Do you ever get the 'Imp of the perverse'?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

It's where you suddenly get the urge to do something bad, but would never actually dream of doing it. For example, driving down a busy road and suddenly getting the urge to swerve across into oncoming traffic. Or getting the urge to push someone down the stairs, or mow people down at a crossing etc.

I do this. I very occasionally, fleetingly think about deliberately causing a car accident by swerving my car, or throwing my children off a cross channel ferry, or jumping off the steps to a high up ride at a theme park. Or emailing my boss Fuck You etc.

I agree it's a safety mechanism for rehearsing in your mind NOT doing the stupid thing. Glad I'm not alone in my weirdness!

@RedCrab I've had the knives thought too, but directed at stabbing myself. I'm on Sertraline so maybe it's more common in people taking antidepressants? Interesting.

I also feel the urge to throw my much loved engagement and eternity rings down drains etc. I guess it's a reminder from my brain to look after them!

I can't walk past a letter box without thinking I might post my keys in.
Glad I'm not the only weirdo.

Yes! All the time. When I’m driving home after work I get the urge to swerve into the other side of the road, or if I’m standing waiting for train I think about jumping on. I’m on a antidepressants but absolutely not suicidal. I remember reading about this online and feeling such relief that it wasn’t just me.

Yes...sometimes I'll be talking to someone and it just pops into my head that I could punch them and they'd never expect it or be able to block it I'm not a violent person and never actually would!

Biggest one for me though is the urge to throw my glasses, if I'm upstairs in a shopping centre and look over the ledge to the lower levels or on a balcony somewhere. Also get the urge to grab people's hats if two escalators pass eachother.

I always want to do that thing in the queue at the bank when you knew someone in the back of the knees

catinboots99 that just made me snort louder than necessary...

I once read a newspaper from the 1800s that referred to people having sex as 'casually knowing' each other.

Knew someone in the back of the knees...

Glad to learn from this thread that I'm not insane

*knee someone in the back of the knees!!

Slapping bald heads.

I never do it, but I pass 3 bald
Men’s desks on my way back from the photocopier at work. Sometimes the urge is to slap them. Sometimes it’s to slap them with whatsoever I’ve just printed.

I’m afraid my P45 will be sent to me for this reason one day.

mardasnails if so, and if also charged with assault, you could use this thread as a defence or failing that, powerful mitigation. It’s telling me either the urges are normal or we all have some insanity in us. Either way you could use it.

Not that I am encouraging anyone to act on anything of course - personally I’ve always thought these thoughts are my own way of NOT doing things. By thinking I could I realise I could not

Everyone gets this. It's used as an example for people during CBT. As for some people these thoughts are very worrying and make them feel as if they are very bad people. Which is if course not the case!

I have this a lot. Pulling random peoples hair sharply is a thought I have sometimes .

My overriding passion is to throw litter out of car windows...notbotyles or cans or anything that would injure the driver behind.. no sweet wrappers
But it has to be done sneakily so they’d never notice

I’m not a passenger anymore as my dh can’t drive, eyesight damaged in stroke, always used to toss apple cores into hedge rows in the hope some wildlife got a feed

Bottles

Get up get outside

Keys in letterbox

Brilliant!
Gave me a good chuckle

Not wanted to hurt people but have thought about jumping off a boat, cliff edge etc.

However Ive often imagined farting loudly at church, or jumping on a table & doing a dinosaur impression at a posh restaurant.

Triglesoffy 🤣🤣

Mainly just wanting to shout "shut the fuck up" when someone's boring the arse off me

I really wanted to steal all of my neighbour's washing off her line the other day. She's a lovely neighbour and her washing smells divine

I also wanted to stab another neighbour in the face but he's a cunt and deserves it

All of the time. I have OCD though and a lot of intrusive thoughts. Apparently it’s only a problem when it starts to take over your life.

More recently I get the urge to unmute my line during a conference call and say "Blulululululu" in a high pitched voice

I had this and was trying so hard to suppress it it turned into a fit of the giggles writing off my contribution to the call anyway.

I was the fecking team lead on that occasion to boot. Jesus.

@MardAsSnails 🤣 that’s a great one

If I’m anywhere near the door on a plane I have a huge itch to open it!!!

Also get the itch to swear/ strip/ etc in meetings

Does anybody else feel it as itch?! (Not a literal itch!) How can you satisfy it a bit more sensibly? (obviously!)

Flipping food out of waiter/ waitress’s hands! Anyone else?