Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down How One Mistake Ruined Someone's Entire Life

Person alone on the beach
person standing beside seashore
Photo by - - on Unsplash

We've all made decisions we regret.

Thankfully, sometimes these decisions result in little to no consequences or can be easily fixed with some time and healing.

In other cases, one error in judgment might have permanent ramifications: causing an effective end to a friendship, irrevocably damaging your financial situation, or even resulting in permanent physical damage.

In some more serious cases, these mistakes might even result in someone's life coming to an end.

All heartbreaking scenarios which could have been easily avoided with a little more care and consideration.


Redditor OrderPuzzled8165 was curious to learn about times where one single mistake resulted in permanent negative impacts on people's lives, leading them to ask:
"Who destroyed their entire life by making one mistake?"

Check Your Surroundings First

"I once worked as a personal assistant for a person who broke his neck due to diving into snow that was a little too hard."-tubzz2

A Wasted Career

"Boban Jankovic, basketball player."

"Copied from Wikipedia : 'Janković thought he scored a basket on a drive to the hoop while being guarded by Panathinaikos player Fragiskos Alvertis'."

"'However, the referee Stelios Koukoulekidis, called an offensive foul on him'."

"'It was Janković's fifth foul of the game, which meant that he had fouled out'."

"'In reaction to what he believed was a bad call at a crucial moment of a very important playoff game, Janković slammed his head hard against the padded concrete goal post'."

"He permanently damaged his spinal cord and was unable to walk for the rest of his life'."- bryanmills33

NEVER USE YOUR PHONE WHILE DRIVING!

"Near me there was a serious traffic collision."

"Several cars and 2 trucks."

"3 people died when one truck ploughed into stationary traffic at around 50mph."

"The crash and resulting fire was so horrific 2 people were only identified by their dead dog on the carriageway."

"It was microchipped."

"It was on the BBC news and have been documentaries about it."

"The truck driver was on his phone."

"He was charged and is now in prison."- Tabby_Tibs

How Could It Have Possibly Been Worth It?

"That dude who ate a slug as a dare."- valcallis

Violence Is Never The Answer

"Respected cardiothoracic surgeon tells a guy to stop smoking right outside the hospital doors."

"Guy turns around and punches him a single time in the head."

"King-hit, or coward punched, whatever you want to call it."

"He falls to the floor and hits his head a second time."

"On life support for four weeks."

"Nothing left to save."- Reddit

You Never Know Who You Can Trust

"My father."

"Years ago he started a trucking company with his best friend at the time."

"The HQ of the company was in a neighbor state, a six hours drive or about 40 minute flight."

"And for some reason, my dad just wouldn’t visit his company."

"Even with my mother pressing him to actually take care of his business, he would alway say he trusted his friend and since he only did the accounting for the company he only needed the reports his friend would send him."

"Long story short, his 'best friend' scammed him out a million bucks, driving both their company and my family to complete bankruptcy and f*cked off to live in some tropical paradise."- theapothecarium

Some People Get What They Deserve

"Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer."

"He avoided arrest for 30 years, then, in an apparent need for attention, began writing to the police, basically mocking them for never having caught him."

"He asked the cops if they would be able to trace a floppy disk if he sent one to them."

"They said no."

"He sent it."

"They traced it."

"They arrested him and he's in prison for life."- President_Calhoun

There Are People Who Can Help You

"Doing fentanyl once destroyed my life for 3ish years."

"I was a complete shell and zombie. almost died too, overdosed 4 times."

"Lucky i got my sh*t together and will be 5 months sober in two days."- mission_mayhem

Some Risks Are Worth Taking

"I'm 49 years old, that context is relevant."

"When I was in college, a friend of mine started a company with a professor."

"This company was basically the first social network, I won't list its name here."

"This was in the early 90s."

"He offered me a job as employee number 4 or 5."

"I didn't know what the hell the internet was, let alone understand the concept of a social network."

"I knew he wasn't going to pay me much. I turned him down."

"Three years later, that company was sold for $190mm."

"They still only had a few employees."

"Every employee had equity and every employee made millions by age 25, including several other friends."

"I was a junior employee at an insurance company when I heard."

"Gah."

"Several of those people have gone on to very successful careers in technology and private equity."

"They were all basically set for life because of a quick decision they made at age 21."

"I've had an excellent career so far, I haven't 'destroyed my life'."

"But I think about this frequently."- hiro111

There's A Reason Stealing Is A Sin

"I knew of a girl who thought it was a good idea to steal a good sized amount of drugs from a guy she was partying with and then attempt to board a flight with it."

"She got caught by customs and ended up doing time."

"Dumb."- mrnoire

Couldn't This Be Viewed As Self-Defense?

"Friend was having a beer in a tavern."

"Some guys came in and started messing with my friend."

"He moved seats twice and then got up to leave when one of the guys threw a punch."

"My friend threw ONE punch back and the guy he hit landed in the ICU and wasn't expected to live."

"Friend was sitting in jail waiting just waiting for the guy he punched to either die or recover."

"Turns out the guy he punched recovered."

"Friend took a reduced charge of aggravated assault...a felony."

"One punch."- Noelle305

Actions have consequences.

Though we all have some trouble controlling our impulses every now and then.

But sometimes a short pause and a deep breath is all it takes to prevent us from making a mistake we'd regret for the rest of our lives.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of @dhsgov's Instagram page; Kristi Noem
@dhsgov/Instagram; Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Band Posts Epic Cease And Desist Letter After DHS Uses Song In Deportation Propaganda Video

The indie rock group Black Rebel Motorcycle Club called out the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a cease and desist letter, saying it is "obvious" the agency does not respect copyright law let alone constitutional rights and protections after using the band's song "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in a "propaganda video."

DHS used a Johnny Cash cover of "God's Gonna Cut You Down" as a backdrop for a cinematic video that depicts a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent reciting Bible verses while other agents conduct immigration raids under cover of darkness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meghan Reinertsen
@meghanreinertsen/TikTok

TikToker's Food Poisoning Chaos

After enough time had passed, TikToker Meghan Reinertsen felt comfortable sharing a food poisoning incident on a United Airlines flight while.

She also offered a long-overdue apology to those affected by the canceled flight thanks to a “disturbance deep, deep within my bowels.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Leah Remini and Maddie
@leahremini/Instagram

Leah Remini Posts Touching Tribute To Fan She Met Through Make-A-Wish Who Recently Passed

You never know when or where you're going to meet a person who will make a special impact on your life.

For Leah Remini, it was when she received a call from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, introducing her to a young girl named Maddie, who was a huge King of Queens fan and whose wish was to meet Leah Remini and her husband on the show, Kevin James.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Donald Trump
Olivia Wong/Getty Images; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Rosie O'Donnell Fires Back At Trump With Epic Rant After He Threatens To Strip Her U.S. Citizenship

Actor and comedian Rosie O'Donnell condemned President Donald Trump after he announced in a post on Truth Social that he is considering stripping her U.S. citizenship, labeling her a "Threat to Humanity."

O’Donnell, who was born in the U.S., moved to Ireland shortly before Trump’s inauguration. In an April interview with CNN, she said it was his reelection that ultimately prompted the move, citing the risks Project 2025 poses to her and her nonbinary child—especially after decades of being in Trump's crosshairs.

Keep ReadingShow less
A grocery aisle shelf of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
OLIVIER DOULIERY / Contributor/Getty Images

Bacon-Flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch Just Landed In Stores—And The Internet Is Not OK

Every now and then, a food brand will try something different in an effort to rejuvenate its products and hopefully attract new customers.

Sometimes these pay off handsomely, such as Peanut M&Ms, which are arguably more popular than the original.

Keep ReadingShow less