Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down What Is Actually Much More Fragile Than People Think

People Break Down What Is Actually Much More Fragile Than People Think
FLY:D on Unsplash

When I was a kid, I was given a recorder. You know the ones. Simple flutes.

Just about every kid in my day had a music class in which they learned how to play one (or at least attempted to).

One day, I took it out of my bag only to have the damn thing snap in half right in front of me. I had no idea it was so fragile!

As an adult, I've accepted that it was just cheaply made and that we're probably better off without such a crappy device as the one I played masquerading as a musical instrument.

There are more things out there that are equally sensitive, if not moreso.


People shared their stories with us after Redditor Traffic_Great asked the online community:

"What have you discovered is much more fragile than you thought?"

"As a kid..."

"A lot of construction. As a kid I always trusted that things like walls, railings, and other infrastructure was built to actually be durable and withstand a bit of 'roughhousing.' When I got to be a teen I realized I couldn't always count on that and the world as a whole became a lot less solid feeling."

yParticle

There are numerous construction-related accidents each year – it's wild!

"I used to pride myself..."

"My memories. I used to pride myself on remembering all sorts of obscure things. I'll look through my old stuff and have no recollection of ever doing or thinking about some things. Time has eroded a lot of old memories away, and it's scary."

boulomai

Have you considered getting checked out for this?

"I’m 35 years old..."

"My father. I’m 35 years old and two years ago my dad retired at the age of 67. A few months after that the doctors told him he has cancer."

"He is/was a Marine and has always been a good dad. I’ve seen a fragile side of him these past two years while he comes to grips with his odds of survival. Life’s a bitch."

Hazz526

For someone who used to be so strong and independent, it's natural that this would be devastating.

"I'm about done..."

"My tolerance for BS. I'm about done watching the news."

Soggy-Macaron-4612

As I've grown older, I've discovered that my patience gets shorter and shorter each year.

"Literally..."

"Literally any given relationship. Don’t ever take it for granted."

MagyarCat

This is solid advice – value the people around you. Relationships are a two-way street.

"In today's world..."

"A person's spirit. In today's world, it is so easy to lash out and be mean. One spiteful remark and it can diminish that person's self worth and lead them to more discouragement."

chip2sr

We must be kind to people. We never know what they might be going through.

"I've had small ones..."

"Larger glass jars. I've had small ones fall and hit my fridge rug and not break even from 6 ft up. Knocked a larger size jar of the bottom shelf (maybe 2.5ft) and shattered to pieces on the fridge rug."

pilotdarko

Oh, don't remind me. I've shattered a couple in my day. Cleaning that up is not fun. And sometimes you find tiny shards for months!

"My dad was strong..."

"Life. My dad was strong and never ill. Two weeks ago he died in our arms from an aneurysm. He said he had a big sudden headache, 30 mins later he was gone."

all-rider

Sorry for your loss. Brain aneurysms are scary.

For those of you who don't know: Up to six percent of people in the United States have an aneurysm in their brain that isn't bleeding (called an unruptured aneurysm). Ruptured aneurysms are rare.

"Metal is..."

"Metal is surprisingly fragile when stressed the wrong way."

Not_Adobe

Indeed! It can surprise you. Enough stress can absolutely snap even the strongest metal in half.

"The hinge..."

"The hinge on my new air fryer thing. It popped back into place but you would think a bit more effort would have gone into keeping the front on."

YetAnotherRCG

I did this earlier in the pandemic and was forced to purchase another one due to an outdated warranty. So frustrating!

Be kinder and try not to take life for granted. Oh, and stay away from construction sites. If those are the major lessons you take away from reading these, then my work here is done.

Have some stories of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

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

A young girl sitting at the edge of a pier.
a woman sits on the end of a dock during daytime staring across a lake
Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash

People Break Down The Most Painful Sentence Someone's Ever Said To Them

In an effort to get children to stop using physical violence against one another, they are often instructed to "use [their] words".

Of course, words run no risk of putting people in the hospital, or landing them in a cast.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sean Duffy; Screenshot of Kim Kardashian
Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images; Hulu

Even Trump's NASA Director Had To Set Kim Kardashian Straight After She Said The Moon Landing 'Didn't Happen'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—who is also NASA's Acting Administrator—issued the weirdest fact-check ever when he corrected reality star Kim Kardashian after she revealed herself to be a moon landing conspiracist.

Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax—and Kardashian certainly made it clear where she stands in a video speaking to co-star Sarah Paulson on the set of the new Hulu drama All’s Fair.

Keep ReadingShow less
Someone burning money
Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

Biggest Financial Mistakes People Make In Their 20s

It can be really fun to experience something for the first time that you've never really had before, like a disposable income.

For the average person, there isn't generally a lot of excess money to spend frivolously when they're a child, so when they hit their twenties and have their first "real" or "more important" job, they might find themselves in a position to enjoy some of the finer things in life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kid Rock
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Special Olympics Fires Back At Kid Rock With Powerful Statement After He Used 'The R-Word' To Describe Halloween Costume

MAGA singer Kid Rock was called out by Loretta Claiborne, the Chief Inspiration Officer of the Special Olympics, after he used the "r-word"—a known ableist slur—to describe his Halloween costume this year.

Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, was speaking with Fox News host Jesse Watters when he donned a face mask and said he'd be going as a "r**ard" for Halloween. Watters had guessed he was dressed as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who spearheaded the nation's COVID-19 pandemic response.

Keep ReadingShow less

Foreigners Explain Which Things About America They Thought Were A Myth

Every country has its own way of doing things, and what's expected and accepted will vary from place to place.

But America is one of those places that people who have never been there can't help but be curious about. After all, some of the headlines are pretty wild sometimes!

Keep ReadingShow less