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What aspect of 'normal' life is alien to you?

339 replies

PurpleSky300 · 08/02/2026 22:14

By which I mean... what are the "normal" things of life you haven't yet done or experienced, compared to most people?

For me it's:

Driving, I'm hopeless, just can't get it
I've never been to a club
Anything to do with babies
In-laws
A properly "senior" job

OP posts:
user405927 · 09/02/2026 00:58

Music. I don’t listen to any music at all ever. I could probably only name twenty music artists. When I am in a position where music is being played, like at the dentist or in some supermarkets I want to rip my own ears off.

Coarsegrater · 09/02/2026 01:06

Never had a full time permanent job that's part of a career. Managed to bumble along in life without one and done pretty well overall.

Takng part in competive sports. I don't care enough about winning or being part of a team.

Wanting to move out of the inner city after havng children. Never appealed to me, it would just mean we're further from interesting places and have an inconvenient commute.

cucumberpeach · 09/02/2026 01:08

Small talk. Can't do it!

stretcharmweak · 09/02/2026 01:08

Getting nails/brows done regularly (where do people find the money and time?)

Learning and keeping hobbies (have never been able to stick at anything and have zero patience if I’m not immediately good at something)

Abroad holidays with family every year (especially in school holidays)

Bowling4soup · 09/02/2026 01:16

user405927 · 09/02/2026 00:58

Music. I don’t listen to any music at all ever. I could probably only name twenty music artists. When I am in a position where music is being played, like at the dentist or in some supermarkets I want to rip my own ears off.

This is crazy actually I’ve never known anyone who hates music before! What don’t you like about it? Do you not have any song or artist that you like at all?

sabababa · 09/02/2026 01:21

Having a tidy house. I try and it always falls apart. It never looks REALLY nice like other people's houses. Even more embarassing is that I live abroad in a developing country and can afford a lot of domestic help as a result. And still my house ends up looking shit because there's still random stuff around.

CurtsyFriends · 09/02/2026 01:26

user405927 · 09/02/2026 00:58

Music. I don’t listen to any music at all ever. I could probably only name twenty music artists. When I am in a position where music is being played, like at the dentist or in some supermarkets I want to rip my own ears off.

I’m not opposed to music as such, but I often find it ruins events/experiences by being too loud and too much of a focus when the event isn’t music based and it’s just there as the ‘entertainment’.

I have walked round an even wearing ear defenders before and it was still too loud.

I can’t think of anything much worse than going to a concert or a gig. No thank you.

IridiumSky · 09/02/2026 01:28

Watching, or even owning, a television set.

Having a boss, or otherwise, since adulthood, being answerable to anyone at all.

Soonenough · 09/02/2026 01:31

Never had a proper career
Never been a bridesmaid
Never lived alone
Never cared about team sports
Never been in a relationship that I wasn't cheated on

catinateacup · 09/02/2026 01:35

Cooking. My parents both like cooking, and I’ve always had partners who liked to cook and I’ve often been the main breadwinner, so I suppose I’ve lived like a traditional man and never really had to cook (much!) I can actually cook when I absolutely have to, but I don’t enjoy it at all and it’s completely foreign to me how people do enjoy it. Left on my own I would just eat salads, soup and Marmite on toast for the rest of my life, no kidding (that’s what I basically lived on at university).

To reassure you that I am not in fact some deadweight, aside from cooking I do pretty much everything else, including all the cleaning, house stuff, life admin, kid work, driving and school runs and finances and basically the only thing DP does because he’s a lazy sod is cook (and never tidy up after himself). So I feel like I do quite enough frankly!

walkingmycatnameddog · 09/02/2026 01:47

Takeaways.

Friends tv show
Reality tv
Tik Tok
Instagram

CanadianJohn2 · 09/02/2026 02:05

Bowling4soup · 09/02/2026 01:16

This is crazy actually I’ve never known anyone who hates music before! What don’t you like about it? Do you not have any song or artist that you like at all?

I dislike music, and any noise, really. I have never turned the radio on in my car. I don't have anything on the house to play music, not a radio, cd player, anything. I also watch TV with the sound off.

I'm probably missing out on something, but I don't care.

Bertiebiscuit · 09/02/2026 02:07

Don't know what Bluetooth is or what people use it for
Hate all competitive sports, never watch or taken part
Can't bear card games, i don't understand why people waste their time on them
I've never gambled
Never tried a class A drug
Love eating out alone and going to the cinema and seeing plays alone.
Have never eaten lobster, crab, or oysters, can't bear the idea of seafood
Hate barbecues, don't see the point

TheMerryJoker · 09/02/2026 02:14

trusting people

Eastie77Returns · 09/02/2026 02:18

Bathing DC once a week and quickly wiping their face and hands with a flannel the rest of the week. I’ve seen this described on countless MN threads as a completely normal and hygienic thing to do and I cannot wrap my head around it.

Keeping a domestic pet and spending a fortune on vet bills.

Swimming or riding a bike - cannot do either.

And sympathies for those of you for whom having kind, loving parents and living in a normal functional family is an alien concept. Exactly the same for me. When I was in my mid 20s I rented a room in a house owned by a wonderful older married couple who also lived in the house. I was genuinely fascinated to see how kind, loving and respectful they were to each other. It was a revelation to witness a couple that communicated without screaming and shouting, laughed together and took an interest in their children. Disagreements were dealt with calmly. I had only ever known family dysfunction, chaos and abuse so the realisation that my upbringing wasn’t normal and there was another way to live changed my life.

Rainbowaftertherain · 09/02/2026 02:19

Drinking cows milk and eating products made from it.

Such a weird, odd concept to me not to mention the cruelty to purpose-bred animals that it causes. Just why? What do we think we need it for? How can a human possibly need a different animal's milk, or any milk past weaning age? I find it complete and total madness.

Following fashion trends. Don't get me wrong, I love clothes and have far too many of them. I love to buy unusual things, I sometimes spend a lot sometimes charity shop/second hand-I also love to have a lot of 'lounging about' clothes that I feel comfortable in for home. But, they're things I personally like. I can't imagine worrying about if something is 'on trend' or not. If I feel nice and like the way I look in it, I can't fathom why I'd worry if it is evident that someone I don't even know decided 'this is what you wear'. I feel the same about decor, cars and anything else really.

Rainbowaftertherain · 09/02/2026 02:21

Oh and sports. Especially football. I understand the merits of exercise and fitness and do it myself but, the 'mob' and 'gang' mentality-almost like a religion? For football in particular, I find frightening. 'Let's spend Saturday watching a millionaire kick a ball to another millionaire all day'.

What for? Not to mention the domestic violence it is linked to and fights and child abuse etc etc.

Humans are a strange species.

Vaguelyclassical · 09/02/2026 02:23

Bowling4soup · 09/02/2026 01:16

This is crazy actually I’ve never known anyone who hates music before! What don’t you like about it? Do you not have any song or artist that you like at all?

Not crazy if one is tone deaf and can neither discern nor reproduce melody. I think it is very very sad to be deprived of pleasure in music, but it happens.
Mind you, I love many genres of music but when I hear rap or country I want to rip my ears off!

BasiliskStare · 09/02/2026 02:25

Gosh - this isn't the thread I thought it was going to be but 💐to all who have difficult things to contend with, very much so.

On a lighter note

I don't do apps on my phone - stupid but I don't - some are useful I know.
I've never tweeted or tick tocked or instagrammed or put any photo of myself or family on SM
Don't have a bucket list. In fact I have a list of things I know I will never do and am happy with that.

DirtyBird · 09/02/2026 02:29

Having a senior job
Making over 100k
Having at least two DC
Being married
Living with a partner
Going on week long holiday every year
Having a relationship last longer than four years
Having an orgasm from sex 😏

Berlinlover · 09/02/2026 03:05

I couldn’t imagine being married with children. I have a partner but have zero interest in marriage.

MisterT373 · 09/02/2026 03:19

The popularity of Ant & Dec, Michael McIntyre & Mrs Browns Boys.

CamillaMcCauley · 09/02/2026 03:39

Sports fandom. I have never watched a full game/match of any code, in person or on television, in my life.

Empress13 · 09/02/2026 03:46

CanadianJohn2 · 09/02/2026 02:05

I dislike music, and any noise, really. I have never turned the radio on in my car. I don't have anything on the house to play music, not a radio, cd player, anything. I also watch TV with the sound off.

I'm probably missing out on something, but I don't care.

How can you watch TV with sound off and understand what’s going on?

aurynne · 09/02/2026 04:03

Having children. Every aspect of it, from pregnancy, birth (in any way or shape), the sleepless nights, the constantly crying babies, the nappy change and toilet-training neverending periods, the constant sickness and snotty noses and fingers, the tantrums, the worrying, the screams, the constang neediness, the grumpy and dramatic teenagers, the family dramas... I never had any desire to engage in this myself, and even after many years working as a midwife, I can't fathom why anyone would want to raise a human, let alone more than one.

I know, I know, I'm posting this on MumsNet 😁

Also, "going to the pub". I can do it occasionally, but people who go almost every day? I find them awful places to be in. Noisy, smelly, cramped, full of people behaving like yobs. Give me a lovely cafe any time.

The need to live "with someone", and people who feel "lonely" when they are by themselves. I love my own company, and find other people in my space annoying.

People who need to have noise in the background at all times. Music, the radio, TV... I love silence. I love going back to my quiet house.