"Why Waste All That Money": People Are Revealing The Common Social Norms They Secretly Find Ridiculous, And I Need To Know Your Thoughts

Even though most social norms are considered, well, normal, it doesn't mean a lot of us accept or incorporate them into our daily lives. So when we asked the BuzzFeed Community: "What’s a common social norm that you secretly find ridiculous?" a lot of people shared their very divisive thoughts. Here's what they said below:

1."There's still the social expectation to smile if you're a woman. I have [autism]. I don't make as many facial expressions as other people, but a neutral expression seems to weird people out."

2."People walking around loudly talking to someone on speakerphone, with the volume turned up. Somehow, people are arrogant enough to think that everyone around them wants to hear their conversation. I give them the side eye every time I see them… annoying beyond measure!"

—lp2534

3."Lawns. Started by French elites as a form of dick measuring: 'My lawn is greener than your lawn...' It's such a waste of resources. That and cleaning graffiti off a wall or pillar that was more boring without it."

4."Crapping on what women like. Misogyny runs DEEEEP in our culture, and I hate it. Let girls be girls!"

—Ace Girl

5."Thank you cards. I think writing a thank-you card for someone when they've done a random act of kindness to me is good. But being obligated to write a thank-you card for the gift they gave me, or for attending my party, or something, is ridiculous. I literally said thank you to your face in person (probably even with a hug), why is that not good enough? Instead, I have to spend money (the thing you were trying to help me not have to do by giving me a gift (ie, a baby or wedding gift) on a card that will be saying exactly what I already told you, and then it will end up in the trash anyway because who on earth keeps every thank you card they receive?"

6."Not necessarily a waste of money, but it drives me nuts. I wouldn’t want to eat something someone spat all over, so why do we eat a birthday cake after someone blew out the candles? I’m just sayin'."

—redcloud27

7."Taking photos of feet (in or out of shoes) and food. No one needs to see your feet in front of a pool or in front of some landmark. Equally, we don’t need to see a photo of your half-eaten cheeseburger from the local pub. Show us a photo of a meal or dessert YOU made, sure, but not some run-of-the-mill food from a restaurant. I’d love to be around in a hundred years when people find these types of photos and wonder what in hell was wrong with people from this time in history and why we were so obsessed with feet and food."

8."I used to work in banquet catering in Halifax, NS, and I've seen some wild weddings. The biggest one: A Lebanese wedding, where the family of the groom spent $700,000 on the whole thing. It included 600 guests, custom-made mirror-topped tables, a monogrammed ice sculpture flown in from Toronto, and family and friends flown in from Lebanon. Hell, $100,000 was spent simply on the food: AAA beef tenderloin steaks with black truffle-infused fregola, poached jumbo shrimp salad, and a dessert bar. My wife and I barely spent $7000 for our wedding with 45 guests, and that included the honeymoon cruise."

—scottaaronm

9."I've always hated the act of saying 'bless you' after someone sneezes."

10."Having a phone at the gym. I used to do this because I tracked my workouts in my phone. I work out at home now with an amazing app connected to my television that tracks everything for me. So much better!"

—fabpear22

"I take my phone to the gym, too, because I listen to music. But I see A LOT of people scrolling on their phones while they're there as well. This causes them to take longer to use the equipment because, in between sets, they're looking at their phone for five minutes. You're there to work out. You're sharing equipment with others. Stop making everyone wait for you because you're unable to unplug."

—mishybp73

11."Expensive watches, and those cheesy huge ones that weigh a couple of pounds that they hawk on TV. That $30 Timex from Walmart does the job just fine."

12."Over-the-top gender reveals are so unnecessary. I mean, hey, if you can afford all that, sure, I guess. But I’d rather save the money for baby stuff and just have a small, intimate celebration with my partner."

—tatertot

13."Extravagant birthday parties, regardless of age, are unnecessary. A simple get-together is more fulfilling and easier on the wallet! Why waste all that money on birthday parties when you can invest it in your future or your child’s future?"

14."Balloons. I HATE it when people release balloons into the air for every sad/happy occasion. Once those balloons burst, the remnants end up on the ground/in the water, endangering the animals/wildlife."

—moberr

Is there a common social norm that you secretly find ridiculous? Tell us what it is and why in the comments below.

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