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We, people, are interesting creatures. Or maybe complicated and messy would be better descriptive words. But why are we throwing such words around, you might wonder?

Well, today we’re going to talk about the things people tend to romanticize that are actually pretty horrible, which is a complicated matter, isn’t it? And so, the words fit the theme very well. So, now it’s up to you to go through today’s list and decide whether the mentioned things fit the theme too.

#1

Growing up poor. People act like it was an enriching experience that they chose to partake in. It certainly can build character but I wouldnt intentionally have been born on the struggle train and I dont look fondly back on those days.#2

Living in New York City. Everyone thinks it’s going to be like S*x and the City or Friends – glamorous brunches, cute apartments, spontaneous adventures.

Reality: You’re paying $3,000 for a shoebox where you can touch all four walls while lying in bed, your “cute neighborhood coffee shop” charges $8 for a latte, and that “romantic subway ride” involves being pressed against a stranger’s armpit while someone plays saxophone badly at 7am.

But hey, at least the rats are confident!#3

Being a nun! 


It’s presented in such an idyllic way in brochures, but the reality is that idealistic sweet young women go into the convent and get exploited & mistreated. They work rigorously for extreme hours and no pay; and because they’re not “employees” then there’s no OSHA or standards. Every aspect of their lives are controlled, sometimes including superiors reading their mail and censoring it / forcing them to rewrite outgoing letters that reveal a*****e conditions.


Check out the recent memoir “Cloistered” for an accurate account of a woman entering and slowly becoming disillusioned. .Throughout our lives, many of us strive to have as perfect a life as possible. Yet, the harsh reality is that an absolutely perfect life does not exist. 

Of course, a lot depends on what you consider to be a so-called perfect life. For some, it’s having unlimited funds; for others, it’s having a great career, a happy family, or anything else. Just as there are many people in the world, there are just as many ideas about what is an ideal life. 

#4

Childbirth and having a baby- I say this as a mom. It’s portrayed as being hard to give birth but afterwards everything being perfect. No it is a hard time for a lot of people.

Interview With Expert

A person’s cultural and genetic heritage is often very meaningful to them. It holds stories and ties to their ancestors, and also explains many aspects of their family. That’s why people put a lot of effort into finding out their roots and upholding the values associated with them.

One family who strongly believed that they were Italian got a huge shock when their in-law revealed the results of the DNA test her husband took. In that moment, their entire perception of who they were shifted, and they got very mad at her.

People who make assumptions about their genetic heritage may be shocked to learn exactly which sources their DNA comes from

Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster shared that her in-laws always believed that they were Italian and that that dictated their food, personality, jokes, and even slurs 

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Image credits: Ahmet Kurt / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

When her husband did a DNA test, he found out that there was only 0.7% Italian heritage in his bloodline, and that it was mainly a mix of German and Spanish 

Image credits: Louis Hansel / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

The couple revealed this shocking news to the man’s grandparents, who took it sportingly, but when the rest of the family found out, they were furious

Moderator’s note

If you find yourself disagreeing with this person’s actions, we encourage you not to downvote the post. Instead, kindly express your opinions in the comments. We recommend maintaining politeness and articulating your thoughts with well-constructed arguments.

We met in a nightclub. Nothing fancy — just a night out, a feeling, a spark. We danced, we laughed, we exchanged numbers. From there, things moved fast. We started seeing each other regularly, around twice a week. It felt intense. Real. But early on, there were cracks beneath the surface.

He was never really available on weekends. He had all sorts of explanations: “I have my kids 90% of the time.” “My daughter has anxiety.” “It’s complicated with my ex.” He painted a picture of a man carrying a lot — an exhausted father trying to manage life after a separation. He told me his ex-wife had breast cancer.

It hit me hard because, a few years ago, I went through breast cancer myself

I know the pain, the fear, the appointments, the fatigue. I know how it changes you. And suddenly, I found myself listening to him tell me how she was going through it too; that his father was sick as well; that he was torn in all directions.

I believed him. I even felt guilty for expecting more of his time. How could I blame him for not being present when he was juggling sick loved ones and traumatized kids?

And sometimes, yes, we’d go on short weekend trips. Just enough to keep me hopeful

Image credits: Juliana Malta (not the actual photo)

But something didn’t feel right. Some details didn’t add up: a pair of women’s sunglasses in the background of a photo he sent me from his vacation with the kids in Greece. When I asked how advanced his wife’s cancer was, he didn’t know the stage. Just “bad,” he said vaguely. He also told me that her parents were too sick to help with the kids, which explained why he had them “90% of the time.” His parents were helping, though, so he could stay at my place twice a week.

Last month, I put a stop to it.

I told him that I couldn’t continue with someone who was emotionally unavailable, who couldn’t communicate clearly, and who constantly lived in the grey zone

Image credits: Priscilla Du Preez (not the actual photo)

He said he loved me. He wanted to stay in touch.

We saw each other a few more times — there was tension, yes, but also some warmth, some leftover intimacy.

At one point, he even asked about my availability for the upcoming weeks, as if we were planning something.
But then… silence.

The messages slowed, became vague. He started disappearing from the conversation altogether

Image credits: Farzane Mohammadi (not the actual photo)

That’s when I knew: I wasn’t just ignored — I was being phased out. Quietly. Cowardly. Predictably.

So I did what I never thought I would: I asked a friend to drive past his house. And there she was. His wife. Looking healthy. Happy. Not in treatment. No wig. No visible signs of illness. And there he was. At home. Living with her. With their children. As a family.

Everything he told me was a lie. The cancer. The separation. The weekends. The emotional guilt he placed on me… all lies. I feel sick. Violated. Angry. Humiliated.

How do you even begin to process something like that? I can’t believe someone would use cancer — my cancer—as a manipulation tool. He used it to gain sympathy. He had at least two other girlfriends before, so this isn’t the first time he’s cheated. He’s done this before. I don’t want him walking away from this without consequences. Not this time. I know his address — I found it through the pictures he sent me, and matched it on Google Maps.

I also found his wife’s social media and the place where she works. Should I expose him publicly? Confront him? Tell his wife? Or is it better to just walk away and protect myself? I don’t know what the right move is, and I’d really appreciate any advice.

Expert’s Advice

Trust your instincts and protect your boundaries. When someone repeatedly lies and manipulates, it’s not just about their actions — it’s about how they affect your well-being. You deserve honesty and respect. Focus on healing yourself first before deciding if or how to confront the situation. Reach out for support, and remember: you’re not responsible for someone else’s deceit, but you are responsible for your own peace.

Moderator’s note

Please note that the images included in this article are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the actual individuals or items discussed in the story.

If you have a comparable experience or story you’d like to tell, we welcome your submissions. Click here to share your story with Bored Panda.

Sometimes, love asks us to make sacrifices we never imagined whether it be relocating, changing routines, or even putting our own dreams on hold. However, what happens when those sacrifices stretch on for years, only to reveal a truth that was kept in the shadows?

Today’s Original Poster (OP) had put her life on hold for eight years and accommodated all the things her partner wasn’t ready for. However, when she found out the reason behind her husband’s “not now’s”, she was left full of disappointment and regret.

Some decisions in relationships feel like small compromises until they quietly stretch across years

The author moved to her partner’s remote hometown eight years ago, adjusting her life and career for the relationship

Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Over the years, she repeatedly asked to relocate, but her partner always responded with “not now”, leading to frustration on her end

No matter how strong your friendship looks right now, it doesn’t mean that it will stay this way forever. Kind of a grim thought, isn’t it? Well, sadly, it’s a realistic one. Sometimes life happens, and friends, who once were inseparable, are now very much separable.

And sometimes friends themselves kind of sabotage the friendship. Like in this story, where a woman dragged her kids everywhere she went, which drove her friend crazy, since she wanted to simply have some personal time with a friend. The situation got to the point where there was no other choice for a friend but to confront the woman.Sometimes even the best of friends deal with a deteriorating friendship, which can come due to a variety of reasons

Image credits: syda_productions / Freepik (not the actual photo)

For example, when one friend decides that from a second, she becomes a mom, her whole life revolves around her kids, and no one else

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Image credits: ansiia / Freepik (not the actual photo)

That meant that anywhere she went, her kids went with her, which slowly started annoying her friend

Image credits: fxquadro / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The friend just wanted to have a private conversation with the woman without a kid eavesdropping or interrupting

Sometimes, we come across family members who just can’t bear to see anything happen in our life. They can be spiteful over the stupidest things, and it’s best to ignore them, but when they keep pushing things, they’re going to get burned eventually, right?

The same thing happened to this toxic sister-in-law who kept nagging the sick original poster (OP) about how husbands tend to leave their sick wives due to their illness. However, her epic comeback left her in tears, but sparked more family drama. Read on to find out what she actually said to her!We all have a toxic family member who just loves to spread negative vibes with their negative comments

Since the poster has an illness, her husband does almost everything, from the household chores to looking after her to being the breadwinner

However, her sister-in-law keeps taunting her about how men tend to leave their sick wives and even keeps throwing the stats at her

One fine day, the poster just snapped and said that she should check the stats for men who leave their infertile wives, as the woman can’t have kids

She burst into tears, but now, the poster is facing backlash from the whole family, who didn’t say a word when she was being taunted

In today’s story, Reddit user Anonymousred1958 is caught in a conundrum, wondering if what she said to her sister-in-law is unfair. The thing is, our main lady has a medical condition, and her husband is her primary caregiver. The fellow does everything, right from household chores to looking after her, and he’s also the sole breadwinner.

However, her sister-in-law just can’t bear this, for she keeps taunting OP that men tend to leave their sick wives because of their illness. In fact, the insensitive woman even started bombarding her with the statistics. It’s true that men are 6 times more likely to leave their wives when serious illness strikes, but, folks, is there really a need to remind her of this? 

Seems quite unnecessary to me, when OP is already going through a lot. It has been observed that coping with a serious illness can be quite distressing, and this is just like rubbing salt on an open wound. Research also suggests that being a caregiver for a sick partner is very challenging in a relationship, and the couple might be facing these challenges already.

Considering all these circumstances, when none other than your own family keeps adding fuel to the fire, how is a person expected to just let it slide quietly? Even OP exploded one fine day, when her sister-in-law brought up the topic. The poster retorted that she should rather check the stats of men who leave their wives who are infertile!

Image credits: SHVETS production / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Well, all hell broke loose after that because the woman burst into tears, and OP’s brother got super mad at her as she knew that his wife couldn’t have kids. Now, the couple is demanding an apology from the poster, while her mom and husband feel that she shouldn’t have escalated the situation. Probably feeling confused, she vented online, and netizens came to her rescue!

They assured her that her reaction was perfectly justified because of all the vicious things that the woman said to her. After all, it’s literally indecent to add to a person’s pain when you know that they are already suffering. Besides, she also tried to sow doubts about her husband and asked about changes in his behavior and checking his phone, which was all taking things too far.

It’s essential to have boundaries with your family so you can maintain your sanity, but this woman just crossed them all, and there was no excuse for her behavior. Netizens also called her mom and brother hypocrites for getting mad at OP. They barely batted an eyelid while the sister-in-law kept nagging her, but immediately rose to action when she clapped back once.

The poster shared that her 50-year-old male colleague had recently published something big, which he had been working on for a couple of years

In order to celebrate the man’s achievement, she decided to grow a cutting of a rare plant of hers that he had admired, and give it to him as a gift

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The woman put a lot of effort into growing the plant, took help from her husband, and put it in a £20 ceramic pot, all of which the man really appreciated

Later, though, a coworker joked about how the man’s wife may not like the gift, as it was too personal and the only one he had been given by a team member

The poster’s intention behind propagating a plant for her colleague was purely innocent. She merely wanted to do something thoughtful and celebrate his amazing achievement. It did take a lot of effort to grow the rare plant from the cutting, and although she didn’t spend a lot of money on it, she did put in a ton of time.

Usually, in workplaces, the rule of thumb is to avoid giving personal gifts. This is to avoid people feeling uncomfortable if the item is too intimate. That’s why most folks choose general options and try to keep the atmosphere professional even when exchanging presents with each other.

To understand this better, Bored Panda reached out to Peter Ďuriš, the CEO and co-founder of Kickresume. He explained that “in the story, the woman who gave her colleague a rare plant has a talent for propagating them. If the man also enjoys gardening, then it’s especially kind of her to share her plant with him.”

“I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong for people to give their coworkers thoughtful gifts, especially when a colleague has also become a friend. But if you and your colleague aren’t close, they might feel surprised or even a little uncomfortable receiving a very personal gift that took a lot of time or thought.”

“It’s also worth considering team dynamics. It all depends on what your organization and your relationship with your colleague are like. In small companies where everyone works together closely, it might be considered more typical to exchange gifts, regardless of seniority levels,” he added.

Remember the troll dolls? They’re these pocket-sized plastic collectibles of human-like figures with crazy hair. They’ve been around since the 1960s and saw a major revival in the 1990s. 

Some would call them cute, while others would be repulsed, but a large chunk of people had them as keychains, table ornaments, or something they’d put on their dashboard.  

2025 is seeing a similar trend through the Labubu frenzy. Many of you first read about it in a recent article on this site and realized the popularity of these toys. 

They’ve become so popular that fake versions called Lafufus have also made the rounds, much to the dismay of many enthusiastic collectors. Some of them had to share their sentiments online, and here they are.

#1

#2

#3

According to Forbes, Labubus became popular when A-listers like Lisa (of Blackpink and White Lotus fame), Dua Lipa, and Rihanna began featuring the doll. The power of celebrity endorsement is real, as it builds consumer confidence according to Wharton Neuroscience Initiative executive director Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson.

#4

#5

#6

Got a cool close-up photo that looks like something totally different when zoomed in? Share it with us and let everyone try to guess what it is before the big reveal. Let’s see who’s got the sharpest eyes on Bored Panda!

#1 

What Is It?

#2 

And What’s This?

#3 

Garden

#4 

Hint: It’s All Natural

#5 

I Think Is Difficult

#6 

Gloopy

#7 

Found In Venice

#8 

What Is The Hand On?

9 

Found In Nature

Some people marry for love, some for tradition, and a few just want to make sure their bills are never late. So when someone on Reddit asked, “For women that married the ‘rich one’ out of security, what has it been like?”, the answers were something else. #2

I was engaged to the “rich one” and got away.
It was NOT WORTH IT. The abuse – physical, SA, emotional, mental, etc. It was extremely lonely. I always remember being sad on vacation. It would hit me hard then. I’m on an expensive vacation in a beautiful resort – where normal people would be thrilled. But instead I was miserable and alone and honestly pissed that our usual routines were on hold and therefore I was expected to be in his presence all day. Do not do it. Life is too short for misery and you deserve true love. Money is just money – it can come and go. Love and happiness are what life is about. People will say all day “well I don’t pay any bills”. There isn’t a bill
In this world that cost more than my peace and happiness.#3

A bit different.

he became rich while we dated.

we were both not working when we met. I was on leave from teaching after a death in my family, he had just moved to my city and looking for work.

he was a freelance graphic designer, and landed a gig at a start up company. this was around 2010, when mobile apps were just taking off, and things like instagram were just coming out.

design after design, he won awards, the company blew up because of him. life was fun when there’s money, and parties, and award ceremonies.

after a bit, d***s and drinking got in his way, he became more a*****e, tried to k**l me, and I left.

he was fired and blacklisted.Falling in love feels like a dream and getting to marry that person is even better. But sometimes, marriage isn’t about butterflies and sunsets. Some people tie the knot for practical reasons like stability or financial security. And while that can work out, it doesn’t always end in happiness. When love isn’t part of the foundation, cracks tend to appear. 

Take financial security for example—it’s one of the most common non-romantic reasons people marry. Some individuals believe their partner’s wealth will solve all problems. But no amount of money can replace respect, kindness, or shared values. When finances become the main focus, the relationship often turns transactional. And when that support crumbles, so does the relationship.

#4

I was a waitress when I started dating my husband, he wasnt rich but he had just graduated from a great business school and had landed a great job with one of his fathers friends. I did however know his family was wealthy but that wasnt a factor, I was young and I thought the world was easy.
Married him, never worked a day again and I couldnt be happier, raised my boys, took care of my home, assisted my parents and in laws, baby sat nieces and nephews, traveled, my husband has been an amazing provider, better husband and the best father.

You’d think marrying into money meant endless vacations and monogrammed everything. But for many of these women, the only thing more oversized than their closets was the loneliness that came with it. These raw confessions remind us that while financial comfort is lovely, it’s not always the fairytale ending people expect. So, the next time someone says, “Marry rich,” you might want to ask if it comes with free emotional support, too. Because as these stories show, even a castle can feel cold without love inside.

Some people marry for love, some for tradition, and a few just want to make sure their bills are never late. So when someone on Reddit asked, “For women that married the ‘rich one’ out of security, what has it been like?”, the answers were something else. 

You’d think marrying into money meant endless vacations and monogrammed everything. But for many of these women, the only thing more oversized than their closets was the loneliness that came with it. These raw confessions remind us that while financial comfort is lovely, it’s not always the fairytale ending people expect. So, the next time someone says, “Marry rich,” you might want to ask if it comes with free emotional support, too. Because as these stories show, even a castle can feel cold without love inside.