Ready to feel a bit mad? The world throws away around 1.3 billion tons of perfectly edible food every single year. That's almost half a trillion worth of items destroyed, which, to add insult to injury, produces over 10% of global greenhouse gases.

Someone asked “What is something that is normalized in society when in reality it is horrific?” and people shared their best examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to shake your head, upvote the worst ones and be sure to share your own examples in the comments below.

#1

Sneering at single mothers instead of the deadbeat dads.

I'm childfree myself, but this infuriates me.

Image credits: Laughing_Dragon_77

#2

Worshipping billionaires as some kind of genius self-made men when they are mostly the reflection of what's worst about modern society.

Image credits: Matttthhhhhhhhhhh

#3

Denial of medical care because of inability to pay

Image credits: Nobodyknowsmynewname

#4

Destruction of unsold or unused goods. I've watched some documentaries about it and talked to people who worked at such jobs.
A warehouse full of unsold TVs, computers and other such items - scheduled for destruction. An excavator comes and squishes it, throws everything into trucks and off to the landfill. Friend asked if he could take a TV but the other guy just pointed at guards and told him not to even try.
Unsold shoes, all perfectly fine and wearable. Saw a documentary of trucks full of branded shoes leaving them at landfills. I believe they cut them open in beforehand so no one could take any for themselves.
Food thrown away after the day.
I've read articles of bakeries giving stuff they'd usually throw, for free to homeless. They get hefty fines for that.


I know brands will do it to keep the price up. But how is it for the enviroment? I bet it's way more ridiculous than my plastic straw.

Image credits: Thiccoman

#5

Your pug cannot breathe properly. Your poodle has joint pain. You are promoting genetic mutations that cause unbearable suffering to animals because you think its cute.

You drag them around, keep them in tiny apartments and make yourself the center of their lives to the point that they have anxiety every time you leave for work, you do this to validate yourself and yet you are not treating them with the respect they deserve.

Find a healthy breed, give it a home with space, and companions, ideally outside of a cramped noisy city, raise it properly and respect it as sentient being, or don't have a dog.

Image credits: Weak_Reaction_8857

#6

Not horrific, but I hate that drinking alcohol is so normalized that people think something bad happened or something is wrong with you if you don’t drink.

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#7

For-profit medicine. Doctors don't have to work for free, but selling stock shares based on people seeking medical help is absolutely unethical.

Image credits: anansi133

#8

Referring to humans as illegals and then treating them as if they aren't humans and as if you yourself haven't benefited from immigration even your existence is partly somewhere down your bloodline the result of immigration. The us and them mentality disgusts me.

Image credits: TsLaylaMoon

#9

Forcing kids to show physical affection to anyone.

Image credits: lexi_prop

#10

Watching or recording as people are being hurt or dying. Instead of someone acting to help you see everyone pulling out their cell phone or walking away. Obviously there are times where helping might [be dangerous] so I understand someone not jumping in at those points. Last year there was a IG post showing this exact scenario.

There was security footage of a man whose wife died in a car accident. While he was on his knees crying and holding her hand people were walking up behind him and taking pics and video. This man is having the worst day of his life and people are taking video to post online. Somewhere society stopped caring about others and it is horrific.

Image credits: Irondaddy_29

#11

In the USA, tying health care to your work / ability to produce at a high level.

Health insurance is not even offered at lower-paying jobs.

Image credits: StrangersWithAndi

#12

Child brides, are mortifying to me. I remember one time there was this three year old girl getting married off to a 36 year old man. I thought how horrible to myself and aloud. A guy at work thought I would be comforted by the fact that her husband shouldn't have [intercourse] with her until she was of age. I wasn't because it's not guaranteed he won't consummate the marriage with his toddler bride just because it's frowned upon.

Image credits: 4GetTheNonsense

#13

Lunch debts in schools.

Image credits: mssleepyhead73

#14

IMO, TV series being made of a serial [criminal]/ evil person being glamorized, played by some hot actor, and dramatized so that people become sort of “fans” of the real life person. Bonus points if not much sympathy or perspective is shown for the direct families/friends impacted by the actions of said evil person.

Image credits: kirkbonzii

#15

The payday lending industry.

Giving out loans at completely unreasonable interest rates to the people least likely to be able to pay them back, leading them further down a path to misery is an evil business model, and that regulators seem so willing to look the other way is disappointing if not surprising.

Image credits: KennyDROmega

#16

People not caring about the poor. Thinking they got where they are because they're lazy, or d**g addicts. In reality, if we made some poor choices we could be in the exact same position.

Image credits: anon

#17

The fact that we possess the medical technology for people to die painlessly (and at the time and manner of their choice) and yet there's some sort of taboo to try to legalize it. I understand why but it is what it is.

Image credits: Outside_Reserve_2407

#18

That everyone and anyone should procreate. It affects another person's life who can't consent to it. If you can't give a child a good life you shouldn't have children, as they have rights too.

Image credits: alt123456789o

#19

That 99% of processed foods have added sugar to help for profit companies to feed addictions

Image credits: diduknowitsme

#20

Male victims of domestic violence. A lot of people just think it’s funny.

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#21

Forcing autistic people to hide who they are, because how other people sees you is more important that your own mental health. This leads to anxiety, low self esteem, depression, and suicide being much more common in the autistic community.

Image credits: Moises5387

#22

Treating addicts like they deserve to die

#23

The abuse of animals in the horse and dog racing business. So many d***s and injuries causing death to innocent animals. Then an abundance of non productive animals to get rid of.

Image credits: No-Satisfaction1697

#24

In the us ?

criminalizing not only being homeless, but *helping* people who are homeless. feeding or housing or even just providing respite.

#25

Women getting iud’s without legit pain meds. F****n barbaric.

Image credits: MiaLba

#26

Religion and the indoctrination of children and vulnerable populations (poor, sick, incarcerated, etc)

Image credits: SeanyDay

#27

Paying taxes to a government that doesn't keep you healthy, educated, and provide **guaranteed** security in retirement after spending a lifetime supporting said government.

Image credits: EmotionalDmpsterFire

#28

The chicken industry is pretty horrific. I eat chicken. But yeah when you really read about it it is sick. Billions of chickens born every year only to be forced to lay eggs for their life or slaughtered after a few days or weeks.

Image credits: martapap

#29

Deaths by motor vehicle. +1 million people worldwide every year

Image credits: simon2sheds

#30

The way medication is advertised in the US directly to the consumer. "Ask your doctor about...."

Image credits: PathosRise

#31

Housing as a commodity/investment rather than a basic need / shelter.

People need shelter to survive, and suitable shelter is a prerequisite to starting families or just not suffering without access to a basic human need in general.

Imagine if we started limiting access to drinking water and started hoarding to sell it for what the highest bidders are willing to take, even if it leaves behind a large chunk of our society. Imagine ensuring that a majority of people are unable to afford enough water if they were to have kids, just so investors can continue to make a bigger buck in the future. Imagine if we encouraged buying off any remaining available water, allowed corporations to hoard it, and encouraged people to hoard it as a means of storing their wealth, and as their retirement nest egg.

Image credits: PastaPandaSimon

#32

The f*****g Pledge of Allegiance. Creepy, cult like behavior.

#33

Well, normalized in the USA at least - Declawing your cats

#34

Normalized ? Skipping hand washing. And also normalizing low personal hygiene. It’s frightening the things I have read lately.

#35

Application fees for apartments

#36

Circumcision (when they're babies and not due to medical reasons).

Image credits: -_-COVID-_-

#37

Suffering from deprivation justified by scarcity economics. People think there isn't enough food, enough housing etc. to care for all the people in the world. They justify being horrible to one another because of it but it is patently false and untrue. It's not only the priorities we set for ourselves as societies but also based upon an historical paradigm we have arguably progressed beyond and could be doing more faster. There are ancient empires where God kings justified their rule by showing how they had eradicated hunger or homelessness in their kingdoms. Now a days we just assume it's the way it's always been and never going to change.

#38

I hate to be that guy, but some video game and movie violence. like some of this s**t could traumatize a pilgrim

#39

The fact that football players and famous golfers make millions upon millions more than paramedics and first responders, NFL cheerleaders being a thing, they are basically in bikinis and knee high boots jumping up and down like morons, while there’s kids and people’s wives present. I don’t care if people call me insecure for saying this either, but I’d like to enjoy a game but I don’t wanna see that s**t, it makes me uncomfortable and I’m shocked that it is still allowed. Wish they’d go away and do their own competitions or something

#40

The dairy industry. Forcibly impregnating cows, taking their babies away the minute they are born to steal their milk, boy baby cows killed for veal, girl baby cows end up like their moms, continue that cycle for a few years until the mom cows can barely walk and are spent and then kill them for their meat. I cannot believe that this is normalized - it is actually horrific. 

Oh and gestation crates for pigs. 

And the fact that billions of animals are killed for food every week and most people don’t even think twice about where their food came from. 

#41

Segregation of generations. Children could benefit from learning and being with grandparents. Grandparents can help the burden of 2 income families and child care.
Multi generation households would make the world a better place. There is always someone at home who LOVES the children versus someone watching them for profit! In this country, we stick our kids in daycare, our elders in homes, and wonder what's going wrong. Many in retirement homes still have a lot to offer, but are going to dining rooms every night versus cooking traditional dishes, etc. It makes our elder age faster.

#42

DUIs seem to be something to brag about where I live.

#43

Nudging females to have kids when they clearly don't want them.

#44

The fact that once they get to Mars most of us will be left behind with no resources, clean water etc. we will be the low class planet

#45

Police and Family law court accepting immediate accusations in which a male father has to prove innocence and is denied access to children for months to years based on a mothers accusations with little to no merit. All while rewarding the false allegations parent witb extra child support due to lack of father contact due to allegations

#46

End of life care being at a hospital, not dying at home for the average elderly. Hospitals drag things out and make people less comfortable in their dying days. It's bizarre and looks like a money grab.

#47

Stealing, surprisingly in every store or shop you can think of, there are people who steal, from little things to big things, and its so normal, everyone expects it, but its honestly so disgusting.