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In this article:
- R/AskReddit questions range from the weird to the philosophical, but sometimes the answers contain surprisingly useful wisdom.
- These 8 R/Askreddit questions spurred some helpful answers that you can live your life by.
- This isn’t the only subreddit where you can get useful tips. There other subreddits like R/AskReddit you can mine for sage life lessons.
Reddit is a treasure trove of information. Sure, it gets a bad rep for being home to weird and, sometimes borderline illegal content, but it’s also home to great communities that let you ask every question you could ever think of to an audience of millions who have more collective experience and knowledge than any single average person does.
For example, I’m writing this on a PC that a subreddit helped me pick, using a keyboard that I found out about through a subreddit, and for a writing gig that I found on a subreddit.
The point is, Reddit is the place to be if you want to crowdsource the wisdom of the internet.
So, when you think about it, there’s really nothing unexpected about getting your life lessons and tips from r/AskReddit, the premier subreddit for asking questions that range from the bizarre to the philosophical.
Take out your notepads and pens because these r/AskReddit questions have answers that can change your life for the better.
R/Askreddit Question #1: In an Unlikely Scenario, Overthinkers Come Out on Top
This r/AskReddit question was posted by u/Adventurous_Program 6 and the top reply is shocking in a literal, non-clickbait sense.
The user asked: “Overthinkers of Reddit, what unlikely scenario actually came true that you were completely prepared for because you are an overthinker?”
U/igroknow replied that they moved their family out of Kyiv before the war started, despite his family’s insistence that there was nothing wrong. While it’s easy to doubt your own judgment when everyone else tells you you’re wrong, the Redditor held fast and managed to get their family members to safety. It just goes to show that sometimes you have to trust your gut and that you can never be too cautious.
The Redditor had trained themselves to grab critical documents, computer backups, essentials, family members, and pets in 10 minutes flat.
The next answer came from u/Nuffsaid98 and it singlehandedly validated everyone who likes to learn “useless” information. In their case, they researched, on a whim, how to escape a car that crashed into water. Years later, the user was able to use that information to help a driver escape from her sinking car after she drove into a pier.
U/betelgeux gave a tip that’s easier to apply to most emergency situations. The Redditor had trained themselves to grab critical documents, computer backups, essentials, family members, and pets in 10 minutes flat in case they need to make a quick escape. It came in handy when the Redditor had to evacuate their city because of a forest fire.
R/Askreddit Question #2: Fighting Your Worst Self
u/Slade_Sez asked people what they do to get around the worst parts of themselves so they can be functional adults.
According to u/pHbasic, their biggest problem is that they don’t like waking up in the morning nor do they enjoy morning activities like breakfast. What they did was to start forcing themselves to wake up early and go to the gym before work.
Getting regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your overall mental health.
It sounds torturous, but they begrudgingly admit that it leaves them feeling great throughout the rest of the day, prevents post-lunch time sleepiness, and makes it easier to go to sleep at night.
Why is that? Studies have shown that getting regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your overall mental health. Not only does it lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but it’s a proven mood enhancer that treats mild to moderate depression and eases feelings of anxiety.
Exercise has also been shown to improve concentration and memory, two key areas that people with ADHD struggle with.
R/Askreddit Question #3: Free Stuff!
Who doesn’t love free stuff? One Redditor and fellow free stuff lover thought to ask r/AskReddit what free stuff they can get and/or use that’s currently online.
One Redditor responded with a massive list of free software for 3D and 2D editing, code editing, game making, and everybody’s favorite: torrenting. It’s a comprehensive list that gives you everything you need to learn skills that can help you land your first online job.
“USPS and UPS both will deliver free packaging boxes, envelopes, bubble wrap, etc. to your house.”
Another Redditor says, “USPS and UPS both will deliver free packaging boxes, envelopes, bubble wrap, etc. to your house. Literally doesn’t cost a thing and you can get like 50 boxes at a time.” For people out there who are planning to move or need packaging materials for their small business, you might want to send USPS and UPS an email.
Last, but arguably the most important of these, is the IRS’s free file database that helps you find out which tax software is offering free file services this year and what criteria you need to meet to qualify.
Since many tax preparation companies deliberately trick users who qualify for the IRS’s free file program into paying for tax filing anyway, this database makes it easy to bypass all the ads and fake free file landing pages to get to the real free version of the site.
R/Askreddit Question #4: Life Changing Purchases Under $100
It sucks that these aren’t free, but for less than $100, why not give these r/AskReddit recommendations a shot?
U/ManonastickUK recommends getting a houseplant to brighten up your space and your mood. Before you scroll past this because you have a bad track record of taking care of plants, stop and keep reading.
The plant is so good at surviving that it thrives in low light and has greener leaves the longer you keep it indoors.
Believe it or not, there is one plant out there that’s better than a cactus for serial plant killers like us. It’s called pothos a.k.a Devil’s Ivy because it’s going to take divine intervention to kill this plant.
How durable is it? The plant is so good at surviving that it thrives in low light and has greener leaves the longer you keep it indoors. You don’t even have to plant it! I stuck a few cuttings in a Smucker’s jar full of water and promptly forgot about it for the rest of the month. Where is that plant now? Sitting on my desk, at this very moment, living its best unbothered life.
Another tip for the work-from-home crowd is to buy a vertical mouse. U/AnxiouslyAmicable says it saved their wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome. If you want to know more about how to maximize your desk setup for comfort, check out this article and scroll to the section on PCs.
R/Askreddit Question #5: How to Make Friends as an Adult
Everything gets harder the moment your childhood ends. The hardest part? Learning how to make friends as an adult, especially if you don’t drink. Apparently, it’s harder to befriend people and stay in touch with existing friends when you don’t drink because it’s one of the most common activities young adults do with each other.
Shared interests are a classic way to make friends and in time, you’re bound to make at least one.
U/BassplayerDad thankfully has great fatherly advice: you make friends slowly through your hobbies and community. If there’s a hobby that you always wanted to try out, but always felt too shy to do or you don’t have a clue where to start, check for hobby groups in your area that you can ask for tips about. Shared interests are a classic way to make friends and in time, you’re bound to make at least one.
If you’re a braver soul with a geeky heart, you can do what u/shroom2021 did and invite people from online dating sites who were looking for friends to be friends that they could play D&D with.
Check out these short adventures that you can play with your new friends.
R/Askreddit Question #6: Just Keep Swimming
Life gets rough and every now and then. We’re faced with major challenges that make us feel like it’s the end of our world. That’s why u/justa76grl asked r/AskReddit how they’ve dealt with life-altering problems.
U/msaylors said she tried to do at least one thing that was productive after their mother’s death sent them into a depressive episode. The Redditor chose getting out of bed as their one productive activity before eventually progressing into harder tasks like cooking. Eventually, they started to be more functional.
Start with something small. You don’t have to clean every dish in the sink.
You’re probably thinking: Why do small things? Why not make big leaps to take care of yourself to get better?
Because big leaps are too big. It’s not uncommon to see people in depressive states allow their rooms to turn into a dump because the idea of cleaning an entire room is too overwhelming. Nor does the promise of things being better persuade everyone who is contemplating ending their life. Sometimes, you need to let people hold onto smaller, easy to fulfill tasks and mundane reasons to keep living.
If you’re reading this right now because you’re too overwhelmed by a task you’ve been avoiding, that’s okay. Start with something small. You don’t have to clean every dish in the sink. Get paper plates if you have to. Stay alive to read tomorrow’s A Little Bit Human articles if you have to. As long as it keeps you going, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
R/Askreddit Question #7: Your Favorite Poverty Meal
There’s nothing fun about growing up poor because if you did, you know what it feels like to be constantly worrying about adult problems as a child. Those experiences stick with us. Sometimes it’s as serious as poverty trauma or as relatively innocuous as hoarding items just in case you need them later.
The thread is packed with cheap recipes that can help you out when you’re on a tight budget
For the folks who answered the r/AskReddit question “What’s your favorite poverty meal that you still eat regardless of where you are financially?”, growing up poor gave them favorite poverty meals.
U/markarlage said they grew up poor in the 1970s. Their mother used to buy cheap meat cuts and turn them into steak fingers. It wasn’t anything particularly fancy, but to them, nothing tasted better.
One Mexican Redditor said their favorite poverty meal was quesadillas without meat served with rice and black beans on the side. Another Redditor suggests what they call “Ghetto Mac” which is made with any leftover pasta, cheese, luncheon meat, and spices.
The thread is packed with cheap recipes that can help you out when you’re on a tight budget so check it out if you need it!
R/Askreddit Question #8: Workplace Red Flags
Working here at A Little Bit Human is great, but let’s be real, a lot of jobs suck and the worst part is when it’s not even the jobs themselves that suck. Most of the time, a job is miserable because of how the organization treats you.
U/pbourree went to r/AskReddit to ask thousands of fellow wage slaves: “What are subtle red flags at a job interview that say ‘working here would suck’?”
Here’s a quick list of the red flags that Redditors say you should keep an eye out for:
- The job interviewer can’t give you an explanation of their training process.
- They have a burnout culture that pressures people into working overtime.
- They take offense when you ask about whether you have to work on weekends.
- They tell you that you don’t have to read the contract.
Subreddits Like R/Askreddit Where You Can Crowdsource People’s Experiences, Knowledge, and Expertise
R/AskReddit isn’t the only subreddit where you can get advice freshly sourced from the internet hivemind.
R/SkincareAddiction and r/AsianBeauty are fantastic at giving tips on how to deal with skin issues. SCA’s life-saving skincare tips address acne, hyperpigmentation, and dryness, while Asian Beauty keeps a massive list of facial washes and their respective pH levels.
If you’re planning to build a new PC or make an upgrade, r/BuildAPC has over 5.2 million members who can let you know whether the parts you’re thinking of buying are worth it or if you should just save for a slightly pricier, better one.
R/ADHD and r/ADHDwomen have a supportive community that’s ready to listen to vents and give tips on how to manage life with ADHD.
Lastly, if you’re struggling with budgeting as a young adult (or any adult for that matter), r/PersonalFinance can help you stay out of debt, build your credit, and find the best credit card for you.
