a lot of posts that don’t exactly fit, and we’re working with the community to report those so we can keep the subreddit focused on the best failed attempts,” says u/BlueberryBubblyBuzz. “We’re also putting more effort into making sure unclear or off-topic posts are filtered out, so we can showcase everyone’s favorite content.”