From little things to life-changing facts, we learn things every day. So no wonder our series of Today I Learned posts is one of the favorites among our readers. Scroll through mind-expanding facts here, here and here, and make your day well spent.
But this time we’re talking about things that people learned way too late. Think of the fact that birds don’t live in nests. “I learned that at the age of 72,” wrote one Redditor in response to someone asking “What fact did you learn at an embarrassingly late age?” And this is just the beginning.
Scroll down to see some more of the funny, yet all too real responses in the thread and make sure to add your ‘embarrassingly late-learned facts’ in the comment section below!
#1
I was 23 on a trip with my girlfriend in San Francisco. We were both getting ready for the day in the bathroom and I needed my hair gel, so I asked if she could hand me my toilet treat bag. She seemed confused, I again asked, “Can you please hand me my bag of toilet treats!?” She ran out of the bathroom laughing.
I thought toiletries was toilet treats.
Image source: nebraskateacher
#2
That birds don’t live in nests. Just for rearing their young. I learned that at the age of 72. And I have a PhD in biophysics. Not zoology. Never too late to learn.
Image source: alanmagid, Fabrizio Frigeni
#3
For most of my life I assumed Neil Armstrong was a black man, because I’d never seen Neil outside the space suit, but I had seen Louis Armstrong. It never occurred to me that there would be anything unusual about a black astronaut in the 60s.
Image source: mrbooze, piqsels
#4
Until the age of 14, I thought Princess Diana was a famous marine biologist. They always called her “The Princess of WALES” so…..
Image source: AIRjaram, John Mathew Smith
#5
I learned that I grew up in a white-trashy family around 10 through television. One night, I was watching tv and Jeff Foxworthy came on. I was a very content only child who to the best of my knowledge got everything they ever wanted and had no idea about things could/needed to be otherwise. Well, ole Jeff was well into his skit and I was avidly listening. “If you watch TV on a TV that sits on top of a broken TV, you might be a redneck.” Wait, what? I’m watching tv sitting on top of a broken TV. “If you have a broken down car sitting in your front yard that hasn’t been moved in years, you might be a Redneck.” We have 5 of those, wth this isn’t normal? “If you have appliances in your yard… If you’ve got shacks in your yard… If you live in a trailer next to a house… If… Etc… You might be a redneck.” I looked around and painfully realized that I was living all of those things. So, that was the day I found out I was a redneck.
Image source: anonymous
#6
That the little piggy who went to market wasn’t going shopping for groceries. Last year it hit me. I’m 28.
Image source: MeOfAllTrades
#7
My dad would tell me bulls**t things to mess with me as a kid. Usually he would remember eventually to correct it. Sometimes, however, he forgot.
I went through the first 17 years of my life thinking an artichoke was a nocturnal rodent. Went to Italian restaurant and was horrified to see artichoke hearts on the menu. My girlfriend still gives me s**t for it three years later.
#8
I was watching Titanic with some friends. When it comes to the part where – spoiler alert – the ship starts sinking and the old couple are in bed together, my friend, let’s call her Amy, goes “why don’t they just go to sleep?”.
There’s a pause as everyone looks baffled before Amy explains that you don’t breathe while you’re asleep so you can’t drown.
Amy was 21 and in university.
Image source: anonymous
#9
It’s called “metal” because it’s harder than rock.
Image source: HiDeAnkTum, Marko Milivojevic
#10
I thought morning sickness was just that, feeling sick before noon. One Christmas I announced to my entire extended family that I had morning sickness. I was probably 9 or 10. I’m also a guy.
Image source: GoodDecision
#11
I re-named a goldfish “rainbow” when I was 7 because it kept changing color every few months. I told friends about this fish for years like it was some mystical kaleidoscope fish. It hit me in the face a couple months ago that the fish wasn’t changing color…my parents were just replacing it when it died without telling me.
Image source: christinaorr, pxhere
#12
I always thought that you had to legally be 16 to have coffee. Soon after my 16th birthday I went to the nearest coffee store and ordered one. I was sweating and hoping they wouldn’t ask for id, because I didn’t have any.
Image source: anonymous, Sung Wang
#13
When I was a young boy I had a black football coach (I’m white).
I asked him, “hey coach, do black people get hotter in the sun than white people”
And he responded “well I dono I’ve never been white”
And then it hit me. “Ohhhhhh”
Image source: Jpaynesae1991
#14
I used to think that when listening to a CD the singer had to physically sing it from wherever they were in the world in order for you to listen
So when it was night time I wouldn’t listen to my Avril Lavigne CD because I didn’t want her to lose sleep for me
Image source: craniumblood, cottonbro
#15
When I first started to grow boobs I thought I had breast cancer, but I was too embarrassed to ask anyone so I just accepted my death.
Image source: donotlikebananas
#16
That green, red, and yellow bell peppers are all the same pepper at different stages of life.
Image source: cosmic_riviera, pixnio
#17
Thought reindeer were mythical creatures, like unicorns, that helped Santa at Christmas. Didn’t realise until I was 18. My mum took me to see real reindeer that Christmas, my mind was blown
Image source: trolltollwhatyousay, Norman Tsui
#18
My parents had me convinced that when the ice cream truck played music, it was out of ice cream. I didn’t know differently until I was almost 18.
Image source: petcgirl
#19
Pickles come from cucumbers
Image source: germinik, AKuptsova
#20
Somehow the conversation of superhero names came up with my girlfriend (29) the other day, and she mentioned Wolverine being named after wolves. I kinda looked at her and said “Wolverine was named after wolverines.” She stared back blankly. One google images search later and I had taught a biology major about a new animal.
Image source: pfthrowaway14
#21
I didn’t learn the difference between miner and minor until I was like, 12. My dad was a miner and I used to freak out about him smoking or drinking because I thought it was prohibited to miners.
Image source: steinenhoot
#22
A week ago I finally made the connection that the hood is short for the neighborhood. I’m 23.
Image source: gritodedolores1946, Ken Lund
#23
Just talked to a coworker the other day who didn’t know his name was Jason until 3rd grade. His initials were JT and his family called him by that and so he thought that was his name.
During roll call in class the teacher was asking for a “Jason” and he just sat there thinking “some sucker is late for class”. Then the name JT was never called and confusion ensued.
Image source: Yivoe, Max Fischer
#24
One time in 7th grade science, my class was having a discussion about volcanoes and then out of nowhere, a kid in the back yelled in the most surprised voice ever “wait! Volcanoes are real!?”
Image source: Thebenwheeler66, Russell Neches
#25
I thought lingerie was a fancy word for laundry for way longer than i care to admit. Explains why my mates gave me a weird look when I told them I had to fold my lingerie
Image source: Jews_Are_meh
#26
I was convinced cheese grew on bushes till 12-13 years old. My brother is really proud of this.
Image source: digdat0, NastyaSensei
#27
I thought it was “war war I” and “war war II” instead of “world war”. everyone always just said it like “war war” because Texas.
Image source: natlay, Photos of the Past
#28
I thought cats were a breed of dog until I was about 15.
Image source: captainnermy, Tran Mau Tri Tam
#29
i thought that when people lose a body part their organism could regenerate the missing part until i was 13+-. if i saw someone with a half of an arm missing i thought “good s**t, his arm is almost complete”
Image source: BetterCallMyJungler
#30
It’s “For all intents and purposes”
Not “For all intensive purposes”
Learned at age 30.
Image source: anonymous
#31
There actually ARE carrots in carrot cake. I assumed it was a joke because it’s orange and we were all in on it.
Image source: llama-rama
#32
I just learned a few months ago that lightning does not happen when two clouds touch each other. That was a very sad, and very disappointing day.
Image source: anonymous, Alexandre Bringer
#33
I only learned this year that ponies aren’t just baby horses.
Image source: Up_from_below
#34
I don’t know if the realization I’ve had when I was around 6 years old is something that everyone experiences, but I was completely blown away when my great-grandmother told me that she wasn’t always old and was, in fact, a kid once, and so was everyone else. That was the day I learned about the process of aging.
Image source: cerberus_cat
#35
What lesbians are. I thought they were from Romania. I was 17.
Image source: TonyPepperonis, Matheus Bertelli
#36
Ray-Bans are called that because they “Ban” the suns rays from entering your eyes.
Image source: anonymous, Shamindi Wehalle
#37
I thought the Amish were like an old timey group of actors who were just really into it until I was about 18, revealed that, and was promptly made fun of because they in fact are a functioning society who actually live that way, not actors.
Image source: babisaurusREX, Highsmith, Carol M
#38
A few weeks ago I learned that hens lay infertile eggs so roosters aren’t necessary. I’m 21.
Image source: FlatTyres, Alison Burrell
#39
When I was 18 I learned that the thing on the bottom of your rear view mirror was used to dim lights from cars behind you at night. I was complaining about a car behind me and my buddy in the Army told me to flip the mirror thing. Mind Blown.
Image source: raymondspogo
#40
I thought that all dogs were male and all cats were female for the longest time.
Image source: LuminousRain, Alec Favale
#41
When I was cleaning my last apartment the day before moving out, I ran out of paper towels cleaning counter tops. I thought I couldn’t continue without going to the store for more, until over the phone, my mother asked why I didn’t just use a towel.
Paper towels and towels can serve the same function.. I am 30.
Image source: FinalFacade
#42
That girls had nipples. Until I was 13 I thought it was all smooth. That changed when I went to NYC with my parents and saw a lady protesting equal rights with no shirt on. It was quite an experience.
Image source: anonymous
#43
As a kid I loved Mr. Bean. My mom took a trip to England to visit relatives and came back with an autographed postcard from him, I didn’t realize until my twenties that it was in her handwriting. :/
Image source: FiveFourThreeNoseOne
#44
That you only get milk from cows who have recently given birth. I was told by my father that cows produce milk be eating grass and I continued to believe it until I was in my early twenties
Image source: mrchaddy, Kat Jayne
#45
When I was a young kid I thought attractive people and celebrities didn’t have toes. I thought their feet were perfect like the feet of a Barbie. I wanted to be famous so I could have feet like a Barbie, I thought toes were gross.
Image source: lauquinn, dollyhaul
#46
That a blanket doesn’t provide it’s own heat. Yes, it genuinely took me a while.
Image source: TheForgottenPages, Taylor Friehl
#47
You know the towel hats the woman wear after taking a shower? It took me much longer than I’m willing to admit to realise that their hair is in the towel.
Image source: MrTurtle7091, Sora Shimazaki
#48
Chocolate milk doesn’t come from chocolate cows. I thought there were chocolate cows until I was a college senior.
Image source: monkey_swagger, Donnie Nunley
#49
I thought I was allergic to cactus because they hurt me when I touched them, didn’t find out that cactus have thorns until I was 12
Image source: LuminousRain, Maksim Goncharenok
#50
That there are literally different seasons in different places in the world. I always thought about it as of a fact that I mislearned but it turned out to be true about a year ago. I’m 23.
Image source: ferglicious, Leandro Neumann Ciuffo
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