25 Social Norms That Make No Sense When You Think About Them

Society is filled with customs and behaviors that we accept without question—until we take a step back and really think about them. Many of these so-called "normal" practices are actually quite odd, outdated, or even problematic. Here are some social norms that, when examined closely, don’t make much sense at all.

Many of these norms have been around for so long that we rarely stop to question them. But maybe it’s time we start!

More info: Reddit

#1

Image source: throwa_way682, Javier Captures The World Child beauty pageants.

#2

Image source: Excited_Avocado_8492, Tara Winstead Working until you're old, greying, and broken then using whatever time you have left for all the things you wish you could have done when you were younger.

#3

Image source: Northman67, BillionPhotos Rich people being basically above the law.

#4

Image source: GotaLuvit35, Artem Malushenko "Feel-good" news stories about how a kid makes a lemonade stand or something to pay for her mom's cancer treatment because no one can afford healthcare in America.

#5

Image source: Normal-Yogurtcloset5, Алесь Усцінаў War and people profiting from war. When death and destruction are profitable it’s a sign that something is sick in the society.

#6

Image source: DrowsyAutomaton, Kaboompics.com Wages that don't cover cost of living.

#7

Image source: BlackLetterLies, Werner Pfennig Politicians blatantly lying to the people. We accept it so readily, it's as though it's supposed to be that way.

#8

Image source: Same_Earth_9232, user15285612 Taking way more than we need. From everyone and everything.

#9

Image source: reb0014, REDfox Giving tons of money to the rich people who don’t need it while explaining to the poor that there isn’t enough to go around.

#10

Image source: adsfew, freepik "I know more than experts about this subject because of my gut or something I found online.".

#11

Image source: Qfn4g02016, EyeEm That dead people need pillows in caskets.

#12

Image source: macaronsforeveryone, freepik People having kids and trying to live their lives again through them, vicariously, forcing the kids to do things that the parents never got to do, even when the kids show no inclination, and even have an active dislike, for those things.

#13

Image source: anon, freepik Social media.

#14

Image source: sgraymckean, MART PRODUCTION That 2 out of 3 americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

#15

Image source: Swedish-Butt-Whistle, cottonbro studio Destroying the environment that we literally depend on to live.

#16

Image source: rmorrill995, Mikhail Nilov Living to work vs working to live.

#17

Image source: Existing-barely Being on camera or recorded any time you are in public.

#18

Image source: KairuSenpai1770, rawpixel.com The entire timeframe that we made up. Like how it’s gotta be 8+ hour work days 5 days a week etc etc.

#19

Image source: kingleothegoat, The Yuri Arcurs Collection Children mentally or financially not responsible for themselves yet having children themselves.

#20

Image source: onions_cutting_ninja, Chu Chup Hinh Alcohol is so normalized but d***s are not. It's so weird. I say this as an alcohol loving Belgian, beer is half of our culture and I'm proud of it too but like... that's f*****g weird man.

#21

Image source: Crap_Sally, The Yuri Arcurs Collection You lose your job and deserve to lose your health insurance. Because f**k you. Also, if you take a s**t job you deserve s**t insurance because, well f**k you twice. We can’t afford better healthcare so f**k you thrice.

#22

Image source: anon, MART PRODUCTION Spending 5/7ths of your life waiting for 2/7ths of it to come. we hate like 70% of our life, how is that considered fine?

#23

Image source: zappED_brannigan, Getty Images Sleeping 4 hours a night due to work and saying things like "it's all a part of the grind bro".

#24

Image source: HoneyBadgerLive, nader saremi Megachurches.

#25

Image source: 5min4fightin, krakenimages.com Circumcision. Literally removing part of your genitalia is just deemed perfectly normal. Beyond wild to me.