(Don’t) mess around and find out. Life is chock-full of important lessons that we have to learn, both large and small. It’s usually best to save your time, energy, health, and nerves by learning from the blunders your friends, family, and peers have made. However, there will inevitably be moments where you massively mess up yourself.
Well, some of the members of the r/AskReddit community wanted to pass on their wisdom to others. In a viral online thread, they spilled the tea about the times they messed around with something, only to find out that their actions had very negative consequences. Scroll down for their top life advice and safety concerns.
#1
Do not attach two very active dogs to the handle of a Razor scooter because you want to see if they’d be good sled dogs. .
Image credits: MissusNilesCrane
#2
Just because you climbed up something doesn’t mean you can climb down.
Image credits: alphajager
#3
Sleep deprivation.
Damn near died in a car accident (round 1), then went mildly psychotic and paranoid (round 2).
Just dumb. There are better paths to adrenaline-fueled euphoria.
Image credits: SamDBeane
Research shows that fear and anxiety reduce our likelihood of taking risks. However, the exact strength of this relationship is in question. One meta-analytic review from 2020 noticed that scientific studies with clinically anxious samples showed greater risk aversion on average. Furthermore, studies using tangible rewards also showed greater effects of fear on risk aversion. Aside from those, fear seems to have a small to moderate average effect on the willingness to take risks.
Inc. magazine points out that risks can help us grow stronger and become better by challenging us. However, these risks should be calculated, not reckless ones. First, you should try to evaluate the actual risk you’re facing and consider how you’d handle things if they didn’t go as planned. You should also take whatever steps you can to increase your chances of success.
#4
Moose. If they decide they don’t like you, they can f**k you up. Only orcas get to mess with them.
Image credits: ddejong42
#5
I was in the ocean with my then wife. We’d gotten out to the sand bar, and were just chilling… she was on a beach raft sunning and I was just gently pushing us around. I had my back to the shore, and I saw something go by. it was sofa-sized, and it went by pretty fast. I had this immediate understanding of what was going on… I’m standing in chest deep water in prime shark attack territory. I said, “Hey, let’s go in,” and started pushing towards shore. it went by between us and the shore. then there were two of them. then three. we still had to cross the ditch, and I was realizing that we really might not make it.
but it turned out to be dolphins, not sharks.
I’m quite a bit more cautious in the ocean now.
Image credits: gogozrx
#6
Pedestrian safety. Was hit by a car crossing the street. After cpr onsite and coma in hospital had to learn to walk and talk all over again. I triple check both ways. Even when I have the right of way.
Image credits: Xebou
As with most things in life, there’s a balance to be found when it comes to your personal safety. On the one hand, your survival is paramount. You want to make sure that you’re as healthy and capable as you can be in order to get the most out of life. In short, you don’t want to be reckless.
On the other hand, you don’t want to go overboard with safety concerns to the point that you’re constantly anxious, hiding in your metaphorical comfort zone, scared to take the opportunities that life keeps throwing at you.
#7
Dehydration and overheating. Being covered in ice in an ambulance and pissing black pee will change your perspective.
Edit: one thing I have never really explained to anyone is how big of a personal victory it was for me when I regained the ability to workout hard and push myself. the experience i described below took a huge amount of recovery physically and psychologically and when I got back to a healthy state of going hard, not being afraid of my heart getting up into the cardio zones, etc. was like regrowing a cutoff limb and wining the lottery and coming back from the darkest inner fears and I don’t know if I could ever communicate how big a deal it was for me.
Image credits: cliffdiver770
#8
Hiking alone in Iceland being a confident hiker. Paraphrasing: the most dangerous hiker is a confident hiker.
I got lost, didnt pack enough food and got caught on the side of a mountain. 20 people had to rescue me. Never again.
Image credits: alexvonhumboldt
#9
Cars in snow. You ever seen a video where someone does a 360 in the snow and hits something? I did that and got lucky the thing I hit was a curb.
Image credits: gothiclg
Many of us know the basics of staying safe and healthy. Look both ways before crossing the street. Know what to do in case of a fire. Don’t eat food that smells like it’s gone off. Don’t interact with random wild animals that might have God only knows what illnesses. Don’t speed when you’re behind the wheel of a car. Exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep, have an active social life, and avoid nicotine, alcohol, and chronic stress. The list goes on and on.
The fact of the matter is that there’s only so much we can do to prevent getting hurt. We can prepare to avoid the most common risks. However, we can’t see the future. We can’t predict random accidents that might end up with us getting hurt. But this shouldn’t be a reason to lock yourself away from the world. If anything, it’s a reminder to take care of yourself while also trying to live life to the fullest. With courage and conviction.
#10
Don’t f**k with the ocean, I got swept away by a wave while stupidly sitting on a rock too close to the water. I thought I was a goner and never to be found again but then it got tired of me and thew me back towards some rocks like a used intimate hygiene tissue.
Image credits: StjerneskipMarcoPolo
#11
Regular check ups and screenings. Get the damn colonoscopy on schedule, get the skin check yearly. Get your prostate exam or pap smear. If you smoked or are high risk get scans for lung cancer regularly. Talk to your doctor, find out what you should get and when and follow the schedule. I have lung cancer, one of the 20% of people with lung cancer that never smoked, and the difference between the outcomes from stage 1 to stage 4 is literally life and death. Do not wait for symptoms, do not put off getting that weird mole checked.
Image credits: wwaxwork
#12
Road rage, I was chased by a guy threatening me to shoot me, that was the last time I yelled at somebody while driving.
Image credits: Inevitable_Rabbit_67
What are the hardest life lessons you’ve learned due to sheer bad luck, dear Pandas? What advice would you give everyone to help keep them safe(r) every day?
Feel free to share your opinions and experiences in the comments at the bottom of this post.
#13
Chainsaws.
I don’t even like the sound anymore.
I had an accident with one and cut up my leg.
Image credits: LooksBleeker
#14
HR, Human Resources. I’ll never trust them again.
#15
Customs officers. They have no sense of humor, don’t ask me how I know.
Image credits: cantstopthehorse
#16
Paying my taxes. Worked for myself through college and didn’t have a penny to spare so I just didn’t file for three years figuring I’d pay it off when I was done and working.
Ironically, my first job after graduating was for the state tax and rev dept. They figured it out lickety split and gave me a month to make good. Paid some pretty serious interest and penalties and learned to never do that again.
Image credits: SenorBlackChin
#17
In ground yellow jackets.
Pay the dude with the bee suit and the right s**t to kill them safely.
Image credits: y2knole
#18
Driving through standing water. Just because the car in front of you makes it through doesn’t mean you will.
Image credits: Pjolondon87
#19
If an older man has a “saddle nose deformity” or cauliflower ears, let them be. A saddle nose deformity nose is also called a “boxer’s nose”.
An old man with training will f*****g kill you. That’s how they got to be old.
Image credits: ricko_strat
#20
Pain. Basically, just because you can tolerate a lot of pain doesn’t mean you should. Listen to your body; you are feeling pain for a reason, so don’t push yourself just because you “can handle it.”.
#21
Wasp nest. They’re not chill like bees. They are very aggressive and will attack you and they don’t die when they sting you they just keep stinging, and it feels like getting hit with a red hot spike.
#22
Motorcycles.
It does not matter how good of a driver you are, there are other cars on the road and some of those cars are driven by idiots.
#23
Pitbulls.
My family has always had and loved dogs. Thought the breed was fine and just got a bad rep.
My dad brought a puppy home, we had her for 6 years. Loved her, house trained, no behavior issues, we thought.
Came home one day and she had killed our old boxer, who had been with her everyday that we had her and also was so old she had no teeth, and was chewing on her severed leg like a chicken bone.
Never again. And it makes me want to puke when people have their children crawling around with these dogs.
#24
Depression, it f***s you hard.
#25
Overwork and exhaustion can be a potential killer.
When I was in my late teens I spent a few years working 80-100 hours per week. I found out that at a certain point, your body just… stops.
I woke up in a hospital bed and it took me 6 months before I started to feel semi-normal again.
#26
Thinking you can skip the bathroom before you leave the restaurant for an hour drive home because “I can hold it” ?.
#27
Private student loans. No Ivy is worth it. Take the spot that offers you the most funding. Undergrad, grad and professional.
The interest should be illegal and the terms are insane.
For some, even death doesn’t release you from the obligation. Permanent disability? They don’t care.
Just don’t do it….
#28
I was taking a bath while my phone was charging. I picked it up to use it. I was promptly electrocuted. I will not do that again.
Edit; I have been proctored on my word use- because I am still alive, it seems that I was not “electrocuted”; rather, I was “shocked”. It was, despite the wording, still really intense. When it happened, I tried to drop the phone and it was like, stuck to my hand. It took several attempts of me trying to THROW the phone to break the connection between the circuit and myself.
#29
Alcohol. I f****d around and found out the really f*****g hard way! The anxiety, depression, weight gain, apathy..horrendous cycle of living hell. Sober 69 days today (: woo.
#30
It’s a lot easier to get lost in the woods than you think. I wandered away from our campsite a little tipsy because I love looking for mushrooms. I kept going in just a little further until one time when I looked back I couldn’t see my wife and friend back at the site. A few big steps to the left to reorient myself, wait… maybe a few steps over in this direction… Oh s**t.
I yelled for help but the sound doesn’t carry. The sun was just setting when I went in but it gets dark a lot faster in the thick of the forest. I panicked. I ran. I cursed at myself. I yelled for help over and over. I tried to stay calm but also decided to keep moving because it was getting dark and cold and I knew I was in very deep s**t if I didn’t get out before nightfall. I spent about an hour and a half totally lost, the longest 90 minutes of my life. Finally, I heard a truck rumbling in the distance and sprinted towards it. I almost cried when I saw the clearing and popped out on a gravel road 3 km west of our campsite. Looking at a map after, had I gone any other direction it was just forest with no end in sight. My wife and friend said they went in to the forest yelling my name, of course I was probably too far at that point and heard nothing. I don’t know what would’ve happened if that truck hadn’t been going for a late evening drive along the service road. I thought I was going to die.
Image credits: No_Sandwich5766
#31
GHB. No hangover! Makes you more social! Like booze but better! Like Molly but better! No calories! You feel great about yourself! You are more empathetic! You can score it for super cheap! You never have to feel bad again! You can use it to manage your sleep! You can use it to manage everything you don’t like! You can do it every day and feel great! You can use it to sleep because you can’t anymore because you’re so addicted! You can use it 24/7 so that you don’t go into DT’s! You can use it after you have a seizure from doing it so much! You can use it to forget about that fact that you ended up in a hospital because of it! You can use it to forget about that fact that no one wants to hang out with you anymore because you’re high key crazy and out of control! You can use it to try to end your life because you ruined it by doing g constantly! You can detox and have the worst few weeks of your life and still crave it! You can spend 4 years in treatment and recovery and have to completely rebuild your life from scratch and still crave it all these years later! You can go through your life sober for years but knowing that if you ever have another drop of it you will binge until you’re very shortly thereafter dead! Are we still having fun?
Image credits: CommunicationTop5231
#32
Inverted Storm Surge.
This happens as a hurricane approaches a coastline. If you search, you’ll find pictures of people walking around in shallow, empty stretches of beach. The storm gets close enough and the low pressure within the eye basically sucks up millions of gallons, pulling it away from shore. It can go for miles sometimes, depending on the strength.
Anyway, that water comes back. With prejudice.
I grew up on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Walked down to the beach as a hurricane was approaching. I was in middle school, and had no idea you couldn’t “see” a hurricane the same way you can a tornado. Anyway, the beach was drained entirely. Not knowing any better, I walked out to the end of the public fishing pier that would normally be about 8-9 feet deep. A few minutes passed, I was satisfied with this excursion, so I turned around. About 2/3rds of the way back to the shore, I felt the ground rumble, and I instinctively hauled a*s as fast as I could. I’d say I finally got to about 20 feet from a jetty (rocks piled up to mitigate erosion) and got hit from behind by a wall of water. It actually carried me up and onto the very top of the jetty, and slammed me down. I could feel that my sandals left my feet, and by pure luck, they floated up and gently settled right by my hands where I was holding on to the rocks. The water receded slightly, enough for me to get over the jetty and away from the beach. I was so embarrassed that I never told my mom about it, and snuck into my house to get a shower and changed.
Fast forward to 2017 when I was living on the Florida Gulf Coast, a bunch of people walked down into Tampa Bay right as Hurricane Irma was rolling in. I legit got anxiety watching the footage from the local TV station. Needless to say, I’ve never gone anywhere near the water ahead of a hurricane again.
Image credits: FelixMcGill
#33
Flipping the bird at a driver. It’s been 40 years since I tried. On that particular adventure I was on a 4-lane road, 2 in each direction (Rte 29 through Virginia). I was going maybe 5 mph over the speed limit to pass a slow car when a car came up on my tail. The road wasn’t limited access and had a lot of blind driveways. Going more than 55 really wasn’t safe. The highway, named Dixie Highway, has also been referred to as Dixie Die-Way.
Anyway, I passed the slow car as quickly as I could safely do so then pulled over to the right as soon as I was safely in front of the slow vehicle. The guy who’d been riding my tail passed me at a high rate of speed and I held up the third finger as he passed. Ooops. The driver obviously saw it as he pulled in front of me the instant he was past me and jammed on his brakes. I was so relieved that I didn’t lose control of the car. Since then I avoid anything that might induce a road rage incident. The satisfaction of displaying your annoyance from the comfort of your car isn’t worth the consequences.
#34
Weathermen.
Heard one on TV say, “If you’re within the sound of my voice, get to your tornado place NOW!”
I was a little jaded due to the many times I’d heard this before. Still, I told my son to get in the hallway then went outside to get our Beagles. And I saw the f*****g thing. A 400m wide F4 coming down our road. I got in the hallway with just a couple big couch cushions, pulled my son into my lap, hunched over him, and held the pillows over us.
He was unhurt. I had a dislocated shoulder with torn ligaments, tendons and muscle, splintered ball, torn rotator cuff, and so on. I was in so much pain from that once all the pieces stopped moving that I didn’t even realize I had hundreds of pieces of rock, splinters and glass embedded in my skin, mainly in my back. Not a single thing even scratched my son.
Had I gotten moving the moment he said that on the TV, we would have been sandwiched between two matresses. We lived, both of us, both dogs and our cat. It seems like we were all huddled under those two cushions. One of the dogs had a single glass shard in his beck left side. It fell out when he started walking. Me, I had pieces of stuff being pushed out of my skin for the next month.
The house? Nothing much left. Of a $290k house it took $273k to rebuild it. The foundation and much of the framing were OK.
Edit: This was the Enterprise, AL tornado on March 1, 2007. There were 8 students killed at the high school and one elderly woman just down the road from the school. 50+ were injured from this in the area.
Our daughter was at the school. It took 4-5 hours to find her. She was badly traumatized from the experience, but luckily, only light injuries. This experience affected our family mentally for years, if not a lifetime. There are so many others who are as well.
We did not have a shelter and did not put one in. Basements are not common for that area. I was stationed at Ft Rucker with two years to go until retirement. Tornadoes of that kind were not common to that area of the US. With climate change, they are now.
Insurance paid for most of the repairs and replacement of our house and stuff. “Non-recoverable depreciation” took a big chunk out of our savings, though. This is something so few people realize will financially affect them in a large loss like this.
We currently live in Florida. We’ve been through a few hurricanes turned tropical storms, but not a direct hit. We care for my mother in law who is 83 and has dementia. Once she passes, we are moving, likely to Tennesse near our daughter. I would take a tornado over a hurricane. We were 18 miles west of the damage path of Hurricane Michael. What we saw of the damage from that during recovery efforts was staggering. I have been to war in the Middle East. While those experiences helped me process that one, the sheer destruction visited upon Florida was mind-numbing. Two years ago, we spent 8 hours in a strong tropical storm with 70mph winds and gusts to 90. The tornado lasted less than two minutes from when I first saw it to when I was stepping outside to survey the area. Except for the minor intrusion of water from our pool, we didn’t have a single bit of flooding from the tornado. With my combat experience, very little scares me these days. There was surprisingly little fear during the tornado considering. Most of it came after while trying to find our daughter. That tropical storm? The length of time, the wind and the amount of rain? That was scary.
My injuries were more extensive than just the shoulder and cuts/bruises. Due to a TBI from an explosion in Iraq, I suffered a secondary TBI from the tornado as well. My shoulder was put back in place by EMT’s in the area, and surgery didn’t happen until after we moved back in. Too much to do. The TBI wasn’t recognized or treated until after we had moved back in. Honestly, I knew I had another TBI, but my family needed me to be strong for them. Especially our kids. Once things settled down, I started getting regular headaches. Next thing you know, I’m at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for four months and also two months of hyperbaric treatments in New Orleans.
We are all doing well these days. When we are all together, we often talk about that day. It is as much a part of our family history as any other significant event.
Thanks for the awards!
Image credits: Blackhawk-388
#35
Don’t work full time and go to school full time.
I was like meh. I can do whatever I put my mind to. It broke my brain. I repressed my stress but my brain and body didn’t care. Started waking up in middle night with panic attacks thinking I was dying. Got agoraphobia. Places like airports and malls I would get vertigo. Dizzy and lightheaded and feel like I was floating which would trigger what is wrong with me panic attack. Rinse repeat.
I went to dr and he was like you are doing way too much. Stop doing that. And he was right.
So you actually can do too much. And even if you can brute force it, your brain and body will eventually rebel against you.
Image credits: sleepybeek
#36
First responder here. Garage door springs. Let a pro fix them.
Image credits: lonelygoat357
#37
Not wearing hearing-protection when necessary. Tinnitus sucks.
Image credits: catnapper9811
#38
Taking sleep meds (ambian) and laxatives (myralax) within the same 24hrs. What a nightmare!
Image credits: skyempress408
#39
Oral health. Brush your damn teeth or you’ll sorely regret it later
Edit: brushing is often times not enough, I brushed regularly and still got cavities in between my teeth from not flossing. At least once a day do a full routine of flossing, brushing, tongue scraper, and mouthwash. I usually just brush in the morning and do the full shabang at night. Would’ve saved me thousands of dollars if I had started this earlier.
Image credits: borrowedurmumsvcard
#40
Electricity.
Image credits: Bl1ndMous3
#41
Women who warn you that they are crazy… She is indeed crazy.
Image credits: Objective-Lawyer-450
#42
Appendixes!!
My mother thought it was just stomach cramps. She holed herself up for days until finally my dad begged her to go to the doctor. They told her if she hadn’t listened to him and waited one more day it could have killed her.
A year or so later mine burst while stretching so I thought it was just a pulled muscle. I waited over a week before going to the ER. They said the ONLY reason I didn’t die was because by some miraculous event that they had never witnessed before, my body sent a swarm of white blood cells to form a ball around the pus. I should have been dead and I was only 13 years old.
Image credits: smallbankbigmouth
#43
Steers. One slammed me into the side of the barn once, out of absolutely nowhere, and I was alone. Bovines are not to be trusted.
#44
Made my kidneys bleed by drinking too many energy drinks while severely dehydrated.
So two things,
Easy on the energy drinks
Drink more water.
#45
Texting and driving. I was around 27, driving out of my neighborhood around 3pm and remembered I forgot to text a friend about an assignment for grad school. I looked down and within 5-10 seconds, ran up onto the sidewalk. I was so mortified that I could have killed someone, kids, a woman with a stroller, etc. Never did it again.
It’s been a few years and I still think about that stupid choice that could have ended horribly.
#46
As a child i learned, Geese are the crowned prince of a******s of the bird world .
#47
Mentally unstable women. Or mentally unstable people in general. No, I can not f*****g fix her. If they don‘t do therapy they will drag you down deeper than you can imagine.
#48
The IRS. Oof that was expensive.
#49
Wolves. They’re way smarter than you’d think.
#50
Cooked rice is to be consumed hot and refrigerated IMMEDIATELY, reheated only once, and thrown away in a few days if not eaten by then.
Had me butt naked in my tub sweating and shaking coming out of both ends. Couldn’t eat anything but toast for 2 weeks after that. I no longer play with rice ??♀️.
#51
Alcohol, 22 years drunk, 18 months sober.
#52
Health bro, everything else is either expandable or manageable….
#53
Repressing emotions. Grief. Anger. Anxiety. Sadness. Because if I don’t process them, they manifest with some sort of physical suffering, illness, injury, etc.
#54
Considering coworkers true friends lmao…. whenever money or power is involved, human beings are two-faced.
#55
Heat in the house during winter.
Although I still blame the governments “Only heat the rooms you use!” Guidance during the cost of living crisis, I completely took for granted how my house was different from my apartment when it came to keeping it heated during winter. That my house is much older and draughtier compared to the small apartment in the shared building.
Resulting in a frozen pipe and – ultimately – a burst pipe.
Homeowners – it’s better to just grit your teeth and pay the large gas/heating bills during winter. Water can do a LOT of damage to a property.
Edit: while it’s still fresh in my mind: make sure you all know where your stop-c**k valves are in your property!!
#56
Skunks. Paper boy experience.
#57
Non-medical forms of birth control.
#58
An infection. Killed my mother because the doctor f****d around. She was in the hospital and did everything the doctor told her, but he didn’t want to come in during vacation time and he f****d around and it killed my mother.
I tell people this all of the time, any time you get an infection, please do not mess around with it. Seek care immediately and get it stamped out ASAP.
#59
Cyanide.
If you mix potassium cyanide with an acid you will see bubbles and smell almonds.
I smelt the almonds!!
#60
Domt f**k around with a mandolin! Use the guard , you can lose a fingertip …. I didnt… but came close damn its sharp!!
#61
Mental health. Neglect it, and it’ll wreck you faster than anything else. People think they can tough it out or push it aside, but that’s a losing game. Once you’ve seen the damage it can do, you realize it’s not something to take lightly.
#62
This question pops up here a lot and “The Wu-Tang Clan” is never the top answer and it makes me question humanity.
#63
Medical concerns.
That bump on my testicle I just wanted to ignore? I didn’t. And it was a tumor that I caught early.
The terrible pain in my abdomen causing me to throw up even though I didn’t have any food in me? I didn’t wait for it to go away. I went to an urgent care clinic and they sent me to an ER where they found that my appendix was necrotic and ready to burst.
Ignoring medical warning signs and waiting for them to pass is not being “tough”. Get yourself checked out.
#64
Chipmunks.
All I was trying to do was feed the little bastard and he took a chunk out of my finger. Little bastards can starve now.
#65
Sugar free gummy bears….
#66
Lithium batteries. I’m a curious fellow who likes to take stuff apart to see how they work. Had a camera battery go dead and thought I’d take a look see on what makes them tick. Go to work on it with a knife…Well what happens is that even “dead” batteries will f*****g explode in your hands, burn said hands, and couch, rug and carpet. I now choose much more carefully as to what I dismantle.
#67
Garage door spring. DOn’t even attempt. Just hire a professional.
#68
Sleep apnea. Had it my whole life and didn’t get it fixed until I was 31. The first night I used a CPAP machine I woke up and felt like I was touched by Jesus. I cannot believe how s****y I felt for my whole life and didn’t even know that everyone else didn’t feel that way.
#69
Park. Had a “friend” slam my car into park while we were cruising down interstate! Terrifying, but thankfully no injuries.
#70
Shared housing with people you’ve just met. I did it out of necessity for many years, now that I have my own place I finally feel free.
#71
Don’t fry bacon when you’re naked.
#72
If you’re feeling dizzy, don’t stand up and try to find a comfier spot. Sit down on the ground where you are and wait for it to pass.
I didn’t, and I planted my face into the sidewalk from full standing height.
Also that was two days ago, on vacation in a foreign country.
#73
Kidney stones!
Woke up from a dead sleep SCREAMING it hurt so bad. Ambulance ride later, best they could do was some dilation meds or something because pain killers did not help.
Was super sore and uncomfortable for days… was told based on the tests & scans I had like 10 more. Never cut out so much soda / teas / chocolate so fast and increased water intake like it was my job.
Must have worked, almost 10 years later and no issues so far ?.
#74
Road Rage is real. Beeped at a guy being an a*****e, riding the wrong lane and cut me off. Not even a middle finger or curse, just a beep. Four dudes hopped out at the next light with guns. Luckily they were just trying to scare me and yell and got back in but I am much more forgiving while driving and generally just get out of an a******s way if I see them being reckless.
#75
Sunburns will in fact lead to skin cancer.
#76
Being a cheater. Ruined my entire life. Definitely got what I deserved and more.
#77
USE your right to remain silent. Don’t be an idiot and yap.
#78
Water. It’ll kill you with no warning, even the strongest swimmers.
#79
Not checking online if a skin product causes acne. Had to endure 5+ months of horrible acne and then scarring after years of clear skin for using a specific face sunscreen. Too much money/time spent on fixing it. Never again.
#80
Walking home alone late on a Sunday night in a dodgy neighborhood.
#81
Cults and MLM. Plan and simple. Stay away from them and keep your money and sanity intact.
#82
Alcohol and credit cards.
#83
I know a lot of these replies are serious, so I’ll take it one step further: pre-ordering AAA games. Never again. Been clean for seven years now.
#84
Not leaving at least one sense open/aware of your surroundings in public. I got suckerpunched knocked out by a methhead in broad daylight in hollywood because I looked at my phone to check bus times for 5 seconds.
#85
Portuguese Man O’ War jellyfish.
If you think you see someone’s lost floaty toy out in the ocean, just leave it.
#86
Fire.
Because I watched the Station Nightclub fire video.
#87
This is one of the best ask reddits I’ve ever seen. Such interesting stories.
#88
I had an extremely close friend for years and they were always SOO nice to me, went above and beyond all the time and I felt so appreciated and loved as a friend. This was years mind you too. One thing that was red flag that I ignored and I mentioned to my partner that was concerning was that this friend was really horrible to people they didn’t like or felt somehow wronged or slighted by. I remember saying I just need to make sure I’m never in their bad side. Well, long story short, always judge someone’s character to include how they treat people even if they don’t necessarily like them. If they talk badly, spread rumors, etc about others they will likely at some time do it to you.
Edit to add: I also co-owned a business with this “best friend” and so my second advice would be DONT ever go into business with a friend. Even if they have no red flags! Don’t do it!
#89
Hurricanes. Stayed in New Orleans for Katrina. When they say to leave, leave.
#90
Trained fighters. Cocky youth and alcohol are a bad combination.
#91
Don’t compromise on your values and boundaries—stick to what matters most to you.
#92
Well, I knew not to f**k around with it, but Covid kicked my a*s so hard I went from climbing and 6 mile hikes with a kid on my back to walking with a cane. Additionally I have cognitive problems, ended up with a stent for kidney stones for 2(!) months so now I might have some internal scarring, made my asthma SO much worse and because of exercise intolerance I developed type 2 diabetes.
Good news is, I’m a mother fracking cockroach so after 3 years I’m slowly kicking it’s a*s.