Reddit users were asked a very simple question, “What do you wish was more socially accepted? [serious] ”

The responses might surprise you.

1. Hugs Not Drugs

Male teachers hugging female or even male students. When my sister passed my teachers all felt sympathy and gave me hugs except for my male teachers. When I thought about it later on in life I realized it was because they felt awkward.

2. Awkward…

Being upfront on the first date. Everyone has different expectations regarding relationships and it can be a big time waste if you find you want different things down the line but for a lot of people having a frank discussion tends to kill the romance.

3. Just Say No

Being able to turn people down or say no without an explanation.
I don’t want to hang out today, friend, just want to sit at home alone. I don’t know you and am not interested in giving you my name, stranger in public. I just don’t fucking feel like it.
We shouldn’t owe anyone an explanation and in return should respect that they don’t owe us one either. Rejection isn’t the end of the world.

4. Preggers

Telling people you don’t want to talk about your pregnancy. When I was pregnant with my son, everyone knew because I was huge from the start in the stomach. Everywhere I went, people asked how far I was, commented on my stomach size, asked if I knew the gender, and then often told me about their own kids.

it was fun at first, but I was over it by month 5. If I told someone I didn’t want to talk about my baby, which I did twice, I was immediately viewed by everyone within earshot as rude and weird. Like, why do you even care stranger? why do I need to accommodate you and lose time out of my day for a conversation I have ten times daily?

5. Unplugging

Going “offline”: shutting down your phone and not having contact for a week. People spam you with messages, phone calls, mails, Facebook messages, SMS, and finally visit you to see if you are still alive.

6. an*l Audio

Farting for women. Grew up being told “that’s not ladylike”. As an adult I still question why?

7. How Are You Doing?

When someone asks “how are you doing?” Everyone expects, “fine.” No one wants to hear about your depression, the loss of your job or the fact that you can’t pay rent or about your miscarriage or your divorce or that you lost a loved one or anything negative in your life. When you are truly honest, people get uncomfrotable. It is a strange cultural phenomenon.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that people want to appear strong and are not struggling and their lives is fine, as if having a little trouble coping is a sign of weakness. Maybe it is because people have their own problems and they feel like other people telling them about their own struggles is taxing on them and they just don’t want to deal with it. Maybe it is because people feel awkward because they don’t know the right kind of advice to give to a person who is struggling, so they would rather not hear about it.

I wish people would understand that sometimes when someone tells you about the negative feelings they are experiencing at the monent, they don’t want a solution. Sometimes, it is just cathartic to share your experience with someone and sometimes, silence is the best advice that you can give to a person.

8. Topside

I wish it was more socially acceptable for a woman to walk around shirtless when it’s hot or for what ever reason. And when I say socially acceptable I don’t mean not getting arrested for it (in some states it’s legal for a woman to be top less in public and most people don’t complain about getting to see some titties) I mean I want to be able to walk around top less when it’s hot out and not “be asking for it”, not get groped or stared or sneered at by people. For it to be just as normal as if a guy was walking around without a shirt. Relevant side note: I live in Texas and I have all my life- it’s hot as balls here. I had to buy an evaporative cooling fan in fucking February because it’s been 75-80 degrees most of this month. Ergo I get jealous when my guy friends get to take off their shirts when it’s hot as balls.

9. Life Is Hard

Random boners.

I mean, a lot of men unintentionally get them all the time. Sometimes those who aren’t able to hide it, have to face stigma. Even when the stigma isn’t there, they sometimes get public anxiety. I know at least 6 people who faced this issue, and two of them hesitated to wear comfortable (loose) clothing for this very reason.

10. What’s On Your Mind?

Not having an opinion. I don’t have the time or interest in every single topic. Maybe I don’t want to talk about politics because I know most people can’t do it in a non-emotional way or a way that doesn’t seem like a lecture.

11. Whoops!

Making mistakes in general. i feel like there’s so much pressure for people to appear put together and sane at all times, in front of everyone, under any circumstance. Yet we all know that we aren’t perfect.

12. Bromance

Men appreciating their own sex, and male intimacy/bonding not being looked down upon. You don’t have to be gay for that.

13. Fuck Buddies

Casual sex. I get that everyone views it differently, but society has made it a blanket statement to say that if you have sex too often, you’re a whore and are deemed less valuable than others, which isn’t true.

14. Tidy AF

Being disheveled. There is undue social capital that comes from neatly groomed hair and wrinkle free clothes — all of which is a waste of time and resources.

15. Politics!

Socialism (in the US)

I don’t want free college or free healthcare. I want the government to step in to more heavily regulate, or outright manage, industries which do not effectively serve the people when when subject to normal market forces. With regards to services which are good for the public, and should be available to everyone (healthcare, college, etc), if I’m presented with the choice between a fee (private insurance/student tuition) or a tax, my choice is whichever costs society less (which has demonstrably been proven to be the tax in such industries).

I don’t want to take people’s money. I want the tax code to benefit the least privileged among us, not the most. We already have redistribution of wealth, but, for the past 30+ years, it has served to redistribute wealth from the middle-class to the upper-class. I would like to see that reversed.

16. Money, Money, Money

Discussing finances. It is nice to be able to discuss expenses with friends and family but I have to be cautious with most people as it can be seen as rude. So many people pay too much for things or don’t understand investing or paying off debt, buy it is rude to educate them or discuss options. Sadly the people who could use advice the most are the worst off and most embarrassed by it so they want to keep it quiet.

17. Slow TF Down!

Walking slowly.

I have an old injury that acts up from time to time. Sometimes I liked to stroll even when I’m not hurting. There’s plenty of room, go around me or wait patiently.

It’s a fucking mall/park/stadium. Nowhere you are going is so important that you can’t wait a few seconds to get around me. If you are in that much of a hurry outside of an actual emergency situation, that’s your problem, not mine. Life is too short for you to be rude.

18. I Do

Men taking women’s surnames when they get married. I’m planning on doing it now and you wouldn’t believe the backlash you get. Honestly, it’s just a fucking name, it doesn’t matter… but when you grow up in the knowledge that women almost always lose their surname upon marriage and men almost never do, that matters. That’s a really subtle way to tell women they mean less than men from an early age.

19. FIGHT!

I wish fighting was more acceptable, like a good ole fisticuffs fight. Where both party’s agree to the terms and consequences.

20. Shut TF Up!

Calling people out on their bullshit.

If someone is being abusive to a store employee, I wish people would step in more often and tell them to stop. The employee can’t speak for themselves or else they’ll get fired, but someone else can easily step in and say “Hey, you need to stop being an asshole to this person and accept the fact that they’re not taking your 2 year expired coupon.”

It boils my blood when customers try to recruit others in on their shitty behaviour by calling out people and saying “isn’t this ridiculous”

I wish people would step in and say “no, shut the fuck up.”

21. Role Playing

Men taking on less-traditional roles. I cannot do many things that men typically are associated as skilled at. Such as fixing electrical and buildings things. Now, you need some laundry done and dinner cooked? I’m your guy.

22. Honestly…

Being 100% honest in job interviews.

“So what made you want to apply?”.

“My current job is overwhelming and the pay is less than desirable. I applied to find out how much you pay and to see if I will like this better than my current job.”

23. Swapping

Polyamory. It would make my life so much easier to just be able to be honest about my relationship status/lifestyle without people taking it as a personal offense somehow. Or accusing me of child abuse because having more than two loving, caring parents is somehow child abuse.

24. Man Up!

As a male.

Asking for help.

I can’t even begin to explain how frustrating it is, when I’ve had a financial, emotional, personal “issue” and people have just said “Man up!”

Gee thanks…. doesn’t help that I’m in debt from making mistakes and looking for guidance and you tell me to suck it up and keep moving on.

25. High AF

People who do drugs.

I go to school, I go to work, I take care of my family and live a pretty regular life.

I’ve never stolen or done anything bad to anybody in order to obtain my substance of choice, and I only get high at night. I don’t even drink or smoke.

One day I do hope to stop, but I wish that people didn’t view me as a scumbag when/if they find out my secret.

I understand many addicts are not like me, but we aren’t all bad people either.

26. ( . )( . )

Checking out boobs. Everyone knows everyone does it including especially women, but it’s a huge taboo and you get treated like a perv if you get caught. They’re beautiful and brighten our day: May we admire them?

27. YES!

Peeing in the shower. Everyone does it, why do people act grossed out by it? Are there people out there who actually get out of the shower midway through to pee in the toilet and flush?

28. No.

Pissing in the sink. It’s just convenient.

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