People Are Sharing The "Normal" Things They Refuse To Do, And Honestly, I Agree With Most Of Them
It goes without saying that we live in a world where we all do and say things because it's just expected of us. In fact, it can be so ingrained into us that we don't even think about questioning them and think of them as just normal.
NBC
And a couple of days ago, Reddit user u/fuzziblanket brought up this idea when they asked the AskReddit community, "What is something considered 'normal' by society that you refuse to do?"
Sony Pictures Releasing
The thread had thousands of responses. Here are some of the top-voted and best comments:
1."The need to be available 24/7 — e.g., always having your phone on you. I like going for long walks and leaving my phone at home. I don't feel guilty for missing texts or calls; it's just stressful being expected to be available all hours of the day."
NBA
"It's as if some people think owning a phone means you signed a contract stating that you will always answer or reply. Bitch, please, this is just a tool; I will use it as I see fit."
2."Upload pictures of yourself online."
"I never understood that level of exposure to strangers on the internet becoming a norm."It's okay to just be a name or username on the internet; you don't owe it to anyone to use a selfie as a profile picture, etc. Anonymity is one of the perks of being online."Not to mention, in the case of minors, for example, being allowed to post pictures of themselves on social media invites a whole different kind of trouble."
3."Work myself to death."
Disney
"People who think work is a personality trait. Ugh! I work with a guy like this. Basically brags that he can’t enjoy his days off because he’s too tired."
"I work so I can live; I don't live to work. Given the choice, I wouldn't work; I'd hide in the woods with an internet connection and all the hobby stuff I could want. Unfortunately, that's a very expensive alternative, and I haven't won the lottery yet."
4."Sacrifice a down payment on a house for a wedding."
Warner Bros.
"Plus, the house is a source of value. Especially if you have a small mortgage or no mortgage, every month you're not paying rent is a month your wealth is increasing, rather than increasing someone else's wealth. And its worth might go up."The wedding is essentially lighting the money on fire, if all you consider is your future wealth."
5."Give a shit about celebs. Sometimes they're fun to talk about for like five minutes, but other than that??? Aren't they just people? I don't get it."
Marvel
"Yes. People are flabbergasted when I’m not informed about the latest celebrity news, and honestly, I just don’t see a reason to keep up with it."
6."Forbidding my (straight male) partner to spend time with female friends. He's a grown-ass man; he should know how to hold healthy boundaries. It shouldn't be on me to keep him from cheating. If he's really gonna fall into the pants of the first girl I leave him alone with, she can have him."
"Similarly, blaming someone else for my partner's failings, and/or trying to 'win back' someone who doesn't want me. He's a big boy who can make his own choices (even bad ones), and I want a partner who wants to be with me, not someone I had to talk into staying. (For the record, my dude man of 20 years is awesome.)"
"I see so many posts in the marriage sub about how much of a problem they have with their partner hanging out with the opposite sex. My husband can hang out with whomever he gets along with. I trust him. But if he did end up doing something with another woman, that's his fault. If it didn't happen with this person, it would have happened with a different person. It's no one else's fault if your partner can't control themself.
"But I did say when we first started dating that I don't tolerate cheating and it would be over if he did. So he knows where I stand."
7."Buy fast fashion (or pretty much any fashion whose supply chain is questionable). I used to. Then I found out not only how and where those clothes begin their lives, but also how and where those clothes end their lives."
"It was so horrific, I decided I was done. I now buy secondhand or I save and buy pieces from independent tailors from sites like Etsy. And I research the tailor, too."I also took some of the money I saved from clothes shopping and got a sewing machine. I am learning to sew and make my own summer dresses (I'm not good enough yet to take on complex clothing, but I'm learning)."
8."Hang out in a social setting where the music is so gawdam loud that you have to scream at the person next to you to communicate."
CW
"I've now reached the age where, if I'm going out in the evening, one of my first criteria for selecting the venue is how much drapery, napery, and carpeting they have to absorb ambient noise so I can actually hear what my goddamn friends are saying."
9."Going into debt $30,000–$70,000 for a vehicle."
10."Buy copious amounts of dishes. Why the fuck do you need 27 plates for the two people in your household? I'm looking at you, Mom."
"I don't get the 'fancy' dishes. My mother-in-law has been building her set with a specific blue flower on it for years. That shit is so damn expensive to literally just collect dust."
11."Climb up the ladder and be the boss. I could, but why?"
NBC
"Completely agree. I've moved up in companies and taken supervisor-type positions. It always comes with a lot more fuckin' headache with not nearly enough pay or benefit. I work for a small company now, and the owner/boss is married to the job, and I'm just like, no thank you. I'm cool just maintaining my role as just another spoke in the wheel."
12."Live in a city. I was born in a large city, lived there until I was 11. Then I moved to the woods. I’ve lived in the woods since then, and although I have visited cities since, I could never live there. Too many people, too much noise, and I just don’t feel comfortable. I feel more comfortable taking walks at night in the woods than I would in a city."
13."Wear makeup. If I can deal with my face, so can everyone else."
Disney
"Same. Also, like, it’s hard enough waking up to my alarms with the bare-minimum amount of time I need before leaving the house; who wants to wake up even earlier to do makeup?"
14."Share photos of my kids on social media. I find it seriously fucked up how much some people share their kids' lives online. I get sharing moments with family, but that can be done via text or holiday cards."
"I have a good friend who won't allow photos of his son on social media — from anyone. He is happy to share photos of him with me or other family or friends, but he does not allow anyone to share them on social media. I hugely respect him for it."
15."Send nudes. I'm a software developer, and I know how dangerous it is...please, don't do that."
16."Say, 'Hi, how are you doing?' as an opener for asking your real question. So fake."
Viacom
"Completely agree, but I have yet to find an alternative."
17."Follow sports."
ABC
"My sports-loving friends can't understand how I know so little about sports. 'You retain so much knowledge about D&D! How can't you just pick a team?'"Because then I'll forget my hard-studied lore, LMAO."
"'You don't follow sports? But you MUST support your local team!'
"I MUST support them? What will happen if I don't?
"...*silence*..."
18."Recording yourself doing an act of charity or a good deed in general. Completely devalues it the second you hit 'post.'"
And finally...
19."Talk to toxic family members."
Bravo
"I've sadly cut off half my own family because of this. Gone through situations with significant others and encouraged them to do the same. It's hard, but sometimes VERY necessary for everyone's growth."
You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
