Shame can be both productive and toxic, there’s no doubt about it. It may make us lift our rears and get things done, and sometimes we all need that extra push of “I am gonna show ‘em all.’’ But the truth is, people can get real nosy and may want to get into stuff that has little to do with their business.
So when Redditor u/Dodongicepick posed a question “What is a healthy behavior that people shame others for?” on r/AskReddit, it seems like it really hit a soft spot for many. People are now sharing all the eye-opening stuff that often becomes a target of undeserved criticism and it makes you wonder how on earth this has become the norm. Just let them live!
Below are the most interesting responses, so scroll through and be sure to share what you think of it in the comments section!
#1
Spending time alone. Seriously, you think me spending a week talking to nobody is the issue? How about the fact that you can't spend 5 minutes alone in fear of accidentally reflecting upon yourself?
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1point
#3
Talking to yourself.
it's a good way to problem solve or even just vent about something.
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1point
#6
Choosing not to be religious at all, lacking the same religious intensity, or believing in a religion that the other person doesn't believe in.
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1point
#8
Getting up from your desk for 5min and taking a breather, only acceptable if you smoke it seems, not actually for just getting fresh air. I get why so many people smoke cigarettes.
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1point
#9
Doing things that are normally thought of as social activities by yourself. Like eating at a restaurant, or going to a concert, play, or movie.
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0points
#14
Not taking business calls after work hours, everyone should take Portugal’s example and pass some sort of law against it.
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#16
Being single. I had this horrible experience where I wanted to be single for a bit and also just wasn't meeting anyone I was really interested in. I was perfectly fine with not having a boyfriend but my friends hounded me about it constantly. Always asking me why I was single, telling me I was too picky, would show up to hangouts with men and ask me why I didn't go for it. Me saying I was fine with being single was never a good enough answer. So I started to feel self-conscious about being single, felt like I was under a microscope so if I did meet someone I felt uncomfortable having my friends cheering me on. I was young so I didn't know how to handle it so I just kind of dealt with it but it sucked. Let your single friends be single unless they are asking for your help, advice, and opinions.
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0points
#17
Grieving. People tell you to get over it because they're uncomfortable.
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#18
I got laughed at by my brother and his wife during Thanksgiving when I said I was starting to diet. Like, I get it. I'm a fat guy. Unfortunately, I can exercise, but that's only half the battle. It actually really hurt my motivation, ngl.
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#20
Being wrong. It's healthy to express opinions and ideas. When we shame people for being wrong, we tend to stop new conversations from happening. In this way, we lose opportunities to understand where others are coming from and squander opportunities to change minds. Further, we push all the wrong-headed people into groups where they can go nuts following their wrongness to its logical conclusion. Just stop humiliating people for holding opinions and having bad ideas. And remember everybody does.
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0points