Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Most Morbid Questions They've Always Been Too Afraid To Ask

WARNING: Some NSFW content ahead.

Are humans just naturally morbid? Many of us watch scary movies or spend our evenings reading about serial killers on Wikipedia.

If you were to ask Professor Glenn Sparks from the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, he'd tell you that our morbid curiosity with gross or unnerving subjects "goes back to the initiation rites of our tribal ancestors, where the entrance to manhood was associated with hardship."

Regardless of where this curiosity stems, social mores often dictate that asking questions about morbid topics is insensitive and inappropriate.

That's why it's interesting that people were able to ask their questions openly thanks to Redditor InkBlooded, who asked the online community,

"What is your most morbid question that you've always been afraid to ask?"

"What does..."

"What does decomposing dead body smell like?"

"I shouldn't have asked this question."

freshavoqadoo

To which this person answered:

"It has this sickly sweet smell to it. Like rotting fruit but definitely a putrid death smell. I don't know how to describe it. Sometimes if it's fresh and you can smell the blood too."

"Either way not fun."

lighningspider97

"When people get gravely injured..."

"When people get gravely injured, say, severed in half or their brain is exposed, do they know that they're going to die or is their body just spazzing out?"

1BoiledPackage

And here came someone with an excellent response:

"It depends on the injury. Some are awake and alert and in lots of pain, others are nearly numb to it."

"I witnessed a motorcycle crash. The person had a huge, open head injury with part of their brain exposed."

"Those of us who stopped to help tried to do what we could. The guy who had the injury said it felt like he fell and hit his head. He was in and out of consciousness, but said it didnt hurt. He was kind of numb to the pain."

"He took his own helmet off and looked in the motorcycle's mirror and saw his brain coming out. (It is literally the consistency of jello or toothpaste with a membrane around it). He said, 'I see my brain. I'm going to die. I thought it would hurt more.'"

"Then he closed his eyes and never regained consciousness."

TREND-PRECURSOR

"Parents of adult children..."

" Parents of adult children: Do you find your son, and/or daughter physically ugly?"

MTV_Challenge_Fan

A parent offered this response:

"Coming from a parent: you will know your kids aren't 'unconditionally perfect' but you will love them with all your heart anyway."

"And some of those imperfections will feel like they're your fault. (Like having a picky eater–if only I had been more diligent about variety when they were a toddler). So you will love your kids more because you screwed up, not in spite of it."

AHappyHeretic

"How does it feel..."

"How does it feel to watch someone die?"

Gr1ning

Someone offered this response:

"It depends on whether it’s expected or not. I sat with my grandma as she took her last breath. It was very peaceful. I wouldn’t trade that moment with her for anything."

"I hope she felt me there and knew she wasn’t alone."

-4twenty-

"I've always wanted to ask someone..."

"I've always wanted to ask someone in the armed forces how many people they have killed, not to make them look horrible, just out of curiosity. I know that you never ever ask someone in the armed forces that though and I respect it enough not to ask someone."

YurakHuntmate

This person offered up a memory of their father:

"My Dad was in World War Two. And when I found out I was naturally curious. I was maybe 7 and asked if he had killed anyone. He answered yes. Then I asked how many? He got a little upset and said, 'I don't know and I don't want to know.'"

"He then told me about how awful war is and how it's real people getting killed. It wasn't like the movies. He said I could still play with army men and toy guns, but to remember it's just play and that real war is horrible."

"Decades later my brother in law who was in Vietnam told me that he and my Dad talked a lot about their experiences. He said my Dad had confided in him that he had killed "many many men." I guess my Dad could only share the truth with another vet."

GrandUnhappy9211

"Why wouldn't it be legal..."

"Why wouldn't it be legal for my family to just bury me in a loved one's backyard? No coffin, no frivolity, just leave me there to decay for the fungi and the earthworms. Or would it be? Like, if the proper paperwork was filled out?"

kiwisandakindle

This person offered some valuable information in response:

"It's because governments are very picky about what you can do with a dead body, and basically force corpses to be buried in local cemeteries. And the law is very slow to change because people aren't interested in voting for death stuff and having to think about it."

"Basically everything involving a corpse is illegal, so even if its a small thing like burying a body, you can't do it. And to why those laws are so strict, its because they were made back in the day when people thought a corpse is harmful, and the death industry pushed the idea that unless embalmed they're harmful."

"Some countries, like India, require a coffin/casket by law."

BusinessCan3830

These Actors Were Perfectly Cast In Their Roles | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

Sometimes an actor comes along that is able to reach the audience on a deeper level. The actor that immediately comes to mind is Robin Williams. Although it ...

"What does a human..."

"What does a human taste like? We are meat, but do we taste like how a hamburger or chicken tastes, or do we taste completely different?"

zombiee_

And this person said:

"I've read it's like pork. Hence the term 'long pig.' You could always check out the story of the guy who brought home his amputated foot and made tacos with it. I'm pretty sure he describes the taste."

Bermnerfs

"Why have we over romanticized..."

"Why have we over romanticized suicide in television? They say that you evacuate all waste when you die, so every show where they find someone just hanging, shouldn't there be s**t and piss on the floor that dripped out of their clothes?"

frankenboots

Soon after, they received this response, and it makes sense:

"You can go back 2000 years to when a lot of classical literature was written and still find prominent mentions of suicide. People find it interesting. Same thing with love affairs. And murder."

soline

"How quickly during the process..."

"How quickly during the process of death does the person stop feeling pain or discomfort or touch sensation?"

bitterherpes

A short and sweet answer:

"The feeling in limbs, like the feet, the loss of sensation can happen some days before death in case of terminal illness. The body is shutting down."

MissNatDah

"Because I think parents do it all the time..."

"Parent's of Reddit, do you favour and love one child more than the others? And if you say no, have you ever asked one of your children about it?"

"Because I think parents do it all the time and don't realize that they're discriminating between children."

TheyCallMeCrazyEmi

And here's a very wise response from a parent:

"As a parent of 3, the answer is: it's complicated. I don't have a "favourite" exactly but I have favourite things about each kid."

"Kid #3 is certainly the easiest, and the others think I favour #3 because of it. Truth is, I just rarely need to tell them things twice. However, they probably need the most help with school and complex concepts. They are very sensitive and artistic."

"Kid #2 is the funniest and the one I pick to help when I need to get something done. They are like a hurricane emotionally though. So much willful energy. They can be a lot to deal with. This one also has all the dirt on everyone."

"Kid #1 is probably the most like me. They're very independent and, while the other two are very close, has always kind of stood apart from them. Quiet and easy to spend time with. Quite level headed but emotionally distant. I'll always see them as my first baby."

"You see, it's more complicated than a "favourite". All kids are different and have their good and bad traits. What's most important is telling them how great their good traits are and using positive reinforcement!"

We hope these responses have satisfied some of your morbid curiosity, dear readers.

At least we ended this on a significantly lighter note!

Have some morbid questions of your own? Feel free to ask them in the comments below! You never know who might have the answer!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Cami Clune sings O Canada as Buffalo Sabres fans join in after her microphone cuts out at KeyBank Center.
@mark_slapinski/X

New York Hockey Fans Step Up As Singer's Mic Goes Out During 'O Canada'—And Everyone Had The Same Thought

It only took a few seconds of silence for thousands of hockey fans to realize what was happening, and without hesitation, they stepped in. Fans at KeyBank Center took over during the singing of O Canada before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Tuesday after anthem singer Cami Clune’s microphone cut out.

Once the crowd caught on, they didn’t miss a beat, singing in sync while filling in the lyrics together in a moment that quickly grew into something bigger than the game itself. So, what could have been an awkward pause turned into a full-arena singalong, with voices rising in sync across the building.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shannon Elizabeth
Christopher Polk/Variety/Getty Images

'American Pie' Star Shannon Elizabeth Reveals Staggering Amount She's Made In Her First Week Since Joining OnlyFans

Rumors have been circulating that American Pie and Scary Movie star Shannon Elizabeth started an OnlyFans account and that she's been making bank while doing it.

Early reports claimed that Elizabeth started the account on April 16, 2026, and that she brought in "more than seven figures" in the first week on the platform alone.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jamie Ding
Sony Pictures Television

'Jeopardy!' Champ Speaks Out To Rip ICE After His Impressive 31-Game Winning Streak Comes To An End

Jeopardy! champ Jamie Ding has had quite an impressive winning streak on the show, but it's his statements about current events that may have the greatest impact.

Ding had an extraordinary 31-day winning streak, the fifth-longest in the show's history.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Johnson
Newsmax

Mike Johnson Just Gave A Mind-Numbing Reason Why Voters Should Keep Republicans 'In Charge'—And The Delusion Is Real

During a Monday appearance on Newsmax, GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told host Greta Van Susteren why voters need to keep Republicans in power, but the self-proclaimed Christian nationalist's reasoning went over like a lead balloon.

The discussion on Newsmax's The Record with Greta Van Susteren turned to the continuing partial government shutdown that began February 14, 2026—now the longest in history, surpassing 68 days.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Serena Williams
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Elsa/Getty Images

MAGA Accounts Rush To Praise Video Of Trump Playing Tennis With Serena Williams—But There's One Glaring Issue

President Donald Trump shared a video of himself playing tennis with tennis icon Serena Williams to the thrill of his MAGA supporters—but the truth is that the video is more than a decade old.

As concerns swirl about Trump's physical and mental health, he courted significant attention after he fell and had to be helped up by Secret Service agents after a gunman—who was later apprehended—crashed the White House Correspondents Association dinner over the weekend.

Keep ReadingShow less