We all know the telltale signs something is making us uncomfortable. We suddenly begin shaking in our hands, knees, or toes. Then, usually, sweat starts pouring out of every part of our body, making it look like we just ran through a rainstorm underneath a waterfall. Finally, we lose our regular speech functions with everything goes out of sync and our words don't match up to what's in our minds.
What's interesting is that what usually brings about these fits of uncomfortableness differs from person to person, evidenced by the stories below.
Reddit user, procastinator3837, wanted to know what makes you squirmy when they asked:
What instantly makes you really uncomfortable?
Like A Cow Chewing Glue
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Mouth noises
Hearing people eat is terrible, but I feel like some of the more common mouth noises are less recognised. For example, ever watched a YouTube video where you can hear the slapping tongue/ saliva noise every time someone pauses and reopens their mouth? Hell.
Literal Nightmare Scenario
One toilet public restrooms. I always get paranoid someone will knock directly after I enter and I'll take a long time and just chaos...
Just Don't Talk About Me
When someone I am not close to or a stranger compliments specifically my body.
I've had coworker and customers do to and it is the absolute worst. Plus they do not stop even when I ask. I hate being treated like a toy or eye candy. I am very introverted and try to put on my hat and hoodie and avoid attention. If someone has advice I will take it.
I'd Prefer Not To Think About How I Was Made
Watching any type of sex/kiss scene with family in the room.
No matter how mild it may be it's always so goddamn uncomfortable.
Just Don't Sing
when people sing lyrics slightly off-key or off-tempo. i don't have perfect pitch, but i can match pitch and if i listen to a song enough, i know when people are off. i try and get them back on track with the right pitch and tempo, but sometimes they get worse and it just makes me want to jump out of a moving car. (yes, i am a musician in case you were wondering. if you weren't wondering, then you just learned a useless fact about a stranger.)
Not A Fan Of Grizzly Adams, I See
men with lots of facial hair...... its gross, it makes me feel uncomfortable in every way imaginable both sexual and non sexual!
Squishing Around The Floor
Wet socks
My entire skin cringed after reading this. Some horrors really shouldn't be put into words, man.
No. No No NO NO NO. No.
Having to go to the bathroom right after someone else just went to the bathroom
And the seat is still warm....
DON'T. YOU. LOOK. AT. ME.
Being the center of attention in basically any way, shape or form.
I'm a straight female, married for 17 years. I shook soooooooo hard as I walked down the aisle, not because I was nervous about marrying my husband but because people were staring at me. How I didn't puke is beyond me.
You Feel It In Your Gut For The Other Person
Second hand embarrassment. I can't watch other people embarrass themselves on live TV sometimes even shows or movies. I automatically feel bad or embarrassed on their behalf.
Calling Just In Case
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When you're walking around a store looking for something and the security guard follows you...
I actually had walgreens page for customer assistance to my aisle one time after I'd been pacing back and forth for a while. Somebody must have been watching and getting suspicious of me but honestly... I'm just that indecisive sometimes.
There's An Open Seat Over There
When a stranger sits or stands too close to me.
Not talking public transportation but when there is space and they invade my personal space anyways.
Like Someone Mixing Up Their Words On The News
An embarrassing scene in media.
Second hand embarrassment is strong.
Miss It And It's Gone Forever
The fact that everything dosen't exist forever in this universe. Something can just stop existing and become extinct. This thought makes me feel like my life is useless, if all my hard work will still stop existing at some point
I'll See You Soon?
When my boss says " I need to talk to you when you get a minute......", then he disappears for three hours.
Did I..No? Maybe? Was It Something I...Said? Did? No? Maybe?
When someone is clearly angry around me and it could be because i might have done anything wrong.
Even better, when someone is mad but won't tell you why and just keeps saying "I'm fine" but continues directing their anger at you anyway.
A Relic Of Old-School Teaching Methods
When the teacher/professor says, "Let's go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves"
resting bpm goes from 75 to 150 real quick with that one
We Can All Agree: All Of Our Voices Are Awful And We Shouldn't Speak Anymore
Hearing my own voice and watching a video of myself.
I have been in multiple musicals and shows with the community theater in my town, bought the DVD, and never watched ANY OF THEM EVER. I can't. I completely understand actors who say they never watch their own movies. That would be unbearable.
A Fine Line Between "Fun" And "Obnoxious"
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When people start to sing, I've dated a couple of choir girls and they all thought they were the best singers, it's awkward AF
I Love when average people start to sing cause they're happy or really like the song but I HATE those people that have like a slightly better voice and sing all the time because they think they sound real good...
It feels plain and really [infuriating] to me.
Every family has its secrets.
It's up to every new generation to unearth it all.
Don't we all want to know if we're related to famous people?
Or what if we have a familial stake in lands and businesses?
Also, this is a good way to NOT end up dating blood relatives.
The more you know, the less awkward later.
As much as there is a lot of trauma there could be a lot of cool facts to to discuss at parties.
Redditor ForthrightPedant wanted to hear some interesting family histories, so they asked:
"What is a historical fact about your family that you think is kinda neat?"
I don't have any family history.
Of course I've done no investigating.
Maybe I do.
I should look!
Super Talent
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"Great-grandpa created the Flintstones. Dan Gordon. Drew lots of Hannah-Barbara cartoons, and directed the first three animated Superman films at the beginning of WW2 as well as several seasons of Popeye, Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound."
downnoutsavant
Bad Voyage
"My grandfather disliked America and wanted to return to Ireland. He booked passage on the Titanic’s return voyage. If it wouldn’t have sunk, no of us would be here."
mrseddievedder
"My great-grandmother was a Titanic survivor. She was a steerage-class Lebanese immigrant in an arranged marriage. Her husband went down with the ship but she managed to make it to a lifeboat and made it to the Carpathia. Then she remarried in a Lebanese neighborhood in Virginia. Had it not been for the iceberg that struck and sank the Titanic My family lineage would be different and I wouldn't be here. My family's official toast is 'to the iceberg.'"
jaspersurfer
Forgotten
"My husband's grandfather was one of the 'forgotten soldiers' in Canada. He was a Canadian-born Chinese man who asked the Canadian government to fight for his right to vote and a passport. Even tho he was born in Canada in the 20’s since he was Chinese he was not considered Canadian."
H"e was dropped into the Burma jungle and was told he would likely never return. He was in the 10% that did return. He was given the right to vote, to a passport, and to University."
"His wife is still alive today and my son is named after him."
cowskeeper
Can you imagine?
"My great-grandmother had 13 kids, so she was pregnant for literally a decade. There’s two hundred of us now, all because of this one woman."
CoverlessSkink
"My great grandma had 14 kids. My grandma was the youngest. She died giving birth to my grandma. The oldest child who was like 22 years old raised my grandma. My great-grandfather remarried a woman who had 10 kids of her own. My grandma would tell me stories of them all living together. Can u imagine? 😦."
Content_Pool_1391
Long Ago
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"The land my dad was raised on and my cousins still live on was deeded to the family by George Washington as compensation for service during the Revolution. There was a document with his signature on it at the courthouse until a fire destroyed the records a few decades ago."
mustbethedragon
So much land and fortune and HISTORY has been lost due to fire.
Thank God we keep more than paper records now.
Over the Moon
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"My second cousin is David Scott who walked on the Moon and drove the moon buggy. My mom does. He was so busy during the time when I was young that he even said later in life that he wished she’d gotten to know more of his family."
Roadgoddess
The Union
"Great-great-great grandfather on my mom's side was working his field in the part of Virginia that split off and became a new state because they didn't want to secede from The Union. Union soldiers came along looking for conscripts and he was a young, able-bodied man so they told him to come with them. He informed them he was a Quaker and thus a pacifist. According to family lore, that discussion went on for a bit but he would not give in. So they shot him and left him there. Good thing he had a couple of kids well before that day."
SpottyNoonerism
Opportiunities
"My great-grandfather was offered a chance to invest in a new invention by a guy by the name of Alexander Graham Bell. He declined, saying at most there would be one telephone per town."
Carson4307
"That is apparently my family too."
"One uncle apparently built a version of a hot water heater and then sold the design to GE for a good sum back then."
"Another uncle was asked if he wanted to be in a photo during his military service. He said no so they raised the flag on Iwo Jima without him in it."
"No idea if any of these are true, at best they are enhanced truths, but for me, I really hope they are true."
Jormungand1342
Underground
"I have a relative who worked for the Underground Railroad and had a price on her head in the South."
dahlia6767
"My uncle was a carpenter. And was doing restoration work on old houses in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Many of those old, historical homes had underground railroad passageways and hidden walls. He got to see and restore many of them. He had photos of some of the work he was doing and I got to see those as a kid. Living in Southern Ohio, we have a lot of rich underground railroad history here."
AddictiveArtistry
Family Empire
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"My great-grandfather was the town police chief in the 1920s. His brother was the Mayor. Their cousins ran the casino."
"My family was a smaller version of Boardwalk Empire."
nowhereman136
Wouldn't we all love a show based on our families?
Then that's even more neat family history.
