30 Times People Online Were Doing Something They Thought Was Harmless Only To Find Out It Wasn’t

Many of the stories that people shared in this thread included one common factor -- they were all young. This leads us to observe that there is a good correlation between young age or inexperience and taking higher risks or neglecting danger.

When realizing such a thing, one usually can’t help but wonder why exactly it occurs. You could say that young people are reckless and refuse to listen to reason, but with a closer look, that seems like a stretch, doesn’t it? After all, there are plenty of really smart youngsters out there who will still go and do something stupidly dangerous just for the thrill of it.

Well, it turns out there is a better answer to all of this. According to Psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, who was interviewed by Unicef, young people, especially teens and adolescents, are driven to seek new and exciting experiences. This can be driven by neurological factors, such as their brains being highly sensitized to the excitement of rewarding experiences.

While it can frustrate their guardians, most of the time, teens pushing against boundaries created by adults is a sign of healthy development. However, this type of behavior can also come from emotional struggles, severe stress, or feelings of isolation caused by problems in the family or outside of it.

Karen Young of Hey Sigmund added that the lack of a sense of fear might as well have been an evolutionary trait that gave humans, especially males, an advantage in earlier times, as putting one’s life in danger could mean a world of difference when it came to protecting or providing for the tribe.

As the years went by, the need for such a behavior mostly vanished, yet many of the instincts remained. And the thing is, they can’t really be removed completely. That’s why if a parent tries to punish their teen for some reckless thing that they did, they’ll only end up pushing them away and possibly even giving them another reason to engage in similar behaviors.

Instead, the best way to help a young person through this period is to be there for them so they have someone to turn to and a place where they will be listened to and heard. After all, these lessons won’t be learned until the person experiences them on their own.

In the end, it is as the saying goes: “To be old and wise, first you have to be young and stupid.” While, as with any other thing, there are always some exceptions, it is only natural that younger people seek more thrills and experiences that lead to more dangerous events because that is how we learn what life is and how to handle it.

At the same time, a good bonus is that when everything turns out fine, there are some great stories to share with your friends or strangers online. So, let’s read and enjoy them as, at least here, we can be sure that everyone involved was fine by the end of it.

What did you think of these dangerous things that people did thinking they were safe? Has anything similar ever happened to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!