To totally forget things known as common knowledge, like that the state bird of Georgia is a brown thrasher or how many hearts an octopus has (it turns out it’s three!), is totally normal and completely okay. Happens to everybody! However, to completely forget that such a thing as a band-aid exists or be oblivious to your own year count is, well, a bit of a different category. Yet again, even such basic knowledge seems to escape all of us from time to time. However, fortunately or not, people forgetting things does make a fun story or two, and thanks to this amusing Reddit thread, we have tons of those. So, if you want to read some entertaining stories or just feel better about your own forgetfulness, we invite you to read the tales from people who completely forgot some crucial piece of common knowledge at the worst time possible.
Now, although these stories do not exactly explain why people forget things, we can still see certain patterns attributed to forgetfulness emerging from them. For instance, it seems that most of these people forgot something while they were in some stressful situation - from cutting their finger while prepping food to an unpleasant doctor’s visit. It might be that our brain is so focused on what’s actually happening in front of us that it forgets the easiest solution for the required situation just to… well, who knows why? Another emerging pattern is this - forgetting a piece of basic knowledge when you need it the most is usually pretty darn hilarious and makes for a good story!
So, the hilarious cases of people forgetting things that we’ve rounded up from this glorious AskReddit thread are just a bit further down. Once you’re done reading them, give the ones that made you chuckle or relate to the max your vote, and share this article with anyone who tends to always forget everything!
#1
"I forgot what hand sanitizer was called when a class mate had put some on. I was commenting on how pungent it was when I forgot the word for pungent as well. So my sentence in the end was: 'your hand sauce is loud.' Needless to say they were very confused and concerned."
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45points
#2
tah4349 said:
"Not long after my daughter was born, I took her to a meet up with friends. I put her car seat next to another baby in the group. Then, sitting down, I asked the mom across from me how it was having twins? I completely forgot that one of those babies was mine."
"Not long after my daughter was born, I took her to a meet up with friends. I put her car seat next to another baby in the group. Then, sitting down, I asked the mom across from me how it was having twins? I completely forgot that one of those babies was mine."
sirjonsnow replied:
"That's when you shout, 'No take-backs!' and run away."
"That's when you shout, 'No take-backs!' and run away."
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45points
#3
"I forgot my name once. In an exam. I waved the prof over, and told him that I'd totally blanked on the first question. He started to explain the question, but then I told him I meant my name. He laughed slightly, before realizing I was serious, then telling me my name.
Funniest part was: when I got my exam back, I got a bonus point for putting my name on the paper."
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40points
#5
localtrashgoblin said:
"Once while driving I wondered how blind people see the lane divider lines."
"Once while driving I wondered how blind people see the lane divider lines."
DancePants5678 replied:
"They only drive on highways with rumble strips."
"They only drive on highways with rumble strips."
Commenter replied:
"By using a guide dog. DUH."
"By using a guide dog. DUH."
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33points
#6
"How to sign my name.
In my previous role at where I work I was a Quality Inspector (Aerospace Industry). It was a really stressful job with management applying pressure from different directions.
Quality wanted you to take your time.
Operations wanted you to go fast.
Logistics wanted the part out the door no matter what.
On one particular bad day I was about to sign a Certificate of Conformity and just totally forgot what my signature was, no matter how hard I tried to remember it, my mind was blank. Which as a very logical person, really made me mad as I couldn't work out what was happening.
I went and told my boss I was incapable of signing my name so I am incapable of inspecting Aircraft parts.
Turns out I was suffering from stress and the doctor told me to take a month off work.
If your in a high pressure environment and start forgetting silly things, go and talk to your boss or a doctor, stress should not be taken lightly."
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33points
#7
"I use an electric toothbrush and the battery died. I literally had no idea how I was supposed to brush my teeth.
I’m ashamed."
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33points
#8
"A couple weeks ago I forgot what the blender was called, so I just pointed at it and yelled 'FOOD DESTROYER.'"
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32points
#9
dabilge said:
"The word 'scissors' midsurgery.
"The word 'scissors' midsurgery.
Normally we call them mets (for metzenbaum scissors) but we had a new student as the scrub tech and I went to ask for mets, asked a few times, tried to remember the word scissors, failed, referred to them as 'snippies' and did a little finger scissors motion, looking like an idiot in front of the doctor.
At least it worked and I got my scissors..."
raikumori replied:
"Lol, I pretty much always call scissors 'snip snips' at home and while I’m looking for them I absentmindedly do the finger snipping thing.
"Lol, I pretty much always call scissors 'snip snips' at home and while I’m looking for them I absentmindedly do the finger snipping thing.
Makes it a lot of fun when I need scissors at my office job."
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31points
#10
Daiwon said:
"I have, on two occasions, forgotten the word 'aquarium'.
"I have, on two occasions, forgotten the word 'aquarium'.
The closest I could manage was 'fish zoo.'"
shatterly replied:
"I forgot 'hourglass' and described it to my coworkers as 'that sand timer thing.' Nobody else could remember the real word until someone googled it. Then we all felt really dumb."
"I forgot 'hourglass' and described it to my coworkers as 'that sand timer thing.' Nobody else could remember the real word until someone googled it. Then we all felt really dumb."
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28points
#11
"Somebody asked me what day of the week it was, so I lifted up both of my hands to see which made an 'L.'"
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28points
#12
"I was out boogie boarding in the ocean when it started raining. No thunder, and you're wet anyway, so who cares? But I put my board over my head so I can see a bit better. And I notice the sound of the rain hitting the board and think, 'wow, that sounds just like a rain stick.'
The rain. Sounds like. A rain stick."
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28points
#13
Commenter said:
"I forgot how to spell goat for 2 months. Fun times."
"I forgot how to spell goat for 2 months. Fun times."
F0MA replied:
"How often do you normally write goat in a two month period, I’m curious?"
"How often do you normally write goat in a two month period, I’m curious?"
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28points
#14
"Forgot how long to cook 2-minute noodles whilst asking myself out loud 'How long do you cook 2-minute noodles?' Had to fish the packet out of the garbage just to find out."
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27points
#15
"One morning I forgot how to pour coffee.
Spent a good 30 seconds just standing in front of the coffee maker with both arms straight-out, stiff and unmoving, followed by briefly swatting the carafe like a confused ape for a second before my brain finally caught up to what I was trying to accomplish."
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26points
#16
laalaa-hotshot said:
"I blanked on my own name once. I was shaking hands with someone and my brain just died for a moment, I presented myself as my friends name then i just stood there quietly with my broken thoughts as my friend had to tell me what my actual name was. It was such a confusing situation."
"I blanked on my own name once. I was shaking hands with someone and my brain just died for a moment, I presented myself as my friends name then i just stood there quietly with my broken thoughts as my friend had to tell me what my actual name was. It was such a confusing situation."
Meepweep replied:
"I played a lot of MMOs as a teen without much person to person contact. There were many times were people would be screaming my name from a couple feet a way and I'd just be thinking 'Jesus, this Meepweep really needs to respond to their own god damn name.'"
"I played a lot of MMOs as a teen without much person to person contact. There were many times were people would be screaming my name from a couple feet a way and I'd just be thinking 'Jesus, this Meepweep really needs to respond to their own god damn name.'"
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23points
#17
Nitrooox said:
"Once I entered the shower, got wet and then I got so distracted that I came out without actually washing. Had to reenter the shower."
"Once I entered the shower, got wet and then I got so distracted that I came out without actually washing. Had to reenter the shower."
Rostin replied:
"At least one morning out of every three I forget whether I've washed my hair yet."
"At least one morning out of every three I forget whether I've washed my hair yet."
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23points
#18
Forhaver said:
"If I'm running up the stairs or down the stairs and suddenly think 'How am I doing this?' walking becomes manual for a second and I fall.
"If I'm running up the stairs or down the stairs and suddenly think 'How am I doing this?' walking becomes manual for a second and I fall.
It turns the autopilot off, like when the dentist says 'breathe through your nose.'"
sirjonsnow replied:
"When you step forward with one foot, which arm are you supposed to swing?"
"When you step forward with one foot, which arm are you supposed to swing?"
PookieDear replied:
"Better swing both to be safe."
"Better swing both to be safe."
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23points
#19
"I forgot how to throw a ball. An embarrassing moment in my life which my brain will never allow me to forget.
In high school I was walking through the local fair with my then girlfriend. We come across a generic 'throw ball, hit the stuff, win things' booth. The prizes are irrelevant but who cares, it's something fun to do.
So I pick up the baseball and throw it without a second thought. Except I fling it full strength straight into the ground. It was a perfect 45 degree angle throw into the dirt. I'm like, 'what the f*ck was that... It must have slipped.' Everyone laughs it off.
So I go to throw the second ball, and the same thing happens. I realize that I've completely forgotten how to throw a ball. I'm releasing way too late. Just whipped it straight into the ground. There was less laughter this time. The booth guy looks confused and says 'don't you know how to throw a ball?' I swear I do. I don't know what is happening. I play catch with my brother regularly, this is insane, and I immediately start to stress out at the situation.
The booth guy looks like he feels sorry for me and offers me a third try for free. I have to redeem myself. I don't have to win a prize, I just have to throw a f*cking ball to prove to everyone I know how to do it at this point.
But nope. Again. Straight into the ground this time. Like I'm spiking a goddamn football.
I'm speechless. Someone from the crowd behind me says 'what the f*ck is wrong with you?' My girlfriend just looks disappointed, not because I didn't win, but because it's so embarrassing that I would even try to do this while apparently having nearly indescribably poor motor skills.
All I can do is walk away. I have no idea what happened. Nobody believes me that I do in fact know how to throw a ball. This memory haunts me still many years later anytime my brain decides 'hey remember that one time...'"
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21points