Kate Hackett
“What’s something inherently toxic that is perceived as normal?” asked u/Tizerkane of Reddit on Saturday.
We’ve all had a year to sit around and consider what behaviors we can or cannot accept out of the world — so the answers came fast and they came good. Here are some of the best.
1. Powering through
“Going to work/school even if you’re super sick or in pain.” —u/Child_of_Hylia
2. Too much work
“Asking a prospective employee to create a full-on project or develop content specific to the position applied for. You might not get the job, but the company has your intellectual property (and plenty are not above using it as their own).” —u/janesanerd
3. Monetizing Hobbies
“The expectation that a hobby isn’t worth having if you can’t (or don’t want to) monetize it.” —u/Im_a_TARDIS_AMA
4. Sleep
“I’m surprised nobody else has said sleep deprivation yet. Sleep deprivation literally causes brain damage to the part of the brain responsible for happiness and memory.”—u/Over_Shock_2610
5. Speak clearly
“Not saying what you actually mean.”—u/flyinsolonw
6. Parents
“Parents screaming at their young children during little league games.”—u/dustinhotsauce
7. Putting down a loved one
“Making fun of or denigrating your spouse in social situations. My wife has a habit of doing this. She’s gotten much better over the course of our marriage, but when she has too much to drink and we’re out with friends, she talks about my intelligence and dick size like we have a studio audience. It used to be a hit while we were in college, but as we and our friends have gotten older, I can see them cringing when she starts in on it. It’s a shitty thing to do.”
8. Family
“Saying and/or thinking ‘Never turn your back on family.’ It is rhetoric used by abusive people that think they shouldn’t face consequences for their bullshit.” —u/cyainanotherlifebro
9. Internships
“I don’t know about other places, but — in the US — internships that delegate actual business responsibilities to interns but don’t pay them. If your intern calling in sick would disrupt your workflow, they’re not an intern; they’re an employee and they deserve a wage.”—u/BATMANS_MOM
10. Loyalty
“Blind loyalty. Loyalty is seen as such a positive trait, and people who are not loyal are seen as snakes, rats, etc. While I understand the importance of loyalty to an extent, I don’t understand why people are applauded for being blindly loyal to people who have done something wrong or go against your values, etc.”
11. Companies
“Companies offering in-app, in-game purchases that are just dressed up gambling.”—u/SparkyMountain
12. Positivity
“Toxic positivity/optimism. Let people grieve. Don’t invalidate someone’s feelings and sadness.”—u/innocentperv96
13. Hugs and Kisses
“Pressuring kids to hug/kiss adults, family friends, etc. Just because you, the parent, trust this person, doesn’t mean the child automatically has to. Let the child find their own boundaries, and don’t teach them that they have to compromise their consent for the sake of politeness.”—u/stardust_2304
14. Cleaning your plate
“Over-emphasizing that you need to clean your plate when you eat. My husband was raised like that. I sometimes remind him he doesn’t have to eat everything on the plate. You can stop when you’re full!”—u/AllDressedKetchup
15. Insane weddings
“The expectations women set for their weddings. So many women need to have a better wedding than the next bride, the bachelorette parties last three days, and you have to fly across the country half the time. Just to marry the love of your life? So toxic.”—u/TheWildNerd87
16. Hitting kids
“If you hit a stranger, it’s assault. If you hit your partner, it’s domestic violence. If you hit your child, it’s loving discipline? Doesn’t make one bit of sense to me.”—u/SamSepiol-ER28_0652
