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45 Facts And Stories That Show How Many Great, Sad And Weird Things Are Happening In The World

December 18, 2025

The internet isn’t all about toxic comment sections and the doom and gloom. There are also parts of it that could enrich your knowledge in some way, whether it’s through dedicated communities or online groups that feature random yet fascinating information.

Today is about the latter, as we feature posts from the Things You Don’t Know Facebook page. If the name isn’t enough of a giveaway, you can expect to pick up nuggets of facts you’re likely learning about for the first time. You can even do more digging if you want to know more or verify what you’ve read.

Here are some of the most intriguing pieces of content that could be conversation starters at your next dinner party.

Discover more in 50 Facts And Stories That Show How Many Great, Sad And Weird Things Are Happening In The World

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1

Denmark is pushing forward a groundbreaking legal proposal that would give every citizen full ownership rights over their own likeness including their face, voice, and body data. If passed, companies and AI developers would no longer be allowed to use a person’s identity without clear and direct consent. The law is aimed directly at the growing threat of deepfakes.

#2

Mexico City has officially banned bullfighting, ending a practice that shaped its culture for more than 500 years. Lawmakers called the decision a necessary step toward stronger animal protection.

The move has sparked both celebration and frustration, with supporters praising it as overdue compassion and critics mourning the loss of a historic tradition. Still, many believe the ban marks a meaningful shift toward more humane treatment of animals in the capital.

#3

France introduced a groundbreaking law that bans supermarkets from throwing away or destroying edible food that cannot be sold. Instead, stores must donate these items to charities, food banks, or organizations supporting people in need. The law aims to reduce food waste while ensuring that surplus food reaches vulnerable communities. It has since become a global example of how legislation can fight waste and hunger at the same time.

The posts featured on the page would likely make you do more digging. Not necessarily to verify if the information presented is accurate, but also out of curiosity.

However, in this day and age of the internet, it always pays to do some fact-checking, especially if you’re reading or watching something from an unverified or unreliable source.

#4

She spent 23 years renting the same small home, always paying on time and caring for the place as if it were her own. She handled repairs herself, stayed loyal as a tenant, and never caused trouble. Her landlord, a wealthy man who rarely interacted with her, watched this consistency quietly over the years. Then everything changed. Instead of receiving another lease renewal, she was handed the deed to the house with no payment required. The gift transformed her life and became a powerful reminder that long term reliability and integrity can lead to unexpected acts of generosity.

#5

Crows are incredibly intelligent birds, capable of solving complex problems and learning from one another. A Swedish startup called Corvid Cleaning is using that intelligence to tackle pollution. Their device rewards crows with food whenever they drop a cigarette b**t inside, and early tests show the birds understand the system almost immediately. With an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded each year, the project could dramatically cut cleanup costs and reduce toxic waste. It’s a striking example of how working with nature can create surprisingly effective solutions.

#6

In Denmark, empathy has been a fixed part of the school curriculum since the 1990s. Every week, students take time to openly talk about their own experiences, work through conflicts, and actively practice compassion. The goal goes far beyond teaching good manners. It is about deliberately strengthening the parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and perspective-taking, with research showing that this regular training creates measurable long-term effects. The results are striking. Denmark now has the lowest bullying rates in Europe and is consistently ranked among the happiest countries in the world. Empathy education clearly proves that emotional intelligence is not a soft extra, but a core pillar of a healthy and well-functioning society

Many people tend to fall victim to misinformation. More surprisingly, it is the younger, more digital-savvy generation that is said to be more susceptible to believing these falsehoods.

A 2024 report by the University of Virginia found that millennials and Gen Z tend to struggle to spot AI-generated headlines. It is likely because most younger people get their news from sites like TikTok or YouTube. At the same time, older generations are more likely to prefer getting their current events updates from traditional media outlets.

#7

David from Nebraska wanted to buy back 80 acres of his former family farm. He and his father attended the auction feeling prepared, but unsure. When they placed their bid, no one else said a word. The other farmers did not bid against them. Out of respect, they let David have the land — a silent act of solidarity.

#8

Germany has introduced a system that requires first time dog owners to demonstrate they are prepared for the responsibility. Before adopting a dog, new owners must pass a written exam that covers topics like behavior, safety, proper handling, and animal welfare. After that, they must complete a practical test that shows they can interact with and control their dog safely in real everyday situations. The goal is to reduce neglect, protect animals, and ensure that dogs end up in stable and responsible homes.

#9

Guinness World Records made the decision to stop featuring the world’s fattest animals after concerns grew that some owners were overfeeding their pets just to break records. The goal is to protect animals from being harmed for fame and to promote healthier treatment instead. What once seemed funny turned into a serious animal welfare issue.

That begs another question: what type of people fall for misinformation and fake news? According to a December 2025 report by Georgia State University, it’s those who are highly sensitive to emotional tones – powerful negative feelings like anger, fear, and disgust – that will likely believe falsehoods online.

The report adds that fake news hits differently than tabloid news because the former gets passed around and taken seriously, while the latter is more about the entertainment value.

#10

Canadian tech entrepreneur Marcel LeBrun has taken action against homelessness by funding and building 99 fully equipped tiny homes in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Each home includes a kitchen, bathroom, living area, and solar panels, with rent set at roughly 30% of a resident’s income. The project also features a community hub that offers jobs, training, and support programs. LeBrun’s initiative shows how practical innovation and empathy can create long term stability and dignity for people who need it most

#11

Amboseli National Park in Kenya has recorded a historic surge in elephant births, with 140 calves born in a single year. Conservationists say the baby boom reflects the success of long term anti poaching efforts, habitat protection, and improved wildlife management. Elephants play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, and this milestone is being hailed as a major win for conservation in East Africa and beyond.

#12

In France, abandoning or neglecting a dog is treated as a serious criminal offense, carrying the risk of prison time and substantial fines. Lawmakers have tightened animal protection laws to send a clear message that pets are living beings with rights, not disposable possessions. One major reform now bans pet shops from selling cats and dogs, allowing only adoptions through officially recognized shelters. Future pet owners are also required to sign a formal commitment contract before adopting or purchasing an animal. This agreement outlines the long term responsibilities involved in caring for a pet and aims to prevent impulsive decisions that often result in abandonment. Together, these measures reflect France’s strengthened stance on animal welfare and lifelong responsibility toward pets.

While fact-checking is always encouraged, does it actually work? According to a 2020 study published in the Political Communication journal, it may not alter a person’s long-held worldview, but it can, at the very least, have a “significantly positive overall influence on political beliefs.”

#13

A 13-year-old boy named Lucas Jemeljanova was once told he had no chance of surviving DIPG, one of the most aggressive and fatal brain cancers. Doctors expected he wouldn’t live to see another year. Instead, a revolutionary, tailor-made treatment completely removed the tumor, something that had never been achieved before. His recovery has stunned the medical world and brought a new sense of hope to families facing devastating diagnoses. Lucas’s story is now a symbol of what future medicine might make possible when science, innovation, and determination come together.

#14

In several Italian cities, public benches are being redesigned with small built in shelters underneath to protect stray cats from cold, rain, and danger. These cozy spaces include soft bedding and food bowls, giving homeless animals a safe place to rest while staying part of their familiar environment. The project shows how urban design and compassion can work together. With simple changes, everyday public spaces are being transformed into lifesaving shelters for animals that would otherwise be left exposed on the streets.

#15

Six year old John Oliver “J.O.” Zippay returned to St. Helen Catholic School after completing his final round of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. As he walked through the school doors, classmates, teachers, and family surprised him with a powerful standing ovation that quickly spread across social media for its raw emotion and support. Throughout years of intense treatment and long hospital stays, J.O. remained closely connected to his school and friends. To honor his strength and the community that stood beside him, the school later hosted a special assembly featuring a video celebrating his courageous journey and the love surrounding him.

Let’s flip the discussion to you, dear reader. Which of these posts resonated with you the most? Which of them made you do more digging? If you did do more research, what did you find? Share your insights in the comments section!

#16

After decades of steady ice loss and growing sea level concerns, Antarctica surprised scientists by gaining more than 100 billion tons of ice in just one year. It marks the first temporary reversal of the long standing melting trend, offering researchers a rare and unexpected climate anomaly to closely examine. Experts are now studying what caused this sudden shift, from heavier snowfall and changing wind patterns to colder ocean currents. While this does not erase the broader reality of climate change, it provides a unique opportunity to better understand how Earth’s systems can fluctuate and respond in surprising ways

#17

Pennsylvania has enacted a legal change that fundamentally alters how pets are treated in the justice system. Instead of being handled strictly as property, courts are now required to take an animal’s wellbeing into account during legal disputes, acknowledging the emotional and relational role pets play in people’s lives. The shift reflects a broader global trend backed by decades of behavioral and neurological research. Studies from institutions such as Emory University and Harvard have shown that companion animals, particularly dogs, form deep attachment bonds and experience stress and comfort in ways closely resembling human family relationships. Supporters argue the law brings legal language closer to social reality, where pets are widely regarded as members of the family rather than objects

#18

Bear, once abandoned because of behavioral challenges, went on to become an unlikely hero during the catastrophic Australian wildfires of 2019 and 2020. Thanks to his extraordinary scent detection skills, he helped locate more than 100 koalas that were either injured or trapped in burned areas, giving rescuers a crucial advantage in saving lives. After being taken in by the conservation dog training program at Sunshine Coast University, Bear was trained to work alongside specialized wildlife recovery teams. His unique ability to detect koala fur and droppings earned him international recognition, including the Animal Action Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare for his outstanding contribution to wildlife rescue.

#19

A recent study suggests that many cats actually see their human owners as oversized kittens rather than as authority figures. According to researchers, this explains why cats often display behaviors like grooming their owners, head butting, closely following them, and showing protective attention. In their eyes, they are taking on the role of the caregiver.

#20

When a mother had to be rushed to the hospital, two police officers chose compassion over routine. They stayed behind to make sure her five children were fed, cooking dinner for them and cleaning up once everything was done. It was a quiet act of kindness that showed policing can also mean care, responsibility, and stepping in when families need support the most

#21

Homeless man Billy Ray Harris returned a $4,000 engagement ring after Sarah Darling accidentally dropped it into his cup while giving spare change. Instead of keeping or selling it, he chose to do the honest thing and waited for her to come back. Deeply moved by his integrity, Sarah and her husband shared his story online. What happened next changed his life: people from all over the world donated more than $185,000, helping Billy Ray buy a home, get a car, and reconnect with family he hadn’t seen in years. His simple act of honesty turned into a reminder that kindness can echo far beyond the moment it happens — sometimes rewriting someone’s entire future.

#22

A small bear cub was rescued from a dangerous forest fire by a man who risked his safety to pull the frightened animal from the smoke. Once the cub realized he was finally safe, he clung tightly to his rescuer and wouldn’t let go. Even long after the flames were behind them, the tiny bear stayed by the man’s side, seeking comfort and refusing to leave the arms that had saved his life.

#23

Not every puppy is suited for police or service work. Some are simply too gentle, playful, or people-loving for intense training, even though they are perfectly healthy and well-behaved. Instead of being discarded, these dogs are often put up for adoption. It gives them the chance to become loving family pets and shows that being “too friendly” can be a gift in the right home

#24

A teenager from Maryland turned what could have been an awkward moment into a heartwarming memory when he decided to take his cat to prom instead of a traditional date. Seventeen year old Sam Steingard brought his beloved family pet, Ruby, dressed her in a pink prom outfit, and proudly walked in with her by his side.

#25

Iceland has a long tradition of respecting folklore and the hidden world, and this belief still influences modern planning decisions. Some landscapes are left untouched because locals insist they might be home to elves, gnomes, or other hidden folk. Whether taken literally or symbolically, these protections reflect Iceland’s deep respect for nature, culture, and the mysteries tied to its land.

#26

Field mice are among the smallest and most charming creatures in the animal world, and one of their sweetest habits is curling up inside flowers to sleep. Because they weigh almost nothing, they can easily nestle into tulips, poppies, or other cup-shaped blossoms without damaging them. The soft petals act like tiny hammocks, giving the mice a warm, hidden, and surprisingly cozy place to rest. It is nature’s version of a perfectly tucked-in nap spot.

#27

After finishing a long shift underground in Kentucky, Michael McGuire didn’t go home to clean up. He headed straight to a University of Kentucky basketball game to keep a promise to his young son. A photo of them in the stands, with McGuire still in his coal-stained work clothes, quickly went viral as a powerful moment of dedication. The image caught the attention of coach John Calipari, who later invited McGuire and his family back as VIP guests. The story struck a chord nationwide, celebrating the simple but meaningful sacrifices parents make to create lasting memories with their children.

#28

A case in Switzerland has sparked renewed debate after a woman received a fine equivalent to about 100 US dollars for violating the country’s ban on face coverings. The law prohibits wearing garments such as burqas or niqabs in public spaces. After she appealed the penalty, arguing that the ban is discriminatory and Islamophobic, authorities warned that the fine could increase substantially if her appeal fails.

#29

In Denmark, libraries exist where you can borrow a person instead of a book. For about 30 minutes, you listen to their life story and ask questions. The Human Library was created to break down stereotypes and challenge prejudice. Sometimes, the best way to understand others is simply to talk to them.

#30

A massive donor search for five-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee led to an extraordinary outcome. Nearly 5,000 people queued in the rain to join a record-breaking stem cell drive at his school, and a second event brought the total to more than 6,200 new registrants. A year later, DKMS confirmed that six people from those drives have already become life-saving matches for blood cancer patients, with more expected. Although Oscar relapsed and required further treatment, his family says the support from thousands of strangers has already saved multiple lives and continues to inspire new donors.

#31

When this man from Jamaica discovered he had won the lottery jackpot, he chose a very unusual way to collect his prize. Wearing a full “Scream” costume complete with mask, white robe, and gloves, he picked up his winnings of roughly 158 million Jamaican dollars, about 1.17 million USD, at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston. His reason was simple: anonymity. “I didn’t want anyone to recognize me, not even my own family,” he explained. In Jamaica, it’s actually common for lottery winners to disguise themselves to avoid becoming targets of crime or facing pressure from relatives. Campbell waited a full 54 days before claiming his prize, admitting that the excitement and stress gave him headaches and stomach pain for days.

#32

The cinema introduced flexible pricing nights to make moviegoing accessible again for locals who had slowly been priced out. Guests could pay whatever felt affordable, removing pressure and turning the ticket counter into an open invitation rather than a barrier. The result was packed screenings and a renewed sense of community. Former regulars returned, families and older residents came back, and the cinema benefited from fuller rooms, higher concessions sales, and a stronger role as a local gathering place.

#33

Baby owls, also called owlets, often fall asleep with their faces pressed into the ground or a branch because their heads are still too heavy for their small, developing neck muscles. In the early weeks of life, their bodies simply do not have the strength to fully support the oversized head that will later become perfectly balanced in adulthood. As their muscles grow stronger, this adorable face down sleeping phase disappears. Until then, nature gives us one of the cutest and most unexpected sights in the animal world.

#34

A newly rescued dog experienced his very first bath in his new home, but instead of relaxing, he kept turning his head to watch his owner closely. Each glance carried a mix of fear and hope, as if he needed constant reassurance that this new person would not vanish the way others had before. His cautious eyes revealed a past shaped by loss and uncertainty. Yet with every gentle touch and calm word, the dog slowly began to understand that he was safe. Trust takes time, especially for animals who have known abandonment, but this small moment marked the beginning of real healing. What started as a simple bath became a quiet expression of loyalty, love, and the fragile courage of choosing to believe in someone again.

#35

A 93-year-old man continued having lunch with his late wife every single day, bringing her photos to the diner so she could “be there” with him. His quiet routine became a touching reminder that real love doesn’t stop — it simply changes shape.

#36

A 24 year old man named Anthony Stallard ended up in court after he was caught pretending to be a ghost inside Kingston Cemetery. Witnesses said he was shouting “Woooo” and waving his arms between the gravestones, causing enough disturbance that the police were called to the scene. When officers arrived, Stallard admitted he had been drinking and claimed it was all just harmless fun. The magistrates didn’t agree. He pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause distress and was fined £35, along with additional charges for costs and a victim surcharge.

#37

Animal Liberation Front, known as ALF, is an underground activist movement that has existed since the 1970s. Its members secretly enter laboratories, factory farms, and fur facilities to free animals they believe are suffering from abuse and exploitation. ALF describes itself as a voice for animals that cannot defend themselves. Their actions are illegal, which makes the group highly controversial. Critics label them as extremists, while supporters see them as courageous animal rights defenders. To this day, the movement continues to spark global debate about morality, law, and where activism crosses the line.

#38

Rising prices at Disney parks in Florida are pushing families to look elsewhere. With higher ticket, hotel, and food costs, some travelers say a full trip to Tokyo Disney in Japan including flights and accommodation now costs less than visiting Walt Disney World. Currency differences and travel deals are making international options surprisingly more affordable.

#39

Research suggests that people with higher intelligence often feel content without maintaining large social circles. Their sense of happiness tends to come from internal motivation, personal projects, creativity, and long term goals rather than frequent social interaction. Many report that excessive socializing can be mentally draining instead of energizing. For them, quiet time, independence, and a small trusted circle or even solitude are often enough to feel balanced, fulfilled, and emotionally stable.

#40

For more than twenty years, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang chased a dream that seemed almost impossible: a ladder made of fire rising into the sky. After several attempts around the world, he returned to a small fishing village near his hometown in 2015 and finally created Sky Ladder — a 1,650-foot trail of burning light reaching toward the heavens. It lasted only two and a half minutes, but it fulfilled a promise he had carried for decades. His grandmother, already very ill, watched the glowing ladder through a video call, unaware it would be their last moment shared together

#41

In France, a devoted father found himself struggling to balance work and the constant hospital visits required to care for his 5-year-old daughter, who was battling leukaemia. When his paid leave ran out, he feared he would no longer be able to stay by her side during the most critical moments of her treatment. Then something extraordinary happened. His coworkers quietly came together and donated their own vacation days to him — enough to give him 262 full days of paid leave. Their collective generosity allowed him nearly a year of uninterrupted time with his daughter, offering emotional stability when the family needed it most

#42

When large groups gather at the ice edge, they hesitate because predators like seals or orcas could be lurking below. With dozens of bodies packed tightly together, small slips, pressure from behind, and nervous movement often cause one penguin to tumble in first. Once that first penguin surfaces safely, the rest take it as a signal that the coast is clear and follow within seconds. It is not betrayal, but a mix of crowd behavior, instinct, and the safety of numbers turning into one of nature’s funniest survival strategies.

#43

A 70-year-old man named Lawrence John Ripple walked into a Kansas City bank, handed the teller a note demanding money, and then sat down in the lobby to wait for police. When officers questioned him, he admitted he had argued with his wife earlier that day and said going to jail felt easier than going back home. Ripple later pleaded guilty in federal court. But instead of the prison time he expected, the judge sentenced him to six months of home confinement, probation, and community service — sending him right back to the place he had hoped to escape.

#44

Australian retirees Marty and Jess Ansen once imagined a simple and traditional retirement. Instead, they stumbled upon an unexpected alternative. Booking cruise after cruise turned out to be more affordable than moving into a nursing home or senior residence. Since June 2022, they have been living full time on cruise ships, with meals, cleaning, and entertainment all included. Their days are filled with sunset views on deck, dancing evenings, new friendships, and constantly changing destinations across the sea. They transformed what many see as old age into one long, breathtaking adventure and proved that retirement does not have to be spent within four walls.

#45

The wedding of Joel Burger and Ashley King from New Berlin, Illinois turned into a global viral story because of their perfectly matching last names. After the high school sweethearts got engaged, the real-life “Burger King” coincidence spread quickly online and eventually reached the actual Burger King marketing team. Recognizing the viral magic, the company offered to sponsor the entire wedding in July 2015. The couple even wore Burger King crowns during the ceremony, turning the event into a feel-good media sensation and one of the most memorable brand collaborations ever created by pure coincidence

You Might Also Like: Laughter Is The Best Medicine And These 77 Bad Situations Prove It

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“Works Surprisingly Well”: 45 Psychological ‘Cheat Codes’ People Use In Social Situations And Swear They Work

December 18, 2025

For a species that relies so heavily on interacting with one another, it’s kind of funny and a little frustrating that communicating doesn’t always come naturally to us. In fact, it’s a skill many are willing to pay money to improve, even earning entire degrees just to get better at it. That’s how serious it can be.

The good news is that you don’t have to devote years of your life to feel more confident talking to people. Sometimes, a bit of solid advice goes a long way. On Reddit, users shared their favorite “cheat codes” for navigating social situations, and their tips are surprisingly practical. Check them out below.

Discover more in “Works Surprisingly Well”: 45 Psychological ‘Cheat Codes’ People Use In Social Situations And Swear They Work

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1

Whenever I’m stuck behind a slow driver who turns corners like a sloth, I have trained my brain to go to a rational belief: they must be driving around with an open fish bowl and a bunch of fish. Maybe they’re delivering fish to someone, or returning them to a store. Puts me in calmer frame of mind. I’m now thinking: hurry up! But not too fast. You don’t want to spill the fish!

#2

Meet conflict with curiosity. You can avoid a lot of arguments by asking what someone meant and genuinely listening to understand.

Nearby-Reindeer-6088:

When I was a kid I automatically thought every argument was an inability to understand each other or reach an agreeable resolution. It totally blew my mind when I realized as a teenager that some people argue to win, no matter how illogical or far outside their interest their position turns out to be.

#3

When I notice that someone who I haven’t seen in a while seems to have forgotten my name, I throw in a quick story where someone else says my name. The more self-deprecating the story, the better. “My wife was just telling me the other day, ‘Dave, you don’t get out and see your old colleagues anymore’.” It’s an old trick I learned from the most socially astute person I know: Mom.

#4

Listening more than talking. People love a good audience and spill everything.

#5

Being pleasant is one of the biggest cheat codes in the universe.

Say nice things about people behind their backs – the entire group will trust you more.

Smile and be reasonable when an inconvenience happens. The person helping will feel more motivated to try to help you if you are understanding and acknowledge that they are trying to help. Even if you are angry and let anger slip, make sure to tell any person who didn’t cause it that you aren’t angry at them – most customer service people have been [harrassed] by customers often enough that they are way more helpful for a pleasant person.

If an issue does not actually matter much to you, letting someone else have it their way makes them more kindly disposed towards you.

You don’t have to be a pushover, but being pleasant and polite most of the time also makes it so that if someone pushes you too hard, they instantly look like the bad guy.

#6

Admitting to mistakes instantly disarms everybody.

#7

Whenever someone comes to me with a problem, I ask them if they’re venting (want me to just listen); asking for advice; or asking me to fix something.

It prevents me from giving unwanted advice and also allows me to listen with a purpose in mind. It also helps the person realize what it is they need.

#8

I just tell people I have no idea what I’m doing. It throws them off. That’s how I got my mortgage lol. I was 23, called up a random mortgage company, apologized profusely and asked if they could explain what to do and what I needed to know. Dude spent probably 2 hours on the phone explaining everything to me and even recommended a different company after hearing what we needed.

Just the other day, my stupid key fob battery [drained] and I replaced it, it still didn’t work but the key turned on the car so I thought maybe it needed to be reprogrammed or reconnected or something so I went into the dealership and just handed them my key and word vomited “I don’t know what to do I don’t know what’s wrong I replaced the battery and it still doesn’t work but I drove here and idk what the fix it but I figured you guys could help” all in about 1.5 breaths. The guy was dumbfounded, took my key to the parts area where the dude there had heard everything too and they both just quietly replaced the battery and sent me on my way.

Didn’t even pay and I’m way out of warranty.

#9

Mirroring body language subtly… people instantly feel more comfortable around you.

#10

Do not smile when someone tries to manipulate you by being “funny”.

iDontLikeChimneys:

This is a good one. I work in comedy and there is a difference between giving a pity laugh, a real laugh (because you thought it was funny), and just full-stop silence.
Letting them soak in the silence is a lot more poignant than arguing with why you think they made a bad joke.
For instance, I have family members who think racism is funny. Not the tongue in cheek racism, the “i actually believe this” racism. I just sip my drink like Kermit and let them sit in it.

#11

I use this at my tech job and not socially, but it’s my best trick: when I’m in a long, jargony meeting with people who are not clear communicators, I say “let me make sure I understand” and then repeat key points back in simpler language. If I’m having trouble following, other people are too, and they may not be brave enough to say so. If I get it, they’ll say so, and they ensures everyone gets it. If I don’t get it, they’ll try again, and then I’ll try again. No more meetings where everyone leaves with a different conclusion of what we discussed, or what we have to do next.

#12

Prefacing my own thoughts with “my dad always said” to avoid the male impulse to immediately disagree with even the most benign statement.

BungleBungleBungle:

I was the “well, actually” guy for so long until I realised I sounded like an obnoxious p***k. I wasn’t trying to be an obnoxious p***k, I just knew they were wrong. Since then, I’ve either just said nothing, or started by saying “I thought that too, but i just found out recently etc etc”.

#13

I trained my buddy to not curse so much around me. He didn’t even realize I did it. it took a few days of doing this, but when we’d sit down and eat lunch, I’d listen and look at him and engage when he was talking, but when he cursed, I’d look away, or look down at my food, or “miss” something he just said. It was only around me that his behavior changed, and he didn’t notice til a mutual friend noticed and said something.

#14

Telling people they are smart in subtle ways wins you allies. You can’t be overwhelming with it. But if someone does something that works or makes a good call or predicts something, complement them on it. “That was a good idea” or “that worked really well” or “good idea” or “I liked how you (insert thing)”

At the end of the day, people just want to feel validated and valued and appreciated. Complementing their intelligence covers all those.

And again, don’t gush. Be subtle with it.

#15

Most people unconsciously expect everyone else to think, behave, feel the same way they would.

So, what they expect from others is very revealing as to what you can expect from them and how they understand situations.

#16

Social situations got a lot easier when I stopped thinking in black and white, introduced nuance to situations, ask for clarity in situations where I’m uncertain, and quit assuming malicious intent because intent *does* matter.

#17

It’s not really a “cheat code,” but… Build up people who are part of the same social circle but aren’t currently present. For example, if you’re out at dinner with your normal circle of friends and one of them isn’t there, talk them up and share something positive about them to the rest of the group. Without consciously thinking about it, we start to become aware of the kind of things people in our social circles say about us when we’re not present. Sort of like the “if he cheats on his girlfriend to be with you, he’s going to cheat on you at some point too,” there’s a real character-revealing element when someone is bad-mouthing someone who isn’t there, where we recognize that we might be spoken negatively about by the same friend when we’re not there.

If you tell your group, “man, I can’t believe how good John is getting at guitar” when John isn’t there, you’re planting seeds of trust in the others in your circle that if they’re ever the ones that are missing from the social situation, you’re more likely to be building them up than tearing them down. If you tell them, “I can’t believe John still has that stupid mustache” and try to get a laugh out of them (assuming you wouldn’t say that to John if he were there), you might get some laughs, but you’ll also be planting seeds of distrust instead.

More broadly, apply the same technique even if the person is present. If you’re hanging out with two people you know who don’t know each other well and the subject is about desserts, tell Jenny, “Sarah here is an incredible baker. She made the best chocolate chip cookies for our Christmas party.”

None of this has to be obvious or overt. Don’t force these sort of things. But if you can associate in people’s heads a sense of “this person builds people up” instead of “this person tears people down,” especially (but not exclusively) when the person they’re building/tearing isn’t there, you’re going to build a sense of trust in others.

#18

Make it about “us” or “we”. A common best interest. Win-win.

Not confrontational, or any version of me versus you.

#19

Here a few I use to gain buy-in really quickly:

– Match the energy. If the person you’re speaking with is soft-spoken, try to lower your volume. If they are casual, don’t be to stiff 🙂

– Genuine compliment. Everyone loves a genuine compliment. It really does go a long way to breaking the ice. Just don’t make it weird lol 😅

– Body language. Open and receptive body language, such as unfolded arms, slightly tilted head and eye contact.

– Pareto Principle. Talk 20%, listen 80%. Almost guaranteed way to leave the impression that the conversation went well. Ask questions about them. Try to find them interesting and be curious. Again, just don’t be weird about this one lol 😅 It’s not an interigation 🧐.

#20

Remembering people’s names and using it when greeting them as well as saying goodbye. “Hi Jim, how was your weekend?” “Ok Jim, have a great weekend!”

Everyone’s favorite word is their own name.

#21

The Ben Franklin effect. Ask someone for a small, insignificant favor. ‘Hey, could you grab me a napkin?’ or ‘Can you watch my stuff for a sec?’

Their brain subconsciously justifies helping you by thinking, ‘Well, I must like this person.’ It’s a weird cognitive dissonance trick that builds rapport out of thin air. Works surprisingly well.

#22

My wife things I’m insane but I do this thing where I structure things in my head as things I have to do instead of things I need to do. Like – if the dishes need to be done then I have to do the dishes before I cook dinner or before I go to bed or something. And then, because it’s a rule, I follow it. Because it’s a rule and I have to follow rules.

But my wife is just like, “But it’s not a rule – nobody is making you do the dishes in that situation. You can just choose not to do them.”

“No I can’t – they have to be done. It’s a rule.”

“That doesn’t make any sense – I can say it’s a rule that I have to fold laundry tonight but that doesn’t create an obligation of any kind.”

“OK – but you need to understand that if I acknowledge choice as a factor then I’m always going to make the wrong choice. I *have* to remove the ability for me to choose – otherwise our entire household is going to fall apart.”

“That doesn’t make any sense? How can you choose to remove choice as a factor?”.

#23

Smiling and waving and acting genuinely happy to see people you know, even acquaintances. Sure you get blanked once in a while, but trying this out for a month, genuinely changed how I interact with people – and how they interact with me. I’m super shy, socially anxious, and I’d awkwardly avoid people. Until I did a mental inventory – who are MY favourite people to run into? And it was always the ones who seemed genuinely happy to see me. So, even if I don’t remember name, I now be the first to make eye contact and wave and smile big and say – oh it’s so nice to see you again! And instead of feeling lonely and shy and awkward, suddenly- people are happy to see me too. And now that I’ve been doing this – people do it back to me! They see me and smile and wave, and…wait..now I’m part of a community?!

Oh, and because I’m terrible at small talk with most people and if I overstay the conversation I WILL make things weird – I’ve learned how to do the greet and run – “Hey!! Ohmygod it’s SO nice to see you! Sorry I can’t chat I’m on a mission to… hope to see you soon!”

Sometimes (and more often these days) if I have the bandwidth, I’m able to actually catch up with them and chat a bit, but I don’t feel bad if I can’t. Other people mostly hate small talk too, lol.

#24

When someone says something subtly [offensive] about you in front of the group, ask them to elaborate.

#25

In customer service situations, telling the customer that you’re on their side when they’re angry about whatever will usually calm them down a reasonable degree.

#26

I struggle with socializing and I’ve found that people really enjoy talking about themselves. In fact I don’t really have to do a lot of work, I can go up to anyone and compliment them on something or ask them about their opinion on something and I’ll find out their life story within a few minutes. (It also helps to have a friendly facial expression and genuinely look interested even you’re not). Eventually the other person will stumble on a subject I can relate with or have interest in.

In psychology we learned that people are very “me me me” focused which makes sense that asking someone about something pertaining to them would get them to open up about themselves.

Also remembering people’s names really makes them happy.

#27

My husband is a trained counsellor and he taught me “active listening” , sounds simple but was really tricky.

If the person you’re speaking to is talking and stops but hasn’t asked a question leave a space for silence. More often than not they will elaborate or divulge something difficult that they’re trying to work through.

Obviously this is aimed at getting people to open up about what’s going on in their life, but its also a really good tool for getting to know someone.

Also sitting side by side with someone is the best way for conversation to flow.

#28

I had a session with a therapist where I told them how anxious I get when I notice a coworker is acting more distant towards me out of nowhere. She delivered a pretty hard-hitting response and told me “it’s not always about you” and that’s really stuck with me.

Instead of allowing myself to spiral endlessly in the “did I say something wrong? Did I do something wrong? Are they mad at me?” rumination, I instead recognize my thought and reframe. I let myself think, “perhaps something is going on in their personal life, and if there’s something involving me, I have enough trust in this person to learn about it eventually.”

And this does two things: it relieves my anxiety and emotional hypervigilance, and it reinforces a practice of trust in the relationships I’ve made with my coworkers.

#29

When I am working on a customers equipment and they come to talk to me, I put down my tools and give them my full undivided attention. Works on 2 levels, they respect that I am listening to them, and if they talk to me a lot they eventually realize they are paying me over $300/hour to chat and will usually let me get back to work. I know coworkers that have billed customers 2+hours just to talk after finishing their work.

#30

Most angry people are happy to back down if their energy is not matched. If you stay calm, they will calm down eventually. And if they don’t, you can just walk away because they are [jerks].

#31

The meaner someone is to me the nicer I am to them, eventually they’re gonna feel [bad] about how they treat me.

#32

When I find myself in a situation I don’t know how to handle, I think of who I know that could handle that situation, and then I just pretend to be that person. It works remarkably well.

#33

For overcoming fear of public speaking–

When giving a presentation to a group of people, focus on the material from the perspective of what the audience wants to learn.

The more the approach has an attitude of *I’m just here to deliver information. What’s the best way to present it?* the more it takes the focus off myself and onto our shared interest in the topic.

Start with what makes the topic useful or surprising. Think through the visuals. How much information does this audience start with? What terms need definitions? Can this include a demonstration? How much detail can this cover in the time available?

Then instead of feeling self-conscious in front of the audience, the talk becomes *Here’s this fun topic, let’s spend the next half hour enjoying it.*.

#34

I’ve been accused of gaslighting myself for happiness.

Basically I reframe negative situations until I find something positive or at least neutral to take away from it.

A lot of the time, I just need to take whatever is currently bothering me and fast forward until it no longer matters. Other times I look for silver linings. If I get in a real slump I look for a simple dumb win (found a good parking space, caught a light green, meeting wrapped early).

#35

The best way to manage children is to *manage* children.

Most kids who are “acting out” are bored, have more energy/volume than is appropriate for the space, are very curious and explore with their hands, are tired/hungry/achey, or a combo of these. Giving kids an outlet for that restless energy is like rerouting lightning with a metal rod, give it a place to go and the lightning disperses. I work in retail and kids under 6 love to “be my helper”. I have them put items in my basket, put a label on a box, take an item from one counter to another, etc. I also keep a few word searches handy for kids 5+ when the parents have to be seated for a while for paperwork. For those under 5, I draw a farm/fence on paper and ask the kid to draw animals or flowers for the garden.

If you don’t have any physical things to use, ask questions or make observations. “I like your shirt, yours is red and mine is orange.” “If you were a dragon, what kind would you be?” “What’s the number that comes after 7, I can never remember!” (Kids love knowing something you “don’t”.) Keeping a kid engaged is how you keep them from running off or doing something dangerous. Kids will also understand if you tell them something is dangerous – “We don’t put our hands on the knife because it’s sharp and will hurt you” works better than “Keep your hands to yourself!”

Basically, treat kids like tiny, curious adults and you’ll have a good time. But if they’re very hungry/tired or are having a toddler meltdown, there’s not much you can do, they need a reset physically before they can reset emotionally.

#36

This isn’t really a cheat code but if you just treat customer service Representatives with respect, and express that you’re upset at the situation but not at them, they are WAY more likely to actually want to help you.

Think about it this way, if somebody came to your place of work and started yelling at you, would you [care] about helping them? No. I always start by asking how their day is going, maybe make a little joke, and then they seem to go above and beyond to help me out. I’ll often just tell them that I know it’s not their fault, but I really need help with this “thing”.

#37

Any “sorry” can be turned into a “thank you.” For instance, whenever I’m late, I never say “sorry I’m late.” Instead, I say “thank you for your patience.”

#38

Being the calm person.

Humans are animals and “feed” off each others instinctual emotional energy. If someone is nervous, then this spreads amongst a group, same as fear, anger etc.

By being that person is perpetually calm and in control of their emotions, it has an amazing impact on subduing the more primal instincts of others. This also projects an aura of confidence, which in turn makes people trust you.

#39

I stopped taking things personally when dealing with people. Made me not care more.

#40

When you’re introducing yourself to someone, when you give them a handshake try to see what the color of their eyes is. It makes you look them in the eye for just a tad longer which makes them feel more “seen”, and the handshake will feel more sincere.

#41

When I was waiting tables, honesty and sincerity usually [wins]. Be honest about what you don’t like, then you can turn them in whatever direction you want and sell them anything. There were also a few hacks on the menu, where I could give them what they wanted save a few bucks and end up getting more for their money. Slightly s******g the restaurant to save the customer money is always a win for the server. Before anyone types. No it wasn’t anything illegal or underhanded.

#42

Look past people into the distance while walking in crowded spaces like airports, malls, or even in the grocery store aisles. People will presume you’re not noticing them and will give you space to continue walking without changing your own path.

It’s not 100%, but it’s pretty darn handy. I use it in airports all the time.

#43

Don’t be the first to raise your voice.

#44

When people express their problems to you, don’t immediately search for a solution or make a suggestion to fix it. Just express your concern and relate to their frustration, and offer help only if they ask for it, but if you offer help unsolicited, they feel pressured and disrespected that you think they haven’t thought of the solution already. They just want to vent, and when you offer unsolicited advice, it makes them feel like it’s their fault that they’re in their situation and not that it’s out of their control, which is what is frustrating them in the first place, the idea that they could solve all their problems if they were smarter or more proactive.

#45

Taking a beat to think about what’s been said and what I should say.

You might also like: 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective

Source Link “Works Surprisingly Well”: 45 Psychological ‘Cheat Codes’ People Use In Social Situations And Swear They Work

Curiosities, Funny Items, Funny Items At A Lost And Found, Funny Lost And Found Items, Lost And Found, Lost And Found Items, Lost-and-found Department

People Still Wonder What Happened To Owners Of These 46 Lost Things As They Never Came Back For Them

December 18, 2025

It must be interesting to work in a lost-and-found department. Each day, you get to see the personal effects people leave behind. Some of them are valuable, while others can say a lot about the person’s peculiarity. And in many of these cases, these items remain stored forever.

Recently, a Reddit thread provided some insight into what it is like to work at a lost-and-found. People shared the wackiest items they’ve encountered, from fancy umbrellas to adult toys, actual vehicles, and a set of dentures. Scroll through and see how absurd some of these finds were.

Discover more in People Still Wonder What Happened To Owners Of These 47 Lost Things As They Never Came Back For Them

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#1

I worked at a gym. The sheer AMOUNT of car keys that are just chilling in the list and found area is ASTOUNDING. HOW DID THESE PEOPLE GET HOME?!?! I’m talking about more than 10 sets y’all. It doesn’t make any sense.

#2

I, one time, left my garage door opener in a rental car. I went back to the rental office and told the clerk and he said, “oh yeah, we found it” and set an opener on the counter.

I looked at it blankly and told him that that was not my opener and he said, “No? Maybe it’s one of these” and plopped a large box full of dozens of openers on the counter that renters lost and never claimed.

I wondered if the pulled that same joke on everyone who was looking for theirs.

PS: I did find my opener in there and got it back.

#3

Similar vein but I knew someone who was an apartment complex manager for a while. They amount of stuff tenants leave when they move out is incredible. Her boss said either toss it, sell it or keep it they didn’t care. She furnished her whole house with all the furniture and sold a bunch of other stuff. Lots of free electronics too.

#4

Managed a restaurant back in 2015 in Brooklyn. Lots of things left behind, but one time someone left a Loro Piano scarf. I had no idea about it for like 6 months until we did a purge of items people never returned for. The scarf was really nice, pure cashmere. So I looked up the brand and realized it’s like a $1,200 scarf. I took it home that day, still have it.

#5

As the rides manager of a Six Flags, we had unusual items found underneath rollercoasters all the time that people wanted back. I’ll never forget the time that someone lost their glass eye under the biggest rollercoaster in the park and WE FOUND IT! We sent it back via snail mail and received correspondence back that it wasn’t the correct glass eye. Ooops! We never found the one that the person was looking for.

#6

My grandmother once paid for the entire extended family to do an all inclusive in Cancun (this was mid 90s). I used the room safe for my watch (very cheap watch, but I wanted to “use” all the amenities because I was a broke college student and wanted the full experience).

When we left I felt all the way back to the corners of the room safe and found a set of herringbone gold necklace, bracelet and diamond stud earrings. All fairly hefty (especially the diamonds). I gave the diamond earrings to my sister because my ears weren’t pierced. I kept and wore the gold necklace and bracelet for about twenty years. ETA god 30 years. Where does the time go.

I eventually got another, opal, necklace and bracelet from my husband when we were out of grad school and he was first starting to make some serious money.

Unfortunately I’m not a jewelry kind of person so I only wore each set a handful of times. Then a couple years ago I was attending a wedding and brought both sets to the hotel because I couldn’t decide which I wanted to wear.

Yep, left both behind in the hotel and only realized it the next year when I wanted to get them out to wear them again.

I hope the person who found them gets as much enjoyment out of them as I got out of the gold set I found 30 years previous.

#7

Had somebody leave a pair of Burberry sunglasses in the shop once. It was a tourist area so I had assumed they traveled back without them. After two weeks I took them for myself.

I’d been using them as my car-shades for another two weeks when I got a call.

“Sorry to bother you, but did you find a pair of designer sunglasses in the store?”

“What make?”

“Burberry.”

“I did, but I’ll be honest with you, after no one picked them up for two weeks I took them home. I can bring them back into the store tomorrow. Once again I’m very sorry, but I didn’t think anyone was coming back for them.”

“Wait, how long ago did you find them?”

“A month ago.”

He lets out a long grumbling noise and goes “they aren’t mine, they are my sons. I noticed he hadn’t been wearing them, and asked him where they were. He said he lost them two days ago. Not only did he lose them, he lied to me! You know what, you keep them. He will just loose them again.”

I lost them about six months later lol.

#8

I didn’t work in lost and found but any employee that turned something in would essentially be tagged to that item. If it wasn’t picked up in 90 days, the employee got to keep it. It was a theme park I worked at years ago and I found someone’s digital camera. Lots of family photos from what appeared to be their entire vacation. I felt bad once I was called to retrieve the camera due to it not being picked up. I went through every photo trying to find them. Thankfully they took a photo of themselves in front of their church sign back home and I was able to find the contact info for the church, send a couple photos to confirm they were members and send the remaining photos via Photobucket. They didn’t want to ship the camera (international) because the camera wasn’t worth much.

#9

I work in home improvement retail. It’s amazing how many canes get left behind. I always say: “we cured another one!”.

#10

I worked in a nightclub and someone left a Prada coat. Because of how it expensive it was, we kept it twice as long as we normally did for other items. Never claimed or even enquired about – a £2000 coat!

#11

I worked for a cleaning company many years ago, cleaning the million dollar rentals on holden , baldhead, and hilton head. Rich folks would leave everything and anything you can imagine. Full surfboards, chairs, toys, electronics, jewelry, books, food, expensive liquor, pet kennels, cigars, cartons of cigarettes, skateboards, fishing poles , movies, projectors, you name it they left it. On the up side, you got to keep alot of the stuff. down side, your working for minimum wage cleaning houses where people can afford to leave entire fridge and freezers full of untouch food, sound systems, electronics etc without a care in the world. its depressing,.

#12

My buddy had a stack of half a dozen boxes of cremated remains locked in his airport office away from the normal lost and found.

He suspects they’re from people traveling for distant relatives’ funerals and people having to take the remains home, but didn’t want to/didn’t care.

After a visit from a TSA bigwig, they went away.

#13

Not the same but I used to work at a luxury wilderness lodge in the middle of a national park in Alaska. Was about a 6 hour drive on the single road to get from the park entrance to our location. No private vehicles allowed, so we drove guests in and out on buses twice a week.

One day the bus driver radioed us to tell us a departing guest had left his wallet, they were already hours down the road. Sure enough we found it in his cabin. We were friends with the guys who ran the only air strip in the park, and they happened to be flying out that day, so we gave them a bunch of fresh baked goods in exchange for them taking the wallet with them to the park entrance.

When the guest arrived at the park entrance that day, his wallet was waiting for him at the airstrip. Now that’s (Alaska) customer service! He was really excited about it and mailed us an additional tip.

#14

There was a prosthetic leg in the lost and found at the Daytona Beach airport when I worked there.

#15

I used to be a receptionist for a company that had people fly in from all over for seminars. Someone left a nice LL Bean canvas coat- like the one George Costanza sometimes wore – and I put it in the coat closet behind my desk where all the lost and found items were kept. No one ever claimed it. After about three years I took it home. Everyone my family has worn it at one time or another. It’s a great coat.

#16

Someone once lost their entire Diabetes testing kit including their CGM and a bottle of insulin.

I kept it on hand for like 6 months before tossing it. I knew the insulin was long bad but surely a glucose monitor is worth tracking down.

#17

Not quite the same thing but I work at a courier company and our lost property (when labels come off parcels) always gets lots of family photo albums and old wedding dresses, most are never claimed (we hold them for 6 months).

#18

I work in a library. People leave all sorts of interesting things in returned books. The one that stands out in my memory is the pregnancy ultrasound photos that were used as a bookmark. We held on to them for months but no one ever claimed them.

#19

I used to own a small gym and the weirdest thing that no one ever came back for was a full-face motorcycle helmet. Like a nice one, that had been personalized with some stickers. Like… how did that person get back on their bike without noticing that they did not have the helmet they came with? Held onto it for six months and no one ever came back for it or mentioned missing it.

#20

Was working at a theater the other day and someone managed to leave behind a designer raincoat while it was actively pouring.

We stood there until the building had cleared out, assuming someone would come dashing back in for it. .

#21

I work in a small mom & pop style bakery in a winter tourism spot. People passing through have left like 5 phones in the last 8 years. We’ve also recovered countless car keys. Must be People better off than me cause I would be searching all over for my phone.

#22

My dad did like school trips for high-school and college kids. Mostly wealthy people…. and those kids left so much stuff behind….. LOADS of meds…. mostly Adhd, anti depressants etc. Then there were the full makeup kits, some amazing CD and DVD collections, I discovered so many good bands. Lots of nice winter gear and snowboards. But sad once someone left their childhood blanket like one of those rag looking things…. she eventually claimed it and left a big tip, ’twas lovely.

#23

Most personal? A wallet with $850 cash US, about another $200 in other currency, ID Card, Green Card, so many credit cards. Held on to it for 2 months and let the other areas lost and found departments know we had it in case she called them. Never did come back for it.

We weren’t allowed to track or call customers for valuables. Did it once to be Good Samaritans and one lady cussed us out and accused us of stealing her belongings because she wasn’t the type to forget valuables like that. Why would we call you if we stole it??? Really?

Fun stuff I got to take home after over a month: Chanel earrings, designer sunglasses, umbrellas, nice coats and jackets, designer perfumes, etc.

Weird stuff i did not take home: walking canes, gold or silver grills, dentures..

#24

I worked at a donation center and we received a strange looking totally sealed plastic container. I did some research trying to price it for the floor and realized it was a sealed cremation container.

Turns out the family had donated the ashes of their grandpa, not knowing it was in the possessions of their recently deceased grandmother.

#25

I once accidentally left my dogs ashes at TSA. The l&f department went above and beyond and called my vet office bc her cremation info was still in the velvet bag she came back to me in.
I was able to recover them by calling in a favor to a friend in that city.

#26

My friend left his passport behind at a restaurant once. He went abroad to work for a few months and about a year later went back to the restaurant. The lady serving him was actually the manager and recognised him! They had kept his passport in the safe all of that time. No idea why they didn’t contact him or the person on the passport contact list. But he’d obviously had to get the passport replaced.

#27

I worked for a train company and we had a supremely large lost and found collection of prosthetic limbs and mobility aids, I’m assuming our trains had some sort of magic healing power.

#28

I worked in an old fashioned hardware store that had a cardboard box for lost and found – mostly sunglasses and nearly all were claimed.

Most of our customers were repeat satisfied customers, but there was a partial denture that went unclaimed for about two years.

We all thought of reasons but the general consensus was that the teeth probably belonged to someone who had passed away or moved. Never claimed. .

#29

Not a specific department, but when I worked at the local gym, I didn’t believe the things people would leave and forget about.

Expensive lifting belts, wrist wraps, lifting straps, wireless headphones, wired headphones, supplements, shaker cups, etc. One time someone left the big Beats by Dre. They did come back for those immediately.

#30

My daughter left 6lbs of frozen bacon in a really REALLY nice cooler bag on the security belt at PHL when she was running for her flight to come visit us in FL. I really hope some smart soul figured out what it was before it became a science project. My husband almost strangled her when she got here. The place it came from (ZERNS) no longer exists..

#31

18k gold Tiffany wedding band. It was huge, men’s size 12 left in the clothing store I worked at as a teen. It sat in the safe for however many months then I got to take it home.

#32

We had a lost and found box at our urban retail store. One weekend, I came in and found: a yarmulke, one knitting needle, a St Christopher medal, seven pairs of cheater glasses, one very dirty hearing aid, a glove with four chewed off fingertips and a souvenir program from a musical downtown. What I learned with that box is that as soon as you toss it all out, someone will come in and ask about something in it. Oh well..,.

#33

I work at a public library. We’ve had everything from Invisalign braces, retainers, funeral programs, airplane tickets, soooo many car keys, and most memorable was two walking canes on the same day.

#34

Working at a park there were lots of expensive baseball bats left behind. Also lots of nice lawn chairs. Me and my coworkers were always grateful for that. Spent like half of every shift sitting in a strangers lawn chair.

#35

Mall lost & found: a literal box of love letters tied with a ribbon. super personal, super abandoned.

#36

Recently, somebody in my office reported having found a piece of umbilical cord – even had the clip on it! Seems a pretty odd (albeit sentimental) thing to bring it in to work but I hope for their sake they came back for it.

#37

I worked at the front desk of my dorm back in the early 90s, and I swear I was the only one who when through the lost and found to clear stuff out (It’s a student ID, seriously even pre-internet I could usually track them down). The most personal things never claimed were prescription glasses. Back then any pair of glasses runs you $150+.

#38

When I worked retail you’d be shocked how few people come back for their ID that we’d find

I had passports and licenses that were old

Especially when I first got there. Once I took it over I started doing what we’re supposed to do which is hold stuff for X days and then mail the licenses to the dmv’s lost and found.

#39

I unwittingly left my deceased mom’s wedding gloves at the airport. They were in the box that held my parents’ 3d wedding slides from 1957 and i was ironically checking the box to make sure everything was okay after going through the security check. Trying to forgive myself. No one else in the family knows. I called the airport but they didn’t have them.

#40

The coolest thing I ever walked away with was a custom Hugo Boss light spring jacket, made for the president of Sony (Amy Pascal). She ate at my restaurant and left it behind. Didn’t care it was for a woman, it was gender neutral and fit me perfectly. After a month, it was mine.

#41

I work at a nature preserve and every Monday we clean up our roadsides. One Monday we found someone’s full wallet – driver’s license, credit cards, and all – on the side of the road. I called every number I could think of including his bank and the grocery store he had a savings card at. Nobody could get ahold of him. Kept the wallet for a week and finally called the non-emergency number and had a sheriff’s deputy come pick it up.

#42

I work as a park ranger at a state level beach park and someone left a psp 2? (I can’t remember if they made another version of it) behind and never claimed it. Everyone’s best guess was it was a European tourist that bought it. We also found an expensive kayak once tied to a tree and also never was claimed ( we think they died the person).

#43

Worked a few weeks in lost and found (part of my apprenticeship), my highlight was a MacBook air and so many cell phones to fill a safe. I got a lock picking set from a bag, when we threw things away. My coworkers had some mobile police lights

#44

I ammassed a giant collection of sunnies working at a food court. Cheap, fancy, practical, novelty; I claimed them all. There was a driving range downstairs so golf bros leaving behind their fancy expensive ones was most common.

#45

To be fair a lot of these public transport centers like an airport or railway tend to be run so besuracteacically its easier to leave things with them than jump the multiple different hoops and calls to find out which lost and found they have it in and which organization or agency within the facilities it’s been passed down to for placement into a lost and found. Airports are especially horrendous with this. Malls I could only imagine would be similar situation where your things are getting passed through multiple hands before it just sits waiting for disposal.

#46

I worked at Toys r Us and we had a bag check. One day a guy came in looking for his running shoes that he had checked in he said about 5 weeks ago. Sadly he didn’t have his claim ticket and I couldn’t find them.
Ohhhh, also I was wearing them so couldn’t move from my spot.

You might also like: 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective

Source Link People Still Wonder What Happened To Owners Of These 46 Lost Things As They Never Came Back For Them

Curiosities, Inspiring Decisions, Inspiring Stories, Leap Of Faith, Make A Decision, , Stories To Inspire!, Take A Leap Of Faith, Took A Leap Of Faith, Wholesome World

78 Times People Took A Leap Of Faith And Ended Up Making Their Best Life Decisions

December 17, 2025

You’ve likely heard someone say something along the lines of, “You only have one life to live. Make the most out of it.” It’s sound advice that many of us tend to overlook, not realizing its value.

However, there are those who took a leap of faith and ended up becoming one of the best life decisions they have ever made. Some of them have shared their experiences online, all of which are inspiring enough to remind us to live life to the fullest.

Some of these anecdotes may seem minor, but they have nonetheless made a significant impact on the person. Scroll through, and hopefully, these stories will encourage you to do the same.

#1 I Always Wanted To Buy These Colorful Balloons, But My Parents Refused. Today, On My 30th Birthday, I Bought One For Myself

#2 I Got Disowned By An Entire Branch Of My Family For Wearing Makeup, And After A Week Of Crying And Self Doubt, I’m Kinda Over It

#3 From Homeless And Unemployed (26) To A Surgical Assistant (40)

I was roaming the streets and eating scraps for years. Couldn’t find a job no matter how hard I tried, and not having any skills in life or family (I was raised in foster care) surely didn’t help.

One day, while looking for a restroom to relieve myself, I stumbled across a college that just so happened to have an open house enrollment going on, and figured that was the perfect excuse to enter the building and freeload off their toilets. Little did I know, however, that the universe had other plans for me. A guidance counselor had approached me and asked if I was here for open house. Being embarrassed to admit my true intentions, I told him I was and ended up joining him as he regaled the countless opportunities presented before me.

I was intrigued by their surgical technology program and decided to give it a shot. Needless to say, I had finally found my passion in life. Went to school for 18 months, plus an additional 4 months of internships, all while homeless. Upon graduation, I was offered a permanent job at the hospital I interned at, and after 4 years, I had enough cases to take the CSFA exam.

I have been a surgical assistant since, and I remind myself every day just how fortunate my life turned out. Now that I’m an old man, I feel I have enough experience to encourage others that it’s never too late in life to strive for better. You just have to have patience, persistence, and passion.

Many of us fear the unknown. We feel anxious about the unpredictability of a situation, which hinders us from taking action. American psychologist Dr. George Everly describes it as the “creeping dread” that not only does nothing to change the future, but also takes the enjoyment out of the present moment.

“We desire to wait for the moment of absolute certainty, but that moment seldom comes other than in retrospect,” he noted.

#4 My Art Got Stolen By 1000s Of Online Shops So I Sued Them And Bought An Apartment With The Money

6 years ago my art was stolen by 1000s of online shops. They printed my art on all kinds of products and sold them everywhere around the world. They made millions from it. I even saw people wearing my art on the street and saw it at markets and souvenir shops on vacation.

I tried to fight the theft by myself but gave up because it became too overwhelming. For every counterfeit item I got to remove, ten new ones popped up.

Then 2 yrs ago I started working with a law firm. 16 lawyers took down over 2000 shops to this date & recovered funds. They said it was the biggest case of art theft they have ever had to deal with and they’re still working on it!

After almost giving up and at some point even wanting to quit art, I just bought my own apartment with the money my lawyers recovered so far!

Artists: never give up fighting for your rights! You’re worth it!

#5 I Recently Lost 170 Pounds. Took Me Two In A Half Years

Heart disease runs in my family. My father had a heart attack when I was fourteen. I have two little girls and don’t want to leave them early as my father did. After the birth of my second daughter, I knew something had to be done.

#6 After Years Of Depression, Today I Started My Day With A Beach Walk

I think today I realised I’m not as depressed as I have been, but I’ve been locked into the depressed routine for so long. Especially through COVID. I live 5 minutes from here, and the only thing stopping me from enjoying it is me.

I cried after I took this picture. I thought it was lame that I was so proud of feeling happy that I had to share it. A glimpse of what happiness is like.

Dr. Everly argues that uncertainty does have its benefits. That even if our brains have a psychological bias to protect us from the unknown, embracing the unpredictability, even the precariousness of life, can lead to limitless possibilities.

“If we can learn to tolerate the initial fear and vulnerability associated with uncertainty, we can avail ourselves of the potential that the unknown holds—and all that life has to offer,” he wrote.

#7 In The First Picture, I Thought About Giving Up, Because I Didn’t Receive Any Visitors, But Today I’m Managing To Live From My Dream Of Being An Illustrator

I thought about giving up, but today I’m managing to live from my dream of being an illustrator.

#8 Today I Taught Myself To Lay Laminate Flooring. It’s Not Much, But I Wasn’t Taught How To Do Stuff Because I’m A Girl

My family didn’t think it was important for me to learn life skills other than cooking and cleaning because I wasn’t the boy they wanted. I bought a fixer-upper house, and I’m slowly making it my own… one new skill at a time.
I don’t speak to them anymore.

#9 Dad Sent Me This Yesterday

My dad has been really busy with work for the last 35 years. He worked in a company for 25 years and was never really happy. He has never had time to follow his passion for painting. He told me his dream was to master watercolor painting. He sent me this yesterday.

Many of these stories are about major decisions that turned out to be life-altering in the best way possible. It can be an inspiring tale of living life to the fullest, something we often hear but tend to dismiss as mundane.

That then begs the question: how do you begin living life to the fullest? Award-winning psychotherapist Dr. Barton Goldsmith offered some valuable insights, which start with self-acceptance.

#10 Spent My Entire Life In A Church That Brainwashed Me Into Following Their Dogma

I wasted my time “working” for them when I should have been getting an education. I am happy to announce that I finally got the guts to leave, moved across the country, and at 22 years old, I’m going back to University.

#11 After Having A Massive Panic Attack On My First Exposure Therapy On The London Underground To Overcome Panic Disorder And Agoraphobia

I tried again and this time it was a SUCCESS!

#12 After More Than 4.5 Years Of Losing Hair And Feeling Insecure And Self-Conscious About It, I (22m) Finally Decided To Let It Go

As Dr. Goldsmith stated, learning self-acceptance leads one to a “path of enlightenment.” Once you’ve achieved that, the journey becomes enlivening and comforting.

“You will begin to see that we are all flawed beings, and your journey through this life will never be perfect, and neither will anyone else’s,” Dr. Goldsmith noted, adding that what tends to follow is the absence of judgment on yourself and others.

#13 I’m 16, Over 300lbs, And Just Went On My First Walk In Over A Year

#14 18 Months Ago, I Decided To Stop Drinking And Get My Mental Health In Order

Last week, my girlfriend broke up with me. Instead of spiraling and drowning myself in alcohol, I spent my free time this week making this box and a bunch of cool pendants to fill it with. Still 18 months sober.

#15 Today’s My Birthday. My First One In My New Apartment After 3 Years Of Being Homeless, Depressed And Heartbroken

It’s quiet and a little lonely but peaceful and i want to think i finally deserve some peace. I don’t have anyone to share it with,hope it’s ok here.

We’d like to hear your personal stories, dear reader. What decision do you pride yourself on making that changed your entire life for the better? What pushed you to take the leap of faith? Let’s liven up the comment boxes below!

#16 A Year Ago Today, I Moved To The Other Side Of The World, Without Knowing A Word Of Any Foreign Language. Today, I Passed A German Exam, Permitting Me To Study At University

#17 18 Months Today Since I Made The Decision To Cancel My Nose Job And Never Look Back

It has officially been 18 months since I decided to cancel my nose job and lose a lot of money. It has been my biggest insecurity my whole life and I planned my rhinoplasty for 5 years.

As the date approached I realised the nose job would never actually make me happy because my issue wasn’t about my external appearance at all – it was much deeper and something cosmetic surgery wouldn’t fix.

Anyway, I am finally starting to love my nose and how it makes me unique. Getting a nose job was the best thing I never did.

#18 Well Done

#19 I Recently Opened A Small Bakery After A Couple Of Years Of Baking Out Of The House. I’m A Proud Papa

#20 After Years Of Tooth Pain And Hiding My Smile, I Got Dentures! They Literally Made Me Smile

#21 A Child’s Dream Come True

#22 My 72-Year-Old Dad Graduated College With Honors Last Weekend (A.S. Environmental Horticulture And Design)

#23 I’m No Longer Taking The Approved Alopecia Medicines Due To Harsh Side Effects. I’ve Decided To Fully Embrace The Fact That I’ll Be A Patchy-Headed Princess And I’m Ok With That

#24 Graduated With A First Class, And I’m So Proud Of Myself. I Didn’t Just Survive A Nigerian University — I Thrived

B. Sc. Cybersecurity (First Class Honours). Excited for what’s to come next!

#25 I Suffer From Severe Depression. Traveled More Than 6000 Miles (9800 Km) For A Solo Vacation To L.A. I Have Never Been This Happy In Years

1) I said I have depression, not because I wanted to get attention or something like that. I said it so everyone could understand why I was happy.
2) Yes, I have severe depression. Psychiatrists are not supposed to say how bad your depression is. It was my clinical doctor who (by mistake) said it when I told him how much of the antidepressant I was taking (I’m taking the maximum safe dose). I don’t actually like to talk about the specifics.
3) I’m following a treatment that is not working as intended. Just before my trip, my levels of a specific hormone were a bit off, so my doctor said that we’re going to try a few things to see if I can get better when I get back.
4) I hate this. I hate that I can’t have a normal life because of this. Making this trip was easy because I actually like to be alone, so escaping from everyone felt great. Yet, I still have my ups and downs. I tried to get out of bed early every day, and I still couldn’t manage to do so. But I try to enjoy most of the day when I’m out. It’s horrible to try your best and yet some days you can’t get out of bed, hating yourself because of it. Trying so hard to do it, but you just can’t, like an invisible force is not letting you move.
5) I know that my depression is still here with me. And yes, maybe when I get back to my place it’ll be hard, but thankfully I have a doctor, family, and friends who are going to help me out.

#26 Been In A Rut This Week With My Anxiety, Decided To Let It Out And Paint It Away

#27 At 16, My Guidance Counselor Told Me I Wasn’t Good Enough At Math To Go Into The Space Field. Just Received My Undergrad Diploma In Applied Mathematics

I started working on my master’s in space sciences and engineering. Follow your gut and do the thing.

#28 Love This

#29 Decided To Spend Christmas Alone At The Cabin. Best Decision Ever! Think I’m Gonna Stay Over New Years Aswell

#30 My Grandmother Graduated At 88

This is my grandmother, Joan Alexander. She was denied the opportunity to graduate from the University of Maine in the 1950’s. She had done all the coursework, but was forbidden from student teaching because she was pregnant. This year, my aunt (her daughter) reached out to the university. They agreed subsequent life experiences counted for the student teaching, and she graduated in May!

#31 One Year Alcohol Free (31)

One year alcohol free and never felt better! Far less anxiety, better self-esteem and mood, less tummy issues, better skin, more energy, and improved relationships. Couldn’t ask for more.

#32 Starting A Garden Was One Of The Best Decisions We Have Ever Made

#33 Grandpa Is Still Living His Best Life Napping In Random Places Around The Farm

#34 I Left The House Today

Today was the first day in many, many months that I’ve actually put effort into an outfit, tied my shoes, or properly gotten ready to leave the house. I have extremely severe depression and anxiety, so it’s very hard for me to do these. I never leave the house. I left the house today.

#35 After Almost 7 Years Of Growing, I Donated 22inches Of Hair To Charity

Growing my hair since 2018, sorry about the B&W filter, bit self conscious about having acne in my mid 30s.

#36 After 6 Years Of Being Bullied. I Finally Passed Primary School And I’m Moving On With My Life, Without The People That Tried To Ruin Me

I feel happy like never before. Highschool, here i come!

#37 Finally Published The Book I Started Writing In The Psych Ward, 3 Years Later

#38 Going Grey Was The Best Decision I Ever Made. I Am 37, Been Going Grey Since I Was 14

#39 Learning How To Play Hockey As A 43-Year-Old Woman

#40 Finally Have A Place To Live After Living Out Of My Car For All Of November

#41 3.5 Months Ago I Gave Up A Steady, Full-Time Job To Ride Horses For A Living

Safe to say, I am happier than I have ever been and I am SO lucky to have a view like this every day. It was ridiculously scary but the best decision I ever made.

#42 I Did It. I Cleaned My Depression Room

I’ve been rotting in bed for a few months and physically couldn’t get myself to do anything about it, but today I chugged caffeine and put on a show on my TV and just kept moving. I feel like I can breathe.

#43 Today’s My Cake Day, And I Was Finally Brave Enough To Wear Nail Polish In Public. I Am A 19-Year-Old Male

#44 Have PTSD, And I Struggle With Being Outside. This Is My “I’ve Been Walking In The Woods 2 Days In A Row” Smile. Small Steps Forward

#45 I Won The Best In Landscape Award At My Local Juried Exhibit Today. I’m Just So Happy That My Unseen Moments Of Trying, Trying, And Trying Have Paid Off

#46 I Started Building This House Two Weeks Ago. I Will Be A Homeowner When I’m Around 25, Which Made Me Smile

#47 Quit My Job, Bought A Camera, And Went Solo Traveling For A Year (South/East Asia & Central America)

#48 Small Steps Out Of My Most Recent Depression. I Had A Shower! Cooked Lunch, And I Rang The Doctors About My Mental Health

#49 Facts

#50 2.5 Years Of Treatment, Best Decision Of My Life

Regime 1mg finasteride per day Switched from 5mg minoxidil to 2.5mg a few months ago and gains still been fine.

#51 I’ve Been Struggling With Depression And Anxiety For The Last 5 Years, I Took My Hobby And Decided To Get A Job At A Bakery

I finally feel myself getting better! Life is good!

#52 I’m A First Time College Student At 50 Years Old

I decided to skip college after high school as I was more interested in different things. 30 plus years, 3 ex-wives, and raising 26-year-old twins, I’ve decided to start a whole new chapter and get out of retail grocery as a career. Seemed like the perfect time in my life, and now that community college is free for most folks in MA, I’d be silly not to give it a shot! Computer systems engineering technology associates is the goal! Picked up my ID today and signed up for a summer STEM boot camp (all sorts of cool support stuff, as well as my first math and English classes). I’ve been smiling all day.

#53 2019 vs. 2021. Ever Since I Was Very Young, I’ve Wanted To Be An Actress.

I couldn’t do it because I was insecure and had all kinds of excuses. Since 2019, I’ve been fixing my life, and 2 weeks ago, I decided to start pursuing my dream. I have my first (paid) role tomorrow.

#54 After 8 Years Of Dreaming About It, I’ve Finally Launched My Soft Serve Ice Cream Pop-Up. Wanted To Share The Good News With You

#55 From The Time I Was 8 Years Old, I Wanted To Be An Author. I’m 56 And I Published My First Book With A Major Publisher, And It’s Been Optioned For A Hallmark Movie

#56 Made It To 20 Years Sober

#57 Never Give Up! 41 Single Mom Of 4. Graduating In May With A B.S. In Radiology

Long, hard road. 2 hurricanes, pandemic, divorce, and the loss of my mother. You are never too old! Most of my family has passed, so here you guys go.

#58 I Did It! 40 Miles On My 40th Birthday. This Was Truly An Amazing Way To Celebrate A Milestone Birthday. My Husband Made Me A Medal

#59 People Used To Point Out That My Nose Is Big And Weird. That Made Me Quite Insecure About The Way I Look. But Now I’m Learning To Accept Myself The Way I Am

#60 After Many Years Of Wearing Hats And Hiding My 5 Head, I Finally Did It

#61 I Went To The Cinema By Myself Yesterday And Had A Really Nice Time

I get anxiety about doing things like this alone, I always worry I look weird, or it’s strange to do. But I really wanted to see the new How To Train Your Dragon movie, so I went, and yeah, I enjoyed it! It was good! I even took Toothless to watch it with me.

The cinema was mostly empty, but there were a few people in there. Everyone else had someone with them, but it was nice, as even though I “went alone” it was like I was watching it with them, so it didn’t feel as lonely.

#62 3 Years Ago, I Finally Took Control Of My Mental Health. Today, I Finished My First Tube Of Toothpaste After Finally Taking Care Of My Dental Health. Better Every Day

#63 I Ran My First Marathon. 8 Months After An Emergency C-Section And Breastfeeding

After having a baby, running a marathon seemed way less intimidating, but it still required a lot of physical and mental work. What a ride.

#64 I Celebrate Christmas With No Family, But It Did Not Stop Me From Cooking Myself A Healthy And Delicious Meal

#65 After 30 Years Of Depression Ruining My Life. I’m Finally Fighting Back And I’m Happier Than Ever Been. 100 Lbs Down. 8 Months Of Progress

#66 Celebrating A Year Since I First Made This Tiny Necklace. I’ve Made Hundreds Of Them Since. Believe In Yourself And Your Ideas

#67 I Celebrated 2.5 Years Alcohol Free Yesterday. I Moved Across Country, Live In A Studio, And Landed My Dream Job! I’m So Happy

I wanted to share what I think helped me in the very difficult times in my journey.
1. Believe in yourself. Don’t ever stop. Tell yourself. Repeat it out loud. Look in the mirror. You got this.
2. Feel your feelings. I don’t stress this enough. Even if you are crying for 3 months straight (I did), keep going. Feel the pain, sadness, anger, frustration, and the happy.
3. Find a schedule.
4. Love yourself. Keep loving yourself.

#68 I’m So Proud Of You

#69 After Years Of Working As A Ghost Writer, I’m Finally A Published Author! Can’t Wait To Sign These Babies

#70 Ditching Delivery And Learning To Cook For Myself Was The Best Decision I Could Have Made

I know it’s not new advice, but considering how wildly expensive fast food has gotten since COVID, making myself make meals (including fast-food-inspired mock-ups) has given me more food, better food, and healthier food. Of course, it helps to enjoy cooking too (making virtually every layer of everything takes time), but the money you’ll save making things from scratch is no joke. But, it also helps that these dishes are also plant-based, so I’m saving a lot of money by subbing meat and dairy.

I went from spending any amount of extra income I had — and then some — on getting food delivered at least three days a week every week, and most of the time, I hated myself after I finished eating because of the money spent and/or the food being mediocre.

#71 I Quit My Corporate Job To Make A Boardgame. It’s On Sale At A Local Hobby Store. Feels Amazing

#72 Moving Out West Is One Of The Best Decisions I’ve Ever Made

#73 Simply True

#74 Almost A Year Ago, It Was Just A Dream. But I Worked All Summer And Finally Bought My Dream LEGO Set! I’m 14, So If I Can Do It, You Can

#75 This Journey Taught Me Patience, But I’ve Loved Every Moment Of It

#76 At 42 Years Old, I’m Learning To Drive! Today I Passed The First Part Of The UK Driving Test. Don’t Ever Think You Are Too Old To Learn New Things

#77 Best Decision

#78 Two Years Ago, I Quit My Job In It And Opened An Arcade. Last Week I Opened The New Location – Double The Size

Source Link 78 Times People Took A Leap Of Faith And Ended Up Making Their Best Life Decisions

All On The Board London Underground, Allontheboard, Allontheboard Facebook, Allontheboard Instagram, Allontheboard London, Curiosities, Msn-gallery, Poems All On The Board London Tube, , Subway London Poems, Tube All On The Board Messages

50 Of The Best Messages On The London Underground Notice Boards Written By 2 Masked Guys

December 17, 2025

Every day, millions of commuters use the London underground system to travel around. For many, it’s a part of their daily routine, no more inspiring than a walk to the bathroom. The majority of travelers have their faces buried in books and ears shut off from the world with headphones. But surprisingly, as it turns out, you can come across some really inspiring messages while on your way to the tube. Some of them encourage people to speak out on invisible illnesses, some are brilliantly clever puns, while some show the day’s temperatures that are “100% accurate, 41% of the time,” with Beverly Hills being scorching hot at 90210.

But who’s behind these little poems and lovely messages? Turns out, it’s a masked duo: two guys that started the All On The Board project back in 2017 while working at North Greenwich station. They are station assistants for the London Underground and were working at North Greenwich. Craig David was performing at The O2 Arena on that evening and the two guys were singing some Craig David songs, came up with a little poem for Craig David fans, and decided to write it on a Service Information Board. It started from there.

Many of their messages and poems have been widely shared on social media by many people—singer Katy Perry included—while All On The Board’s Instagram account has almost half a million followers. Scroll down below to find some of people’s favorite uplifting messages left on the London Underground and vote for the ones you liked the most!

More info: Instagram | Facebook

Discover more in 50 Of The Best Messages On The London Underground Notice Boards Written By 2 Masked Guys

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

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You might also like: Someone Asked “A Girl Approaches You And Says, ‘Pretend We’re Friends. I’m Being Followed,’ What Would You Do?”, 17 Men Gave Honest Responses

Source Link 50 Of The Best Messages On The London Underground Notice Boards Written By 2 Masked Guys

Before And After Drugs, Curiosities, Drug Addiction, Kevin Alters, Recovering From Addiction, Substance Abuse, The Addict's Diary

‘The Addict’s Diary’ Showcases Before & After Transformations Of People Who Quit Drugs (23 New Stories)

December 17, 2025

Kevin Alter created “The Addict’s Diary” so that people would have a place online to share their failures, successes, and lessons they have learned throughout their path to recovery from addiction. Empowering people to speak up, the platform allows those affected by substance abuse to spread their story, offering a sense of catharsis and community while informing the unaware of the gruesome realities of this epidemic.

Below are some of the latest transformations people have submitted to “The Addict’s Diary.” For more, check out Bored Panda’s earlier article on the project here.

More info: theaddictsdiary.com | Facebook | Instagram

Discover more in ‘The Addict’s Diary’ Showcases Before & After Transformations Of People Who Quit Drugs (30 New Stories)

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1

From dying in the streets from a heart infection, to sleeping in my car starving for days at a time. To being turned away from the hospital and left to die because they wouldn’t treat me, to abandoned by everyone and everything, I found the strength to get clean, get treatment at a different hospital, get the heart surgery I needed, and from there I stayed clean even though I was still homeless. It’s been a rough ride but it’s now been six months since then! I’ve come so far. Yesterday I finally moved in to a shared house and my own little space and bought myself some nice things for it! I’m so happy. I thought I would be dead by the end of the year last year. But I’m thriving more than ever. It’s cool to be back to living.

Alter said that it depends on the person whether or not they want to share such a personal story but they’re usually inclined to. “I think it’s difficult for some, but a lot of people can’t wait to get their story out there,” he told Bored Panda. “Most of society has seen them at their lowest and this an opportunity to show the world that they’ve changed their life.”

#2

My name is Emerald. The last year of my heroin and meth addiction had me living in motel rooms and shelters. Both of my sons were taken from me. I was a shell of a human being. Today, I am 21 months drug free! I have custody of both of my boys and I have found peace for the first time in my life. With all the division on Facebook lately, share this to let everyone know that recovery is possible!

Alter thinks people who have struggled with substance abuse can relate to these confessions because it’s more or less exactly what they’ve been through, but those who haven’t fallen victim to it empathize as well. And you have to admit, there’s something intrinsically human in suffering and persevering against the odds.

#3

A few months ago, Shaun Weiss was arrested on drug charges. He starred as Goldberg in our childhood favorite film Mighty Ducks. I’m sure you remember this, because his decline went viral. Everyone couldn’t wait to share how far he had spiraled down. Well, now he has over 200 days sober and a brand new smile.

#4

This is Misty Loman. She is internet famous for meth progression. A lot of you probably recognize her and have seen the post to the left. What you didn’t know is that Misty was diagnosed with Lupus, bone cancer and scleroderma (hardening of the skin). She also suffered the deaths of not one but three children, which was ultimately her reasons for turning to drugs. What hasn’t been shared is the picture on the right. This woman, in all her hardship, has been in recovery for a few months now. If she can fight this fight, there is no worldly reason we can’t!

#5

Two months into our relationship she found me overdosed on the bathroom floor. When most women would run, she stuck by my side. She held my hand as a ventilator pushed air into my lungs. She held my hand as I clung to life. She loved me before I knew what love was. She loved me before I loved myself. I put her through h**l for a year, but she never left. We’ve been together for 6 years now. The first year was terrible, but the last 5 years I have been sober. Yesterday, I held her hand and asked her to be my wife. She said YES!

#6

“19 years of gratitude one day at a time…It is the road worth traveling if you are struggling. Old timers are here to guide us but new comers to sobriety are the greatest gift to this simple program. Of course it’s not always easy. First thing I did and continue to do is cut toxic people outta my life, then comes the first step and then freedom (if you work it). Even non-addicts could use the 12 step program to better their lives. To me it’s a life program. I am a better man, father, husband, friend, band mate and creative spirit because of this program. I LOOK UP EVERYDAY AND SAY THANK YOU” – Nikki Sixx

#7

He celebrates 5 years clean tomorrow so I figured I would show you what living clean and working a 12 step program can do for you ! BTW anyone is welcome to share his story!! As you all have been with us for this amazing life changing Journey. He was a crack ,heroin, and pill addict for 30 plus years. The 1st photo is in active addiction. The 2nd photo is at 5 years clean. I am so d**n proud of him!

#8

Change is possible. So glad I finally decided to ask for help. please if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction reach out! It’s never too late!

#9

This is reality. On the left, I am running from the cops, strung out on heroin, and getting arrested. I hated my life. I hated myself. I wanted to die. Some days I’d wish I’d just OD and get it over with. Maybe then I’d stop letting everyone down and hurting everyone I loved. I felt like I had nothing to live for. I wouldn’t eat for days at a time. I’d steal money, food, and anything just get that next high. Most of my friends and family had given up on me. I was in and out of rehab several times. I ended up on the run, leaving state, and running from the cops. It was bound to come to an end one day. Nobody can live like that forever. Eventually I ended up getting pregnant. When I found out, I cried for hours on end. How was I supposed to take care of a baby when I couldn’t even take care of myself? Fighting addiction has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my entire life. I believe god knew I needed something bigger than myself to believe in, which is why he brought me my daughter. She gave me something to believe in — something to fight for. She saved my life and I am now celebrating a little over 2 years clean!

#10

I’m Hadassah and this is my son Braxton. I was a teenage mother. I was not with the baby’s father when I went through my pregnancy. I didn’t have many people there by my side. After I had my son, I learned that I still wanted to be a teenager. Unfortunately I didn’t get the memo that it is not how it works. I had many close friends and family that tried showing me that. I did not listen. After a night of being drugged, taken advantage of, and being on the verge of overdosing, my mother Jennifer Lane and Rebecca Adkins Goulart convinced me that I wasn’t a piece of crud. They said that they knew deep down I had a heart and soul. I was a product of my toxicity and sexual abuse. Now I can say I’m a product of God. So when you see an addict I am she. I am he. I am them.

#11

Today, June 3rd 2020 marks my one year… that’s 1 year, or 12 months, or 365 days, 8760 in hours, 525,600 in minutes, 31,536,000 in seconds… & I’m still standing.

#12

Dear Mom, Thank you for kicking me out when I wouldn’t stop using. Thank you for never giving me money when I was dope sick . Thank you for not enabling me. Thank you for yelling at me when I wasn’t hearing you. Thank you for removing me from your life. Thank you for talking to my therapists. Thank you for the letters you wrote to me when I was in treatment. Thank you for the phone calls you took when no one else would pick up the phone. Thank you for the prayers you said. Thank you for never lying to me. Thank you for the tears you shed. Thank you for the disappointment I saw in your eyes. Thank you for the nights I slept in a train station. Thank you for forcing me to grow up. Thank you for telling me to, “figure it out.” Thank you for being my mom. Thank you for teaching me to be a man. Thank you for not allowing me to play the victim. I see now you knew what you were doing the whole time.

#13

Last summer we drugged hard, this summer we recovered even harder.

#14

A little while ago my grandma sent me a message saying, “ If you ever start to forget where you came from, here’s a reminder. I’m so proud of you!” Along with that, she sent me some pictures of me in active addiction. And can I just say … WOW! Passed out in her bathroom, on the toilet, pants down, because I thought if it looked like I was actually using the restroom she wouldn’t suspect I was using drugs when she busted in. And passed out in her driveway because I was no longer was wanted inside anywhere and just needed somewhere I felt safe enough to use and sleep without the fear of cops or being seen. My life is a direct reflection of the work I’ve put in to get and STAY clean and I cant wait to see what this next year brings. My name is Donae, and I am a RECOVERING drug addict.

#15

5 years of sobriety and a life I’m finally proud of! Two times to prison. Six felonies. And more county jail arrests then I can even remember. Today, I run a business. I’m married and in a healthy relationship. I have my kids. I am finally a person I can be proud of! It’s taken me a lot of nerve to even tell this much of my story, to put it out there for judgement, but I hope maybe one person can see my change and feel like they have hope!

#16

258 days ago, I chose to get clean. I could never go minutes without putting something in my body. I finally threw my hands up. The benefits of being clean and sober are phenomenal, but the biggest benefit is finally being somewhat okay with myself. The drugs and alcohol were just a piece of the problem. These past 8.5 months, I finally came to terms with the fact that there’s been a problem deep down inside for years. Now, I am finally working on that.

#17

I was an IV drug addict for 8 years and have overdosed several times in my life. In 2018 I was on life support twice from my addiction. I got into legal trouble and lost all my kids. I was hopeless and wanted to die. God saw fit to give me another chance and I went to rehab in Barbourville KY. I sought the lord He delivered me. He set me free and I now have full custody back of all 5 of my kids. I have my own home and help other women just like myself. There is real hope out there and it’s in the lord.

#18

That first picture is my mugshot. I weighed 97 pounds. When I was taken into the jail, I had a seizure and almost died (again). I had to be rushed to the emergency room and put on a ventilator. Guards were crying, because I had been there so much over the years, and they thought I was gone. I can still hear them saying, “Thats Artemisio? Oh my god. I don’t know how many times that I should have left this world. I should be gone. But my higher power wasn’t finished with me yet. I look at this picture and see a sad little girl who was running from all her problems and mistakes. I was numbing myself with absolutely anything and everything I could. When I see her, I cant help but love her, too. If it wasn’t for where I’ve been, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I had to learn the hard way (my whole life) before trying something different. Flash forward 21 months and I am a different person. In every way. Not just staying clean, but I LOVE MYSELF today. I have a work ethic like I never had. I have serenity. I’m confident. I love my friends and my life. My children have their momma back.

#19

My name is Allison. I am 30 years old and just hit one year sober after many, many years of trying. I became an addict in 2012, as a pharmacy tech. It started with pills. I then got into a relationship with a man 30 years my senior who was a pharmacist and sugar daddy. He enabled me and I gave him a young sexual partner. I did so many disgusting things. I had zero self-worth. I overdosed multiple times. I went to at least 8 rehabs. Nothing clicked. In May 2019, I sent a text to someone named Linda who I knew from a previous attempt to get sober. She lived in Jacksonville, FL and I was in Augusta, GA. By some miracle from God, she texted me back and told me she was IN AUGUSTA and would be at my house in 15 minutes. She picked me up and brought me to Florida. I got here and I got a job immediately working for the CEO of a company. I made so many friends who I consider sisters. I met the most amazing man who is 2 years sober and today we are engaged. Let me say that before I came to Florida, I was on the verge of having myself declared incompetent and having my mom get legal guardianship over me. I was 100% convinced I could not take care of myself. I wanted to die. Today, I have the most beautiful life. I pay my bills. I have an amazing job. I have a car I pay for myself. I have a savings account! If things can be this amazing in a year, I can’t even imagine how amazing life will be 5 or 10 years from now!

#20

I am living a life beyond my wildest dreams for real. I’ve come a long way. It’s not much but it’s definitely some honest work I’ve put in in the almost 18 months. I do this all for myself most importantly, but also for the fallen ones so I can prove this new way of life is possible and obtainable. You just gotta put some work in. The real question is, are you ready to do so ?

#21

I have been an opiate addict since I was 12. When I was 25, I became addicted to meth. At 31, I tried heroin for the first time. By the time I was 32 I was dealing with heroin to support my habit. At 35, I got put in jail on a possession charge. I came out 3 months later on a 3 year deferred sentence. I am now 18 months sober. In the first picture I was 3 months sober and 2 days out of jail. The second picture is me 2 days ago and 18 months sober. God is so good. I am saved by his grace.

#22

Being sober isn’t something to hide or be ashamed of. The picture on the left, I was just a shell of a person. I used to live and lived to use. I didn’t know another way. Thanks to the 12 steps that led me to a relationship with God and family that never gave up on me. Sober since 12.14.18

#23

5 years ago today: The sun rose ending the worst night of my life. I had spent the entire night in my broken down car alternately shooting meth and planning to k**l myself. At some point in the night I screamed at God that IF He was real to DO SOMETHING. If you are struggling, know that it isn’t the end of the story. We do recover. There is a better life on the other side of your brokenness.

You might also like: 19 People Share The Most Ridiculous Things They Have Ever Seen In An ER

Source Link ‘The Addict’s Diary’ Showcases Before & After Transformations Of People Who Quit Drugs (23 New Stories)

Curiosities, , Unrealistic Things Women, Unrealistic Ways Women Are Portrayed In Movies, Why Women Look So Perfect In Films, Women In Films

People Are Sharing What Unrealistic Things About Women Shown In Movies Bother Them The Most And Here Are 19 Examples

December 16, 2025

If you ever needed to run from a Titanic-sized Tyrannosaurus rex, you probably wouldn’t do that in Louboutins. This part, we can all agree on.

But it seems like many Western film directors have a whole different view of what women should be like onscreen. Teens with clear skin? Check. Women always wanting a baby? Yep. Putting freakin’ lotion on before going to bed? Done. But life isn’t a 2-hour-long reverie in motion and things are very different here.

No wonder people are getting seriously fed up with how unrealistically, and often just plain wrong, many popular movies portray female characters. Let’s take a look at some of the worst faux pas against women in film and hope this will be a wake-up call to whoever believed this nonsense.

Discover more in People Are Sharing What Unrealistic Things About Women Shown In Movies Bother Them The Most And Here Are 30 Examples

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#1

Live in huge, beautiful apartments when they work as underpaid journalists or small-shop owners.

#2

“Biggest cliché is that the vast majority of women sleep in their underwear and a tiny little top. Reality is we sleep in oversized T-shirts and that pair of leggings that have one too many rips/food stains on to wear in public.”

#3

“How ‘fat’ women, aren’t fat. Bridget Jones? Not fat. Natalie from Love Actually? Not fat.”

To find out more about why women’s representation onscreen is often so flawed and unrealistic, Bored Panda talked to MaryAnn Johanson, a pioneering online film critic at FlickFilosopher.com and the author of “Where Are the Women?”—a project which broke down the ways in which women are dismissed on screen.

MaryAnn explained that unfortunately, “women are so often portrayed as nothing more than support and encouragement for men as they undertake journeys of growth and discovery.” Moreover, women are also “often depicted as ‘perfect’ and in no need of growth and discovery themselves.”

Such representation of female characters on screen is truly harmful and gives a “terrible example” to show both boys and girls, men and women.

#4

“25-year-old actresses are cast as high schoolers, while 35-year-old actresses are cast as mothers of high schoolers.”

#5

I hate when the “ugly” person gets a 15-minute makeover and is suddenly the best looking person in the film. As a genuinely hideous person it makes me furious because there’s probably someone out there who legit thinks that if I just got a makeover my face suddenly wouldn’t look like a bouquet of elbows.

#6

“Women in movies are always ‘cool’ because they’re “not like other girls.” This is established by showing them eating chicken wings, enjoying sports, or playing video games. They do all these things in full faces of makeup wearing designer clothes.”

According to the film critic, the second-worst thing about how women are diminished onscreen has to do with showing them as types. “So many movies have gangs of men doing whatever they’re doing: The Leader, The Bad Boy, The Nerd, etc. And then there’s The Woman,” MaryAnn explained.

Representing women as a type gives viewers the wrong impression that female characters “don’t come in the same full range of human interests and talents as men do.”

MaryAnn said that she doesn’t really know the answer to just why so many male filmmakers choose this kind of female portrayal.

She wondered whether it may be “because male filmmakers are projecting their own fears about themselves onto female characters.” Or, “because male filmmakers are afraid of acknowledging that women come in the same full range of humanity—strong and weak, emotional and stoic, messed-up and got-it-together, and so on—as men do?” It may as well be because “male filmmakers don’t know any real women?”

#7

The geeky girls in high school movies who are supposed to be ugly are still really good looking.

#8

All women wanting babies, and those who say they don’t end up changing their minds and having them anyway

#9

“Working out without putting their hair up – the worst offender is She’s the Man, that final scene where Amanda Bynes plays the whole second half with her hair just whipping in her face drive me nuts. Someone would have given that girl a hair tie.”

MaryAnn explained that until the entirety of the filmmaking industry, from writers and directors to studio executives and festival programmers, is much more gender-balanced, nothing will change. “Storytellers tell stories that are important to them. We need more different kinds of people telling stories, stories that get seen and heard, than we have now.”

The film critic believes that the worst part of such flawed female representation is that it generally tells the audience that women don’t matter that much. “Movies matter. Pop culture matters. The stories we tell each other matter. Children are listening, and they hear what we are saying.”

MaryAnn warned that these “kids become adults with warped ideas about the wide variety of women’s actual experiences—which are so much wider than what we see onscreen—and what women want out of life, which is so much more than what we see onscreen.” She concluded that this is totally unacceptable, and that “the culture that has so far not accorded women the same full humanity it accords men has to change.”

#10

“For the love of god, put in a teenager with acne or braces or something into a film set in a high school. Teenagers are always depicted with, clear skin and fully developed. NOBODY looked like that in high school!”

#11

“The way women have to always dress ‘feminine’ even in disaster situations! Like Jurassic World – they have their main female character running away from DINOSAURS in high heels…freaking t-rexs and velociraptors and running through the jungle…but no let’s make sure she stays in her skirt and heels (and her makeup will be messy but still pretty), so stupid.”

#12

“20-year-old actresses are cast as surgeons, astrophysicists, history professors, etc. Unless they were baby geniuses, there is no way someone that young would have risen so high in her profession (especially considering that, because of prejudice and discrimination, it often takes women longer to climb the ladder.)”

#13

Any time that women vomit in movies, it’s an indication of pregnancy.

#14

85 pound women in badass jobs like assassins or secret agents or super heroes. You need more muscle for these big fights you win.

#15

“I really hate how women always seem to be really skinny (and it’s not the women’s fault at all, I don’t want to shame them for being skinny) but I would like to see a woman who wasn’t necessarily plus-size (though we need more leads who are) but weighs 160 pounds rather than 120.”

#16

Shop or get a manicure as a way to resolve their problems.

#17

“What REALLY p****s me off is women always having perfect makeup and hair in catastrophe movies. For example, in Bird Box, the world has ‘ended’ four years ago and Malorie still has perfect eyelash extensions. How???”

#18

Women running at almost top speed in high heels while in the real world, I can barely walk in them after a couple hours.

#19

“I can’t even with giggly fashion montages and women acting like shopping will heal all mental wounds in the span of time it takes to max out a credit card. First of all, if I maxed out a credit card, I’d flip out and beg the store to take my purchase back, not giggle at how silly I am to spend so much money. Second, I doubt a freelance article writer in NYC can afford to twirl around in dresses all day and spend $2000 in an afternoon.”

You might also like: “Makes Me Physically Cringe”: 22 People List Beauty Standards That Need To Retire

Source Link People Are Sharing What Unrealistic Things About Women Shown In Movies Bother Them The Most And Here Are 19 Examples

Creepy Facts, Curiosities, Facts For Your Nightmares, Facts I Wish I Didn't Know, Hard To Believe Facts That Are Real, No-ads, Super Weird Stuff, Unsettling Facts About The World, Weird Facts

29 Unsettling Facts Many People Wish They Had Never Learned

December 16, 2025

The world is full of facts, and if you are as hungry for knowledge as we are, then we’ve got a whole menu readily available to you. Here at Bored Panda, we have random facts, mind-blowing facts that are perfect for 5 year-olds, facts that can even change your perspective of things, and facts that sound utterly fake but are totally true.

But this time we rolled up our sleeves and compiled a list we can call “the palate cleanser.” You see, this one is not for the faint-hearted, nor for the ones with high blood pressure and a tendency to have a nightmare or two every now and then, ‘cause today, we’re gonna dive into the facts we wish we never knew.

You may wonder, why read them, then? It’s for the same reason we watch horror movies with covered eyes. Getting to know some creepy stuff about the world is hard, but not knowing it is even worse.

Discover more in 30 Of The Creepiest Facts People Have Shared In This Viral Thread That Many Wish They Didn’t Know

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1

After the Pulse night club shooting, when the cops were investigating, you’d think it was pretty quiet in there. It was actually a cacophony of ringing cell phones. So many friends and loved ones calling people they knew were there, hoping they’ll answer the phone and say they’re ok…

#2

Before you die, your last words could be, “I don’t feel so good.” I was a paramedic for 15 years and heard dozens of people’s final words. The phrase I heard most often, possibly from half to three quarters of them, were some form of “I don’t feel so good.” I’ve also heard, “Wait, somethings wrong.” “Somethings happening.” “I don’t feel right.” “Wait, somethings wrong.” “It’s happening.” “Oh no, Oh no.” People feel the blood leaving their brain I think. Must be like a rush.

#3

Many pets die because their owner dies unexpectedly and nobody comes to check on them in time.

You’re not the only one to get the creeps from scrolling through this post. There’s something about being creeped out that is both chilling and yet impossible to resist. But what exactly is this creepy feeling we all get? It surely can’t be graveyards, clowns, spiders, or horror movies themselves.

Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College in Illinois, has been studying this sensation and made a conclusion after surveying more than 1,300 people that “Creepy is about the uncertainty of threat.”

#4

There is a whale called 52 Blue that only sings at a frequency of 52 Hertz, meaning it can’t communicate with other whales. It is nicknamed the “loneliest whale on the planet.”

#5

Female dragonflies fake their own death to prevent r**e.

#6

On Mt. Everest, you have the rainbow valley, the last zone to climb to reach the peak. Which sounds cute but it’s really the colorful jackets of dead climbers who are frozen in time against the white harsh snow. Also, when close to the peak, the oxygen levels are so low that the body is starting to die. You only have a few minutes to reach the top.

More specifically, Frank said, “You’re feeling uneasy because you think there might be something to worry about here, but the signals are not clear enough to warrant your doing some sort of desperate, life-saving kind of thing.” Thus, it’s different from having a fear of something or revulsion.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, when you’re creeped out, your brain and your body are telling you that something is not quite right and you’d better pay attention because it might hurt you. We become more alert and ready to strike whenever the threat turns out to be real.

#7

There’s something called “Anaesthesia Awareness” where of certain people go into surgery and they don’t give you enough Anaesthesia, it will look like you’re asleep (eyes closed, not talking or moving), but the patient can still hear and feel everything that’s happening, but here’s the scary part. You’re unable to move, speak or open your eyes. Unless they have a monitor to show your brain activity, you’re stuck with having to endure the pain.

#8

Being the oldest person alive means that every single human being who was alive at the day you were born has now died.

#9

When whales reach a certain age they will eventually be to weak to swim back to the surface for air. So they will just suffocate to death and eventually sink to the bottom of the ocean. But at least when they sink to the bottom of the ocean their bodies will create sprawling ecosystems that will last for a good few years.:)

#10

Most sitcom laugh tracks were recorded in the 1950s, so you’ve probably been listening to dead people laughing.

#11

A professor at my lecture today said that deer will lay on decaying corpses because they produce heat and the deer like that. Basically deer treat corpses as their personal sauna.

#12

In the event of a water landing, flight attendants are specifically required to not allow dead bodies on the life rafts. No saving your dead parent/child/spouse for burial. Yeet that b***h overboard.

#13

On airplanes they turn off the lights before takeoff and landing basically in anticipation of the plane crashing. Your eyes take time to adjust to the dark, so if the plane were to crash your eyes would be pre-adjusted, thus increasing your likelihood of being able to make it out. They also ask that window blinds be opened in order to allow anyone outside to be able to see in in order to check for survivors.

#14

The dolphin which most often portrayed Flipper on the 1960s television show Flipper committed suicide.

#15

Humans have enough bite power to bite off their finger. Bone and all. The only thing stopping us is our brain’s natural safety factor.

#16

It is way easier than you would expect to break someone ribs during CPR and it feels really weird. POPPOPPOPPOP like bubble wrap.

#17

The astronauts of space shuttle Challenger didn’t die until the spacecraft hit the ocean. They fell through the air for almost 3 minutes.

#18

Judith Barsi was the young actress who voiced Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven and Ducky in The Land Before Time. She was murdered at the age of 10 by her abusive father, who also killed her mother at the same time. Judith’s gravestone displays Ducky’s catchphrase, “Yep! Yep! Yep!”

#19

Fatal familial insomnia is a thing. It’s a rare, incurable prionic brain disease that progressively destroys your brain’s ability to sleep. Eventually, you stop sleeping altogether, go insane, have seizures, and die.

#20

There’s been multiple cases of people actually ending up being eaten by an escalator.

#21

There are only three states in the USA that have outlawed child marriage: New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

#22

Your lips are made of the same skin type and texture as your a**s.

#23

The song “Baby Shark” is actually the perfect rhythm to guide infant CPR.

#24

If you electrocute someone while they are submerged in water, it won’t leave burn marks.

#25

In Formula 1, safety belts were not mandatory until 1972. Before then, drivers believed it better to be ejected in a crash, and either die instantly from a broken neck or suffer many broken bones. The alternative, they thought, was to be trapped and essentially cremated alive should the gas tanks ignite.

#26

There’s a zombie fungus that basically enslaves ants for its own benefit until it kills them.

#27

There is a parasite called Dracun culiasis, or more commonly “Guinea worm” that can enter your leg through drinking infected water. You won’t notice anything until ~1 year later, when a small portion breaks the skin to release larvae. At this point, it’s a meter long. A. Meter. Long. And it has to be extracted centimeter by disgusting centimeter. NTDs are the stuff of nightmares.

#28

Not morbid but unnerving, at any time without any warning you can die of a brain aneurysm and there is litterally nothing you can really do about it. Anyone can have one.

#29

You can die from pooping too hard.

You might also like: 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective

Source Link 29 Unsettling Facts Many People Wish They Had Never Learned

Actions, Cause And Effect, Chain Reaction, Curiosities, Human Behavior, Reactions, Reddit, Reddit Stories, Small Actions, Surprises, Unintended Consequences, Weird Reactions

“My Drunken Jealousy Saved Me”: 25 Stories Of Unintended Consequences

December 16, 2025

“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” Each time we do something, we have a vague idea of what is going to happen next, and we even prepare for a few possible outcomes.

But life does not always go the way we expect it to.

Newton’s third law explains physics but there is also the lesser known law of unintended consequences that shows up in our everyday lives.

You might call in to work and pretend to be sick, thinking the worst that could happen is a scolding from your boss. But would you ever expect that your coworkers actually fall sick and then blame you for it?

These surprising reactions are small but quite noticeable — a chain of events that feels impossible to predict.

Stories about such weird cause-and-effect moments were shared on Reddit, showing that even the simplest actions can lead to the most unexpected results.

Discover more in “My Drunken Jealousy Saved Me”: 25 Stories Of Unintended Consequences

Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.

#1

In Oslo, Norway there is nothing stoping you from just entering a bus or tram without a ticket. There is, however, frequent ticket controls.

So one day on the bus from work, the driver anounced over the speakers, that since it was christmas and all she would like to advice us about a ticket control on the and a station 3 stops ahead.
About half the passangers rushed off on the next station.
As she started driving again she announced that there in fact was no control and thanked the rest of us for paying for tickets.

#2

In Japan, 30 squirrels escaped the Zoo after a storm.

In an effort to retrieve the missing squirrels, they set up traps to capture the squirrels.

Later on the headlines:

“Huge Success: 38 squirrels out of 30 missing were captured.”.

#3

Some years ago in Phoenix, Woman A stole the purse of Woman B from a shopping cart. Within a half hour, Woman A began slamming the credit card at a nearby mall. While still going store to store, she was descended on by an army of agents and officers. It turns out that Woman B was on the FBI Most Wanted list. Not only was the thief arrested in glorious fashion – but her information was used to capture the fugitive within the day.

Cause-and-effect is not an abstract idea, there is actual research behind why a small action can have unintended ripple effects.

Sociologist Robert Merton’s study on unanticipated consequences can help explain why these everyday stories make so much sense.

He believes that actions often have results which are not anticipated by us, and the cause is mostly driven by factors such as ignorance, error or immediate self-interest.

For example, sometimes taking a wrong turn on the road or being late for work can actually save your life when you later find out that there has been an accident on your usual route.

#4

My high school English teacher was convinced this girl had plagiarized, but couldn’t prove it. As a result she contacted a couple of the colleges this girl was applying to and told them she had plagiarized. Fast forward to two weeks. The teacher is giving us an assignment with a “sample paper” that had earned her an A when she was in college. A couple girls entered it into the reverse search and found out the teacher had plagiarized the paper in the first place. We went to the principal and she had to confess to all of the students (she cried and cried). It was one of the only times I’ve ever felt good about seeing someone cry.

#5

Brother-in-law went to purchase beer from local store. Finds a case of beer and brings it to the counter. He’s young-looking, so they card him. The cashier hands back the card, and tells him the total, “27.” My brother-in-law responds “No, 25.” The cashier changes the price to $25. My brother-in-law accidentally thought the cashier was asking his age, and corrected him. And the cashier thought my brother-in-law was correcting the price. He said it with such confidence that the cashier gave him the discount without another word 😀

#6

Needed a day off work so I claimed I had food poisoning from the dinner I ate with colleagues the night before. So the lie didn’t backfire I had to stick with the story and told the same thing to whoever asked, including those colleagues. When I emailed work saying why I wasn’t in, just under half the people i ate with claimed to be feeling unwell that day too and agreed we should never revisit that restaurant. Two of them even went home that afternoon due to ill stomachs. There was nothing wrong with me or the food.

#7

I called in sick to work when I was in high school, and the next time I saw my manager, she had called off for like 3 days, blaming me for making her ill… I was faking, all my symptoms were made up.

Some effects can be positive, but sometimes a small mistake can also lead to big setbacks — like oversleeping because your alarm did not go off, causing you to miss an important meeting.

Experts believe that even proper planning and assessing all kinds of risks cannot account for every possible outcome. There are always hidden variables and unpredictable paths, labeled as “unknown unknowns.”

For example, even when you leave your house at your usual time every day, a massive pile-up can block your route eventually delaying you at work.

These kinds of events are sometimes also referred to as “black swans” — events that are unpredictable “because they lie outside the realm of usual experience.”

#8

My dad worked at a lab in Germany for a year during college and helped write an article for some German science journal. When he later got back to the US, he took a course for medical terminology in German for some easy credit. On the final they had to translate some articles from abroad… one of the articles was the one my dad co-authored.

#9

A girl I was sleeping with told me she was pregnant with my baby. I told her I was infertile (I’m not) so it couldn’t be mine. She admitted she was sleeping with a couple of other guys too and it turns out she wasn’t actually pregnant, she was just trying to trap someone.

I saw her at the mall a year later with what I assume to be one of the other guys and a new born… poor sap.

#10

So one day many years ago, I’m sitting down at dinner with the rest of my family when the phone rings. My Dad casually answers the phone with a “Hello, Sergeant!” and glares at my brother. Now, my Dad is an EMT in town, and he’s very friendly with most of the local police and fire/ambulance volunteers. My newly 18 brother upon hearing my Dad answer the phone turns to my Mom and says, “Mom, I’m really sorry but last night I got pulled over and got a speeding ticket”. A moment after this my Dad hangs up the phone, and explains it was just an army recruiter looking to get in touch with my brother. My Mom explains to my Dad what just happened, many laughs were had, and my brother had his license taken away for a bit.

#11

7th grade. Faked sick to stay home from school and my mom gave my some Advil. Turns out I had developed an allergy to Advil (and any ibuprofen), and my face/throat swelled up. My mom was out and couldn’t make it home, so my neighbor had to take me to the hospital to get a Benadryl shot. That was nice.

Karma for faking sick? Maybe. Did I do it again during high school? You betcha.

Some of these stories can also be explained through the chaos theory which says that even tiny causes can set off a chain reaction.

One of the popular examples is Play-Doh. Manufactured by a soap company in the 1930s, it was originally meant to clean coal dust off wallpaper. But kids turned it into a creative toy, eventually forcing the company to rework it. Now, it is being used by millions of children around the globe. The manufacturer probably imagined a hundred ways the material could be used, but never this.

The chaos theory basically reminds us to always expect the unexpected, even in simple or predictable situations. There are a lot of variables at play, it is impossible to fully know how things will turn out and also because, life is full of surprises.

#12

One day in high school our teacher got sick, so they sent a substitute. It was hard not to notice that he had a giant squint.

One moment, he stopped lecturing and said: “You! Throw out that chewing gum”.

FOUR students stood up to do it.

#13

Something similar to this happened my freshman year of college. After a writing assignment in an English class the professor came in and turned his back to all the students. He stated that someone in the class has blatantly plagiarized on their paper and he demanded that after class that person come meet with him in his office to discuss the matter. If the person showed up then he would be lenient with their punishment. I noticed everyone’s eyes get wide and dart to each other. I knew I didn’t plagiarize so after class I gathered my things and headed out of the building. On my way past the professors office I noticed a line of 20 students waiting to see him.

#14

Similar: big career deciding theoretical electrical engineering exam. Everyone was lazy during the semester, so everyone was sweating apart from a few that actually did well. Half way through the prof exclaims “may the young man in the back who’s reading off his cheat sheet please stand up and hand in his work.” before everyone could turn their heads two guys were standing up.

#15

In my general bio class the professor gave us a take home quiz and told us to treat it just as if it was in class. No books, internet, or collaborating. A couple days later he asked that anybody that had cheated come to his office to talk to him and they could figure something out but if they didn’t confess and he found out they cheated they would be really sorry. Around 50 people ended up going in and admitting to cheating on the quiz. He really had no way of knowing if anybody had cheated but he was the department head and had a big influence in writing the committee letter for pre-professional students and nobody wanted to risk p*****g him off.

#16

I got pulled over in a parking lot for reckless driving when i was 17 or 18. I received an ultimatum from the officer after getting screamed at. I would either be written a ticket or the cop himself would come to my house and talk to my parents about my driving. I chose going without a ticket, since I’d already gotten 1 or 2 before then. I knew I’d be in worse trouble if I didn’t confess. I called my mom and told her, which resulted in a severe punishment.

Turns out my parents already had plans that night so they didn’t even get home until late. I still don’t know if that cop showed up, however my friend saw an officer leave the development.

TL;DR ratted myself out for reckless driving to my parents before the police officer did. parents never came home.

#17

Not me but my girlfriend probably about 4 years ago. She was supposed to go to work, but wanted to come see me. I told her no constantly to go to work, but to no avail she came and saw me. She told her boss that she couldn’t come because she was in a car accident. guess what happened a week later when we were driving to her house….

#18

An ex-boss of mine was a key player in the implementation of ACH deposits for paychecks at Westinghouse back in the mid 80’s. The morning this new and exciting payroll perk was announced, he had dozens of distraught Westinghouse old-timers lined up outside his office. It seems these men had all worked at Westinghouse for decades and never told their wives they ever got a raise (or at least very much downplayed their year over year salary bumps). Sheer panic had set in.

#19

I was on a plane once, and we were preparing to taxi. They had already asked several times that we all turn our phones off. The pilot then comes on the intercom and says “Our equipment is showing that there are still 3 cell phones turned on in the aircraft.” The guy next to me freaked out and frantically did a battery pull on his phone. Such nonsense. Very effective, though.

#20

That reminded me of a day in my seventh grade English class. Someone made an envelope out of a page of paper, wrote take one on it, and put sticks of gum in it. It was passed around to the entire class.

The teacher saw a person or two chewing gum, and said something to the effect of “You guys know it’s against school policy. Throw the gum out now and avoid trouble.” The entire class gets up and tosses out their gum. The teacher was very surprised. The look on her face was priceless.

#21

This happened about a decade ago. Hanging with friends around a Bon-fire when I drunkenly decide to be jealous and obnoxious towards my bf of that time. We get into a huge fight bc I’m being really jealous about one of his coworkers and will not back down from my argument that he should not have her phone number in his contact book (oh young stupid love). Well, I storm off into the woods cursing, he is following, while everyone else is by the fire drinking. In the middle of him trying to console me, we hear a loud POP sound and people screaming, panicking. We run back to the fire and some people are screaming, some are crying and some are just looking dumbfounded. Turns out, one of the guys put a huge branch on top of the fire and was standing and then jumping on this branch to break it. Well, it broke, he fell into the fire and covered everyone with hot coal and molten plastic (from his clothes)! Everyone around yhe fire was burned in some way or another. And he was covered in first and second degree burns on his back am legs. My sister had burns all the way up the front of her legs to her lower thigh and her left foot has a scar where a coal must have set and burned her. Pretty much everyone at the party was burned besides my boyfriend and myself.
**TLDR: My drunken jealousy saved me and my boyfriend from possibly getting burned during a party**.

#22

I was playing video games in the back of my world history class in 10th grade, I hear the teacher call my name, so I walk up and hand them my ds. They were asking me for field trip money I said I’d bring that day. We just had a staring contest for a minute before I said “wait. Here’s the money.”.

#23

I was sitting in a class at boot camp when the company commander (CC) snuck in and started trying to catch someone doing something stupid.

I had noticed him, and was starting to doze off. The CC slammed his fist down on the desk of the guy behind me and yelled, “WAKE THE h**l UP!!”

Three people, myself included, bolted straight up and apologized. We all had to pull double watch for two nights =-/.

#24

Back in high school our cell phones were suppose to be turned off and put away in our locker. This emo girl decided “to pass out” in the washroom..that was like the third time she pulled that stunt to get out of class..ambulance and all..after she was found the teacher ran back to the class and asked if anyone had a cell phone on them to call 911 and that we would not get in trouble..out of 15 girls 10 of them pulled their cells outta their pockets.

#25

I once worked for a single owner business where the owner was a complete j**k. That wasn’t too bad, I didn’t mind him being a total j**k. He’d often make fun of people and I’d laugh with him. But then he screwed me on a commissions check. He said that since he was the guy who introduced me to the client I didn’t deserve the commission.

So I started stealing from him. From *him* not the business. He was the kind of guy that kept a ton of personal things at work. So I started taking a cigar or three here, a bottle of booze there. He’d catch it and get p****d off and would rant at me and then be a bigger j**k to everyone.

Then, one time, he was a total j**k and was threatening to dock everyone’s pay for it. That night I took it all. All his booze, all his cigars. His diamond watch, a 1911 with two mags he had in his desk. And more things I can’t remember. I think I even took the roll away desk and the his chair as well as the video camera he has on his bookshelf to film his room.

Next day he sends out a notice to everyone that he knows who had been stealing from the company. He had film. And if they would come forward he’d not have them arrested. Half the office confessed to stealing from the business.

So he bluffed and caught ½ the office.

You might also like: 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective

Source Link “My Drunken Jealousy Saved Me”: 25 Stories Of Unintended Consequences

Anxiety Disorder, Avoidance Behavior, Big Things, Creepy World, Curiosities, Dsm-5 Phobia Criteria, Fear Of Big Things, Fear Of Large Objects, Fear Triggers, Fears, Giant, Huge, Irrational Fears, Large Objects, Massive, Megalophobe, Megalophobia, Mental Health Diagnosis, Phobia, Phobia Symptoms, Phobias, Trigger

60 Pics That Show Why Extremely Large Things Can Be So Scary

December 15, 2025

Beyoncé sang it best in her hit song Ego when she declared, “It’s just too big.” Anyone who is seriously scared of large things might very well relate. While it’s considered an irrational fear, it’s a very real part of life for those with megalophobia. Tall buildings, huge trucks, vast lakes and even gigantic animals can send them into a flat spin of anxiety. Or have them avoiding situations and places altogether.

Trigger warning: If you’re wondering whether you’re a megalophobe, the answer might just lie below. Bored Panda has put together a list of photos of freakishly big objects and living beings that people have spotted in the wild. They were posted by an online community called Megalophobia. It’s somewhat of a virtual support group for anyone with a fear of large things, and a safe space to test your triggers if you suspect you may suffer from the phobia.

We also take a look at the bigger picture… What are the causes, the symptoms, and how can you overcome it? You’ll find that info between the images.

Discover more in 60 Pics That Show Why Extremely Large Things Can Be So Scary

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#1 Sequoia National Park In California

If any of these images make you want to run for the smallest hill you can find, you might just have megalophobia. It’s a type of anxiety disorder in which a person experiences intense fear of large things.

Massive objects like large buildings, statues, vehicles and even living creatures can stir up fear and anxiety when a megalophobe merely thinks about them, or is around them. It’s for this reason that people with the disorder will often simply avoid situations or places that have large objects.

While researchers aren’t 100% sure of what exactly causes megalophobia, they believe it could have something to do with having negative or traumatic experiences involving a large object.

#2 This Aurora Over Norway

#3 Yosemite National Park

Some of the symptoms of megalophobia include feeling intense fear and anxiety, experiencing a rapid heartbeat, having shortness of breath, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, and/or nauseous, and having a strong desire to escape the large object or situation.

Just because one or all of the images on this list freaked you out, it doesn’t mean you’re definitely a megalophobe. To confirm that, you’d need a diagnosis from a health professional, and according to the Cleveland Clinic’s experts, you typically have to have experienced persistent fear and anxiety of large objects for at least six months in order to be diagnosed with megalophobia.

#4 The Slănic Salt Mine In Romania

#5 Volcanic Eruption From Space

#6 Pyramids On The Horizon

Your doctor will most likely ask you a series of questions regarding your history, experiences and symptoms. They’d have to rule out any other physical or mental health conditions that could be causing your symptoms. And if you’re in the United States, they’ll use the criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to confirm a diagnosis of megalophobia.

Cleveland Clinic’s site notes that generally, phobias have at least four criteria for diagnosis. The first is intense and unreasonable fear, meaning the fear of the object or situation is “persistent and out of proportion to an appropriate level of fear.”

#7 Dragon Bamboo Compared To Normal Human

#8 Antarctica Seen From Space

#9 Rain Cloud Near The Beach

The next is what’s known as anticipatory anxiety. “An individual who has a phobia tends to dwell on or dread future situations or experiences that will involve the object or situation they are afraid of,” explains the clinic’s site.

Those diagnosed with a phobia will also exhibit avoidance. Basically, they’ll actively avoid the thing they fear and won’t put themselves in a situation where they might encounter it.

The fourth criterion one would have to meet to be diagnosed with a phobia is that it interferes with day-to-day activities. The fear they experience would have to limit their everyday life in some way.

#10 This Husky Next To A Wolf Looks Like A Puppy Next To Its Mom

#11 A Large Anubis Statue On Display

#12 Mt Taranaki In New Zealand. The Large Dark Green Circle Is A National Park

Desensitization/exposure therapy, on the other hand, will put you face-to-face with the objects that trigger your fears, hopefully helping you to overcome them.

“If you have megalophobia and participate in exposure therapy, your therapist or psychologist may begin with talking about large objects. They may then gradually move on to showing you pictures of large objects,” explains the Cleveland Clinic site. “Next, they may have you look at and be near a large object in person. The process of exposure therapy is slow and gradual. Your therapist or psychologist will tailor the pace of the therapy to your needs.”

Then there’s also traditional talk therapy, or even group therapy.

#13 Visually, Japanese Spider Crabs Really Are The Stuff Of Nightmares

#14 A Mountain Shadow

#15 Mt Fuji, Japan From Above

“While it’s tempting to avoid the large objects that cause fear with your megalophobia, this strategy will only make it more difficult to cope with your condition in the long-term,” warns the Healthline site. “Instead of avoidance, it’s best to expose yourself to your fears little by little until your anxiety starts to improve.”

Relaxation can also help you to cope. So, if you encounter a large object and feel your anxiety start to rise, you could try some deep breathing and visualization to calm yourself down.

#16 An Old Swedish Warship

#17 Mont-Saint-Michel In Normandy France

#18 Always Forget How Massive These Supercarriers That America Builds Actually Are

Cleveland Clinic’s site reports that only about 10% to 25% of people who have a specific phobia seek treatment for their condition, and that’s because the rest choose to rather just avoid the object or situation that they fear. But experts warn against this…

#19 The Largest Leaf That’s Ever Been Found

#20 That’s Not A Vampire, It’s A Golden-Crowned Flying Fox

#21 Just A Spiral Fire Escape

“If you have megalophobia, avoiding situations that involve large objects can prevent you from enjoying certain things in life like traveling and can lower your overall quality of life,” cautions the site. “This is why it’s important to seek treatment. Everyone deserves a high quality of life.”

It adds that people who have a specific phobia and don’t seek treatment are twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder and depression.