Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Things Their Parents Warned Them About That Were Blown Way Out Of Proportion

People Explain Which Things Their Parents Warned Them About That Were Blown Way Out Of Proportion
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Make us preferred on Google

Parents and adults are so dramatic. And they have the audacity to say kids are a handful. How many things have we been warned away from due to unforeseen possible dangers?

Don't do that. Don't touch that. Don't go there. That person is shady. The list seems endless.

Then you grow up and start experiencing all the do's and do not's and you realize, every adult was either lying or too dramatic to live.

Like take a chill pill. This was the concern? Let's see who can relate.

Redditor u/Marshalljoe wanted to discuss all the things that aren't as bad as they seem, by asking:

What is something that you were warned about when you were younger that you now feel was exaggerated?

I hate Geometry. I always said I never needed Geometry. It was a waste of time. They said I'll use it everyday, it's imperative. Yeah... no. I knew I was right. But I was so nervous about it. Thanks guys.

It's all in Pencil

"Your permanent record. I'm 55, and nobody has ever asked me about the time I was sent to the principal's office when I was 16."

- TooOldForACleverName

Danger

"Drug dealers. I thought people would force that drugs down my throat untill I was a broke addict. I have been offered it a few times in high school but funny enough they were all very wholesome interactions. My favorite was a guy who I had never spoken to, who had just learned I was chronically ill and he said that if I ever wanted to try anything he would give it to me for free."

"And would help me to do it safely since he knew I didn't do drugs. It was just a very pure moment and I will never forget that look of kindness and concern in his eyes. I've since been around many, many drug dealers (I think everyone in the Netherlands has) and have never been forced, tempted or manipulated to do drugs."

- Media-consumer101

Yuck

"Cannibalism. Was a huge concern in late elementary to early middle school days. It was highly unlikely we'd ever crash in the Andes or that our wagon train would get stuck in the mountains in winter, but for some reason all the kids in my school were concerned about it. Should we eat someone? Could we actually do it if we had to? Who should we eat first? The fat kid will keep, but we don't want the muscular guy to lose too much weight. We were pretty messed up, I'm now realizing."

- Little_Tin_Goddess

Easy Lies

"I'm 35 and I am about 90% sure I could just lie about having a bachelor's degree. Literally nobody has ever asked to see my diploma or thesis or anything. By this point in my life it's just assumed you have one if you say you do, especially since I went to a really small college most people have never heard of. They'd never check that unless I was claiming a graduate degree maybe."

- standbyyourmantis

Astray...

Let Me Go Love GIF by 3 Doors DownGiphy

"Mom warned me to "avoid any girl who wanted to stick her tongue in my mouth ('French kiss') because it would lead me astray."

- Back2Bach

What better way to be lead astray than a lovely french kiss? Oh la la. And that permanent record scam I caught onto early in life. Although with the internet and social media, that is coming to fruition.

Movie Lies

hey arnold nicksplat GIFGiphy

"Apart from infamous quicksand, I thought it would be a bigger problem being stuck in the alps and having to drink alcohol from a Saint Bernard's necklace."

- Adventuredepot

Don't Swallow!

"Swallowing chewing gum."

- PennyPanda1

"When I was 5, I did that many times and ended up with terrible constipation. I had to have X-rays for the doctors to check out what was going on. Our neighbor was a nurse and helped my parents give me an enema."

- LadyGuinevere423

Flames...

"My school made me believe that I would be set on fire frequently. It has obviously not happened yet."

- hmm-mm-m

"My 50-year-old dad actually got set on fire not too long ago and he said his first reaction was to stop drop and roll like he heard in grade school and that it worked. So it may not happen very often but someday you may be thankful."

- aaronis1

"It doesn't help when you are covered in a flammable, self-oxygenating liquid. Ask me how I know..."

- 1234_Temp_qwer

Good job, Mom!

"My parents both smoked before having kids, and my mom raised me on stories about how the first time she smoked a cigarette, she coughed so badly that she threw up. It made staying away from smoking cigarettes pretty easy, because I didn't want to puke!"

"Once I was in college I brought up the story to her and she blinked like an owl caught in the sunlight. "Wait, you believed me?" She said. "I was just trying to get you to not smoke. If smoking made me vomit, why do you think I smoked for 15 years?" Good job, Mom!"

- AurelianoTampa

All Hours

i hate everything lol GIFGiphy

"My mom was obsessed with the idea that all bad sh*t only happened after midnight so that was my iron clad curfew. Guess what Mom? A ton of bad stuff has happened to me in broad daylight."

- PhillipLlerenas

I love the night, always will. You learn the day is just as dangerous once you start watching DATELINE NBC type shows. Thanks for trying adults. Now relax a bit.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Ariana Grande
Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media/Getty Images

Ariana Grande Honors Late Dog Coco With Emotional Tribute: 'I Love You So, Sweet Girl'

Ariana Grande just honored her beloved 17-year-old dog, Coco, after she crossed the rainbow bridge.

The Wicked star has always shared her lengthy string of rescued pets by her side on her Instagram, from her monthly photo dumps to her occasional posts at home to showing them on tour with her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexander Skarsgård Gives Graham Norton A NSFW Gift From New Movie—And His Reaction Is Everything
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI

Alexander Skarsgård Gives Graham Norton A NSFW Gift From New Movie—And His Reaction Is Everything

Alexander Skarsgård isn't one to show up empty-handed, but his latest gift to Graham Norton might be the most outrageous souvenir ever presented on a talk show.

The True Blood star joined Olivia Colman on The Graham Norton Show to promote their fantasy comedy Wicker, in which he plays a husband made entirely of woven wicker. And while his elaborate costume was a work of art, Skarsgård was particularly fond of two rather intimate details.

Keep ReadingShow less
Amanda Seyfried Hilariously Dodges Elizabeth Holmes Questions On Red Carpet—And Becomes Instant Meme
Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Amanda Seyfried Hilariously Dodges Elizabeth Holmes Questions On Red Carpet—And Becomes Instant Meme

Life is long, but apparently not long enough for Amanda Seyfried to entertain another Elizabeth Holmes question. The actress delivered a hilariously evasive response at the Academy Museum Gala on October 17, leaving reporters with more questions than answers.

Seyfried, 40, won an Emmy and Golden Globe for portraying the disgraced Theranos founder in Hulu's The Dropout. But when Variety reporter Marc Malkin approached her on the red carpet, she made her interview preferences abundantly clear.

Keep ReadingShow less
Couple in France having drinks during riots
@CNN/TikTok

Couple Appears Completely Unbothered By Burning Rubble And Riots Just Feet Away From Paris Café

Protests are continuing across Europe in response to rising costs of living and declining resources and public services, and it's a constant thought lingering on the minds of many Europeans, wondering if the unrest will come to their city next.

But that was as far from the truth as possible for one couple in Paris who decided they were going to have a cup of coffee, in peace or not.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kaia Gerber; Presley Gerber
Scott Kirkland/FX via Getty Images; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Kaia Gerber Opens Up About Brother Presley's Death At 27 With Heartbreaking Tribute: 'I Was Born Loving You'

Actor and model Kaia Gerber has opened up about the tragic death of her brother Presley Gerber last month.

Gerber, the daughter of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, penned a heartfelt post for Instagram in which she mourned her beloved "prez."

Keep ReadingShow less