Social norms are informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies. They touch almost every aspect of our lives.
Academics like to use this comparison to explain the concept: just as grammar is a set of regulations that governs the structure and organization of language, social norms regulate the structure and organization of people, and, again, just as grammar shapes how we communicate and understand language, social norms shape how we behave and interact with others.
Sociologists talk about social norms motivating people to act, economists explore how they influence market behavior, and legal scholars view them as alternatives to laws, and while their words make sense, if we deconstruct these systems enough, they can begin to look silly.
Recently, Reddit user Irish-Springs made a post on the platform, asking people to share what social norm they find pretty weird when they think about it, and it has already received over 5,300 comments, many of which raise some hilariously valid points.
#21

Forcing or encouraging a child to hug a family member that has known them since their birth but the child doesn't have any sort of bond with said family member.
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149points
#24

Asking a grown woman's father for her hand in marriage. What?
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139points
#25

Everybody hates being sung happy birthday and everybody hates singing happy birthday, so what the hell are we doing here?
126points
#26
Fireworks on the 4th of July. We celebrate independence by showering our land with expensive toxic chemicals from China.
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123points
#27
You can't use swear words on TV, radio, or in movies under PG-13; but you learn most of the swear words that exist by middle school. What's the point?
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119points
#29
Not going to a restaurant by yourself.
I am on a business trip, I want to eat somewhere nice, drink some wine, dine nice since the company is paying for that stuff, I didn't bring anyone because its my arrival night or I just want to have a moment for myself.
And then I get treated like I have a leprosy, or the waiter tries to strong-arm me to go to the communal area or patio to eat because then I would have some company from the random patrons.
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114points
#30

Asking people how they're doing as a matter of courtesy when you truly don't care and are hoping they just say "good hbu" in response.
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102points




