Have you ever been shamed for doing something that — in your eyes — is completely healthy?! Well, on Friday, Reddit user u/dodongicepick asked, "What is a healthy behavior that people shame others for?" People provided some pretty common and accurate examples of this.
Here's what they shared:
1. "Doing something you enjoy but being bad at it."
2. "Taking a healthy amount of time to take care of yourself, rest, or recoup. Rest shouldn't be a reward — it should be treated as a necessary aspect of life."
3. "Being slow to respond. I would rather respond correctly than quickly. Same for confidence level. If I am unsure, it means I want to double check. It seems more irresponsible to speak off the cuff. But I think the reality is that the fast talkers are rewarded more, even if they are wrong."
4. "Doing things that are normally thought of as social activities by yourself. Like eating at a restaurant, or going to a concert, play, or movie."
5. "Talking to yourself. it's a good way to problem solve or even just vent about something."
6. "Going to bed early. I’ve been called an old lady many times because I just get tired earlier."
7. "Being wrong. It's healthy to express opinions and ideas. When we shame people for being wrong, we tend to stop new conversations from happening. In this way, we lose opportunities to understand where others are coming from and squander opportunities to change minds."
8. "Bettering yourself. I've seen people take photos of overweight people in the gym shaming them — like seriously?"
9. "Estranging from toxic parents."
10. "Not drinking every time you go out with friends."
11. "As a man, using sunblock. I can't even tell you how many times I've been heckled on the golf course for putting sunblock on my face before being out in the sun for the next four to five hours."
12. "Men crying."
13. "Minding your business. Some perceive it as you not liking them."
14. "Talking to a therapist regularly. It’s a purchase of time to help work through complex emotional issues in order to have more bandwidth in other areas. Good for all regardless of mental state."
15. "As a dude, having a routine for my face at night, which is weird because my guy friends have faces, too, so I’m not sure where the shame comes from?"
And lastly:
16. "Being single. I was perfectly fine with not having a boyfriend, but my friends hounded me about it constantly. Always asking me why I was single, telling me I was too picky, would show up to hangouts with men and ask me why I didn't go for it. I said I was fine with being single, but it was never a good enough answer. So, I started to feel self-conscious about being single, felt like I was under a microscope, so if I did meet someone, I felt uncomfortable having my friends cheering me on. It sucked. Let your single friends be single unless they are asking for your help, advice, and opinions."
If you've ever been shamed for doing something healthy, let me know about it in the comments below!
Note: Responses edited for length and/or clarity.