20 Things That Were Acceptable 100 Years Ago Which Are Unacceptable Today
You'll be glad they're no longer acceptable.
Back in the 1920s, people got away with a lot of things that would be unthinkable now, and this list is a reminder of just how wild everyday life used to be.
From radium in cosmetics to uranium in science kits, the past was full of habits, products, and rules that seemed normal at the time. Some of them were dangerous, some were shocking, and some were just plain hard to believe today.
Here are 20 things that were acceptable 100 years ago, but would never fly now.
1. Yep, this was a thing in the past.
u/Wasingtheisofwas2. Told you! It's crazy!
u/Wasingtheisofwas3. Yep, it did, and it's scary that it was allowed.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
4. This happens today too, but not as much as it used to in the past.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
5. Wow. I can't imagine how many people would be willing to get the cough or cut.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
Some of these old habits are hard to believe now.
6. This happens today too, just not as much.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
7. This made my skin crawl.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
8. Again, this happens today too, and maybe just as much.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
9. In the past, it was okay to leave school and focus on working for the family.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
That one says a lot about how different life used to be.
Also, this chaos feels like the host who invited their exes to the same party and got stuck in the middle.
Asbestos is still used today, but it's our job to make sure we avoid it.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
11. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but it still happens today.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
12. I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road...
u/Wasingtheisofwas
13. To be honest, this happens today too, just not as much.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
14. Sadly, this still happens in some parts of the world.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
And somehow, the list keeps getting more unsettling.
15. I'm glad this stopped because the man of my house is a cat.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
16. This still happens today, but not as openly as before.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
17. I just threw up in my mouth a little.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
18. This was a thing in 1929, and in today's worth, it would have cost over $3,000.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
19. According to rumors, this was done to JFK's sister, Rosemary. She was lobotomized.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
20. This, I'm glad it's over. But in some parts of the world, it still happens.
u/Wasingtheisofwas
In Summary...
History isn't all petals and flowers. These are just 20 of over 18,400 comments that u/Wasingtheisofwas received for his question.
To think that these things were acceptable 100 years ago is just crazy, and we're glad they're unacceptable today. Let us know in the comments!
Some of these reminders are hard to shake.
Want proof people were built different, check out these vintage photos of your grandparents living in the “safety was optional” era.
