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.

Redditoru/Marshalljoewanted 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

Tim Walz; Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Tim Walz Perfectly Explains Why Trump Running The Country 'Like A Business' Is A Bad Idea

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized President Donald Trump during an interview with MSNBC host Jen Psaki, stressing just why the people who elected Trump to run the country "like a business" were completely misguided.

Walz particularly lamented the impacts of Trump's ongoing trade war with Canada and Mexico, noting that Trump has a history of scuttling deals and "a proven track record of being an absolute failure."

Keep ReadingShow less

People Reveal Red Flags That Scream "This Couple Won't Last!"

Love is not a many-splendered thing.

Ok, maybe it is for some, but not for most.

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance; Cory Bowman
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; @corymbowman/X

Vance Roasted After His Brother Gets Walloped In Ohio Primary Following Vance's Endorsement

On Tuesday, the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, held their primary election to determine who would earn a spot on November's mayoral ballot.

The city's mayoral race is nonpartisan—no parties appear next to candidates' names on the primary or general election ballots. The top two vote getters in the primary, regardless of their party affiliation, vie for the office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ellen DeGeneres; Ellen DeGeneres on a lawn mower in the UK
FOX via Getty Images; @ellendegeneres/Instagram

Ellen DeGeneres Just Tried To Mow The Lawn At Her Sprawling UK Estate—And It Went South Fast

Say what you may about Ellen DeGeneres, but we can all agree that she's always tried to find the funny side in a situation, even if it's something that should be as mundane as mowing the lawn.

DeGeneres left the talk show scene in 2022 after allegations ran rampant about her running a toxic workplace, so when President Donald Trump was elected for a second term, it seemed the perfect time for the entertainer and her wife, Portia de Rossi, to look for greener pastures, namely in the U.K.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Linda McMahon
MSNBC; Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images

Buttigieg Epically Drags Education Secretary For Confusing A.I. With 'A1 Steak Sauce'

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mocked Education Secretary Linda McMahon during an MSNBC appearance after she recently went viral for confusing AI with A1, the steak sauce brand.

McMahon slipped up during her appearance at the ASU+GSV Summit last month. While discussing the state of modern education, she brought up the role of AI in today's classrooms.

Keep ReadingShow less