People don’t always tell the truth. We exaggerate, ironize, and even lie, so over time, we also develop a “radar” that helps us “scan” each other and “detect” whenever someone’s being deceitful.
However, it’s not one hundred percent effective.
Interested in the radar’s false-positive “readings,” Redditor Holiday-Surround7075 asked others on the platform to share the times they heard something so unbelievable that they assumed it had to be a joke... only to realize the person was being completely serious.
From wild animals at work to odd personal beliefs, these stories show just how unpredictable everyday conversations can be.
#1
A couple of months ago I was coming back home from work and there was a massive traffic jam, which is not uncommon. On the exit from the highway cars were in a standstill as far as the eye could see. I was on a bike so I started weaving through them and I pass a car and it starts honking erratically and trying to move to the front. I didn't think much of it, either some [jerk] thinking his time is more important than ours or an emergency. Can't know so I don't make assumptions. But I look back and I realise that the guy is honking and yelling at me specifically. Before I can even understand what he's saying a guy jumps out of the passenger seat, with his arm wrapped in his shirt with blood everywhere, clearly in work clothes from construction or something simillar, and he tells me that his hand has literally been cut off and he needs to get to the hospital fast and the car's stuck in traffic so he wanted me to give him a ride.
I was honestly in shock but I let him on and blasted off to the hospital. I even saw a cop on the way and gave him the quick rundown, hoping he'd go up front and open the way but the cop didn't care that much he just said "just go, run a red if you have to". Well I did get him to the hospital and I did run a couple of red lights, after checking of course. Didn't even get his name or learn what happened afterwards. I hope he got to keep his hand.
I was honestly in shock but I let him on and blasted off to the hospital. I even saw a cop on the way and gave him the quick rundown, hoping he'd go up front and open the way but the cop didn't care that much he just said "just go, run a red if you have to". Well I did get him to the hospital and I did run a couple of red lights, after checking of course. Didn't even get his name or learn what happened afterwards. I hope he got to keep his hand.
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95points
These sorts of interactions might shake us a little, as many of us believe we’re quite good at figuring others out. But in reality, they are—or should be—relatively common.
“As a mostly reformed mind-reader myself, I understand the confidence that people ... might feel in their people-reading skills,” says psychotherapist Tina Gilbertson.
“But unless these people-readers outright ask what’s really going on with someone, what they think they see and what’s true are likely to be different more often than not,” adds Gilbertson, author of Constructive Wallowing: How to Beat Bad Feelings by Letting Yourself Have Them.
#2
A lot of these are pretty dark.
My first thought was just the time when a coworker ran up to me in the hall and said, "hey, you wanna see a live baby possum?" and I obviously said yeah, and then she did indeed show me a live baby possum sleeping in her sweater pocket.
My first thought was just the time when a coworker ran up to me in the hall and said, "hey, you wanna see a live baby possum?" and I obviously said yeah, and then she did indeed show me a live baby possum sleeping in her sweater pocket.
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86points
#3
Worked with this woman who was super messy, but really sweet and fun to work with she found out her husband was cheating on her and said that she “was going to light his truck on fire like Angela Bassett in Waiting to Exhale.” We all laughed not thinking she was actually serious and was just saying that in the heat at the moment.
Well……. I wake up the next day to a text from her sister saying that she got arrested for lighting his truck on fire and she loaded it up with all of his belongings before she did it. She had zero regrets.
Well……. I wake up the next day to a text from her sister saying that she got arrested for lighting his truck on fire and she loaded it up with all of his belongings before she did it. She had zero regrets.
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73points
#4
My college roommate told me he was technically a prince in some small country. I laughed for like ten minutes. Dude pulled out actual diplomatic documents. I'd been splitting rent with royalty and making him do dishes.
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71points
Gilbertson has a number of clients in therapy who rely on reading what they call other people’s “energy.” She encourages these clients to ask her what she’s thinking or feeling if they perceive something in her energy that gives them pause.
“I’m constantly surprised, even shocked, at how my ‘energy’ (read: body language) is interpreted,” she says.
“On the rare occasions when someone gets it right (e.g., ‘You look tired’), I acknowledge that. But when they’re wrong, I’m pleased to provide the valuable service of shaking their faith in their mind-reading skills.”
#5
Stepped into an art gallery to escape the pouring rain in Montreal. The gallerist looked up to greet me (us, I was with a boyfriend at the time) and reacted as if I was a ghost. He literally burst into tears and explained I looked exactly like the love of his life who’d [lost her life] in a traffic accident 30 years ago…. I was freshly 30. This man was so rattled that I couldn’t help but believe him. She’d been on a bike when hit by a truck. I hugged him, he was lovely. He gave me an umbrella, after a time, and we left. I think of him often.
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68points
#6
I once had a flat earther insist to me, an Australian, that Australia wasn’t a real place and all “Australians” were paid actors. It was all some big conspiracy to hide the fact the earth is flat apparently. He was otherwise a smart and personable guy, but 100% believed I was an actor being paid to pretend Australia was real. I walked away and left him to it.
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66points
#7
I asked where the maternity section was in a dept store... they said it was SEASONAL. Like it's calving season.
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64points
“It’s easy to believe you’re good at reading faces, vocal tones, or ‘energy’ if you never check in to find out if your read is right. As far as you know, you’re 100 percent accurate,” Gilbertson says.
“I have some stunning news for you. If you ever decide to start testing your guesses, you’ll discover that not only are you wrong sometimes, you’re wrong most of the time. Yes, even you, the very intuitive, pick-up-on-people’s-energy person.”
“You might be good at gauging the overall tone of other people’s moods—a process executed automatically in the neocortex of most people, thanks to our so-called mirror neurons—but you still can’t know that they’re upset because you’re five minutes late,” the psychotherapist explains.
So, in the future, let’s be a little more careful with what we think people are joking about.
#8
I was awoken in the middle of the night by huge, loud banging on my door. My then boyfriend at the time huddled with me to the door as we investigated, only to see my dad and uncle stumbling around in the front yard. I go out there to yell at them for scaring the [hell] out of us until I jump back to see a large animal, way bigger than my dad or uncle, right next to them.
It’s a donkey, a burro, not more than a few months old, now tied to the palm tree in front of my house. I ask what’s happening and my dad shushes me and tells me I need to watch it. I laughed at first, but when I saw the water bowl they brought along for it, I was confused of why I was babysitting a donkey, but my uncle begs me to take care of Butter, which I learn is the name of the donkey. I ask where they got a donkey drunk at three in the morning but my dad reiterates not to ask questions, and to take care of Butter. I protest but they leave, where it’s several hours until two girls knock on the door asks to remove Butter, and takes it away.
I found out later that my uncle worked at some animal sanctuary, where Butter’s mom unfortunately passed away. They were going to send Butter to another state to be with other orphaned donkeys, but my uncle, being so in love with Butter, stole him with the intentions on hiding it at my house until they could get someone else to take it. Butter now lives on a farm where my uncle can visit him weekly, and I get to tell people I was unintentionally involved in donkey theft. Good times.
It’s a donkey, a burro, not more than a few months old, now tied to the palm tree in front of my house. I ask what’s happening and my dad shushes me and tells me I need to watch it. I laughed at first, but when I saw the water bowl they brought along for it, I was confused of why I was babysitting a donkey, but my uncle begs me to take care of Butter, which I learn is the name of the donkey. I ask where they got a donkey drunk at three in the morning but my dad reiterates not to ask questions, and to take care of Butter. I protest but they leave, where it’s several hours until two girls knock on the door asks to remove Butter, and takes it away.
I found out later that my uncle worked at some animal sanctuary, where Butter’s mom unfortunately passed away. They were going to send Butter to another state to be with other orphaned donkeys, but my uncle, being so in love with Butter, stole him with the intentions on hiding it at my house until they could get someone else to take it. Butter now lives on a farm where my uncle can visit him weekly, and I get to tell people I was unintentionally involved in donkey theft. Good times.
63points
#9
I used to lead a fitness group and had a lady tell me she couldn’t work out with me anymore because she was allergic to exercise…it was making her face all red and she was sweaty and breathing hard.
I laughed because I thought she was joking.
She was not.
I laughed because I thought she was joking.
She was not.
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62points
#10
My coworker told me he doesn’t believe in dinosaurs…
because ‘no one was there to see them.’
He believes in dragons though, because ‘every culture has them.’
because ‘no one was there to see them.’
He believes in dragons though, because ‘every culture has them.’
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61points
#11
I was catching up with an ex I hadn't seen in a while, and without any provocation, she said, "Michelle Obama was born a biological man, and her children were adopted." I wrapped up that conversation as quickly as possible and skedaddled on down the road.
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60points
#12
When my sister's partner looked to me after talking about some space science stuff and said: "You don't believe in NASA do you?"
And than I proceeded to have the wildest conversation of my life where I learned he's a flat-earther and began explaining the whole thing to me, from go pros and plane windows make the horizon look curved to Antartica is actually an ice wall, and doesn't exist, to the map the UN uses in their logo is the real map of earth.
I was blown away and could not believe I had a 3 hour conversation with a real person about the earth being flat.
Edit: want to be clear. I am NOT a flat earther. I am not sure if i made that clear or not. I am a very science-loving person who couldn't believe my smart sister was with a flat earther. It just blew my mind.
And than I proceeded to have the wildest conversation of my life where I learned he's a flat-earther and began explaining the whole thing to me, from go pros and plane windows make the horizon look curved to Antartica is actually an ice wall, and doesn't exist, to the map the UN uses in their logo is the real map of earth.
I was blown away and could not believe I had a 3 hour conversation with a real person about the earth being flat.
Edit: want to be clear. I am NOT a flat earther. I am not sure if i made that clear or not. I am a very science-loving person who couldn't believe my smart sister was with a flat earther. It just blew my mind.
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52points
#13
Was taking blood from a patient. Very pleasant middle-aged man, telling me about his work (skilled craftsman). Once I’d finished taking blood the safety mechanism on the needle failed and I stuck myself with the needle I’d just used to bleed him. I told him it had happened and explained someone would need to come in and ask him some questions, take a couple extra samples as a result. He agreed.
Then he said “With a bit of luck you’ve got some of my blood. I’ve figured out a cocktail that makes me immortal, so maybe you’re now immortal as well from my blood”.
Then he said “With a bit of luck you’ve got some of my blood. I’ve figured out a cocktail that makes me immortal, so maybe you’re now immortal as well from my blood”.
52points
#14
I had a coworker tell me she thought she was being scammed. I asked her to tell me about it. She said she met someone on Facebook and they were flirting a bit and that she needed to download an app to continue talking. She then proceeded to tell me about how they asked her to download another app and now he’s acting all weird asking about all her personal information… I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I told her she should have know it was a scam when they asked you to download an app, and in that moment I understood why scammers continue to send those messages and phone calls. People really are that stupid.
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51points
#15
"Hey dude, can I borrow your car?"
"When? Can't I just drive you?"
"I mean, it's gonna be for a few months. I need to drive to (place that is an hour away) for this job I want."
I guess he forgot that I have responsibilities, like work.
"When? Can't I just drive you?"
"I mean, it's gonna be for a few months. I need to drive to (place that is an hour away) for this job I want."
I guess he forgot that I have responsibilities, like work.
51points
#16
I had a coworker who was 100% convinced the covid vaccine had little tracking microchips, that 5G was the cause of COVID, and was a flat Earther. He argued with our boss, who was retired airforce, that what he experienced wasnt real and that hes been successfully brainwashed and no longer had free will.
He was 22 at the time.
He was 22 at the time.
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50points
#17
Babies are born flat and plump up when they start breathing air. The idea is funny enough on it's own, but the guy insisting it's true was over 30 and had two kids.
50points
#18
I have a relative who lives in Texas. He told me all the people in Utah are robots. I'm thinking metaphorical robots who march into work, wear white shirts, etc. Nope. He meant literal robots.
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49points
#19
I used to sell cars. I had a guest who we got as far as the pencil and saw the price and said “I don’t believe in taxes. Can you take them off?”
I laughed and thought it was a joke. But they were very serious and didn’t think it was at all funny. Myself and my manager had to explain that we’re legally required to collect sales tax and couldn’t just “take it off.” They ended up deciding not to buy.
I laughed and thought it was a joke. But they were very serious and didn’t think it was at all funny. Myself and my manager had to explain that we’re legally required to collect sales tax and couldn’t just “take it off.” They ended up deciding not to buy.
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48points
#20
I told my ex-girlfriend a story about something that once happened to me. I was at a party, talking to a group of people. For some reason, one of the girls in the group brought up Africa and the “African Americans” there. I got really confused about what she meant, and then it turned out she thought all black people in the world were called African Americans. She then shamed me and called me racist for referring to people as “black”.
My ex-girlfriend got really upset with me because she thought the same thing. At first, I was not sure whether she was trying to prank me, so I laughed it off. That only made it worse, because she was completely serious.
My ex-girlfriend got really upset with me because she thought the same thing. At first, I was not sure whether she was trying to prank me, so I laughed it off. That only made it worse, because she was completely serious.
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48points