The founder of ‘Humans doing human things’ describes the page as their blog “of human things” and adds that “we are humans.” All of this contributes to a very peculiar but unique atmosphere, created by the Facebook page.
There’s something very uncanny and even slightly disturbing about the photos. However, there’s a ton of comedy there, too. And people seem to really like it. In fact, just shy of 70k people follow the page to get their newest dose of human weirdness.
There are tons of really weird things that human beings do. And the longer you take to really get to grips with what bizarre creatures we are, the more peculiar details pop up. The fact that we willingly ingest caffeine, a dangerous and toxic chemical to animals like cats and dogs, is just the tip of the iceberg.
For instance, Live Science points out that one of these mundane yet strange things that human beings do every day includes telling lies. Researchers found that when our self-esteem is threatened, we’ll start lying at higher levels.
"We're trying not so much to impress other people but to maintain a view of ourselves that is consistent with the way they would like us to be," psychologist Robert Feldman from the University of Massachusetts explained to Live Science.
Meanwhile, gossip is another weird thing that people do. At its core, it’s all about sharing information. However, the intent with which this info is shared often has a darker twist to it. Perhaps someone’s trying to ingratiate themselves to the group by sharing privileged information with them (aka spilling secrets).
Or someone might want to humbly brag about what an amazing human being they are in comparison to the person they’re gossiping about. Gossip might strengthen our social bonds, but it’s also proof of the darker side of humanity. One that thinks nothing of dismantling someone’s reputation over a cup of coffee.
Meanwhile, British psychologist Lee Chambers explained to Bored Panda why people tend to have a fascination with the darker side of humanity. Especially the one we see on screen, e.g. in true crime shows.
"When considering why the darker side of humanity and entertainment are so compelling, we have to first look at our evolutionary journey as human beings. For the majority of our existence, we were prey and always hyper-aware of threats to our safety, which created a negativity bias that we are drawn towards," he told us.
"But in today's safe and often sanitized world, we are rarely threatened significantly, and the ability to explore evil, frightening and gruesome entertainment is one of the few ways we can visit this part of humanity while remaining safe and comfortable.”
According to the psychologist, seeing the dark side of humanity has a feeling of novelty to it. “It removes boredom quickly, and it helps us to discover our emotional limits while understanding the minds of those who go beyond social norms and potentially gaining knowledge of how we might avoid being victims ourselves. They also offer closure, with many stories ending with the mystery being solved, and the criminal being brought to a level of justice," Lee said.
