People Share Bad Things They Have Done, And Some Of Them Are Really Shocking
"I make copies of other people’s keys for personal use."
Confessions are good for the soul, and could you think of a better place to confess than the internet? Complete strangers are the best audience. They won’t break up with you, cut you out of their will, fire you, or never speak to you again. So much better than apologizing and confessing to the people you did wrong.
We have collected some of the most interesting stories from the /r/confession, a subreddit where people share their darkest sins or their screw-ups, they don’t want to tell anyone.
Check them out – some of them are borderline scary and psychotic, while others are small sins that were hardly noticed by anyone except the person who feels bad about them.
"I ghosted my boyfriend of five years."
"I came over to his house one morning to surprise him with breakfast and a video game he wanted, only to find him naked, asleep, and with his ex curled up in his arms.
He didn’t hear me come in, so I closed his bedroom door, and left his breakfast and game on the kitchen counter along with my key to his house.
I went to my car, deactivated my Facebook, and blocked him on all other forms of social media. I then called my phone provider to change my number before driving off.
I texted family members and close friends that we were no longer together and to block him on social media, as well. I didn’t tell them why.
I was in a position to end the lease at my apartment early, and I started a new job in a different city later that week.
I completely removed myself from him and didn’t offer a shred of explanation or opportunity for dialogue. I disappeared from his life after his betrayal and I think it’ll not only help me to focus on myself without his presence, but I think completely shutting myself off from him will hurt worse than anything when he thinks on how good he had it with me these last five years."
"I added Tabasco to Wendy’s chili and used it to get second place in a chili cook off."
"This wasn’t a professional organized competition. There was some BMX event with a couple hundred people and they always have a chili cook off. I’m not much for cooking so I thought it would be funny to throw a bunch of Wendy’s chili in a crock pot and see if anyone noticed. They didn’t."
"I’ve stolen hundreds of dollars worth of water just by saying five word."
My college has a food court in one of the main buildings. Chick Fil A, sandwich place, salad bar, etc. You get your food and pay at the exit. Every single time I’ve eaten lunch there since I was a freshman, I grab a bottle of water with my meal, walk up to pay, and say, “I brought the water in.”
According to Dr. Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, “People often justify their actions based on perceived fairness and personal benefit.” The employees aren’t paid enough to care, and I pay enough in tuition to not feel bad about it.
"I run a fake restaurant on a delivery app."
"I registered a company, bought all the take-away boxes from Amazon, signed up for a few delivery apps, made a few social media accounts and printed leaflets that I drop in mailboxes. I re-sell microwave meals…On some meals I add something to make them look better, like cheese. So far it’s at around £200 a day in revenue.
According to Dr. Alexandra Solomon, relationship therapist, "People often engage in questionable behaviors when they feel disconnected from their values or when they seek validation." While this individual may not face immediate consequences, it's essential to consider the ethical implications of such actions. "Operating out of your own kitchen without proper permits can lead to serious legal issues," she adds. "It's crucial to prioritize safety and legality in any business venture."
"My little cousin cracked my iPhone XS Max screen. Made my aunt pay $329 knowing I have apple care and it only cost me $29."
"My little cousins are the biggest sh*ts in the world and my aunt pretty much let’s them do whatever they want without consequence.
They were roughhousing and knocked my phone off the counter, shattering the screen.
My closest Apple store is about two hours away and it’s a huge inconvenience for me to drive there. So instead of explaining this to her (she’s the kind of person who doesn’t care about things that don’t affect her directly), I told her it was $329 to fix (which is true if I didn’t have apple care). She wrote me a check for $329 and I only had to pay $29 and I pocketed the extra $300. I consider that my non-disclosed inconvenience fee."
– Dr. William Doherty, Family Therapist
"I didn’t pay for parking during all of college thanks to Photoshop."
"I commuted to college for three years where they charged a stupid amount to park daily in a pay-and-display lot. Halfway through the first semester, I did the math which prompted me to look at all of the pay and display tickets and notice what numbers changed and when.
I scanned one and photoshopped it to apply to whatever day as needed, printed it out and put it on my dashboard. Never caught, saved thousands.
"While it may feel justifiable to take from those who are already profiting unfairly, it's essential to consider the long-term implications of such actions on our integrity and self-image," says Dr. William Doherty, family therapist.
"I've been replacing my wife's coffee with decaf for four years."
"My wife and I have been married for four years. When we met, she was a tiny little terror. Like the Tasmanian Devil had a baby with Barbie. So freaking adorable and sweet, but she was a tornado. She drank like 6 cups of coffee every single day. If you didn’t know her you would swear she was on drugs. I loved her so much that I knew I could put up with it if I had to, but if I didn’t have to, I would try to find a way.
The month before our wedding I decided to try replacing her coffee with decaf for to see if it made a change. And Lord have mercy, it was incredible. It was hell the first two weeks. She had the biggest attitude and was so crabby, but I knew we could make it through it. Afterwards it was the best! She was still sweet, and spunky, and adorable, but she wasn’t leaving a trail of destruction behind her anymore.
I decided that from that moment on, I would no longer supply her with regular coffee. I would make every Starbucks run, I would buy regular and decaf ground coffee so I could replace the regular coffee in the package with decaf coffee. The only time she has regular coffee is when she orders it herself, which is like maybe once a week. But it makes her really jittery and she doesn’t understand why."
"I thought I was a pretty good dad until I was tested."
"In moments of stress or surprise, our instincts can sometimes lead us to make choices that we later regret. It's essential to reflect on these experiences to understand our reactions better and learn from them," says Dr. Susan David, emotional agility expert.
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"I overcharged over 5,000 people."
"Back in high school I used to work the concession stand. In my school the booth was a little folding table where I would sell water, pop and chips.
To anyone that was a visiting team I would charge $.25-.50 more on the items they wanted to buy, and I would keep it.
I ended up making somewhere around $3,000 doing this for my high school career, and no one ever found out because I didn’t charge anyone from the home team the same amount."
– Nymmash
"Whenever I see someone in an expensive car I purposely choose to not look at them so as not to inflate their ego."
I know, super first world anarchist.
– Gretchen Rubin, happiness researcher
"I used to steal tons of food from my old job."
"I used to work at this restaurant and the management there was just awful and the GM was very verbally abusive. She would always complain about everything, especially about how there would be one or two customers who would order food and then never show up. She ended up letting the servers and hosts eat the food. So it gave me an idea.
One day she said something that really pissed me off, so I called my job and ordered a bunch of food under a different name and then that “customer” would never show up. It made her livid and it gave me the bold idea of doing that whenever I want a lunch.
I started to do it an hour or so before my break and I would order whatever I felt like eating that day and when they’d call and cancel I’d ask a supervisor if I could have the food and they’d say sure. I did this for the entire 3 years that I worked there 2 times a week, sometimes even 3"
"My two nephews are complete sh*theads, so I get them gifts that are noticeably inferior to the gifts I give their cousins."
"This year, both of their female cousins are getting hoverboards from me. One nephew gets a book about sharks and the other gets a basketball."
– Dr. Michael Thompson, child psychologist
"Before I went to bed, I called my girlfriend with a low battery and told her I'll talk to her until my phone died."
She began talking about the Bachelor and I pretended my phone died by hanging up.
– Dr. Esther Perel, couples therapist and author
"When I was younger, I tried to hack my little brothers Wii and I accidentally bricked it."
"I felt so bad that I immediately went and bought another with the little money I had. Later I swapped the serial number sticker on the Wiis and put the bricked one back in the box and returned it to the store.
The lady at the customer service desk opened it and looked at it very suspiciously. She even checked the serial number on the sticker to see if it matched the box. (Thank god I thought of switching the stickers.) She kept asking why I was returning it. I said I bought it for someone's birthday party, but he already had one. Eventually, she took it and gave me the money back."
– Dr. William Doherty, PhD, family therapist
"I just told someone I was too tired from day-drinking to hang out."
But it’s actually because I had eight hotdogs today and I feel like I’m going to die.
– Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, happiness researcher
"I give my 3 year old son counterfeit fast food."
"Using familiar wrappers and boxes can create a sense of nostalgia and comfort for children. It’s a clever way to engage their imagination and make mealtime fun," explains Dr. William Doherty, PhD, family therapist. "Parents often find creative ways to connect with their kids, and this can be a playful approach to mealtime." The joy it brings to the child is what truly matters, and many parents find themselves using unconventional methods to foster happiness.
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"When I nannied I would read the journal of the mom."
"I was only 20 years old and I nannied for this little baby boy. The mom seemed off. She would sleep the entire time I was there in the mornings, or go on three hour runs, or sometimes would just go about her business around the house completely ignoring me. One time we both sat in the living room while the baby was sleeping in his room. I was reading a book and she sat there eating McDonald’s and watching her show. She did not say a word to me the entire time.
Well, one day when she was out I snooped around and found her journal. I read the whole thing. Then got sad for her — she was so unhappy in her marriage and in life.
I ended up working for her for three years and we became close. But that first year was so uncomfortable and awkward. In retrospect, it seems very obvious that she was suffering from post pregnancy depression."
"I buried money in the sand so my dad could find it with his metal detector."
"Dad bought himself a metal detector because we’ve been going to the beach quite a lot, and he wanted to see what he could find. One day he set his detector up, walked to the beach and went on his way to bag himself some gnarly trinkets. He’d been doing it for about 20 minutes at this point and nothing came of it but we were nearing the end of that section of beach. He looked more and more disappointed with every step he took, so I walked ahead and discreetly placed £7 worth of coinage in the sand, on his path, but a metre away from each other (so about £2 in each hole kinda thing).
He found it and had the cutest, most smug smile ever and was screeching with excitement with every find. We eventually got home and he showed the family what he’d found and mum was actually quite surprised.
Although dad has a good job and £7 is a laughable amount to him, the pure joy he got from finding SOMETHING, is definitely worth not telling anyone what really happened that day," says Dr. Angela Duckworth, character researcher.
"I work in a bakery."
"I’m usually by myself in the back room where I’m scoring, cooking, and bagging the bread. The oven mitts hang on these hooks next to the oven. When the oven goes off I always slide my arms into the oven mitts like a surgeon does and pretend I’m about to perform surgery when really I’m just pulling freshly baked bread out of the oven."
"When I was in middle school my friend (J) told me that he liked a girl (L). L then told me the next day that she liked J. But they both told me not to tell anyone."
So I didn’t. Lmao
– Dr. Laura Berman, sex therapist
"I make copies of other people’s keys for personal use."
"Whenever anyone lets me borrow a key, usually to their house in order to pet-sit, the first thing I do is go to Walmart and make a copy of that key for personal use after they ask for it back.
I never break into houses and steal anything, other than food or maybe alcohol, but I love the feeling of being able to effortlessly enter a place I know I don’t belong without anyone’s knowledge."
– Dr. Terri Orbuch, relationship researcher and author
"I used to work at a fast food restaurant that gave out lollipops in its kids meals."
"Creating competition among siblings can lead to unnecessary conflict and resentment. It's important to foster cooperation and understanding instead."
– Dr. Jane Nelsen, Parenting Expert
"I am accidentally my son’s ghostwriter."
"My 6th grade son had a school assignment last semester to write a poem. He was struggling as he’s not the least bit interested. Since I was a child I had always wanted to be a writer. I spent 5mins and wrote a quick (dumb to me) poem for him to turn in.
Unbeknownst to me, his teacher submitted it to a poetry contest which he won, and it’s now going to be published in the middle school’s anthology."
– Dr. Madeline Levine, child psychologist
"I sh*t on my neighbor's door-step."
Reflecting on childhood mischief, it's interesting to consider how parental influence shapes our actions. As Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a relationship therapist, notes, "Children often mirror the behaviors and attitudes of their parents, which can lead to both positive and negative outcomes." In this case, the young narrator's decision to participate in an act of rebellion against a neighbor highlights the complexities of familial loyalty. Solomon emphasizes that understanding these dynamics is crucial for personal growth and relationship development.
"When I was 16, I used to mow the lawn for extra cash."
"I realized that if I raised the mower to the highest level, it cut less grass and allowed me to mow twice as much. I was mowing three times a week at one point and my dad just thought he had an overly fertile lawn."
– Dr. Alexandra Solomon, relationship therapist
"I pretended I was selling something on Craigslist and got two strangers to meet awkwardly."
"Years ago I made a new email address and got two potential buyers for a Playstation that I was pretending to sell. I confirmed a date and time with both of them. Decided on the mall near a certain store. I asked what they’d be wearing so I could find them. I gave them each other’s description for myself, and then went and hung out.
One walked up to the other. You could tell there was an immediate confusion. They started arguing over who had what. You could see them get pissed once they realized what happened and wasted their time. They both stormed off on their phones. Sure enough, I got angry emails from both of them lol
I feel kind of bad about it, but it was a funny interaction to witness."
"I intentionally ask women well above the legal age to buy alcohol to show me their ID."
"As a cashier, I often find myself in situations where I must ask for identification from customers purchasing alcohol. This practice not only adheres to legal requirements but can also have psychological effects. According to Dr. Paul Bloom, a psychology professor, 'The way we perceive age can significantly influence our self-esteem and happiness.' By asking for ID, I aim to create a moment that might make someone feel youthful and appreciated, regardless of the busy environment around us."
"I canceled my boss's birthday party at the last minute."
"I called the restaurant my boss was supposed to have her birthday party at and canceled it because she let me go without any notice. I was an employee at this company for 10 years and brought in a ton of business for this woman. Never had one smudge or blemish on my record.
F*ck you, Cathy, I hope your birthday was miserable!"
– Dr. Terri Orbuch, relationship researcher and author
"I lied about my height for most of high school."
"Once I stopped growing, I was a happy 6 feet tall, but that wasn’t enough for me; I needed more. I would tell everyone I was 5’10”. I noticed many guys claimed to be 6 feet but were just under the mark, so I really drove the point home."
Dr. Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, notes, "People often misrepresent themselves to fit social norms or expectations, which can lead to a cycle of deception." Watching the panic in their eyes as they tried to defend their height was the highlight of my high school experience.
"I ended a girl’s gymnastics career when I karate kicked a door open and broke her toe."
"During our teenage years at a gymnastics camp, I had this urge to kick open a swinging door, but I hesitated, fearing I might hurt someone on the other side," reflects a participant. "On the last day, I let my impulse take over and kicked the door with all my might. Unfortunately, my friend was there, and the door injured her toe so severely that it sidelined her from competing for nearly a year. She thought I had just pushed it open normally, but I didn't. I still carry guilt about that incident, even after all these years." According to Dr. Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, "Our actions, especially in youth, can have lasting impacts on our relationships and self-perception" (Dr. Carol Dweck, mindsetworks.com).
Understanding Regret and Moral Decision-Making
Sharing experiences of bad decisions often reveals the complexities of human morality. Dr. Angela Duckworth, a renowned psychologist and author, states, "Reflecting on our mistakes is essential for developing grit and resilience." Engaging in reflective practices about choices can lead to stronger moral reasoning and decision-making skills, as emphasized on her professional website angeladuckworth.com. This underscores the importance of learning from past mistakes rather than simply dwelling on them.
Confessing online can provide a sense of relief, tapping into the psychological concept of catharsis. Research indicates that sharing burdens, even anonymously, can alleviate feelings of guilt and anxiety (Pennebaker, 1997).
When individuals express their darker thoughts or actions, they often find validation and empathy in community responses, aiding emotional processing. However, this can also lead to a cycle of negative reinforcement if not managed carefully, highlighting the need for healthy coping mechanisms.
Moreover, the social context in which bad decisions occur can significantly influence how individuals perceive their actions. A study found that individuals are more likely to rationalize their decisions when they believe others share their views or behaviors.
This highlights the role of social norms in shaping our understanding of right and wrong, suggesting that engaging in conversations about moral dilemmas can enhance ethical awareness.
The Role of Self-Compassion in Regret
Practicing self-compassion can mitigate the negative effects of regret associated with bad decisions. Research indicates that individuals who practice self-compassion are better equipped to forgive themselves and learn from their mistakes.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology shows that self-compassion is linked to greater emotional resilience and well-being, suggesting that embracing imperfection can lead to personal growth.
Furthermore, engaging in discussions about past mistakes can foster connection and understanding among peers. Psychologists emphasize that sharing experiences of regret can normalize the human experience of making mistakes, ultimately promoting empathy and support.
This aligns with the concept of narrative therapy, where sharing personal stories can facilitate healing and connection.
Learning from Mistakes: A Path to Growth
Recognizing that mistakes are part of the human experience can lead to valuable learning opportunities. Research indicates that individuals who adopt a growth mindset are more likely to view their mistakes as stepping stones rather than failures.
According to studies published in the American Psychological Association, embracing a growth mindset fosters resilience and encourages individuals to take risks without fear of judgment.
Ultimately, the journey through regret and bad decisions can be transformed into a narrative of growth and resilience. Engaging in reflective practices, such as journaling or therapy, can provide individuals with the tools to navigate their feelings and derive meaning from their experiences.
This process can enhance emotional well-being and foster a deeper understanding of oneself.
Psychological Analysis
Experiencing regret over past decisions is a universal human experience. Engaging in self-reflection and practicing self-compassion can help individuals navigate these feelings and foster personal growth.
Analysis generated by AI
Analysis & Alternative Approaches
In conclusion, reflecting on past mistakes can serve as a powerful catalyst for personal growth and moral reasoning. According to research from the American Psychological Association, embracing self-compassion and engaging in reflective practices can enhance emotional resilience and ethical awareness. By learning from our experiences, we can navigate life’s complexities with greater wisdom and understanding.
The Role of Anonymity
Anonymity in online confessions often encourages openness, allowing individuals to explore their thoughts without fear of judgment. A study published in the American Psychological Association journal found that anonymity can lead to increased self-disclosure and honesty.
However, it also raises ethical questions about accountability and consequences. Researchers suggest that fostering environments where individuals feel safe to confess in person, such as therapy, can be beneficial for deeper emotional healing and personal growth.
Research-Based Understanding
Understanding the psychological motivations behind confessions can help individuals navigate their feelings more effectively. According to studies, integrating reflective practices, like journaling or therapy, can enhance self-awareness and emotional regulation.
By learning to articulate feelings in a constructive manner, individuals can address their actions more meaningfully. This approach encourages accountability and promotes healthier coping strategies, ultimately leading to personal growth and healing over time.
