Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Most Terrifying Things That Are Completely Harmless

People Break Down The Most Terrifying Things That Are Completely Harmless
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Like a lot of the population, I've had some general anxiety about public speaking. Trust that it wasn't a terrible fear or even a paralyzing one, but it was still something I didn't exactly look forward to. Then I took a public speaking course in college. I learned that I simply had jitters and that I actually have no issues with public speaking. As for the rest of my classmates? Well, let's just say that quite a few of them dropped out of the course before the end of the term.

After Redditor mrbigshott asked the online community, "What is harmless but generally terrifies most people?" people weighed in with their observations.


"They don't realize..."

A child with a balloon in his/her hand. They don't realize the auditory destructive power they hold. One of the reasons why I hate going to children's birthday parties.

poopellar

"My grandparents had a cottage..."

Seaweed. My grandparents had a cottage as I was growing up and I spent every Saturday swimming around. I used to snorkel and swim through the different types of seaweed.

So I was very surprised when my friend visited and refused to go anywhere near seaweed. I've since learned that a lot of people hate the stuff.

valuesandnorms

"Statistically speaking..."

Elevators. Statistically speaking, you're waaaay more likely to die taking the stairs. I dare you to ask me just how safe elevators are. Your anxiety will melt.

GutterCookie45

"People pay so much money..."

Working on their own vehicles. People pay so much money for the most simple automotive repairs. A few simple automotive tools and youtube will save a mildly brave person a lot of money and build self confidence.

bustedaxles

"Asking someone you like..."

Asking someone you like out. Usually the worst thing that happens is a brief, awkward exchange that who ever you asked forgets about 2 hours later.

Meanwhile you stand to gain a lover or at least someone to keep your bed warm for a while.

VindictiveMelon

"You're more likely to die..."

Rollercoasters.

You're more likely to die on your way to visit a theme park than on a rollercoaster (or basically any attraction that might be there), but there's a ton of people that are too scared of them. I honestly don't understand that fear.

ribonucleico

"People hear 'nuclear'..."

Nuclear Power.

Thorium reactors and breeder reactors are the safest greenest current future for the world. But because of old failures in almost completely different technology. People hear "nuclear" and freak out.

Train_Veracity

"People go nuts..."

Coyotes. People go nuts when they see one but unless you're a small child it's way less dangerous than a lot of dog breeds people don't mind being around.

BerserkBoulderer

"They're also better for the environment..."

GMOs.

GMOs are safe. They're not "frankenfoods injected with chemicals." It's just lab controlled hybridization and crossbreeding. Not the crap you read about from science denying conspiracy theorists.

They're also better for the environment as they require less land, less water, and fewer pesticides while producing more crops than organic. And often they have more nutrients - like golden rice which is so high in vitamin A it can prevent blindness in children.

And yet people are terrified of them as if they expect them to suddenly become sentient and throw little girls into rivers.

JamiSings

"Unless you decide..."

Sharks are actually pretty harmless. Unless you decide to intimidate them, they'll never attack you. Humans taste disgusting to them, anyway.

TellMyWifiAmFaithful


Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

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