35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality

For better or for worse, real life is very far removed from the narratives that entertain us in movies, books, and video games. Fiction is often logical, internally consistent, and dramatic. Reality is rather messy, convoluted, and frustratingly confusing. At times, society promotes ideas that might seem great on the surface but are very toxic once you look at them closer.

Case in point, the r/AskReddit community shared its thoughts about all the things that it wished people would stop romanticizing, from burnout and overwork culture to being a ‘starving artist’ and more. You’ll find their eerily insightful thoughts below. Don’t forget to upvote the opinions you agree with, Pandas.

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality War.

SlugpartySausages: When I was a kid in the eighties it was often said there would likely be another world war when the WW2 veterans die out. People with no direct link to the horrors of war underestimate the terrible cost to everybody involved. Seems like there was truth in this prediction.

Specialist-Way-648 , freepik Report

109points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

This should be top of the list. My brother watched all the war movies when we were kids. Joined up at 18. He came back after his fourth tour pretty damaged and is currently in a VA hospital where the shoes have no laces. IYKYK

38points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality "Overcoming" disabilities. I'm not overcoming s**t, I'm just trying to f*****g ***live.***.

RJSnea , pch.vector Report

107points

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IndoGrrlRN67 1 day ago

Inspiration porn

19points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Trad wives. There is no historical precident for "trad wives" It was few deades after a world war at best. Traditionally women have worked along side men doing everything from farming, running businesses, working in factories or as servants and slaving all the hours of the day, much like men did just to survive. Unless you were very rich everyone worked.

wwaxwork , prostooleh Report

102points

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Black Cat 1 day ago

I dont understand why anyone would choose to be dependent on another person, its puts them in such a disempowered, vulnerable position. Its the classic recipe for abuse. Sometimes its unavoidable, young children etc, but to want this as a lifestyle? Dont understand it.

53points

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Romanticizing something essentially means that you spin hardships in such a way as to make them appear worthwhile. There’s a promise of some sort of grand reward if only you see things through and stick it out despite all the pain. Let’s not be naive: nobody guarantees you rewards. Sometimes, things are just bad, and the pain isn’t worth it.

Take burnout as an example. It’s an incredibly common problem that affects employees globally, and it’s something that we see as a major issue with very far-reaching consequences. Burnout is often seen through rose-colored glasses as part of being a ‘hustler’ (read: an exhausted workaholic with poor boundaries). Burnout doesn’t just affect your health in the short and long term. It also leads to poor performance, worse results, and low job satisfaction. It’s a lose-lose situation for the employees and their employers.

Recent research from SHRM found that a whopping 44% of employees in the United States feel burned out at work. The mental health-focused research also found that 45% of respondents felt emotionally drained from their work. Furthermore, 51% reported feeling used up at the end of the workday.

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Hustling and overwork

Sacrificing sleep for the sake of 'hustling' or 'the grind' is being irresponsible, not proactive. Of course many people are forced to do it by circumstance but that doesn't mean it's a good thing.

dauntless91 , Ron Lach Report

83points

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Freya the Wanderer 1 day ago

Lack of sleep contributes to a number of health problems, physical and mental.

13points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Enabling toxic relatives because "family comes first".

dd_phnx , Nicole Michalou Report

83points

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Black Cat 1 day ago

Families can be the worst for toxic relationships because everything is hidden behind closed doors and children get trained to accept and be codependent on their parents' and siblings' toxicity.

21points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Thug/gangsta life styles. There's a reason these two words are considered bad. It's not something to strive towards. It's just violence and more violence. .

chado5727 , Wolrider YURTSEVEN Report

78points

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Chich 1 day ago

You say Thug/gangsta but all I hear is Losers

27points

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Meanwhile, the Boston Consulting Group noted in a recent report that an average of 48% of desk-based workers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States are currently grappling with burnout. One way to combat burnout (and the ensuing turnover!) rates is by making employees feel included, valued, respected, supported, and as though they belong.

Your relationship with work will depend a lot on your background, where you live, what company you’re employed at, how you handle your work/life balance, and how well you enforce healthy boundaries. While some employees are pressured to operate at maximum efficiency and be ‘on’ at all hours of the day, others push back against overwork to protect their physical and mental well-being.

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality ADHD!! I’m all in for normalizing it, but please don’t manic pixie dream girl us literally I’m just out here trying to function.

Major_Run_6822 , Kaboompics.com Report

73points

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Annabelle 1 day ago

This.

17points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Having a baby to save their relationship. People romanticize having kids but the reality is it’s one of the hardest things on your relationship. Don’t bring a baby into a s****y relationship where it’s guaranteed they will end up with divorced parents.

Turbulent-Run7089 , tirachardz Report

72points

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CK 1 day ago

More than that, having a baby for any reason other than wanting to create a person and be their parent. A baby is also not a PCOS treatment, an investment into your retirement care, or a human pet.

28points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Celebrity billionaires and CEOs.

Alladin_Payne: Definitely the idea that if someone is a billionaire, they must be really smart and a natural great leader.

avsdhpn , senivpetro Report

71points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

Muskrat is neither smart, nor a great leader. He's a narcissist who acts like a clown and the result is a wannabe cult leader.

51points

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At the end of the day, you can make requests for workplace culture improvements and should high standards for how businesses should treat their employees. However, unless you’re in an influential management or executive position, those key decisions are probably out of your control.

So, it falls to you and you alone to know what your boundaries are when it comes to (over)work. You also have to decide how you communicate them to your superiors and how you enforce them when (inevitably) someone crosses them.

#10

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Psychopaths/narcissists. They aren’t this brooding, hot, super competent person that you can change. They are toxic, will never have any real feelings for you, and will suck you dry as long as you let them.

No-Material6891 , Tobi Report

71points

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Annabelle 1 day ago

You will NEVER experience the world the same when you start realizing what you survived. ❤️‍🩹

23points

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#11

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality The wedding industry.

QueenKittyMeowMeow , Nathan Dumlao Report

64points

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ManBlob 1 day ago

I have never understood the absolute desire to have a huge and expensive wedding with hundreds of guests (when you know maybe 20 people). I'd rather spend the money buying a home or on the honeymoon.

23points

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#12

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Giving birth without the help of pain medicine.

ArcherEconomy1012 , Kelly Sikkema Report

60points

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Child of the Stars 1 day ago

Labor and delivery, period. It's not some mystical, magical romp through a fairy forest where a unicorn blows soarkles up your hoo-ha. It's painful, gross, and frankly, dangerous--even when everything goes exactly right. I had a vaginal birth with both of mine, one with an epidural and one without (not by choice; little dude was in a freaking hurry!). I love my kiddos and I'm supremely grateful that both deliveries were easy. But let's not pretend it doesn't come with some serious health risks.

38points

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What do you personally think society romanticizes that only ends up harming anyone who believes the fairytale, dear Pandas? What’s your relationship with burnout and hustle culture? Do you see it as something glamorous or do you see past the illusion?

On the flip side, do you think there are any things that are romanticized for a good reason? We’d really like to hear your take. Drop by the comments to share a few thoughts.

#13

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Lack of education.

aiwelcomecommitteee: Sad to say, being a complete moron is a common trope in American media. Jersey Shore, Kardashians.

There's a fight now in the states about educated elites versus country bumpkin. Both of those are stereotypes, but the rustic rural life gets romanticized as banjo music and buck teeth and not being able to count your toes.

aiwelcomecommitteee , Abby Chung Report

59points

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Freya the Wanderer 1 day ago

Being uneducated makes one more vulnerable to con games - and more likely to support a convicted felon for POTUS.

33points

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#14

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality That not taking days off is a good thing.

No days off will surely be you burnout very quickly.

jazztacos , senivpetro Report

58points

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Agfox 1 day ago

Let's not forget those people who come to work when they're sick because they're so dedicated/their work is so important etc

19points

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#15

Sharing everything you do with your life in social media on daily basis.

sweeetbella Report

58points

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Auntriarch 1 day ago

Hi Pandas, I've already drunk two glasses of water and put a load of washing in!!!

37points

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#16

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Possessiveness in a romantic partner

Its not cute, its not a sign of how much they love you, it is a sign of abuse and either they need to cut it out or you need to cut them out (of your life, I am not advocating violence).

icerobin99 , Trinity Kubassek Report

56points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

Elon Musk wants to build a compound in Texas for all his wives and children. Dude just gets creepier every day.

31points

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#17

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Stalking.

lunarlandscapes: I think Twilight is actually a great example, I remember seeing a ton of teenage girls romanticizing that Edward kept talking to Bella even when she kinds rejected him. There's a huge amount of people who romanticize "not taking no for an answer" because the person is just so in love

hiyac00lcat7685 , Abhinna Patel Report

53points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

Having been stalked more than once, I can say it's one of the most horrible things someone can do to you. I can also say from experience that it's right up there with rape and sexual assault. At least the guy who raped me didn't pursue me after. That last stalker was on my a*s for TWO YEARS.

23points

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#18

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Bad mental health.

UselessAndUnlovable , cottonbro studio Report

50points

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Annabelle 1 day ago

This.

10points

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#19

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Cheating.

shontsu: Sure, but hear me out.

What if your partner is from the city and works an office job with a suit and tie, but you return home to your small hometown where you reconnect with your highschool sweet heart who wears flannel and rides horses?

Then its ok to cheat right? Because hallmark wouldn't lead us wrong.

saylerthrift , Drazen Zigic Report

50points

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Dread Pirate Roberts 1 day ago

Typical stupid rom com message: it's not ok to cheat unless it's with your soulmate 🙄

29points

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#20

Drinking! It's actually so bad for you and yet everyone acts like it's the best thing ever.

Mas_Basura , master1305 Report

48points

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Black Cat 1 day ago

In NZ we have a binge drinking culture and if you dont drink people treat you like youre a freak or assume youre a recovering alcoholic, no i just dont like the taste of alcohol.

20points

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#21

Having the perfect clean cut home and matching a certain aesthetic to where people are calling out the husbands wanting add their stuff to the decor or to the rooms. It’s toxic. Your husband lives there too. Let him put up the dumb deer on the wall if he wants!

And romanticizing the overconsumption of seasonal products on social media platforms. You do not need the new hello kitty or grinch Christmas blanket every year.

kirbinkipling Report

48points

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Mike F 21 hours ago

I wouldn't have dead stuff on my walls for anything. I'm a guy.

9points

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#22

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Romeo and Juliet.

heili: Ah yes, a five day teen infatuation that results in seven deaths. Romantic.

Ok-Cheetah-9125 , Sema Nur Report

47points

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CK 1 day ago

Romeo and Juliet are not the problem. The feud is the problem. Also Friar Laurence, without whose "help" the play might not have that tragic ending.

20points

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#23

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Abusive relationships.

“Nobody is glorifying that!”

B******t. Does anyone else remember having to suffer through 2017 of immature couples pretending like Harley Quinn and Jared Leto Joker was hashtag couple goals?

TheOtherJohnson , pvproductions Report

43points

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Dread Pirate Roberts 1 day ago

And a lot of abusive relationships in romance movies/shows/books are glorified. It's gross.

19points

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#24

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Street fighting.

Someone can take a bad fall, hit their head on a curb or stairs and die right there.

As a lifelong martial artist I can tell you that people are very fragile.

It's not at all like the movies - even a fight you "win" can leave you with permanent injuries...like my missing front teeth.

farvag1964 , YuriArcursPeopleimages Report

41points

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Strings 1 day ago

I ALWAYS tell people "if you got in a fight, you lost"

17points

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#25

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Smoking

Someone told me he wanted to start smoking “for the aesthetic” not even a week ago.

Bobbo_Blobbo , Julia Engel Report

40points

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V 1 day ago

If the aesthetic they are looking for is smelling like a wet dog pooped on a ded dog then rolled in it, go for it I guess...

21points

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#26

That there is nobility in unrequired suffering. When youre a chronic pain patient, there is no nobility, youre just... existing. People do not want to be around someone in pain. It also doesnt make you a better person, more noble, none of that. Its useless suffering that doesnt serve a purpose. If your suffering does not serve a purpose to get something done or to improve yourself (for example working out to failure, conditioning yourself to the cold if youre wanting to be a special operations trooper, etc etc), then its not something to look upon and admire.

Saying stuff like "I wish I was that strong"? Yeah no you dont, that means youd have to go through something like that anf you get nothing from it. It doesnt help anything. It dominates your life.

CivilTell8 Report

40points

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Freya the Wanderer 1 day ago

Those who squawk smarmy crud like "I wish I was that strong" have no idea what pain sufferers are going through. How about you go through a day of endless agony, sweetie?

10points

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#27

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Being a starving artist.

"Keep your day job." until you actually make it is excellent advice. Not the words of jealous naysayers like is often portrayed in Hollywood.

CharonsLittleHelper , Valeriia Miller Report

39points

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Pittsburgh rare 1 day ago (edited)

I know the case of someone who defines herself as an artist, and it's just as accurate as me defining myself as a plumber (when I don't know the difference between a wrench and an Allen key). But to her eyes the world's just not ready for her art 😂.

7points

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#28

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Autism - but every few years the internet picks and chooses a new thing. It used to be depression, EDs, self harm etc., then it seemed to be Tourette’s and OCD and DID and now, it’s like Autism/ADHD is the *new* thing

I’m autistic myself and have had people patronising me and treating me like a uwu awwtism when they find out.

gremlin_trash , Ivan Samkov Report

39points

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Freya the Wanderer 1 day ago

I am a high-functioning autistic, which is both good and bad. I can deal with society and hold a good job, but seeing the world a little differently from all those around you can make life hard. Autism is not something to overcome, or be cured; autistics need understanding and acceptance. Would you tell a paraplegic to just learn to walk?

23points

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#29

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Toxic relationships. Like, it’s not cute to be treated like c**p.

UrxLovelyRainbow , freepik Report

37points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

50 Shades of Gray is a disgusting abomination and I hope every print is eventually burned.

21points

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#30

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Eating disorders and being very skinny.

Lylytr0nnn , Annushka Ahuja Report

33points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

Anorexic here. NOT fun. I hate it.

24points

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#31

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Vampires. I want to read about terrifying monsters facing off against villagers with pitchforks, not angsty sexy romances.

Firm-Engineering2175 , freepik Report

33points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

Then try Dresden Files. I love how Butcher handles his vampires.

13points

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#32

Being constantly busy.

SeA1nternaL: You don’t realize how much it takes a toll on you mentally until you look at your schedule and slowly die inside with the lack of free time!

when i get like a period of not-business, sometimes I feel like I’m just stagnant and doing literally nothing, which kinda guilt trips me

GoBeyondPlusUltra93 Report

31points

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Pittsburgh rare 1 day ago

Learning to not be productive every minute of the day takes effort when you're wired/have been drilled into hamster wheel mode. It took me surgery and a forced change of lifestyle to get it, but the difference it makes to your mental health is amazing.

10points

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#33

35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality Serial [criminals] - they make films and documentaries retelling stories over and over in great detail for sadists. I understand hearing a story because it’s part of history but the cinematic approach taken to these biopics are strictly for entertainment purposes and it’s pathetic.

squambish , RDNE Stock project Report

30points

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 day ago

I had friends who were super into Dexter and I just didn't get it. He's a creep and an a**hole. I also hate "vigilante justice" as well. So Dexter had two things I can't stand.

11points

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#34

Trauma bonding "romance".

Round_Good299 , freepik Report

27points

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Emma S 1 day ago

Having worked in substance misuse for several years, I've seen people in early recovery jump into relationships many times, and it usually ends badly for both parties. There's a reason people in recovery are usually advised to wait until they've been clean and sober for at least a year before starting a new relationship.

10points

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#35

People who glamorize being in poly relationship's and expressing their love for multiple people. No one cares about your legion of lovers. It's great that you switch partners like a pair of socks. No one cares.

Inner_Map_5004 Report

25points

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Kim Karlotta 1 day ago

I get that people who treat poly like the cure for all that is wrong in relationships are a pain, but "switching partners like a pair of socks" is serial monogamy, not polyamory.

17points

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Note: this post originally had 45 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.

Which aspect of life should society focus more on instead of romanticizing it?

Enlee Jones 1 day ago

The toxic relationships in "Twilight" and "Fifty Shades of Grey". Edward Cullen and Christian Grey are not shining examples of the perfect boyfriend, they are abusive a******s. Seriously, go look up warning signs of abusive boyfriends and count how many apply to those two creeps.

Kit Black 1 day ago

Twilight did make for a great teaching tool in that era, though. For a teenage group I ran, I printed out a bunch of copies of ~10 warning signs of an abusive teenage relationship~, and the Twilight pg & quote for *every single one*.

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Say No to Downvoting 18 hours ago

Nursing. Either the “altruistic, works 48 hours without rest, Florence nightingale” type, or the “slutty nurse getting on with the doctor in the spare bed” type. Ew. I’m a nurse and work my hours, do my best, be professional, then I go home when my shift is done because I have other things and people in my life to look after and if anyone suggests I like giving sexy sponge baths I nearly throw up because the last bed bath I gave involved cleaning up s**t.

Hell Iz 14 hours ago

THIS!

4points

Vinnie 20 hours ago (edited)

Being the loyal, supportive friend who's always there when needed, forever, no matter what and never ask for anything in exchange. AKA, "emotional support dog in human form". It's great to help someone, but if things never get better, the "good friend" can get very, very discouraged and burn out. One way to reduce the burden is to get a variety of supports, including professional help (counselling, therapy, financial planning, whatever).

3points

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35 Things People Wish Society Would Stop Romanticizing And Instead Embrace Reality

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