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We like to think we’re unique, thoughtful creatures who always act with intention. But the truth is messier and far more fun. Everyone—and we mean everyone—does bizarre, embarrassing, or mildly strange things regularly. The difference is that most of us keep quiet about them, as if admitting we’ve done something awkward might somehow make us less legitimate as humans.
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. In fact, research on social behavior shows that these shared quirks are what actually bind us together. Psychologist Erving Goffman called this the “presentation of self,” the gap between our private and public behavior. We’re all performing to some degree, and that’s perfectly normal.
Here are 30 things nearly everyone does but rarely discusses out loud.
The Fake Laugh and Performance Conversations
You know that moment when someone tells a joke that isn’t funny, but you laugh anyway? Everyone does this. We’ve collectively agreed that social lubrication matters more than honesty sometimes. Studies from the University of Illinois found that most people laugh not because something is genuinely funny, but because of context—who’s around, what’s expected, and whether the moment calls for it.
Similarly, we all have performed conversations. You ask someone “How are you?” without really wanting a detailed answer. They respond “Good, you?” without actually caring. This exchange is a social ritual, not a genuine inquiry. Nobody admits this happens constantly, but check yourself next time you’re at a coffee shop or in line at the grocery store.
Pretending to Work While Scrolling
This is the modern equivalent of looking busy. You’ve got your work email open, maybe a spreadsheet visible, but you’re actually reading Reddit or checking Instagram. A 2022 study in PLOS ONE found that the average office worker spends about 2.5 hours per eight-hour workday on non-work activities.
The beautiful part? Everyone knows this happens. Your boss probably does it too. Yet nobody talks about it openly. Instead, we maintain the fiction that we’re productive eight hours straight. We’ve all mastered the art of looking thoughtful while accomplishing nothing, and that’s just the modern workplace.
Talking to Your Pet Like They Understand Everything
You absolutely do this. You’ve had full conversations with your dog about their day. You’ve explained to your cat why you can’t let them outside. You’ve negotiated with your hamster about bedtime. And you do all of this with complete sincerity, despite knowing they don’t understand English.
Interestingly, research shows this isn’t silly—it’s actually good for pet owners. Talking to animals reduces stress and increases feelings of connection. Cognitive scientists have found that the act of speaking to non-responsive beings helps us organize our own thoughts. Still, most people don’t mention this to colleagues or friends because it sounds slightly unhinged.
Buying Things You Don’t Need and Never Using Them
That kitchen gadget you were sure would change your life? Probably sitting in a cabinet. The self-help book that was supposed to transform you? Still unread. The gym membership you bought with genuine intention? Gathering dust.
Consumer behavior research indicates that we often buy aspirational products—items representing the person we want to be rather than the person we actually are. But we rarely discuss this because it feels like we’re admitting failure. We prefer to pretend we’ll use these things eventually, even when years have passed.
Googling Your Own Symptoms and Convincing Yourself You’re Dying
WebMD is basically a collaborative fiction we all participate in. You get a slightly weird headache and suddenly you’re self-diagnosing a terminal illness. Within five minutes, you’ve read thirty different Reddit threads, some reassuring and others absolutely horrifying.
According to research from Michigan State University, about 77% of people search for health information online, and a significant percentage misinterpret the results. We all do this. We all know how irrational it is. And yet, we do it again and again, each time convinced that maybe this time the internet will correctly diagnose that weird rash.
Replaying Embarrassing Moments from Years Ago
Your brain doesn’t care that it’s 2 a.m. and that mortifying thing you said in ninth grade happened fifteen years ago. It will bring it up anyway, at full volume, with perfect recall. You’ll wince involuntarily, maybe say “ugh” out loud, and spend the next five minutes wondering if anyone remembers.
Nobody talks about this because admitting it feels like admitting you’re not emotionally mature enough to move on. But neuroscience suggests this is completely normal. Our brains are essentially prediction machines, and they often replay social situations to learn from them—even when we’ve already learned the lesson a thousand times.
Rearranging Social Plans Right After Making Them
You enthusiastically agree to meet a friend Friday night. You’re genuinely excited. But then Friday arrives and suddenly everything feels exhausting. So you text something like “Hey, I’m not feeling great” or “Work is crazy right now.” Sometimes it’s true. Sometimes you just wanted to stay home and watch television.
Introversion researchers have found that many people experience this cycle of social commitment enthusiasm followed by regret. We make plans in an optimistic moment, then forget that we’re actually introverted and need quiet time. The shame comes from the cancellation itself, even though we know our friends do the exact same thing.
The reality is that being human means being inconsistent, easily distracted, and occasionally irrational. We’re not uniquely broken—we’re just regularly normal. Acknowledging these things doesn’t make us worse. It makes us more honest. And there’s something genuinely freeing about realizing that everyone around you is doing these same slightly ridiculous things. We’re all just trying to figure it out, and we’re all doing a pretty terrible job of admitting it.
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