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

Ramy Youssef and Elmo
@sesamestreet/Instagram

MAGA Is Predictably Melting Down Over Video Of Elmo Learning New Arabic Words For Arab American Heritage Month

A clip released by Sesame Street on Thursday, April 16, showed Elmo with Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, director, and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month.

The 41-second video showed Youssef teaching Elmo the Arabic words "salamu alaykum" and "habibi."

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Sinatra; Donald Trump
Jim Spellman/WireImage; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Fires Back At Trump With Four Powerful Words After He Uses Her Father's Song In Cryptic Post

Singer Nancy Sinatra, the daughter of the iconic crooner Frank Sinatra, criticized President Donald Trump after he posted a video featuring her father's version of the song "My Way" to Truth Social amid his ongoing war and negotiations with Iran.

"My Way," a song about an individual looking back on their decision to live life on their own terms, was one of the late Sinatra's signature hits. Trump posted a video of Sinatra singing the song with no comment or explanation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg; Donald Trump
@Acyn/X; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg Explains Why Trump's AI Jesus Post Was So Offensive To Christian Conservatives In Viral Video

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg condemned President Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, describing it as "insulting" to both people's faith and their intelligence.

Earlier this month, the Pope criticized Trump's widely unpopular war in Iran and called on the world "to reject war, especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and is not resolving anything."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
@atrupar/X

Trump Dragged After Gushing Over His Own Signature In Ultra-Cringey Viral Clip

President Donald Trump was super proud of himself after he signed an executive order to make certain psychedelic drugs more available to treat mental health conditions, taking an opportunity to boast about his own signature.

Trump's order approves $50 million in federal funding to expand access to certain therapies and directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track its review of drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine. He was joined by the likes of podcaster Joe Rogan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron (left) responds to Timothée Chalamet’s (right) controversial comments about ballet and opera.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Charlize Theron Gives Timothée Chalamet A Blunt Reality Check About His Future After His Comments Insulting Ballet

Timothée Chalamet declaring that “no one cares” about ballet and opera was always going to age poorly. It just happened faster than expected.

Enter Charlize Theron, who didn’t just disagree—she flipped the whole argument, suggesting that while centuries-old art forms will endure, Chalamet’s own career may be far more vulnerable in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keep ReadingShow less