To ask for weird realisations you’ve had about life?

[goergia]

Things about mundane life that you’ve never given much thought but suddenly think “Now I think about it, that’s weird.”

I had one of these today. I live in a mid-terrace, neighbours are nice and quiet and we don’t hear a peep. A few days ago I had a snoop at one of the next-door neighbour’s house on Rightmove after seeing it was for sale, and realised that they have their bed right up against our party wall as I do mine. So even though I sleep in bed alone every night, there’s actually 2 people who I don’t really know just a couple of inches away from me! I don’t know why but for some reason it creeps me out. I’ve realised that in terraced houses you’re actually sharing one building with lots of people, many of whom you will NEVER interact with.

A weird one I realised the other day is that people I see whilst out and about have whole actual lives. There’s a woman I see on the school run, every school day I drive past her in the morning, we smile at each other, then do the same in the afternoon. I saw her the other day in b&q and it completely threw me - it wasn’t a school day and she was there with her mum and blanked me.

Obviously I know everyone I see has a whole life just like I do, but it made me think about how many people there are, with lives that I know nothing about all over the world. I guess I’ve not matured past the kid in school who doesn’t realise the teacher doesn’t live there permanently until the next school day

@MuchTooTired

A weird one I realised the other day is that people I see whilst out and about have whole actual lives. There’s a woman I see on the school run, every school day I drive past her in the morning, we smile at each other, then do the same in the afternoon. I saw her the other day in b&q and it completely threw me - it wasn’t a school day and she was there with her mum and blanked me.

Obviously I know everyone I see has a whole life just like I do, but it made me think about how many people there are, with lives that I know nothing about all over the world. I guess I’ve not matured past the kid in school who doesn’t realise the teacher doesn’t live there permanently until the next school day

This is known as "Sonder" - the realisation that everyone around you has an independent life!

That the people in charge don’t have a fucking clue.

When I was younger I used to walk around safe in the knowledge that while things can get bad, they will only reach a certain level of bad before “those in charge” will step in and fix it.

Not so.

@WeOnlyTalkAboutBruno

That the people in charge don’t have a fucking clue.

When I was younger I used to walk around safe in the knowledge that while things can get bad, they will only reach a certain level of bad before “those in charge” will step in and fix it.

Not so.

Yes this. It’s pretty sad and scary when you realise that actually ‘mummy and daddy’ arnt there to safe you and help everyone if things get bad. Covid kind of ripped that veneer off and I don’t know if it will every properly fit back on again.

@WeOnlyTalkAboutBruno

Yep, realising that the people who we once thought of as “responsible, clever grown-ups” actually have less empathy and organisation skills than a literal child. Even an 8 year old could grasp that it’s not very good to make up rules for everybody else to follow which you’re allowed to break.

I realised recently that people don't really change fundamentally; they just get different haircuts and different jobs and different relationships.

It always freaks me out to see Earth on the television as it makes me remember that we are inhabitants of a planet which is moving around within a galaxy. It’s almost too much information for my mind to compute, my DH thinks I’m weird for thinking this way and writing this down has made me hope I’m not the only one who feels this way

You are definitely not the only one Rebecca everything about galaxies/astrophysics etc makes me feel this way. I just can't comprehend it the idea is too big for my mind

That many adults are stupid

@Rebeccasmoonnecklace I have that realisation occasionally and it hurts my brain. I haven't mentioned it as I suspect I'd sound a teenager smoking weed "dude, this'll blow your mind..."

Thinking about how insignificant we all are as part of just one planet in the whole universe. I get freaked out wondering if we are really the only intelligent life in the universe (rare earth theory) because that’s so eerie; but equally freaked out that we might not be - plus frustrated that I will never meet an alien. Plus all the stuff about space generally and my annoyance that I’m reduced to worrying about just putting food on the table.

I’ve lived in the same cul-de-sac for 17 years and have barely spoken to any of my neighbours.

Had to distance myself from family because they are dysfunctional and potentially controlling towards me specifically. My mind finds it hard to compute the lack of self awareness required and the compulsion to be this way.

Just how much time it takes in a week to pay for and maintain a home to live in, and as a result I only have a few hours per week to actually enjoy time in said home.

Remembering the pre-mobile phone and pre-internet, pre-social media age. I can’t fully remember how that worked but I’m pretty sure it was a happier time in many ways.

How did cats and dogs evolve to be domesticated? I don’t get it.

Having sex with someone who, if you don’t stay together, you may one day pass them in the street and not talk, as if it never happened (?)

Sleeping is weird. Most of us do it all at the same time so half the world is basically inactive and doing nothing at any one time. Periods are weird. Did the timing of the menstrual cycle evolve with us and/or did the lunar cycle play a part? (And does it still because that might explain a lot). Do other mammals get periods? I’ve never personally seen a bleeding animal or one that’s wearing a sanitary pad. Am I moody with pms because my hormones are causing me to be that way or is it because I feel like shit?

My brain still can’t compute how countries came to be /evolved, and aside from when we have wars, we don’t think about it. We just accept borders etc.

Also how come on such a small island we have so many accents. You don’t have to drive all that far to encounter people who sound completely different.

Perception of time I swear literally speeds up the older I get. I know I won’t be alive forever yet I still frequently waste time.

I think too much. Most people who “know” me really don’t, because they don’t know even a tiny fraction of what goes on in my mind.

That the universe just goes on forever. Literally doesn’t end. There’s no wall anywhere but if there was one what would be on the other side anyway. Why can’t human brains understand infinity, or nothingness?

How the heck did all these languages evolve?!?

And how different cultures have different foods? Japanese vs French for example? Why weren't they eating raw fish in the Mediterranean? I know they had ceviche but not on the same level as Japan?

Most things related to quantum physics.

The fact that 'time' is set by the fluctuation within a single atom. (Well, several singularly observed atoms)

The fact that 90% of any atom is 'empty space' meaning that 90% of everything we perceive isn't there.

That with our mere 5 senses we cannot, possibly, perceive of everything which we are (or are not) experiencing.

The thinness of an aircraft fuselage and the realisation that air travel is flying through the air at 30000 ft with something the same thickness of a bathtub surrounding us. 🤯

@dipdye

How the heck did all these languages evolve?!?

And how different cultures have different foods? Japanese vs French for example? Why weren't they eating raw fish in the Mediterranean? I know they had ceviche but not on the same level as Japan?

I think I read somewhere that the invention of glass for Europe really set Europe forward, and if China had invented glass (instead of pot) they would be even further ahead of where they are now ... Mat not be true , but blows my mind a simple invention missing

@DontStopMeNow7

Thinking about how insignificant we all are as part of just one planet in the whole universe. I get freaked out wondering if we are really the only intelligent life in the universe (rare earth theory) because that’s so eerie; but equally freaked out that we might not be - plus frustrated that I will never meet an alien. Plus all the stuff about space generally and my annoyance that I’m reduced to worrying about just putting food on the table.

I’ve lived in the same cul-de-sac for 17 years and have barely spoken to any of my neighbours.

Had to distance myself from family because they are dysfunctional and potentially controlling towards me specifically. My mind finds it hard to compute the lack of self awareness required and the compulsion to be this way.

Just how much time it takes in a week to pay for and maintain a home to live in, and as a result I only have a few hours per week to actually enjoy time in said home.

Remembering the pre-mobile phone and pre-internet, pre-social media age. I can’t fully remember how that worked but I’m pretty sure it was a happier time in many ways.

How did cats and dogs evolve to be domesticated? I don’t get it.

Having sex with someone who, if you don’t stay together, you may one day pass them in the street and not talk, as if it never happened (?)

Sleeping is weird. Most of us do it all at the same time so half the world is basically inactive and doing nothing at any one time. Periods are weird. Did the timing of the menstrual cycle evolve with us and/or did the lunar cycle play a part? (And does it still because that might explain a lot). Do other mammals get periods? I’ve never personally seen a bleeding animal or one that’s wearing a sanitary pad. Am I moody with pms because my hormones are causing me to be that way or is it because I feel like shit?

My brain still can’t compute how countries came to be /evolved, and aside from when we have wars, we don’t think about it. We just accept borders etc.

Also how come on such a small island we have so many accents. You don’t have to drive all that far to encounter people who sound completely different.

Perception of time I swear literally speeds up the older I get. I know I won’t be alive forever yet I still frequently waste time.

I think too much. Most people who “know” me really don’t, because they don’t know even a tiny fraction of what goes on in my mind.

I love all of this!

That many adults are totally stupid. I often come across people in my work, who honestly can't put two and two together to make four, and yet there they are living their lives, driving, bringing up a family and holding down a job, despite being so clueless . Blows my mind.

I often wonder what life changing invention we are missing because the inventor was killed before their time.

I also can’t comprehend creation or evolution, or space, or time, or distance.

And knowing whole, complicated processes exist and function perfectly well without any input from me personally!

I can remember many moons ago my big sister explaining to her 4yo DD while teaching her about stars and constellations, planets, comets and some such, and that earth is just another place that in the great scheme of things is quite insignificant, my sister said. Or words to that effect. Don't diss me for talking rubbish I can't remember the exact words. My niece was about 4 and I was about 20.
I'd never thought of it that way.
I think my niece just nodded understanding. Whereas I was blown over. Niece became quite a genius in science. Dsis didn't have an exam to her name. ♥️

Also how come on such a small island we have so many accents. You don’t have to drive all that far to encounter people who sound completely different

That's easy, have you ever saw a visitor book from 1900 ? I saw one at an Abbey, nobody had travelled more than 5-10 miles. I think one or two people had travelled beyond that.
Travel wasn't easy horse power was limited, people stayed local, they didn't have TV and radio so they only heard the local accent which would evolve through time.

Yeah that makes sense. I suppose I’m surprised that accents still endure. Is it an age thing: my parents moved to Somerset so I was born there but we left when I was 3; however I literally had a Somerset accent for years (very weird because I was the only one in the family to talk like that!)

Also, in bigger countries like the US, don’t you have to go a lot further for the accent to change? Or…?

That many adults are a bit stupid & make poor decisions. Also humans look vaguely similar but people are wildly different to one another x

Countries like Canada, America and Australia all had people emigrate from different places so the accents would have been diluted / mixed together. Or they'd never understand each other.
Those countries have really only been populated in the last 250 years? Travel has become easier in the last 100 years with trains, buses and cars. Coupled with hearing the same accents on TV and Radio.

UK accents are less pronounced than they were for the same reasons. I remember an old guy I'd just met at work telling me about his doctor, then it twigged it was his daughter he was talking about. .
You don't seem to get those really thick accents now.

@DontStopMeNow7

Yeah that makes sense. I suppose I’m surprised that accents still endure. Is it an age thing: my parents moved to Somerset so I was born there but we left when I was 3; however I literally had a Somerset accent for years (very weird because I was the only one in the family to talk like that!)

Also, in bigger countries like the US, don’t you have to go a lot further for the accent to change? Or…?

Significantly further so I'm not sure how that works now. I'm from Canada originally and it's the same accent the entire country across until you hit Quebec. Literally a 6-7 hour flight away. Nobody can tell if someone is from another province a 24 hour drive away let alone a city an hour down the road. But in wales they could tell me what village so and so was from based on the accent. Was mind boggling.