Hindsight is always 20/20. But unfortunately, we don’t have time machines, so everybody’s going to mess up every now and then. It is possible, though, to prevent plenty of errors if we simply use our brains first. Unfortunately, it seems like some people haven’t figured that out yet…
Below, you’ll find a list of photos from What Could Go Wrong?, along with pics from various other Reddit communities, featuring hilarious fails. As it turns out, plenty of things can go wrong, and many things did! Enjoy scrolling through this list that might give you secondhand embarrassment, and remember to always think through your decisions before rushing into them. Better to be safe than sorry.
#1 Using A Walmart Bag When Bleaching Your Hair
Image source: noondo_-nibba
#2 … Having Feet On Dashboard In A Car Crash
Image source: t-ara-fan
#3 First Time Making Quiche Lorraine. What Do You Think?
Image source: facederaice
As Hannah Montana famously sang, “Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days.” And it’s true. No matter how lucky you think you are, one day you’ll manage to spill an entire cup of coffee down your shirt on your way to work or crash your bicycle into a bus on your way to a first date. Mishaps, embarrassing moments, and failures are inevitable. But it’s important to learn from them, even from the ones we’ve seen others make, so we don’t repeat them.
And if you’d like to be reminded of why we should always think through our actions, allow us to introduce you to the What Could Go Wrong? subreddit. Not all of the photos on this list are from this group, but they all have the same spirit of this community. According to the group’s moderators, this is “the best place to learn what not to do.”
#4 “I Think I Left A Window Open Last Night, Not Sure”
Image source: ValueMaverick
#5 My Worst Nightmare Finally Became A Reality
Image source: Scaventa
#6
Image source: Idiots In Cars
Making mistakes is a quintessential part of being a human. From sending small typos while texting your boss to forgetting your best friend’s birthday, there are millions of errors that people can make every single day. But mistakes aren’t inherently a bad thing. In fact, it’s perfectly natural for us to make them.
According to Orca Lean Digital Solutions, there are some psychological explanations for human errors. Sometimes we make mistakes due to cognitive overload. If your brain is dealing with more information than it can process at once, you might overlook details and make some errors. Or, if you’re thinking about one thing while talking about something else, what’s in your mind might accidentally slip out.
#7 Task Failed Successfully
Image source: SipsTeaFrog
#8 Driving In Sand
Image source: Br00ce
#9 WCGW With Sharing Your Achievements On The Internet? Please Be Careful, Friends
In 2015, an Australian woman won $825 at the Melbourne Cup after betting on a horse. The ecstatic woman posted a selfie of her holding the winning ticket on Facebook, and when she went to claim her winnings only 15 minutes later, the money was gone. Apparently, one of her Facebook friends downloaded the photo and used the barcode in an automated machine to steal her winnings.
Image source: reddit.com
Stress and fatigue are also common explanations for mistakes that humans make. Being under pressure makes it harder to pay attention, make decisions, and react quickly. This is part of the reason why taking frequent short breaks at work is important to keep your mind fresh. Meanwhile, confirmation bias can explain some mistakes. This can cause people to miss important details or information because their mind is already made up.
#10 WCGW Locking Your Dog In The RV
Image source: Deloreanfan12
#11 WCGW Revealing Your Location When Under Investigation For Human Trafficking Just Because You Have An Online Fight With A Teenager
Image source: marianitten
#12 Building A Highway In Swampland, What Could Go Wrong?
Image source: JulianOxford
In the same vein, habitual behaviors can lead to making mistakes. If you’re doing something on autopilot because you’ve done it a million times before, you might not be prepared for unexpected changes. Humans aren’t super alert at all times (which is actually a blessing, because it allows us to relax), so we can easily be caught off guard by sudden changes.
#13 WCGW Removing The Cones That Reserved An Area For Delivery
Image source: pspfreak
#14 WCGW Playing With Clippers And Your Dog
Image source: Keevomora
#15 “I Changed A Key Ingredient In This Brownie Recipe, It Can’t Be My Fault It Got Messed Up”
Image source: csstraight
Sam Goldstein, PhD, writes for Psychology Today that it’s best to view mistakes we make in a positive light. We tend to fear errors and try to avoid them as often as possible, but sometimes they can be wonderful learning experiences. For example, if you’re learning a new skill, studying a new language, or trying out a new hobby, you’re not going to be perfect from day one. In fact, you’ll probably be terrible. But that’s how you learn! We should normalize making mistakes, so there’s no shame around them.
#16 My Sister Made The Mistake Of Feeding These Two Once. This Is Them Now Every Single Day, Like Clockwork. (They Have A Home)
Image source: william-isaac
#17 My Dad Says, “Google Is Doing This Stupid Thing Where The Blur The Top Left Part Of The Results. Facebook Is Doing It Too Actually.” He Melted The Top Left Corner Of His Screen
Image source: unidentifies
#18 Hey! You Can’t Park There
Image source: Joseph Walters
Making mistakes frequently can also make humans more resilient. If you can count on one hand the number of times you’ve messed up this week, you’re probably not taking a lot of risks. And you might not be learning anything new! But if you’re used to receiving criticism and feedback, you’ll get better at taking it. Plus, you might be able to view your errors as funny stories to tell later, rather than embarrassing moments. It’s important to train your brain to see the positives in these situations.
#19 My Mom Forgot That She Was Making Syrup
Image source: historyhoneybee
#20 Didn’t Completely Cover My Feet In Sunscreen. Got A Nasty Burn. You Can See Exactly Where My Fingers Stopped
Went to the beach, got some sand on my feet as I was applying sunscreen. As a result, I didn’t completely get the tops of my feet. The non burnt areas match perfectly with my fingers. I didn’t burn anywhere else and haven’t had a burn like this in years. Now I’m stuck with these stupid tan lines
Image source: rebnat
#21 WCGW If I Break Into This House
Image source: Sno_Jon
Is this list making you feel better about the decisions you’ve made in your own lives, pandas? Keep upvoting the things you can’t believe people actually did, and let us know in the comments below if you’ve made any embarrassingly poor choices recently. Then, if you’d like to check out another article featuring some of the stupidest decisions people have ever made, we’ve got the perfect Bored Panda list to read next right here!
#22 Wcgw Rescheduling A French Football Match Just To Cater The Chinese TV Audience
Image source: AbatNaBitin
#23 WCGW When You Don’t Tie Down A Load Of Deck Boards
Image source: dingmah
#24 WCGW If My Neighbour Uses The Longest Possible Drill Out There?
Image source: p4r4v4n
#25 Vacuum Cleaning My Apple Keyboard
Image source: gibagger
#26 Wcgw Throwing A Card Next To A TV?
Image source: another_brat
#27 WCGW If I Make Eyeball Tattoo?
Image source: November036
#28 According The The Man Code, He Must Continue To Try For At Least 20 Minutes Before Admitting His Error
Image source: reddit.com
#29 Layoff Skilled Workers Hurts Company?
Image source: isu_trickster
#30 What Could Possibly Go Wrong?!
Image source: Kelly_the_tailor
#31 If You Go Out In The Woods Today
Image source: DKKP
#32 We’ve Been Going Insane Trying To Find A Smoke Detector Beeping For 9 Days Straight. Turns Out A Contractor Left It Inside The Wall Between The Kitchen And Bathroom
Image source: BucksBrew
#33 WCGW Not Staking Your Tent Properly
Image source: moirakangaroo
#34 WCGW Filling Your Iron With Sugar Water
Image source: Sucuk420
#35 WCGW Pretending To Have The Coronavirus
Image source: reddit.com
#36 “Use This Tempered Glass Floor Mat!” Mom Said, “Never Have To Replace It Again!” She Said
Image source: CrazyCoKids
#37 Block A Farmers Gate… What Could Go Wrong?
Image source: Tears_Of_A_Clown_88
#38 I’ve Made A Huge Mistake
Image source: sourcreamjunkie
#39 I Ate Half A Bag Of Beef Jerky And Realized I Made A Mistake
I bought this bag of jerky for myself. The photo looks enticing and the label “culinary, smoked brisket jerky” sounds appealing. It didn’t taste like typical jerky but I thought to myself that this was the results of cooking with beans and herbs. After finishing half a bag, I saw the small prints on the lower corner of the bag that this is for dogs. Now I know what dog treats taste like (not good).
Image source: bobosdreams
#40 I Made A Mistake With Making Eye Contact With My Cat. Now I’m Being Pounced On
Image source: strawberrytrapani
#41 Chicken Stuck In Freezer Door
Image source: bradkrauss2010
#42 My Kid Got This In Her Easter Basket. I Was Confused About Why She Didn’t Want It So I Took A Bite. It’s Soap
Image source: hellogoawaynow
#43 My Daughter Decided To Cool Off Her Hot Pot Of Pasta On Our Deck
Image source: Shaneblaster
#44 When You Block A Car
Image source: thoumasTurbando
#45
Image source: marcel.vttr
#46 WCGW Kicking Snow
Image source: anonymous
#47 Going To A Gender Reveal Party
Image source: Starkf_
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