A few months ago, we collected the most popular responses to this Twitter thread asking, “What’s the weirdest thing that society accepts as normal?”
What is the weirdest thing that society accepts as normal?
— OfficerBlue| Developer (@askblue_) May 31, 2024
From the silly to the downright malicious, people in the comments didn’t hold back on sharing the weird things that our society accepts as normal. Here’s everything they added:
1.“You pay for multiple streaming services to watch all your favorite shows/movies.”
2.“Our current gun laws perpetuate gun violence and mass shootings.”
-lucky light67
3.“Working money instead of getting a living wage.”
4.“I’m a legal adult at 18, can’t rent a car, buy alcohol, etc., but can join the military.”
– Crush 27
5.“Allowing a convicted felon to run for President of the United States.”
6.“Prisoning disabled people (like me) into poverty instead of helping them, then punishing them if they have ONE CENT over their allowed $2000. Is Darwin’s ghost ruling this country or something?”
– as Masha Park
7.“Deck or cure. Every other day of the year we preach: “Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t take candy from strangers. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Don’t walk after dark.’ Then it’s Halloween, and suddenly it’s okay to do all those things at the same time.”
8.“Guilt trips people up from sleeping. I work better at night and it’s so hot during the day. Just because you wake up at 5am and go to bed at 8pm doesn’t make you any better than someone who sleeps until 9am and goes to bed at midnight.”
-leahm491b1c910
9.“Treating others like shit: whatever happened to good old-fashioned politeness? And this is happening – work, community, home and street. Come on people. Be kind to your neighbors (I know… some are hard, but the concept has always been there).
10.“The fact that church and state should be separated, but that doesn’t sit well with Christians.”
– polychap6
11.“It’s socially acceptable for a man to go shirtless and see nipples, but as soon as a woman does, it’s bad. Even if she’s just nursing a baby…what are they for!”
-leahm491b1c910
12.“Colors dictate the gender of your baby. My 4 month old daughter wore a blue shirt this weekend and everyone acted like I was abusing her.”
13.“The number of hours that teachers are expected to work after their contract without pay so that Lesson Plans are completed and grades are made.”
—lisap45222e4ad
14.“Uber/Lyft – I still find it weird to get into a stranger’s car and have them drive me around. Especially if it’s in a city I don’t know but otherwise have no transportation.”
-Keri1986
15.“Everything digital. I’m tired of seeing everything and owning/holding nothing. Stream movies and TV. Digital photos. E-readers. Download music. Give me DVDs, photo albums, books and CDs, please!”
16.“Laws that prohibit abortion but do not mandate vasectomy. Similarly, laws that punish women for having abortions but do not punish men for impregnating them.”
-emowizard70
17.“In the United States: Taxes are not included in the listed price. Likewise, all hidden costs. Don’t lie by omission, just tell me what I pay.”
18.“We take pictures and videos of everything and everyone and post them online for the world to see without people’s consent. Children especially! This needs some sort of order. Privacy is dead.”
-hidden comet88
19.“I live in Las Vegas. You can literally die from the heat, but the energy levels keep going up… There’s no option to just turn off the AC.”
-clevergoblin83
20.“Awards. They’re basically ’employee of the year’ awards for multi-millionaires that none of us could ever attend.
And finally:
21.“Honestly, our health insurance (at least in the US) is tied to work. And if you get laid off or have to leave work due to external circumstances, you just… better hope you don’t have to see a doctor. It’s wild that our work determines whether we get health care and whether we live or die.
What is weird about you that society accepts as normal? Let me know in the comments or by submitting to this anonymous form.
Note: Some answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.