People Reveal The Small Things That Completely Changed How They See The World

The world can be amazing.

But humans tend to always miss it

To be fair to humans, life is rough. So we're often distracted by the terrible.

The amazing then falls by the wayside.

Also, the amazing tends to be quiet and subtle.

Pay attention to the small things. You won't be disappointed.

Redditor martyswaggins wanted everyone to share the subtle moments that changed everything, so they asked:

"What’s something small that completely changed the way you see the world?"

Wreck

"Being involved in a car wreck in rush hour, and no one stopping to help. I had to call 911 myself after I came to. Been 20 years, and I still work to be a better human than all those turds (granted, it doesn't take much when that's the bar)."

- ObligatoryAnxiety

Come On Wow GIF by BrownSugarAppGiphy

What's Next?

In college, a friend of mine during a debate said 'We need to ask two questions: what do we want? And how do we get there?' It is very simple, but seeing those as two separate questions changed how I approach nearly everything. Too often people just ask 'What's next' or 'How do I fix this' without having a clear goal in mind. Know your goal, then make a plan."

- Kovarian

We are Here

"Gravestones. Particularly ones that you know no one visits or the people that had remembered them are also gone. Had that revelation at my cousin's funeral looking around the graveyard. One day we are here. And one day we won’t be. I chose to be less reserved and more outgoing and take care of myself more. It’s been a fun revelation actually."

- JoeyRogueX

Ordinary

"The recognition that crime, especially 'ordinary' crimes like theft, dealing drugs, that sort of thing, almost always comes from a place of desperation, not greed. When there are no jobs to be had, food stamps don't buy diapers, and someone says all you have to do is move some and suddenly your food is paid for and your rent is up to date? When pushed far enough, that crime turns into a lifeline."

"It changed my entire outlook on crime and punishment from criminals are villains who should be punished' to 'criminals are desperate people who need help.' We need fewer police and prisons, and more community improvements. More education, better schools, more opportunities. Crime is a failure of the society, not the individual."

- sharrancleric

APOCALYPSE

"Someone mentioned in a casual conversation "The USA is already a post-apocalyptic society. Native Americans have been living in a post-apocalyptic world for the past 400 years.'"

- AsterEsque

"Ok by that logic we're dozens and dozens of apocalypses deep, which makes it feel not very apocalyptic. The closest thing to an actual apocalypse we survived is the eruption of the Toba supervolcano which caused a genetic bottleneck in humanity around 72,000 BC."

- Green__lightning

Miranda

"I was told I was intimidating and gave stink eyes to people. Basically RBF. I used to think it was good. Like f**k you all, prove yourself to me. And my boyfriend's sister at the time told me that she thought I would be such a b*tch when she first met me bc I gave her the stink eye, the Miranda Priestley eyeing up and down, but that I'm actually really nice and sweet!"

"It shifted my mind to how I present myself and meet people. I want to be warm and welcoming. I don't want to seem like an a-hole. It shifted everything and really opened doors for me."

- _oooOooo_

meryl streep GIF by 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentGiphy

Like Velcro

"Looking at a bird feather under a microscope. Birds have these little hooks called barbules that strengthen their feathers, works like Velcro kinda. I see birds every day, multiple times a day, but seeing that made me realize how little I know about the things that make up our wonderful world."

- SpaceKiohtee

Close Your Eyes

"Reading. Especially reading outside of social media."

"Can't be said enough but people don't understand or believe how reading rewires your brain. Your dialogue becomes better, you understand things in detail not in headlines."

"But we live in a technologically addicted era, so people don't read as much. Literacy rates in youth are suffering compared to only a decade ago and that causes problems."

- Staz777

Eye Contact

"Learning the power of eye contact. With your peers, it shows confidence and respect. To others less fortunate it gives them at least a moment of dignity. I was told by a homeless person that not being looked in the eyes was harder on him than being told no when asking for money."

- jumboparticle

Different Colors

"Growing up in an integrated working/lower-class inner-city neighborhood."

"I had no control over where I lived as a kid but living in a neighborhood where everyone pretty much lived paycheck-to-paycheck and having childhood friends that were different colors than me made me see the world way f**king different than most white guys my age."

- PunchBeard

This is the Way

"Nothing that people do is their fault, we are all products of our environments and how we were raised/who raised us. Even some of the most disturbed and heinous of people deserve kindness. That or they should just be put down. But no problems are solved only by spreading more pain. To move forward as a society we must understand each other deeply as individuals, and from a place of love. This is the way."

- Stoned_ghost420

Try Having Fun

"Being the super hard-headed and micro-managing manager, then getting my own micro-managing mean manager. Now, all my employees only need to meet the dress code and not get complaints while getting the job done. Nothing else matters. Just do the job and try to have fun while doing it."

- ajwr17

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Time and Date

"People pass life stories!!! People often say I don’t really care about a person's past, but for me it’s interesting!! I constantly meet new people due to work or even when I go out. They always tell me about their background, and where they are from, where they grew up. What they did after school, what jobs they had done, and so on. So many of them have exciting, crazy, and even sad, stories. I often think about where was I when that happened, time and date."

- Joshresendiz25

Alone

"Being alone on a beach in the middle of the night. try it sometime. it made me feel so tiny, and it really made me feel like there was something so much bigger than us. hanging out in total darkness and just watching the waves crash is so weirdly invigorating, and it makes you feel like you're the only person on earth for a bit."

- quantumturbines

Beach Party Running GIF by Party Down SouthGiphy

An empty beach in the middle of the night can be a life-changing experience.

The waves, the air, the sand... it can all be magical.

Of course, alone time in general can be magical; just ask any parent.

The small things can be everything we need to spark some joy.