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

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

Tina Turner
Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images

A Massive Sculpture Of Tina Turner Was Just Unveiled—And It's Going Viral For All The Wrong Reasons

When it comes to entertainment legends, the late singer Tina Turner is right at the top of the pantheon.

And fittingly, the songstress' hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee, wanted to pay tribute to her legacy with giant statue of the icon.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Marjorie Taylor Greene
(L-R) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Ted Cruz Clashes With 'Crazy' MTG Over Her Cryptic Post Alluding That 'The Jews' Are Trying To Kill Her

Texas MAGA Republican Senator Rafael "Ted" Cruz raised eyebrows when he attacked Georgia QAnon/MAGA Republican Representative and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) for being antisemitic.

MTG has promoted some antisemitic conspiracy theories in the past, like Jewish space lasers that control the weather or start wildfires, but this time people are calling Cruz out for reaching in an attempt to discredit the Georgia Republican and protect Trump from what's being concealed in FBI, Department of Justice, and court records relating to the indictment of Jeffrey Epstein on charges of sex trafficking of minors.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Screenshot of Zohran Mamdani; Donald Trump
CNN; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Zohran Mamdani Claps Back After Trump Threatens To Withhold Federal Funding To NYC If He Becomes Mayor

Zohran Mamdani—the Democratic Socialist New York City mayoral candidate who stunned the establishment with a seismic win for progressives that has reverberated across the country—criticized President Donald Trump's threats to withhold federal funds if Mamdani wins November's election.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Mamdani a "New York City Communist" and said he "will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party."

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Kid Rock
JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Epically Shuts Down Suggestion That Kid Rock Should Be Doing Super Bowl Halftime Show

Earlier this week, the NFL announced that worldwide superstar Bad Bunny would be the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, causing right-wing heads to explode over the news.

After far-right provocateur Nick Adams suggested that the singer, a fierce critic of the Trump administration, should not have been chosen for the halftime gig, California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office took to X to mock him in the account's now familiar Trump-esque style.

Keep ReadingShow less
One hand pouring pills into another.
person holding white round ornament

Absurd 'Cures' People With Chronic Illnesses Were Told To Try

Those suffering from a chronic illness often find themselves in over their heads with medication prescribed by their doctors.

Even so, many people add some homeopathic medications that won't be found at a pharmacy, but help them through their day-to-day lives.

Keep ReadingShow less