Have you ever been in a situation where something happens in a room full of people, and you’re sure others saw it, too, but no one dares to say a word about it? When you’re forced to share the space with that huge elephant in the room until you can get out safely?
It’s arguably safe to assume that most of us have been in such a situation at least once. It’s clear that many Reddit users definitely have, as a number of them have discussed their experiences in a thread started by a member of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community. Said member asked fellow users about the times they had to share the space with not even an elephant, but a whole blue whale in the room, and they had plenty of stories to tell. Scroll down to find their accounts on the list below, and feel free to add yours in the comments section, if you, too, have ever been in such a situation.
On the list below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Professor of Psychology at Stetson University in Florida, Christopher J. Ferguson, who was kind enough to share his thoughts on why we avoid talking about the animal in the room.
#21
Strange that nobody is mentioning the geopolitical and social upheavals currently happening before our very eyes.
The illegal mass deportation of non-white but completely legitimate US citizens
The obliteration of the American system of law bit by bit
The gutting of US government agencies- all of whom are clearly just an obstacle to the very people making these sweeping changes
The purposeful collapse of the US economy only for those with the resources and connections to buy everything up when the prices hit rock bottom
The fact that uber wealthy billionaires are the ones behind this and have done an amazing job at deceiving the public and changing things for their own benefit so far
Russian interference in US elections and government
And how about Russia invading another country- a country that made a deal to get rid of it's nukes in return for protection from the US (and other countries) who has now officially turned it's back on it
And on top of all of this- nobody really seems to be doing anything about these issues. There's a certain amount of outrage and complaining online- but where are the mass protests, the arrests and the actual enforcement of laws against the people who are causing catastrophic to millions and millions of people and bringing us closer every day to tyrannical control, economic collapse and/or war?
The illegal mass deportation of non-white but completely legitimate US citizens
The obliteration of the American system of law bit by bit
The gutting of US government agencies- all of whom are clearly just an obstacle to the very people making these sweeping changes
The purposeful collapse of the US economy only for those with the resources and connections to buy everything up when the prices hit rock bottom
The fact that uber wealthy billionaires are the ones behind this and have done an amazing job at deceiving the public and changing things for their own benefit so far
Russian interference in US elections and government
And how about Russia invading another country- a country that made a deal to get rid of it's nukes in return for protection from the US (and other countries) who has now officially turned it's back on it
And on top of all of this- nobody really seems to be doing anything about these issues. There's a certain amount of outrage and complaining online- but where are the mass protests, the arrests and the actual enforcement of laws against the people who are causing catastrophic to millions and millions of people and bringing us closer every day to tyrannical control, economic collapse and/or war?
28points
#22
I used to work in an office where my cubicle was next to the boss’s daughter. We were office buds and would chat and banter all day. Our cubes were also right next to the bathroom. Her dad, our boss, would use that bathroom and it was the most heinous thing I’d ever experienced. The most violent s***s I’d ever heard and they smelled truly awful. Like a dead opossum. I honestly wondered if he had some serious illness. This happened at least once a day. And of course his daughter and I would never acknowledge it. Her dad would go to that bathroom and we just immediately switched from chatting to staring at our computers in stone cold silence. Silence only interrupted by the most terrible sounds imaginable.
28points
#23
Brexit in the UK. It’s the #1 driver of economic issues here right now and everyone in power is studiously ignoring it.
28points
#24
Climate Change.
27points
#25
When your boss clearly shows up drunk to a Zoom meeting and people are like “technical difficulties?
26points
#26
Saw my high school friends pass around a tin of Altoids with a white powder in it with a rolled up $1 bill as they all took turns going to the bathroom with it. I was so naive, I thought they were snorting crushed up Altoids!
25points
#27
How litigious America has become and, as a result, workplaces are completely micromanaged. Instead of solving a problem with a human approach, we do everything based on the possibility of being sued.
24points
#28
I went to a graduation ceremony last year (pouring rain and the ceremony itself was an absolute train wreck) and there was obviously something up with commencement speaker. His face was red, his words kept slurring, he seemed kind of stumbly. It was pretty subtle at first but got worse throughout the more he was up there. At first I was concerned he was having a medical emergency, but he spent so long talking about himself and his accomplishments (in a really disorganized manner) and hadn’t dropped to the ground for a 15 min speech so it didn’t seem like it.
All the professors on the stage and the chancellor, fully decked out in their regalia, safely sheltered from the rain (unlike the graduates) were just looking at him like he was saying some insightful stuff. . . but it literally didn’t make sense. He talked about how he lost so much money that his parents gave him that he had “seen rock bottom” and that people threatened to k**l his family. Multiple times throughout the ceremony he roasted the graduating class for sitting in the rain and some student who didn’t bring an umbrella. It reeked of tone deafness. He even acknowledged his wife, who was on the stage, she didn’t seem phased or concerned at all by the slurring. Then when the chancellor came up to continue on the ceremony, as it was pouring rain and everyone was getting soaked, the speaker came back up a few minutes later and INTERRUPTED HIM. And the chancellor just let him?
Some people in the crowd began to boo, but then he told the graduates he was giving them $1000 bucks so that was nice, I guess. It was just envelopes full of wet cash. News reported on how a kind hearted billionaire gave graduates money and advice, but failed to mention him referring to the umbrellas in the audience as “elevators”? I guess money talks.
There was also something very “too on the nose” with the chancellor and speaker commending the graduates on their hard work and telling them to be proud of what they have accomplished while watching them get absolutely pelted with rain and wind.
All the professors on the stage and the chancellor, fully decked out in their regalia, safely sheltered from the rain (unlike the graduates) were just looking at him like he was saying some insightful stuff. . . but it literally didn’t make sense. He talked about how he lost so much money that his parents gave him that he had “seen rock bottom” and that people threatened to k**l his family. Multiple times throughout the ceremony he roasted the graduating class for sitting in the rain and some student who didn’t bring an umbrella. It reeked of tone deafness. He even acknowledged his wife, who was on the stage, she didn’t seem phased or concerned at all by the slurring. Then when the chancellor came up to continue on the ceremony, as it was pouring rain and everyone was getting soaked, the speaker came back up a few minutes later and INTERRUPTED HIM. And the chancellor just let him?
Some people in the crowd began to boo, but then he told the graduates he was giving them $1000 bucks so that was nice, I guess. It was just envelopes full of wet cash. News reported on how a kind hearted billionaire gave graduates money and advice, but failed to mention him referring to the umbrellas in the audience as “elevators”? I guess money talks.
There was also something very “too on the nose” with the chancellor and speaker commending the graduates on their hard work and telling them to be proud of what they have accomplished while watching them get absolutely pelted with rain and wind.
22points
#29
During an online Town Hall, leadership announces this person, who is known for having multiple Ethics complaints against them, as an Ethics and Compliance “champion” - AKA the person you talk to for E&C advice.
There were others named and most received applause but this person was called and I and another coworker were mouthing “but why?” and nobody reacted. There was just uncomfortable silence, and then the speaker moved on to the next person.
IDK if it was a power move or leadership just were complete idiots about it.
There were others named and most received applause but this person was called and I and another coworker were mouthing “but why?” and nobody reacted. There was just uncomfortable silence, and then the speaker moved on to the next person.
IDK if it was a power move or leadership just were complete idiots about it.
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22points
#30
I live in Canada, where you just don’t really see guns very often, especially not open carry in a city. Well working in a dr*gstore in a city some old guy came in with a massive rifle strapped to his back and everyone kinda just pretended not to see it. It was super weird. I think it might’ve been an air rifle for biathlon or something, but a lot of dr*gstore employees in Canada probably can’t tell things apart from far away, I know I can’t and was never completely sure lol. I just saw him walk past management on his way in and they clearly saw it and said nothing so no way I was gonna be the one. Nobody mentioned it later either.
21points
#31
Went to a birthday party for a friend’s 4 year old. Mom of the birthday kid has a “super sweet” dog who was an absolute menace throughout the party. Barreled into everyone, especially when they first walked in the door, causing multiple kids to fall and many parents to drop the presents they brought. Stole food directly from people’s hands. Giant tail whapping around bruising peoples legs. Knocking kids over. During “Happy Birthday” a dad was trying to calm his kid down and kiddo fell onto the dog’s back, causing it to freak out and growl and snap. I thought I was about to see a child get torn apart but the dad of the birthday kid just pulled the dog over to the side and laughed. I wanted to say something but the friend I came with told me to not even try, people had talked to the mom for years and no good ever came of it so everyone just ignored it.
21points
#32
Company-wide Zoom meeting. Exec logs in with a bottle of scotch, clearly tipsy. Starts off with, ‘Let's be honest ,none of you are hitting Q4 targets. Nobody said a thing. HR just sent a follow-up email thanking him for being transparent.
21points
#33
Little tinfoil m**h pipe being casually passed around at a friend-of-a-friend's backyard barbeque. It was an unassuming McMansion suburb and everyone there was mid-30s and kinda nerdy, so it was baffling.
20points
#34
FSU shooter from last month.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it was a white guy who shot and killed two Hispanic men who were workers and did not go to FSU.
I believe he shot 5 other individuals as well, but like the story is just gone. Maybe it is just because I do not live in Tallahassee, but I know someone who called her mom from the student union or cafeteria thinking it was the last call she would ever make.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it was a white guy who shot and killed two Hispanic men who were workers and did not go to FSU.
I believe he shot 5 other individuals as well, but like the story is just gone. Maybe it is just because I do not live in Tallahassee, but I know someone who called her mom from the student union or cafeteria thinking it was the last call she would ever make.
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19points
#35
Went on a lads holiday with my mates when I was younger, there was 8 of us altogether and one of them had slept with another one’s’ girlfriend a few months beforehand. Everyone there knew about it and this was the first time the two of them had seen each other since it all came out.
19points
#36
At a global level, the cambridge analytica scandal.
I literally think we have lived the french revolution of our generation.
If the french revolution marks the end of feudalism in favor of parliamentary democracies. The cambridge analytica scandal marks the end of democracy.
It showed that is perfectly possible to change the outcome of elections and it just got worse, and propagated to other countries. Its not only cambridge analytica, nowadays there are dozens of companies doing the same thing.
So essentially they have got the knowledge, the tools and the money to do whatever they want with people.
We are in a completely new social era.
I literally think we have lived the french revolution of our generation.
If the french revolution marks the end of feudalism in favor of parliamentary democracies. The cambridge analytica scandal marks the end of democracy.
It showed that is perfectly possible to change the outcome of elections and it just got worse, and propagated to other countries. Its not only cambridge analytica, nowadays there are dozens of companies doing the same thing.
So essentially they have got the knowledge, the tools and the money to do whatever they want with people.
We are in a completely new social era.
18points
#37
Oh you know, the AI police state the US government is building with our tax dollars. Pretty soon everyone will be replaced by robots and AI so that'll be fun, especially because they're using our own money against us.
16points
#38
Mine is more like several elephants that people are still trying to ignore. We have had several issues in our department. Injuries/sickness during rehearsals. Rampant sexual h*rassment and discrimination. Verbal ab*se out the wazoo.
It's all been brushed under the rug. people have gotten yelled at and ab*sed further for bringing anything up, or for even posting jokes on social media. All because our department is getting a brand new building that was just built and they're afraid that any little thing will cause them to "lose" it. I'm at the point where I believe we don't deserve that new building with all the things that have been done or covered up, we deserve to be shut down.
It's all been brushed under the rug. people have gotten yelled at and ab*sed further for bringing anything up, or for even posting jokes on social media. All because our department is getting a brand new building that was just built and they're afraid that any little thing will cause them to "lose" it. I'm at the point where I believe we don't deserve that new building with all the things that have been done or covered up, we deserve to be shut down.
15points
#39
When my dad told me I was adopted while teaching me the traditional method of flensing.
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15points
#40
When I was still in college, there was a tutor who was married and had kids. Everybody knew this , she was very obviously having an affair with another tutor they barely hid it.
Nobody called them out, not even the head of the department.
Nobody called them out, not even the head of the department.
14points
