Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Stupidest Thing They've Ever Done That Actually Left Lasting Damage

People Share The Stupidest Thing They've Ever Done That Actually Left Lasting Damage
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google

This one goes out to all the teenagers out there. You know who you are, standing there, on top of a brick wall, ready to do a parkour backflip onto a pile of sweatshirts. Maybe slow down, take a breath, remember you're not a real life Spider-Man, and take a look at these peoples' stories below and remember that small moments can lead to large consequences.


Reddit user, u/WetBlanket75, wanted to hear about:

What is a stupid thing you did that damaged you permanently?

Never Challenge The Young Lion

homer simpson GIFGiphy

Challenged my teenage son to a friendly wrestling match in the living room. He didn't intend to injure me, but my knee got totally mangled. A five-plus-hour reconstruction surgery and several years later and I still can't run. I likely never will. I tend to walk with a bit of a limp too. Once in a while, I need to use a cane.

shugerbooger

Learn The Lesson: Never Make Drunk Choices

Backflipped from a 2nd story balcony when drunk. landed on my feet and busted both my kneecaps and broke my ankles

Turbulent_Attitude_3

Something You Never Knew About Your Body

I walked on my toes exclusively from 7 years old onward. My Achilles tendons shortened because of it so I have effectively zero flexion in my ankles on top of clubbed feet. I can't squat properly, or low for that matter, so thats pretty aggravating.

Demented_Liar

Over Guitar Hero? Guitar Hero?

I hit myself in the face trying to activate starpower on guitar hero. Broke my front tooth in half to the nerve, had to get a route canal and spend 4 hours at the dentist the next morning. Initially they just built it up like a filling. Years later I got a crown.

I was dead sober.

EatingPiesIsMyName

They're Just Giant Jets. What's The Worst Than Can Happen?

Didn't wear the prescribed double hearing protection while working on the flight deck of a naval aircraft carrier for four years. The first layer is the spongy stuff we're all aware of that I left out and the second layer are the Mickey Mouse's that cover your entire ear which is lined with similar material as sound proofing in a sound studio. Then when I got out of the military, I was in a political hip hop group and played hundreds of shows without hearing protection.

Tinnitus, hearing loss, and difficulty pronouncing the "ng" sound at the end of some words like wrong or strong. I have to use a heavy "g" at the end of those words to make myself feel better about pronouncing them.

gizmosbutu

Started At Such A Young Age

Decided to start calorie counting.

Was anorexic for two years and 3 years after that I still have a horrible relationship with food.

sorryimloudneighbors

Same here! Started calorie counting in my preteens, still have anorexia fifteen years later and nothing to show for but a sh-tty relationship with food

rosegardenway

Protec Your Bac

Twisted my back while lifting a pallet, ended up trapping a nerve and messing up on of my discs, I was 16 at the time now 23 and it still plagues me. Been to multiple chiropractors and even spent money on private one, the second time I went there they kinda just said that I have most likely done permanent damage that can't be fixed due the lack of blood vessels associated with spinal discs.

Long and short of it, look after your back and use the correct manual handling technique.

JayInFlamed

You Only Get One Set Of Ears

Listening to loud music since childhood. I have tinnitus and it is loud sometimes.

Dikakun1907

I have severe tinnitus from childhood but I've always had very sensitive hearing and hate loud music. I think mine is from shouting matches or maybe the metal concert i went to at 16 but I wore earplugs for that. It's a constant reminder that somewhere along the line I f-cked up!

arelow

Never Think You Can Change Him

Sustaining a 5 year relationship with an abusive scumbag. Thought I might be able to change him or something. Still struggling with my appearance and identity issues years later.

brekfastdog

Stop When There's Resistance

Bart Simpson Reaction GIFGiphy

I think I got this. I was cleaning my ears after a shower and turned to turn off a light , instead smacked my elbow against the wall jamming the ear bud into my ear drum . The pain , the damn pain was horrible . Then I realised I was bleeding from my ear and couldn't hear too well. I can no longer enjoy the joys of sneezing .

Bensonhurs

I am in pain just reading this. I can't imagine the pain.

catlady86802

It's Almost Like We Should Be Taking This Stuff Seriously

Got the flu, ruptured my eardrums and permanently lost part of my hearing. Flu shots and frequent hand washing for life now!

Snoo_39169

Old Man Back In High School

I wanted to carry my friend. Tried sitting down while holding her. Somehow f-cked up my back. No one knows what actually happened, but needed physiotherapy for a while after that and my back has never been the same. I'm 18 and, thanks to my own stupidity, already have back problems

ElaineMirana

No Push-Ups? Why Even Be An Athlete?

Casual handstands in the park were going well so thought I could try walking on my hands. Did one step and my elbow got twisted, and it didn't heal right. It's kinda weird to be an athlete who can't do the most popular exercises like push-ups or pull-ups 😢

yelena_the_me

Learn The Lesson All Those Monkeys Learned

When I was younger, maybe 5, I was jumping around on my bed. I slipped and hit the edge with my face, resulting in a black eye. I still can't touch the area beside my eye without feeling a sting and the touch for the next 15 minutes. I also can't lean on my hand anymore. Not a real 'damage', but really annoying when you are sleepy and forget about it.

thecactusartist

Playing Badminton? Badminton?

Played badminton for exercise and leisure. Got a little too fast in my razzle dazzle and heard a loud pop - like the sound those rubber inside out popping toys.

Goodbye knee security.

Glamtrashglitz

It Always Looks So Fun On Kids' Shows

When I was younger I "agreed" to let my brother and his friends give me a hanging wedgie, they left me up there for a while. I still have scars from where my underwear dug into my skin. Other youngest siblings may understand why the words "agreed" are in quotes .

OneAverageKid

It's For Something Stupider Than That

Didn't want to overpay for water at a football game, got heatstroke, collapsed and smacked my mouth into the handrail trying to get out of the stands. Broke the bottom halves of my teeth and had to get fake parts glued on. I'm lucky the break was pretty clean and didn't agitate the nerves in my teeth.

Damn doctor who checked me over accused me of being dehydrated due to underage drinking. No, sir, I'm far stupider than that, actually u_u

dotyin

No. Legal. Recourse.

Donated plasma for money. Undertrained phlebotomist damaged a nerve in my arm. Permanent loss of sensation in the top of my hand. No legal recourse to sue.

Indigoal

From Something So Small

mocking homer simpson GIFGiphy

Stabbed a sharp corner of a price tag in my right eye when trying on sunglasses at the store. It permanently damaged my cornea, which is frequently "ripping" at the impact point, causing me to suddenly wake up to a sharp burning pain in my eye at night, like someone stabbed me again at that moment. It lasts for about 40 minutes. Then it heals and rips again a few days or weeks later. Had that going for two years now and it's really annoying. At least it didn't damage my vision, so..

SpookyPlankton

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

Screenshots of Jessica Tarlov and Emily Compagno; Abdul El-Sayed
Fox News; Sarah Rice/Getty Images

Jessica Tarlov Has Perfect Clapback After Fox News Co-Host Criticizes Abdul El-Sayed For Not Being A 'Practicing Physician'

Fox News host Jessica Tarlov had the perfect response to her colleague Emily Compagno after Compagno complained that Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is not a "practicing physician."

El-Sayed, an epidemiologist who campaigned on expanding healthcare access, strengthening the economy, and ending unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, became the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state carried by President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. He is set to face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers during next month's midterms.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump during White House event
The White House

Trump Ripped After Openly Lusting Over MAGA Sisters With Tone-Deaf Joke Following Cornell Sexual Assault Allegations

President Donald Trump was criticized after openly lusting after Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy and her sister Leah Campos during a Hispanic Heritage Month event that took place amid national outrage following the sexual assault allegations that have been the center of a scandal at Cornell University.

A former Cornell student known only as "Jane Doe" filed a civil lawsuit detailing an October 2024 sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house and Cornell's handling of the assault after it was reported to school officials. Cornell’s chapter of Chi Phi was closed shortly afterward and remains barred from campus.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Hegseth; Gavin Newsom
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Pete Hegseth Just Threw Out A Bunch Of Absurd Slurs While Talking About Transforming The Military—And Gavin Newsom Clapped Back Hard

California Governor Gavin Newsom mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Hegseth delivered a slur-filled speech about who he's trying to bar from U.S. military service.

Speaking at U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth claimed that the Trump administration's cultural reimagining of the nation's armed forces has been a grand success. But, as evidenced by what he told those in attendance, this "success" was only possible because the Department of Defense has made no secret of excluding certain groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Holland; Florence Pugh
Jeff Spicer/ Getty Images for Sony Pictures; NBC

Florence Pugh Revealed That Tom Holland Is The Reason She Appears In 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'—And We Love To See It

Florence Pugh has built a career on scene-stealing performances, but her latest Marvel appearance came with one particularly flattering endorsement: Spider-Man himself.

While promoting her latest historical drama, East of Eden, Pugh stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she was asked about her surprise appearance as Yelena Belova in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kelsgordon's TikTok video
@kelsgordon/TikTok

Woman Reveals The Fallout After She Caught Her Sister's Fiancé Cheating Just 2 Hours Before Their Wedding

Some people would rather live in a state of oblivion than know the truth.

TikToker @kelsgordon realized her sister was one of those people when she discovered, just two hours before her sister's wedding, that her sister's fiancé had a whole other romantic relationship in the works—and she intended to go ahead with the wedding anyway.

Keep ReadingShow less