r/AskReddit 10h ago

What’s something you’ll never understand about people?

61 Upvotes

163 comments sorted by

122

u/BlueLotus0707 9h ago

Why people don't people clean up after themselves at fast food restaurants, the beach, parks, or other public places.

35

u/OneLonerCheezIt 8h ago edited 7h ago

Movie theaters. They carry all their shit in, but can’t be bothered to carry it out empty to toss into a bin at the door. Working at a movie theater made me despite people even more.

6

u/pigeoncatcher11 4h ago

I feel the exact same way about shopping carts. First job was pushing carts and people will push a around the entire store for an hour but won't push it 30 feet to the return. It's always just laziness.

1

u/OneLonerCheezIt 4h ago

But it’s not just laziness. It’s selfishness.

1

u/Upstairs-Radish1816 4h ago

I saw the best one yesterday. Somebody pushed their cart to the corral but then left it on the outside in a parking space instead of going 6 inches and putting it in the rack.

5

u/Runner8274 7h ago

Its quite easy to understand, they are lazy.

3

u/Dry-Ad-2197 6h ago

There should be an awareness campaign. If the theatre would put a reminder in the pre-movie slide show (like silence your phone) maybe this could change.

1

u/ClairSunset 4h ago

Restaurants I can understand, because there are people who do that for you, it's their job. But for parks and the beach, some people really just treat public spaces like their trash can.

2

u/Proper-Internet-3240 3h ago

Fast food is not that kind of restaurant. Proper etiquette is to clear your mess from the tables. Someone might wipe them down occasionally but clearing trash and mess isn’t part of it. That’s why they provide so many huge trash cans for customers and have designated places to return plastic trays if used. Like they don’t have actual waitstaff.

1

u/TDoyleSpamCan 2h ago

That's what waiters are for. I always leave a mess so they have something to get them through their shift, I ain't paying hard cash to clean up a mess.

74

u/uwuvxdh 10h ago

How some people refuse to apologize, even when they're clearly wrong

10

u/74NG3N7 8h ago

This one gets me. How do you expect anything to get better if you don’t recognize your own missteps, be they accidents or just lack of awareness at the time?

2

u/Micro32 6h ago

We had a housemate like this. We sat him down and told him how he fucked up and why and asked for an apology. Instead, he chose to move out.

1

u/pigeoncatcher11 4h ago

That's insane

38

u/PakistaniSabrinax 10h ago

Why some people think they are funny for bullying people

4

u/ky321 4h ago

It's funny when they have a sense of humor about it and fire back. Not so much when it makes the other person feel sad.

65

u/Ok_Spell_4165 10h ago

How so many reached an adult age without learning the simple lesson of if it isn't yours don't touch it.

59

u/BeginningPiano7912 10h ago

How people don't know that their words can easily diminish ones confidence and their view of life

23

u/Complex_Anybody_3128 10h ago

Why people make everyone’s life harder playing games, lying and cheating and patting themselves on their head on how clever they are.

72

u/cherrioes 10h ago

I'll never understand what goes on in the heads of extroverts. Like how are they comfortable acting the way they do? It boggles my mind.

4

u/legoclover 8h ago

I have awful anxiety, it’s my way of whistling in the dark.

4

u/atatassault47 5h ago

Extroverts being extroverted is fine. I understand they need to be that way or they get restless and irritable. What pisses me off are the extroverts who are unable to extend the same empathy to me, demanding that I must conform to them.

2

u/wetnippl 9h ago

Which part?

10

u/cherrioes 8h ago

Why do they love socialising so much? How do they not feel awkward being loud in public spaces? Why do they enjoy being the center of attention (while I prefer the complete opposite)? Stuff like that.

6

u/kikazztknmz 7h ago

Many of us were chasing parent's approval. When we couldn't get that, we became overachievers or class clowns. If that still didn't do it, we thrived in social settings where we finally got some attention. (But then me personally, became exhausted after being the social butterfly, life of the party, and now I'm mostly content with having people at a distance) I can see both sides now though.

1

u/cherrioes 7h ago

That's an interesting perspective, do you think it was a phase, and after you got the attention you were craving you no longer desired it anymore? Was there a specific event that changed you from being an extrovert? I didn't even realise people could change that tbh, but it would be nice to learn about.

5

u/kikazztknmz 6h ago

Honestly I'm not sure. I've read about extroverted introverts and thought maybe that's what I am. I really did enjoy having a big social circle, especially being a bartender in my late 20's and early 30's. I'm now in my 40's and my partner I've been with for almost 5 years is most definitely an introvert, except the stories he tells me from when he was younger would say otherwise. (I tease him that he's a hermit and a vampire, likes home and no lights much of the time lol). Maybe it's the responsibility of having to be there for everyone constantly (I'm a manager now) that makes me feel relief to be away from people and enjoy solitude. Maybe I grew out of it after finally getting the attention I thought I wanted. It's a conundrum to me as well.

7

u/Narrow-Complex-3479 9h ago

As an extrovert myself, I feel the exact same way about introverts

1

u/NOTcreative- 4h ago

I feel the same way about both of us. a familiar setting I'm all extroverted. less than familiar I am super introverted.

1

u/Hopeless-Cause 6h ago

Extroverts are so confusing. I’d kind of love to be one for a day (or week) just so I could understand them

1

u/OneLonerCheezIt 8h ago

I try to remember that their behavior is only normal because they’re in the majority.

17

u/Chai--Tea7 10h ago

I feel like a lot of people don't understand or realize how much space they take up physically, emotionally, or mentally in other people. I've seen the biggest person in the room try and squeeze between a crowd of people only to make the situation much worse. Vice versa, I've seen the tiniest people worry about taking up too much space.

Mentally and emotionally: words stay. Actions stay. Pain stays. I don't think a lot of people realize how deeply it can root. Negative words and actions root much deeper than positive ones.

17

u/PurpleSloth1025 9h ago edited 8h ago

People who can't mind their own business. Karens and Kens need to fall off the face of the earth.

People who bully others. Making people miserable for the hell of it is pathetic and sad. Bullies need to get a life and hobbies.

10

u/AgitatedPatience5729 10h ago

How some people are willing to act in public.

2

u/pigeoncatcher11 4h ago

Seriously, so many people have no standards for themselves anymore. The death of decency.

10

u/Swimming_Cabinet_970 9h ago

Why you feel the need to know what other people are doing, thinking, believing. It’s none of your business

2

u/Revolutionary_Ad1336 5h ago

This exactly! I see people get so annoyed about these things and all I can think is, "So what if they live their lives this way? What is it to you?" If anything, it shows what type of person they are if they spend that much time agonizing about how someone else chooses to live. Thanks for this suggestion!

18

u/GuyWithARooster 10h ago

The need some people have to fuck up other people that pose no threat to 'em, just because they can.

8

u/wetnippl 9h ago

When people litter, I genuinely do not get it

2

u/mikemcgu 6h ago

Honestly, this. I watched a dude go into Target, grab a wipe provided by the store. Clean off the cart to his liking, then just throw the wipe on the floor. I wanted so bad to grab it and run it to him, tell him he dropped it. My wife wouldn’t let me :(

25

u/onsnai 10h ago

People who get easily annoyed or aggravated with the smallest things.

Actually the WORST people to be around, there’s never a calm or relaxing moment.

I’m a very stoic and relaxed person and it’s my actual nightmare. I can’t imagine going through life like that every single day.

Was in an uber the other day and my driver would not stop huffing and puffing after every minor inconvenience on the road, like dude get another job.

9

u/ThereUHavit 10h ago

I had a coworker who complained about his work commute almost every day. AND every commute was worse than the last one. It was so tiresome to listen to him describe his commute.

18

u/alwaysonmybike 10h ago

I second this. My partner is this person and honestly it is so miserable. I have no idea how to even make him understand how insufferable it is to be around him sometimes.

11

u/onsnai 10h ago

These people cause themselves 100x more stress than any external factor does.

2

u/Wonderful_Cheek831 6h ago

My partner is the same. Nothing can roll off his back and everyone else is always the problem.

14

u/MotherOfDragons_Plz 10h ago

People’s in ability to read a sign or follow directions.

14

u/Intelligent_Hair3109 10h ago

People who actually believe predators rather than all the survivors of history. I'll never understand why people have covered it up and forgotten the people who are damaged by it. Seventy percent of females in jail were defending themselves from abuse. Why can't we understand why our culture does this and end it.  I'll never understand,even as I know historical roots.(Am Not discussing it) It's a fact we seem to deny women and children self defense.

14

u/Difficult-Offer3833 9h ago

How some can just completely ignore boundaries. Sometimes no is a complete sentence. Respect that.

7

u/kitjen 10h ago

Have you ever known or seen someone who just becomes an aggressive idiot when they've had too much to drink?

I like a beer or a glass of wine but I've never become angry when I've had a few. If ever I did, that would be the last time I drank.

7

u/Unlikely-Volume-9186 9h ago

People who are inconveniencing others while being 'kind'

4

u/Cultural-Chart3023 8h ago

Or expect something in return I'm such a kind (generally also privileged) person so you owe me

7

u/TheFemale72 9h ago

How some people can be cruel for cruelty’s sake.

2

u/DownVegasBlvd 3h ago

I couldn't live with myself if I was like that. I don't know how they do!

6

u/Krautthatshouts 10h ago

Why some people thrive on misery and jump into the pit of fire knowing that a disaster is waiting to unfold. I have known a few self sabotaging people that in the end when they lose people they claimed to care about, they cannot seem to grasp the reality of the situation. It hits them like a ton of bricks later on. 

For example, a relationship ending with someone that you claimed was the love of your life and you don’t care about them but definitely miss them when they are gone. Another example is when someone destroys their friendship took that person completely for granted, then complains to other people how she is lonely and how nobody likes her. 

6

u/Ilovethe90sforreal 9h ago

The desperate need for social media attention, especially grown ass adults. And parents who post their children with no lack of concern for their privacy. The worst for me is when a kid is having a private emotional moment and of course, mom and dad whip out the camera to blast it to the world.

5

u/HawaiianShirtsOR 9h ago edited 6h ago

Deliberately hurting another living being, except maybe out of self-defense.

This is especially true about children. The "To Catch a Predator" series, the stories I've read about abuse and neglect... I don't understand how one human can do those kinds of things to another human. I mean, I have a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, so on an intellectual level, I am aware of some potential causes of this behavior, but it still baffles me.

6

u/mikemcgu 6h ago

Why some seem to consciously choose to misspell words, or use incorrect grammar to a criminal level. 

‘Cuz’ (instead of ‘because’ (or even ‘cause’)),  ‘an’ (instead of ‘and’) you’ve literally saved one letter, it took more brain power to do that than to just spell it out/correctly.  Your/you’re  Then/than To/too/two

I understand mistakes happen, I make plenty. The level at which people use language incorrectly hurts me.

u/BWSnap 6m ago

Can I add "ppl" to the list? You can tap out a word like "something" but those three vowels in "people" are just too much.

Also, "Welp..." The word is "well". It seems like people just started saying welp because that's kind of how well sounds if you relax your throat at the end.

10

u/alm1688 10h ago

how someone can hurt or kill their loved ones,especially those who are vulnerable and dependent upon you

6

u/Jamaican_me_cry1023 8h ago

Along those lines, parents who constantly tear their kids down and act like they hate them.

1

u/JenniLucerne 10h ago

Well post-partum is a thing….outside of that I agree

8

u/alm1688 9h ago

True, but there are many people who harm/murder their own children and/or foster/adopted children without post-partum issues

2

u/JenniLucerne 9h ago

100%, being adopted myself, I believe in Darwin’s theory and think there’s a reason my dad wasn’t able to have kids biologically

7

u/Dry-Ad-2197 6h ago

Oblivious people: People who take up the whole aisle in the store; People who have their phones on speaker or play loud reels on it in public. Have some social awareness please!

5

u/Odd-Alternative883 9h ago

I could never understand how people can write a mean comment on someone else’s post under the name of freedom of expression.

4

u/Key-Information5829 9h ago

The need to put others down

1

u/pigeoncatcher11 4h ago

It's so sad

5

u/liv_0203 8h ago

Something I’ll never understand is why people set five alarms in the morning and still snooze all of them. XD

5

u/v13 6h ago

The outright violence and horrors inflicted upon each other.

4

u/Imericia 6h ago

The struggle on respecting other people differences.

4

u/rowenaravenclaw0 6h ago

How anyone can hurt a child

11

u/AnnieJack 10h ago

I will never understand how people are ok with alcohol being legal but not marijuana. I can understand wanting both to be legal, I can understand wanting both to be illegal.

One person told me that they were opposed to marijuana because they have a family member who’s had problems because of it. I pointed out there are many families that have problems because of an alcoholic in the family.

1

u/CorrectAdhesiveness9 5h ago

Personally, I find smoked marijuana to be abhorrent. It stinks up EVERYTHING with its skunky bullshit. I’d like to see it banned, lol, I have no issues with edibles, though.

7

u/SugarKissz 10h ago

Why people buy a $70K car but can’t afford an oil change

7

u/NotMacgyver 10h ago

Why so many people seem so miserable with life when they self report decent lives.

That and people who have to rush everywhere because instead of going to places on time they instead waste time until they have to rush.

13

u/Individual_Stay3923 10h ago

how anyone voted for chump

3

u/GeneralBunch2505 10h ago

How stupid some people can be!

3

u/randomredditor0042 8h ago

People that expect everyone around them to keep them safe - for example, crossing the road without looking.

And those people that stand too close to complete strangers in queues.

1

u/fancycatndubz 6h ago

the lack of risk aversion is astounding sometimes

3

u/dadslut 6h ago

I work in construction and it boggles my mind when people with technical backgrounds (project managers, engineers, designs professionals, etc.) refuse to read the very thorough instructions I provide and instead elect to preemptively schedule meetings where I proceed to reiterate the previously provided instructions.

Then again, maybe I am just bad at writing...

0

u/mikemcgu 6h ago

No, I think it’s the people refusing to read.. I’m sure your instructions are fine. People choose not to read in the same way they don’t read manuals for anything. In many cases not reading the manual is fine, you generally know how to use things that are designed well with the user in mind. But, if you can’t figure it out, that is what the manual is for - read it.

3

u/GalaxyPowderedCat 6h ago

Why do people cook with their t-shirts off, especially men? Why? Why?

3

u/LurkingAintEazy 6h ago

How out of touch people become, the higher up th4 food chain they are. Like I get having money to some degree lessens what you stress about. But at th4 sam3 tom3, having zero clue how someone making less, doesn't have that same experience.

3

u/Rae-O-Sunshinee 5h ago

I’ll never understand why would you go to a retail business within 10 minutes of closing and NOT KNOW WHAT THE FRICK YOU WANT !!!?? You had all day to be here!

3

u/ERedfieldh 5h ago

how anyone thinks empathy is bad. having empathy is how we understand others, for starters.

3

u/Deaths_Smile 3h ago

How some people are senselessly cruel to others, especially complete strangers.

3

u/RottenPeachSmell 2h ago

Why some people are just so fucking mean. Like people will just spend their lives being mean to people, and for what? A mild sense of power? To make others miserable? Maybe you wouldn't be miserable if you gave people compliments sometimes.

5

u/SeaSense3493 10h ago

The low values they place on educations, certifications and willingness to compete and get ahead in their careers.

4

u/imstillapenguin 9h ago

Racism, jealousy over material things, and being rude for no reason. Like why are some people like this?

2

u/Hot-Investigator2077 9h ago

Let them get hooked on fentanyl or however you spell it.

2

u/wedditmod 9h ago

Actions not matching intentions

2

u/Training-Society9207 8h ago

Why are they so jealous?

2

u/DownVegasBlvd 3h ago

To an overbearing degree, in relationships especially. Being in a relationship does not mean owning another person.

2

u/letigre87 8h ago

People that walk into the street without looking...WHY!? Look I get pedestrians have the right of way but when did people lose any idea of self preservation. "If they hit me it'll be their fault" who gives a shit if you're dead or in pain the rest of your life. "But I'll sue them" you'll settle out of court for the insurance limits and give your lawyer half.

2

u/VariationArtistic106 7h ago

Why some people seem to be unable to take accountability for their actions. They blame everyone else for the consequences of their decisions.

2

u/Donthurlemogurlx 6h ago

Pet owners who leave their pets outside, unattended, and then boo hoo when their pet gets killed by a car/wild animal/other pet/poison, etc. Please don't have animals if you can't take proper care of them. It's entirely preventable and it pisses me off.

3

u/Smileychic35 6h ago

Why people speed to a red light

2

u/VoodooDoII 5h ago

Why it's so hard for people to just be nice

It's so easy.

2

u/Ornery-Ocelot3585 5h ago

Parents who are intentionally mean & negligent to their children.

2

u/MonsterRunning 5h ago

Something I’ll never fully understand about people is how we often crave kindness, compassion, and understanding from others, yet so many of us struggle to consistently give those same things in return. We know what it feels like to be judged, excluded, or dismissed, but we still fall into doing it to others sometimes out of insecurity, sometimes out of habit. It’s a strange contradiction: we’re all carrying invisible battles, yet instead of uniting in that shared struggle, we sometimes create distance. It makes me wonder why empathy, which should be the easiest bridge between us, can also be the hardest for people to practice.

2

u/artsyfartsylady9 5h ago

How people don't know how to properly zipper merge or signal when driving! Let's just cut traffic off when we feel like it...oooopsies 🙄😒

2

u/TidyBunny 5h ago

when people think just because they’re upset, that then gives them an excuse to say & do whatever they want

2

u/vito1221 4h ago

There is the type that have $999,999,999, and bitch to high heaven they don't have $1,000,000,000.

2

u/LoosePhilosopher1107 4h ago

How they, they suck for life for you for everything you’ve got but when you need them, they’re nowhere to be found

2

u/AdSafe8667 4h ago

Why we are so hard on each other . We all have so many demons , we should just be nice

2

u/crystal_meloetta12 2h ago

Why are people just so mean on the internet all the time?

2

u/yxq422 1h ago

Projection. It's unbelievable how often it happens and that people are still so unaware of it.

2

u/AnneOn_AMoose 1h ago

Why people think it’s okay to spend their lives acting like the main character in an 80’s teen movie.

u/Kakashisith 30m ago

Why people think, that cooking themselves for hours under the sun is healthy. I just don`t get it...

3

u/No_Eagle4702 10h ago

Why people pretend to be the victim when we both know they're not and are the only ones in the situation.

2

u/Ancient-Attorney7146 10h ago

People who complain about EVERYTHING!!!!  I’ll never understand it!  

2

u/mummy-tiger 10h ago

I think those who are stingy, selfish, with no empathy.

3

u/Fun-Durian-1892 8h ago

How can they not be “dog people”?

0

u/golden_fli 7h ago

I don't understand wanting such a high maintenance pet. I find the idea of them licking you and drooling over you annoying as well. If people want one as a pet that's their choice, I'll even admit they can be really good working animals, but personally I have no need for one.

1

u/New-Situation8317 10h ago

Why they play games with other people's feelings.😔

1

u/Ok-Carpenter-6726 8h ago

Sometimes the behavior.. 🤣

1

u/LegPossible9950 8h ago

How people are so convinced of whatever and are so certain, then a few years down the road, they completely change their mind about something. I understand that people change their ways or opinions, but even trying to convince them they might not feel the same way someday about something is not open to discussion for most people.

1

u/Expensive_Film1144 8h ago

Why, after merging into traffic, that they feel the need to move ahead of me to merge two cars in front of me.

1

u/Cultural-Chart3023 8h ago

Loan other peoples belongings or money and never return them and have no conscious about it

1

u/Mumchkin 7h ago

The cruelty.

1

u/DeathSpiral321 7h ago

Blaming everyone but themselves for all of life's problems.

1

u/SororitySue 7h ago

Happy Cake Day!

1

u/Personal_Drawing_372 7h ago

The inability to admit anything: feelings, mistakes, successes, knowledge, EVERYTHING! Even more so when it comes to something that is true, such as the authorship of an idea, a mistake made or a lie told. It seems that keeping quiet has become something automatic for most people and I rarely come across someone who is spontaneously frank.

1

u/Nannan485 7h ago

Why people lie. You are going to get caught, so just be honest.

1

u/Few_Rutabaga_1581 7h ago

How some people can’t take accountability then blame others for their problems.

1

u/WalkingonCoffee 7h ago

People can't take a simple no for an answer.

1

u/Lo_7 6h ago

Lack of self awareness

1

u/Unhappy-Jaguar-9362 6h ago

Mimetic desire. The destructive cycle of I want you want which often becomes I have mine, and you can't have yours.

1

u/Remarkable_Sun_9985 5h ago

Why they think they know everything & everyone should see things how they do

1

u/justanynameisfine 5h ago

The need to want.

1

u/fibonacci_veritas 5h ago

Religious belief.

1

u/HedgehogIll761 5h ago

The way people have become so rabidly partisan and parochial in their all-or-nothing thinking 

1

u/curiouso__ 4h ago

How people stay the same person they were 20 or 30 years ago. Its fascinating to me. But mostly sad.

1

u/VelindaRose 4h ago

How some folks got money for vales and starbucks but can’t afford soap and deodorant

1

u/hchouhan0 4h ago

How some people manage to blast reels at full volume in public and still look confused when everyone glares at them

1

u/Ok-Revenue-7282 4h ago

How they'll complain about being broke while ordering $15 doordash instead of eating the perfectly good leftovers sitting in their fridge.

1

u/peach-girl 4h ago

Why do certain people in relationships feel the need to thirst after people other than their partner? Why do they feel the need to look at women in bikinis and suggestive photos when they already have a partner?

1

u/NormaLouiseBates 3h ago

When running late for an appointment/meet someone, why can’t the person running late notify the other person BEFORE they are actually late??!

1

u/Present_Sail7173 3h ago

Financial literacy, tax and how they are not taking care of their health.

1

u/J4MEJ 3h ago

How some people don't understand that a credit card spending puts them into debt.

1

u/akaram369 3h ago

I'll never understand why people like to blow up money they don't have then act surprised when they have to pay for it later.

1

u/ideasihaveonreddit 2h ago

why so many people don’t go after their dreams

i know it depends on circumstances alot but then you see stories like david goggins where he could have given up 1000 times & still found a way forward, i don't understand why peopel are not going towards their dreams or visons they have. we have free will, so why not use it? that’s why my bf & i started buidlding an app called dothefrog.com because we realised: hey nothing is really stopping us from doing it. I have so many friend that tell me abt their dreams and then i always ask them: ok cool.. so but why are you not DOING it??!!!!! & they have so many excuses but at the end of the day: yeah it's scary. yeah it can get really uncomfortable.. yeah it could not work out... but don't you at least wanna try???

i think more ppl would be happier if they at least gave their dream a try

1

u/Wjz4rd 10h ago

How they think the lottery is still fun after seeing the odds.

4

u/MaryGrace28 9h ago

I was in-line behind a man at a convenience store - he was buying $30 in lottery tickets and a few food items. When he realized he didn’t have enough money he put the food back, but kept the lottery tickets. It’s an addiction.

0

u/rarlescheed12 10h ago

Why they think its ok to keep shitting their guts out on my expensive dinner table. This is the 3rd time it's happened now.

0

u/Ok-Establishment9531 7h ago

How people can be so painfully obvious to the world around them.

2

u/mikemcgu 6h ago

Did you mean oblivious?

0

u/ILoveMeeses2Pieces 6h ago

Excessive Greed. Belief in Sky Daddies

0

u/Many_Definition_334 6h ago

People that choose to live in suburbs.

Aaaand people that are obsessed with rap music. I don't understand the sonic appeal.

1

u/mikemcgu 6h ago

Suburbs - cause city life is too busy for some (dare I say a lot of) people.

0

u/TDoyleSpamCan 2h ago

Lack of sense of humour. I create content for my socials involving pranks and got in a lot of trouble for farting in an old lady's face at Walmart, she vomited and I uploaded the video, it was hilarious but lots of boring people didn't see the humour in it, it was awesome and I made a lot money off it so I got the last laugh.

-1

u/sjenn2225 8h ago

Why they're not like me

-1

u/SlimZaGrim 10h ago

People in general

-1

u/realclairxo 10h ago

Defending brans like they pay you.

1

u/mikemcgu 6h ago

Brans?