Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Most Brutal Awakenings They've Ever Had In Their Life

A young woman sitting and crying on stone steps
woman in black and white dress sitting on concrete stairs
Photo by Zhivko Minkov on Unsplash

Reddit user Single_Soft_3917 asked: 'What are the most brutal rude awakenings you had in your life?'

We've all been faced with a "rude awakening" at some point in our lives.

Perhaps none more universal than becoming an "adult" and learning the responsibilities of paying rent and bills and no longer relying on our parents.


Some rude awakenings are a bit less apparent to others.

While they might not be experiences everyone goes through, the emotional effect these experiences might have on us is still every bit as bad, if not worse.

So much so that calling them "rude awakenings" would be an understatement.

Redditor Single_Soft_3917 was curious to learn of about the most brutal awakenings people have ever experienced, leading them to ask:

"What are the most brutal rude awakenings you had in your life?"

The Memory Lives On... For Better Or Worse...

"Literal rude awakening."

"Almost every morning for about the first 2 weeks after my dad died I woke up blissfully having forgotten."

"About 2 seconds into consciousness the realization that he was dead hit me, and it was like finding out for the first time all over again."

"One of the most painful things in the world."- AtheneSchmidt

Surround Yourself With People Who Pick You Up

"Burn bridges."

"It’s necessary."

"Some people just don’t want you in their life."- chefboyarde30

Every Parent's Worst Nightmare

"It is possible to outlive your child."- Best_Newt6858

Too Soon

"That some of the worst people in the world are some of the most powerful people in the world because of the way they are."

"Unfortunately, often people who are willing to do things most people aren't to get ahead end up being the ones who accumulate a lot of power."

"Once you really internalize it, it is a sh*tty realization."- _DCtheTall_

No Matter How Hard You Try

"That often doing 'your best' is miles away from 'good enough'."- UnscarredVoice

The Reverse Is Also True

"Not everyone is going to like you and you need to be ok with this."- bethybabes

Sometimes You Truly Must Put Yourself First

"Ain’t no one gonna 'save' you but yourself."- ayeleexfan

The Definition Of Toxic

"Many people have so little peace with themselves that they have an overwhelming impulse to prevent others from living in peace."- Just_Capital4652

Jealousy And Ridicule Make A Dangerous Pair...

"When sh*t hits the fan in your life you will most likely be left to deal with it on your own while everyone around you watches and rubber necks your situation."

"When you succeed in life no one will congratulate you, in fact they will probably shade you until they need something from you."- nitrosunman

There's No Worse Feeling Than Wanting To Be Noticed...

"You can be the juiciest peach on the tree, and people will still not choose you."- justarandommermaid

Melancholy Is Less Than Alluring

"Constantly putting yourself down and moping all the time makes others not want to be around you, and having a negative mindset 24/7 makes you a less likable person."- aquatic_armageddons

Cherish The Present

"Realizing that people can leave you even when you thought they'd stay forever it was a harsh truth to face."- Sophia-Girllx5

A Contradiction In Terms

"Not making a choice is making a choice."- David_ior

Can They Ever...

"The people you love and trust can hurt you."

"Honestly, it hurts more because you don't see it coming."- kidskitchen

When In Doubt, See A Doctor!

"Sometimes you get sent to the hospital by a good doctor because of one bad blood test result, and you end up admitted and on chemo that day and learn that your plan 'to sleep it off' would have ended up with you dead in 36 hours."

"Joke all you want, but every now and then it's actually MUCH MUCH worse than a cold."- damned-if-i-do-67

There is truly no greater slap in the face than a dose of reality.

And unlike dreams and nightmares, which we eventually wake up from, these rude awakenings can often result in genuine pain.


More from Trending

Miriam Margolyes
David Levenson/Getty Images

'Harry Potter' Star Miriam Margolyes Offers Mic Drop Explanation For Why Respecting Pronouns Matters

Sometimes it is just that easy to make people happy. This is a lesson learned over and over in our lives, but that's because it's an important one.

Actor Miriam Margolyes shared how she learned to change her behavior to make others happier. Margolyes appeared on The Graham Norton Show recently and brought up a fairly polarizing subject in the United Kingdom: trans people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk looks on during a public appearance, as the billionaire once again turns a newsroom style decision into a culture-war grievance broadcast to millions on X.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk Cries Racism After Associated Press Explains Why They Capitalize 'Black' But Not 'White'

Elon Musk has spent the year picking fights, from health research funding to imagined productivity crises among federal workers and whether DOGE accomplished anything at all besides leaving chaos in its wake.

His latest grievance, however, is thinly disguised as grammatical. Specifically, he is once again furious that the Associated Press (AP) capitalizes “Black” while keeping “white” lowercase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk; Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images; Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Elon Musk Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Claiming That Yale's Lack Of Republican Faculty Is 'Outrageous Bigotry'

Elon Musk—who has repeatedly whined about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—took to his social media platform to whine about a lack of conservative faculty at Yale University.

Musk shared data compiled by The Buckley Institute (TBI), a conservative-leaning organization founded at Yale in 2010. TBI found 82.3% of faculty self-identified as Democrats or primarily supporting Democratic candidates, 15% identified as independents, while only 2.3% identified as Republicans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barry Manilow
Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Barry Manilow Speaks Out After Postponing Farewell Tour Dates Due To Lung Cancer Scare

"Looks Like We Made It" singer Barry Manilow is in the process of saying goodbye to the stage and meeting his fans in-person, but he has to press pause for a few months after receiving a jarring diagnosis.

On December 22, 2025, the "Mandy" singer posted on Facebook, explaining that a "cancerous spot" had been discovered on his left lung.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, the last time audiences saw Captain America before his unexpected return was teased for Avengers: Doomsday.
Disney/Marvel Studios

Marvel Just Confirmed That Chris Evans Is Returning For 'Avengers: Doomsday'—And Fans Have Mixed Feelings

Folks, once again, continuity is more of a suggestion than a rule in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has officially confirmed that Chris Evans is returning as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, and the internet has responded exactly how you’d expect: screaming, celebrating, arguing, and a very justified side-eye toward how Sam Wilson keeps getting treated.

The confirmation comes via a teaser now playing exclusively in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. There is no official online release, despite leaks circulating. If you didn’t catch it on the big screen, Marvel’s response is essentially: sorry, guess you had to be there.

Keep ReadingShow less