Sometimes the world feels like an unfair place. You can’t help but wonder why we are often supposed to do things we shouldn’t be. Like getting a call from work on your day off or being close to your family members just because they’re family and not because you like them. Or shaming coworkers when they leave work on time.
And it turns out, there are many more things that are universally considered as normal, when in fact they’re the exact opposite. It’s just that nobody talks about it. So this Ask Reddit thread has people calling out real-life examples that are “unhealthy, toxic, unfair or unethical” in disguise as perfectly acceptable.
Below, we wrapped up some of the most interesting points so scroll down and let us know if you agree with them in the comments below!
#1
That you are supposed to be close to/loyal to family because they’re family. My family, my mother especially, is abusive and manipulative. People say, “but it’s your MOM, you only have one MOM.” I say they don’t act like family so I don’t consider them family.
Image source: Inevitable_Molasses
#2
Parents expecting their kids to respect them no matter how disrespectful, rude, or abusive they are to their kids.
Edit: to all those replying to me as if I’m some spoiled 16 year old; I’m 22 with my own kids. I was constantly called a b***h and a c**t growing up, beaten, manipulated, and then told to get over it by the very person who did all these things to me. So if y’all would kindly f**k off with your gaslighting b******t that’d be great. No one here needs to hear your uninformed and well… abusive opinions. :)
Image source: dyvrom
#3
Shaming workmates when they go home on time. “Wow, you’re going home on the dot?” “Yes karen, cause i do my work fast so i can do my hobbies and go to the gym, while you rot away trying to impress the company that will never care about you.”
Image source: bohenian12
#4
Beauty pageants for kids
Image source: ahivarn
#5
Older people using “respect your elders,” as a cop-out to being shitty to younger family members and not being held accountable for it.
Image source: grizzfan
#6
Nurses: fighting for 2% payrise.
Politicians: “Sorry not enough money in the budget for that”
Politicians: Give themselves 16% payrise
Image source: Wafflestomper999
#7
Telling people who are extremely happy over a new purchase why it’s shitty or why they shouldn’t have done it.
I had a buddy who went from an old beat up pickup to a brand new Mazda 3. It looks amazing, is a manual, etc. One of our old friends harassed the living hell out of him telling him that it was a girls car, and that he should’ve just fixed up his old beater because it was more “manly” meanwhile this other guy is literally driving a car that is completely falling apart.
My buddy looked so discouraged and sad. I did the best I could to tell him how awesome his car is, and how much better the technology is in it compared to my older Saab.
This guy worked a ton of overtime saving as much as possble while working a barely higher than minimum wage job to get a decent down payment so he would have a nice monthly payment just to have his greatest accomplishment s**t all over. It is sickening.
Image source: Bussey83
#8
Teachers spending their own money on classroom supplies. Along with the mentality that if you aren’t sacrificing your entire life “for the kids” that you aren’t a good teacher.
Image source: Forky7, Kenny Eliason
#9
If someone asks you a yes or no question and you say no then they try to persuade you and get hostile and then expect you to do it anyway. That’s not a question but a demand. F**k those people.
Image source: anon
#10
The school system and how it deals with fights. Whenever a kid is minding his own business and another kid beats the s**t out of him then they BOTH get in trouble. What the f**k?
Image source: anon
#11
The idea you can’t have a healthy romantic relationship unless you have fights. I don’t mean like disagreements – I mean like full-on, screaming at each other, throwing stuff fights. I’ve had people literally tell me if you don’t have fights like this with your partner, then you’re hiding stuff from each other. Horrible, toxic fights don’t equate to having an emotionally healthy relationship.
Edit: wow! Didn’t expect this to blow up – I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking this way. Also thanks for the silver!
Image source: silmaril_023
#12
I’ll probably get downvoted for this, but porn is extremely addictive, gives people unrealistic expectations of sex, and is reason why numerous people are forced into sex trafficking
Edit: Thanks for the silver/gold!!
Image source: _usernamepassword_, DANNY G
#13
Overly possessive significant others. Jealousy is not a sign of passion it’s a sign of instability.
Image source: knnbreakingnews
#14
Instagram influencers and YouTube celebrities like the Paul brothers.
Image source: pajamakitten
#15
Cheerleading in high school. Was a goth weirdo girl in high school and joined cheerleading as a joke like “look anyone can do it” and those uniforms made me so uncomfortable. You can’t bend over even slightly without flashing your a*s to everyone because the skirts are so short. But it’s ok because you’re wearing “spanx” (tiny tight elastic underwear). They skirts look longer than they are because they are higher waisted. In reality they stop right under your buttcheek. We had strict dress codes at school (I once got in trouble for wearing shorts that my mother had picked out for me. They couldn’t have been that bad if my over-protective mother bought them for me) but was allowed-actually it was mandatory, for us to wear uniforms on game days/ spirit days/ whatever the hell.
On top of that, the IDEA of cheerleaders were weird. A game needs attractive girls to cheer on the boys? Part of our uniform is to be sexually appealing? So weird. I understand it’s a legitimate sport, I’m not talking about competitive cheerleading as a sport itself. I’m a black belt in Martial Arts and I remember being impressed by the athleticism of the high-performing girls. I’m talking about cheerleading as it is utilized in the school system.
Image source: Halloween_Queen1331
#16
Forcing somebody who is clearly sick to go to work/school. Like oh gee thanks for forcing your kid upon us, now we get to watch the plague rip through the school.
Edit: Thank you all for the input on this. It’s super cool seeing a bunch of perspectives being put together like this.
Edit 2: Thank you guys for the platinum! It’s really kind of whoever gave it.
Image source: Mister_4Eyes
#17
When parents tell their little girls that the reason that boy is mean to her is because he likes her. Kids keep that same energy as adults and wonder why then can’t leave that dude being a complete and utter a*****e
Image source: spanish429
#18
Overweight/obese children being considered “normal” or “healthy” by their parents who are blind to how unhealthy they’re making their children.
Image source: paperclip1213
#19
People from work calling you on your day off.
Image source: anon
#20
American work culture.
Working while sick, working overtime, poor work/life balance, etc…
Image source: SomeDEGuy, LYCS Architecture
#21
Telling people how to feel or forcibly trying to change how they feel. If someone’s sad, comfort them and let them be sad. If someone’s angry, then let them be angry and work out their frustrations (in a healthy manner of course).
All my life (24M BTW) I’ve been told that I shouldn’t be angry or that I “have no reason to be depressed”. This caused me to fake happiness, and you know what it got me? It got me panic attacks, screamed at for having panic attacks because they thought I was “faking” or needed “to toughen up”, and a burning anger that never seems to go away.
To this day I have trouble feeling emotions other than anger or sadness because I was never allowed to work them out when I was younger.
TLDR: Don’t tell people how to feel. Emotions are human and we need to work them out.
Image source: liquidpwnage
#22
I’m late, but
Our alcohol culture, especially for young people. I feel like it’s being normalized to over indulge in alcohol, to the point where I know alcoholics who think that what they do is what everybody does.
Image source: KafkaesqueLife, Kelsey Chance
#23
The idea that men have to hate being married, and the constant joking about how their wives are weighing them down
Image source: PineMarte
#24
The way people in fast food and other customer service related jobs are treated.
Image source: PracticalFix1
#25
The idea that a woman’s value is in her appearance, what’s worse is that girls I know are more responsible for this than guys
Image source: GumbyGamer
#26
Acting like there is something wrong with someone for being a virgin.
Image source: reuelm, Alexander Popov
#27
The Mommy wine culture.
I get so tired of seeing “mommy’s sippy cup” and “mom’s time out” on wine glasses. The whole culture of it is just silly, mom’s can relax without a glass of wine.
​
Edit: I like wine too, but I don’t blame my drinking of it on my kids.
Image source: anon
#28
Belittling others to pump up your own self-esteem.
Image source: anon
#29
Staying in abusive relationships, just because there isn’t physical abuse.
“I put up with it because I love him.” You shouldn’t be put through torture because you love someone.
Image source: anon
#30
Telling men to “man up” and “not cry” because it’s perceived as girly by whoever the f**k told them. It’s the most unhealthy thing to tell a person that they shouldn’t feel their emotions. Bottling that s**t up can only cause harm, anger, and resentment. Let people feel their feelings for f***s sake
Edit: ok a few things here
1) thank you for the silver, kind stranger!
2) I meant that you should cry in appropriate situations, definitely learn how to suck it up for a bit than release it later
3) I’m a lady
Image source: borgashmord, Ben Hershey
#31
THE SILENT TREATMENT.
it’s f*****g abusive. i don’t mean 5 minutes of silence to collect your thoughts, i don’t mean saying ‘leave me alone’, i mean pretending that your partner/child/friend just doesn’t exist, and letting them crumple in on themselves for a crime that you *won’t talk to them about*.
Image source: anon
#32
Anything vaguely labeled as “detoxes” or “cleanses”. Take for example the Teamie cleanse teas. They are usually full of unhealthy diuretics and laxatives to encourage weight loss. They have been linked to drug induced liver damage and aren’t regulated by the FDA. The worst part is they are receiving huge endorsements from celebrities. It’s pretty easy to tell by the advertisement that the claims are pseudoscience b******t, but they marketed as health products. Call me crazy but something that can lead to high heart rate/ blood pressure, and vomiting, all just so you can s**t your brains out and lose some water weight isn’t really a “health” product.
Image source: chobblegobbler898, Drew Jemmett
#33
Being forced to work for free in order to keep your job.
Image source: MaliciousPorpoise
#34
Image source: tubewatch
#35
Not sure if this is actually considered normal, but I have seen push-up bras marketed to pre-teens and teens (known as the Junior’s section here in the US) in the lingerie area of stores like Target.
Since when does any teen girl need or should be encouraged to wear a push-up bra for extra cleaveage?
Edited to add a link for Target’s juniors “intimates” online store: https://www.target.com/c/juniors-intimates-clothing-women/-/N-551uz
Edit: Holy post blow up, Batman! Thank you kind stranger for the Silver!
Edit 2: to the women who still buy in Juniors sizes.. while it fits you, it isn’t the target demographic that the sizes are marketed to. Ask yourself why these companies don’t carry sizes for your size in women’s sizes vs Juniors, which are obviously pre-teen and teen sizes and styles.
Fit and size is one thing, actual target market is another.
Image source: Meschugena
Follow Us
