Reddit Goes Through 35 Toxic Traits And Things That People Should Stop Romanticizing

Remove your rose-colored glasses, it's time for a reality check

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• December 12, 2021

The tendency, and sometimes need, to gloss over the difficult details is a very human thing to do. It's easier to focus on the positive side of things instead of facing the harsh reality.

This kind of thinking leads people to romanticize and view certain situations from a distorted perspective. When given the time and wisdom to really think about it, you'll eventually realize how messed up it all is.

For example, when you're in a relationship with someone your friends and family don't like. Of course, you'll get angry that they don't like the person you're dating.

You'll probably think that they're being unfair and you end up getting defensive and say, "They just don't know him like I do." But once you break up with that person, it's like a fog has been lifted.

Everything your family and friends told you about this guy was actually true but you were too infatuated to see it. That can happen in almost anything, not just romantic relationships.

People tend to glorify, romanticize, and idealize things that were actually challenging, difficult, and just outright wrong. Ever wonder why serial killers get fans? It's because of this.

For one reason or another, individuals convince themselves that something is good for them when in reality it has the opposite effect. A psychologist or mental health professional can probably explain this better!

Although they are not mental health professionals, Reddit users did their best to list the things people should stop romanticizing. Read some of the best comments below!

The original question below:

1. Throwing your own goals and basically your entire personality for the sake of keeping another person

2. Stalking (also in rom-coms)

3. Mental illness

4. ADHD is not the way it is portrayed in media

5. Having an online follower (are we the only ones getting a cult vibe with this?)

6. Living like a gangster is actually dangerous and rooted in socioeconomic inequality

7. Glorifying murderous people

Take Ted Bundy for example

8. Overworking and compromising your health for it

9. The bleak reality of depression and how it affects you and your loved ones

Depression is somehow always shown hand-in-hand with the creative process

Here's an analogy to understand the isolatinge effect of depression better:

10. Abusive relationships are not romantic

11. The mafia and mafiosos

12. Non-existent work/life balance (and judging those who don't sacrifice themselves for their job)

Poor "Jeanne"

13. Not sleeping or resting to hit maximum productivity

14. "Pretty" privilege

So messed up

15. Rise-and-grind people and the hustle culture

Your productivity is not the measure of your worth as a person

16. Self-harm

17. Drug lords

18. Worshipping dangerous criminals and law breakers

19. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

We're looking at you Monica Geller

20. Celebrity "stan" culture

It's creepy isn't it?

21. Toxic relationships

The power dynamic in that relationship

22. Kids with special needs and disabilities

23. Eating disorders

A real look of what it's like to live with someone with eating disorder

24. Not taking no for an answer

Seriously

25. Medieval times and living in castles

26. Suicide

27. Sex

28. Abusive childhood

29. Jealousy

30. Being a teenager

31. Joining the military

32. Sex work

33. Poverty

34. "Wholesome" posts

35. Pregnancy

No matter the reason, people really do get a warped perspective about things. It's especially hard to recognize the red flags while you're in the thick of it.

But that's also the beauty of being human; we have the capacity to learn from our mistakes. That is if we choose to recognize them, learn from them, and grow from the experience.

So, the next time you see one of your friends posting about their daily hustle or their borderline obsession with a celebrity, you'll know it's nothing to be envious about. Maybe you can even teach them a thing or two.

Chelsi