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 Down Giphy

"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 GIF Giphy

"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 GIF Giphy

"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

Amanda Seyfried
Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images

Amanda Seyfried's Unbothered Reaction To Losing At Golden Globes Is Seriously Iconic

Now that the Golden Globes have passed, it's time for that most cherished awards-season tradition: deconstructing stars' reactions to losing!

And this year, the award for Best Reaction to Losing inarguably goes to Amanda Seyfriend, who's gone viral for her hilarious response.

Keep Reading Show less
Kyle Rittenhouse
@rittenhouse2a/X

Kyle Rittenhouse Dragged After Making Outrageous Claim About Fluoride In Water

In another bid to get back into the good graces of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's fans, gun rights poster boy Kyle Rittenhouse claimed fluoride in drinking water is "making people gay."

Rittenhouse fell out of favor with the MAGAsphere in 2024 for criticizing their Dear Leader on his 2nd Amendment stance. After deleting the critical X post which spawned rumors among Trump's MAGA minions that he was secretly transgender, Rittenhouse stayed off social media until December 2025 when he announced he was married.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots of Jake Tapper and Kristi Noem
CNN

Kristi Noem Slammed For Her Smug Reaction To ICE Agent Calling Renee Good A 'F—king B*tch'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized for her disturbing reaction to a question from CNN host Jake Tapper about a video of an ICE agent calling Renee Nicole Good a "f**king b*tch" after fatally shooting her in the face.

The ICE agent who shot Good has been identified as Jonathan E. Ross, according to court records that closely align with the circumstances of a June 2025 incident in Bloomington, Minnesota, referenced by Noem and Vice President JD Vance.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Trump Blasted After Declaring Himself ‘Acting President Of Venezuela’ In Mock Wikipedia Entry

President Donald Trump is facing criticism after he shared a mock Wikipedia entry that features a picture of himself with the new title of "Acting President of Venezuela." This comes little more than a week after his administration invaded the South American country and ousted its dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Trump previously claimed the U.S. will take a day-to-day role governing Venezuela after removing Maduro, an act of regime change widely viewed as an act of war that came without congressional approval and violated international law.

Keep Reading Show less
A fox yawning in a field
photo of yawning fox on grass

People Describe The Most Boring Thing They've Ever Experienced

No two people share exactly the same interests.

With this in mind, every now and again we might find ourselves needing to attend something that a friend or family member is extremely excited about, but we find excruciatingly boring.

Keep Reading Show less