Something becomes a social norm through repeated behavior. Given enough time, we all stop asking "why" we're doing something and simply accept it for no other reason other than we always have.
Because of this, it's a good idea to take a step back every now and again to reassess the situation. Doing so will allow you to see these 15 social norms that actually aren't normal at all.
For all those men out there who need to hear this: emoting is not a sign of weakness. It doesn't make you less of a man and there's no need to feel ashamed simply for expressing how you feel.
At what point is it no longer acceptable for a man to have pictures of dinosaurs or superheroes on his sheets? I'm only asking because a friend of mine was curious and wanted to know...
"Giving greeting cards for every single event imaginable. Why pay $5 to give someone a piece of paper that will get thrown out the next day? I’d rather you give me $5 and skip the card." - Reddit u/zabrakwith
Tipping culture has gotten completely out of hand. These days, serving wage (at least in Canada) is pretty much in line with minimum wage. I'm not saying we shouldn't tip, but the percentage should be drastically reduced.
"The garter toss tradition at weddings. I’ll never unsee my brother reaching up his wife’s dress in front of three generations of family." - Reddit u/sjflnjpitt
As someone who is getting married in less than a year — I fully support this statement.
"Asking women when they are going to have kids and implying that they are 'bad' for not wanting them." - Reddit u/mariastranger
Women aren't baby factories, so why do we still treat them as such?
I'm a 33-year-old man who loves Batman, comic books, and cartoons. If you can't accept that and love me for who I am, then there's something wrong with you — not with me.
"Two weeks' notice when leaving a job. Oh, you can fire me on the spot, but you expect me to give you a two weeks' heads-up?" - Reddit u/RubaDub16
The only reason why I would consider having children is to forever have a trump card to get out of social events. Why should parents be the only ones to get a free pass?
Speaking strictly in financial terms, a wedding is one of the dumbest decisions a newlywed couple can make. With the average cost of weddings now exceeding $30,000 USD, most are forced to borrow or go into extreme debt just to cover the costs.
People who work in customer service have it rough — especially call center employees. People act as if they're speaking to a faceless corporation rather than a human being and it can be downright degrading at times.
If you ask someone how they are doing, then you need to be prepared for an honest response. I hate how the only acceptable preprogrammed reply to the question is "I'm fine thanks, how are you?"
I think that the vast majority of us can agree that the concept of the 40-hour workweek is quickly becoming outdated. Some companies nowadays are even beginning to pilot a 4-day workweek; fingers crossed!
This might be hard to believe but diamonds have absolutely no intrinsic value whatsoever. Therefore, their cost is solely determined by the retail market. For those considering getting engaged, do yourself a favor and research moissanite stones — you'll be glad you did.
"Plastic…plastic everywhere. Our food wrapped in plastic. Drinks encased in plastics. Ugh." - Reddit u/Round_Boot6y
Thankfully, our society at large is making the slow transition away from single-use plastics.
What's a "social norm" you feel isn't normal at all? Leave a comment and let us know!
h/t: Reddit
