Most of us have likely met a person or two who don’t take things too seriously, be ithealth, relationships, or something way less important. However, sometimes even the seemingly insignificant things shouldn’t be played down too much.Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed things that many people take too lightly when they shouldn’t. While some emphasized the dangers of situations such as moving water or driving, for instance, others focused onsocial issues, like dehumanizing other people or holding individuals accountable for their actions, all of which some might consider not to be a big deal. Scroll down to find more of their answers on the list below, and make sure to upvote those you agree with the most.Below you will also findBored Panda’sinterviews with two health experts, Professor in Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University,Dr. Gretchen Chapman, and Professor of Health and Human Sciences at Loyola Marymount University,Dr. Hawley Almstedt, who were kind enough to answer a few of our questions about why people shouldn’t take certain things lightly.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Most of us have likely met a person or two who don’t take things too seriously, be ithealth, relationships, or something way less important. However, sometimes even the seemingly insignificant things shouldn’t be played down too much.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed things that many people take too lightly when they shouldn’t. While some emphasized the dangers of situations such as moving water or driving, for instance, others focused onsocial issues, like dehumanizing other people or holding individuals accountable for their actions, all of which some might consider not to be a big deal. Scroll down to find more of their answers on the list below, and make sure to upvote those you agree with the most.
Below you will also findBored Panda’sinterviews with two health experts, Professor in Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University,Dr. Gretchen Chapman, and Professor of Health and Human Sciences at Loyola Marymount University,Dr. Hawley Almstedt, who were kind enough to answer a few of our questions about why people shouldn’t take certain things lightly.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
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Getting a pet. It requires work, that goes without saying. But what nobody talks about is the eventual loss. As I write this, I am looking at out ten year old puppy who is slated to be euthanized later today. They diagnosed him last week and scheduled this appointment. He’s not in any pain outwardly but his demeanor speaks volumes. I broke down at work and left this morning after only a couple hours. He’s never been nothing but a good companion and in my opinion deserves so much more than he has received. I’ve lost pets before, of course, but this hurts, for some reason like no other. They bring joy and if you’ve done your job right, they will bring a boatload of pain.
It’s clear that people tend to take all sorts of things more lightly than they should; but quite a few of them relate to their health, which can have seriousnegative consequences, if not now than later in life.In a recent interview withBored Panda, a professor in social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert in health behavior, Dr. Gretchen Chapman, noted that there is even a concept known as ‘present bias’, which refers to the idea that people pay much more attention to outcomes happening here and now than they do to future outcomes, which can lead to them discounting the value of said future outcomes. “That concept explains why many of us don’t worry about the cancer or heart disease that might be decades in the future,” she explained.
It’s clear that people tend to take all sorts of things more lightly than they should; but quite a few of them relate to their health, which can have seriousnegative consequences, if not now than later in life.
In a recent interview withBored Panda, a professor in social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert in health behavior, Dr. Gretchen Chapman, noted that there is even a concept known as ‘present bias’, which refers to the idea that people pay much more attention to outcomes happening here and now than they do to future outcomes, which can lead to them discounting the value of said future outcomes. “That concept explains why many of us don’t worry about the cancer or heart disease that might be decades in the future,” she explained.
Parenting. I can’t express enough how much of my adult life has been affected because of how I was raised. Take the time to explain things to your kids. Don’t scream at them over small mistakes they make. Don’t abuse spanking because you suck at managing your emotions. I could go on and on with this.
Using medical or psychiatric diagnosis terms when they’re not warranted.Being detail-oriented (in and of itself) is not OCD.Feeling restless or bored or impatient (in and of themselves) is not ADHD.Feeling social different or awkward or uncomfortable (again….) is not ASD or “autism"People throw around these words (e.g. “Oh, that picture wasn’t hanging straight and I needed to fix it once I noticed. I’m so OCD.") very casually or self-diagnose, often based on one feature of condition, which greatly devalues the proper use of the terms.
Prof. Chapman continued to point out that there are many recommended actions that don’t address any immediate problem but reduce the risk of future threats. “Some examples include:preventive health behaviors such as getting flu or COVID vaccine or taking medication to reduce high blood pressure.Health screenings to detect conditions that aren’t causing any current problems but could develop into something serious, for example, mammograms, pap tests, PSA tests.Insurance decisions such as purchasing disability insurance or homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to protect against future damage.Safety measures such as changing the batteries in smoke detectors or routine care maintenance.”
Prof. Chapman continued to point out that there are many recommended actions that don’t address any immediate problem but reduce the risk of future threats. “Some examples include:
Driving. It astonishes me how casually so many take operating a machine capable of causing a great deal of harm.
People take the dangers of glitter way too lightly. That stuff is basically craft herpes. Once you get glitter on you, it spreads everywhere and never fully goes away. You find it on your clothes, in your hair, and somehow even in your food. A single encounter with glitter and you’ll be finding those sparkly specks for years. It’s like a sparkly plague that never goes away and you keep finding between your toes and in other questionable places.
Disrespect from family just because they’re “family”.
According to Dr. Chapman, when it comes to health, even theseemingly minor signsshouldn’t be overlooked. “Minor symptoms are sometimes an indicator of a serious underlying condition that could develop into something life-threatening,” she told Bored Panda. “An example could be a breast lump that prompts the person to seek a mammogram to check for cancer.”Though, the expert added that a certain type of minor symptoms tend to resolve on their own and never turn into anything serious. “An example might be a respiratory virus that feels horrible for several days but resolves with time. It can be a difficult decision to figure out which minor symptoms should prompt medical attention. Health psychologists have a concept called the ‘worried well’ where healthy people get too worried about minor symptoms.”
According to Dr. Chapman, when it comes to health, even theseemingly minor signsshouldn’t be overlooked. “Minor symptoms are sometimes an indicator of a serious underlying condition that could develop into something life-threatening,” she told Bored Panda. “An example could be a breast lump that prompts the person to seek a mammogram to check for cancer.”
Though, the expert added that a certain type of minor symptoms tend to resolve on their own and never turn into anything serious. “An example might be a respiratory virus that feels horrible for several days but resolves with time. It can be a difficult decision to figure out which minor symptoms should prompt medical attention. Health psychologists have a concept called the ‘worried well’ where healthy people get too worried about minor symptoms.”
Dehumanizing people. Its a very slippery slope to justifying sanctioned violence.
Bullying in schools.
Mental health.
While it’s important to pay attention to thesignalsyour body is sending that can be indicative of a certain illness or condition, it’s arguably even more important to take good care of yourself, so there is nothing—or at least fewer things—to signal.
Slavery still existing.
Water, more specifically flowing water with currents. So many people underestimate the power of a flow.
Professor of Health and Human Sciences at Loyola Marymount University Dr. Hawley Almstedt seconded the idea that it’s crucial to look after your health, no matter how young you are.“It is important to take good care of your health at all ages, even during youth. For example, weight-bearing exercise during the two years before and after puberty can have lifelong impact on bone health, allowing someone to avoid osteoporosis and hip fractures later in life.“People should pay attention to recommended health screenings, too. The ACS now recommends beginning cancer screenings as early as 40 years old and the AHA advises adults 20 years and older to have blood cholesterol and cardiovascular risk factors checked every 4-6 years. Screenings and early detection allow for effective and optimal treatment.”
Professor of Health and Human Sciences at Loyola Marymount University Dr. Hawley Almstedt seconded the idea that it’s crucial to look after your health, no matter how young you are.
“It is important to take good care of your health at all ages, even during youth. For example, weight-bearing exercise during the two years before and after puberty can have lifelong impact on bone health, allowing someone to avoid osteoporosis and hip fractures later in life.
“People should pay attention to recommended health screenings, too. The ACS now recommends beginning cancer screenings as early as 40 years old and the AHA advises adults 20 years and older to have blood cholesterol and cardiovascular risk factors checked every 4-6 years. Screenings and early detection allow for effective and optimal treatment.”
The effects trauma has on different developmental stages. Or mental health in general.
Elections, especially at the local level.
Self bashing. Love and forgive yourself, man!
It’s no secret that one good way of taking care of yourself is exercising regularly. “Exercise is crucial to overall health, fitness, and mental wellness,” Prof. Almstedt told Bored Panda. “It can improve sleep, elevate mood, relieve stress as well as help lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure. I consider exercise to be a ‘polypill’ with the ability to improve health and lower risk for many of the top 10 leading causes of death for Americans.”
Wearing a helmet.
Rappers calling women b***hes.
Sun exposure and skin cancer risks.
According to Dr. Almstedt, the American culture rewards those who are tough and ignore signs or symptoms of illness. “Unfortunately, our busy ‘to do’ list often takes priority over self-care,” she pointed out. “This causes us to be out of touch with what our body is trying to tell us. Many people could benefit from improving interoceptive awareness, which is the ability to notice internal sensations.”
Climatechange many still don’t believe in it.
I notice no one holds doors for the person behind them, people don’t let others off of an elevator before they barge in, people don’t share the road or let others ahead when driving.. So I make it a point to do all these things because it’s…. polite and I am hoping people will see this and do it as well.. but, when i do these things, like holding a door open for someone, almost everyone will not say “thank you” and some people won’t even try to catch the door or even pretend to notice. I’ve had so many times where the person in front of me slithers out after the person in from of them held the door for them and they do not catch the door and I get a door slammed in my face. Its crazy how much people do this. I started loudly saying ur welcome to people who don’t say thank you , and I only (barely) heard one person say oh, thank you. This is In my lifetime BTW, over 30 years, Lol. Driving of course no one waves to say thank u. I do and I do it so they definitely can see lol.I refuse to be an unkind person, and not hold doors open, or not let others through, not sharing the roads, like how i see majority of people doing. It’s not in me to do it even once.Do these people who do this think this is what those people are supposed to do for them? Or thanking that person is basic social etiquette and the gesture shows you appreciate their kindness and acknowledge it. No gesture makes u feel invisible and unappreciated as if it was some automatic door and that opened itself. Its disrespectful and sad that people don’t know what an act of kindness looks like and thinks that’s what they’re entitled to.I hope I’m not just old lol and it’s getting phased outEdit…. I came back on and saw notifications… I thought I was getting in trouble for something lol.. I’m so happy people see this and are thoughtful. It’s so nice to know that!
Work/Life balance. No matter where you work, you are replaceable within days. No matter what you do, someone else can do it, too. Spend time with your family, friends, and pets. Your job will not be there for you when you are dying, nor will it care that you are gone.
Tourists will go right to the riptide, cliff edge, waterfall or volcano with a stupid smile on their face.
Freshwater loss. Whole lakes are being drained and rivers diverted completely so they never reach the ocean. We’re generally treating natural freshwater like it’s an unlimited resource and it’s not.
Hearing protection in clubs and concerts.
Women hitting men.
Blood pressure. In the past few years I’ve learned that a number of people in my life just walk around day-to-day close to stroking-out and don’t bother going to the doctor about it.
Holding friends and family accountable for their words and actions. A lot of people like to think they would act reasonably and morally when their close relationships do terrible things, but they often don’t. Usually they create excuses for the behavior and learn to adapt around it.
Having kids.
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Heat stroke. It can really sneak up on a person, and even be counterintuitive, esp. in young children.
Antibiotic resistance.
Honestly? Rpists and child m*****tors. Yeah sure everyone talks about how awful they are, but here in the USA many are released back into society and reoffend continuously. I’ve read tons of cases where serial rpists were released only to escalate to mering their victims. It’s more common than you’d think, unfortunately.Also the victim blaming mindset. If the offender is charismatic enough or is part of someone’s political party, sports team, church leadership, school administration, family, etc. the people who think “rpe and child m**tation is awful” will turn and tear apart victims even if there is undeniable physical evidence to prove the accused did the crime. Apparently all sex offenders have to do is join and become involved in our close circles and we’ll sit and turn a blind eye to everything they do.
Subscription service models for existing items…(think the BMW heated seat shenanigans and things like ceiling fans or other devices that require an app to function)Battle passes…Pre-order bonuses…Always online requirements for ANYTHING…
Obesity. Especially U.S. Nearly half of everyone I see in my day is overweight to obese. Never a healthy weight range. It’s sad how everyone treats their one body like absolute s**t and then wonder why when they hit 40, they have all these medical issues that will give huge financial loss and pain for the rest of their life. Take care of yourself, your body does so much to keep you alive, the least you can do is make it easier, show it some love and it’ll love you back in your later years.
Driving. Anytime you get in there, might be your last.
When your government lies to you over and over and over.
Condoms, a friend of ours is promiscuous. But she thinks that birth control and being somewhat picky about the guys you sleep with will prevent STI’s. She says she only uses them the first few times. I fear for her future.
The importance of flossing.
Being a decent human.
Speeding. People drive around at 10-15 over the speed limit then act like it’s the cops fault that they got a ticket. Yea, you save 3 minutes on your drive but you also drastically increased your stress levels as well as your chance of a car accident. Speed limits are set with local traffic, pedestrian frequency, and road design. Ignoring that is just begging for an accident.
Posture/sitting. Sitting is going to be the next cig killer because of health issues. And posture is already doing it as so many issues are due to bad posture(bad wrist? Prob posture or sitting, headache at the back of your neck? Posture. Trouble breathing/chest tightness? Try to adjust your posture. I bet a good chance it goes away(fun fact this can cause anxiety). It’s insane how we’ve just accepted text neck, hunching, rolled shoulders, and other stuff as normal.
Their words, they have weight. A lot of people act like they’re invisible so they go hurt others for attention without knowing it has impact.
Covid, for sure. It’s not just the flu or a cold, people. It’s not even just a respiratory disease. It can damage your heart, brain, kidneys, arteries, and more. And every time you get it, even if you’re asymptomatic, your risk for long Covid or just cumulative damage to your vital organs goes up.And the fun part is it’s causing literal brain damage, so like the longer we wait to address it the less mentally agile we’ll be as a country to design and implement counter measures.
Saving money for rainy days or retirement. People are living beyond their means and they don’t even know it. When you factor in the fact that you’re going to have to depend on what you saved up it becomes even clearer.
Hydration.
Eating junk.
JokesEverything is so f*****g serious and argumentative these days it’s exhaustingCan we not just have the craic.
This is gonna be niche but safety in westen riding/rodeo sports. Especially with kids.I watch the videos online of 10 year olds almost being thrown from horses 20 times their weight before doing their barrel racing run wearing a hat only and I can’t believe this is where we are still at. Concussions ans TBIs are not taken anywhere seriously enough in these circles purely for the sake of looking “tough.“I understand the culture behind the hat and I understand why some safety precautions aren’t practical in a working farm/ranch setting, but this is a sport involving live animals, high speeds and crazy maneuvers.I grew up riding western and absolutely loved barrel racing and rodeo but I saw (and experienced) FAR too many concussions where the immediate treatment was encouragement to “get back up on the horse” to show you were ok and not wimpy.My last concussion was WITH my helmet. There was a rule at our barn (which was a common rule at many other barns) that you only had to wear a helmet IF you lost/forgot your hat and it was mostly to shame you for forgetting or losing your hat. I was thrown and landed head first on the ground. Imagine if I had just been wearing my hat.I could understand not forcing adults to wear helmets since it’s their choice but to put small kids into these sports with absolutely nothing protecting their heads is straight up insanity.
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Earning things, delayed gratification. I never learned this as a kid or teen and now in my 30s having to force myself to put things away or shelf things I want for things I need to do first.
Alcohol consumption. too much and you destroy your insides and will lead to lots of health problems.
That your access to healthcare is heavily dependent on who you work for. Not just in how much money you earn, but certain insurances allow for more testing and better treatments than others do without extreme costs. Quitting your job could literally mean risking your life.
Casual drinking turns into problematic drinking really easily if you’re not paying attention, especially with how “social drinks” focused American society (I can’t speak for other cultures) is.
Sugar addiction.
Responsibility is taken too lightly. You name it, they don’t want to be responsible and do the right absolutely correct thing.
Ableism.
Not appreciating your parents. Call and speak with them more they won’t be around forever!
Living beyond their means.
Watching p**n.
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