‘What’s an ‘oh shit’ moment where you realised you’ve been doing something the wrong way for years?’ – 23 penny drops

We cross now to r/AskReddit, where adeptwarrior asked this –

“What’s an ‘oh shit’ moment where you realised you’ve been doing something the wrong way for years?”

It could be just an idle thought, or – more likely – adeptwarrior has just had one of those ‘oh shit’ moments. They weren’t alone, and these resonated with us.

1.

We bought a nice liquor cabinet. We got it delivered and noticed it was a bit shorter than we thought. No biggie. Three years later, we’re moving. Lift up cabinet and these beautiful, ornate, screw on legs wrapped in tape and bubble wrap fall off the bottom. Looks so much better now!
frankchester

2.

Since the dawn of time, I would pick up the silverware and utensils out of their tray in the dishwasher and put them away in their drawers then go back and pick up more out of the dishwasher. Then one day I saw my wife lift the tray out of the dishwasher and I legit stood there with my mouth open.
PetesBrotherPaul

3.

No one really ever told me you don’t need to buy shoes with the ‘two-fingers’ space in front of the toes after your feet stop growing.

I had been buying an entire size too big until about age 23.
Tiffblan

4.

Oh man, I thought the AC button in my car (snowflake) was defrost so I never used it in summer. Fuck did I feel dumb. 2 years.
Lamarwpg

5.

Last month was the first time I discovered lint rollers were peelable. Literally sat there for a minute to take that in. I’m 20.
RussianPikachu

6.

I was at crate and barrel with my gf talking about how it’s so weird they don’t make tongs so you open them up super wide and then press in; I thought it was odd that they only gave you a super tiny opening. In the middle of me saying this she just presses the button at the bottom of the tongs I was holding and I stop mid sentence in shame.
DoctorLemonPhd

7.

When I was a kid, I was told that the paper that came on cupcakes/muffins was edible.

I would spend a decade eating them like this (paper and all), until a friend pointed it out.
1n5an1ty

8.

I ate mangoes with the skin on for a while before I learned you’re supposed to peel them.
Commandrix

9.

It wasn’t very long, but when I was learning to drive my dad was explaining the rule of thumb regarding a safe distance to be behind the car in front of you. I thought it meant to hold your thumb up and if your thumb didn’t cover the entire car you were too close to it. When he caught me doing that he asked me what I was doing. When I explained he burst out laughing, then considered it, and concluded it wasn’t a bad idea but perhaps a bit distracting.
LukeInk

10.

I used to pull my pants down all the way at the urinal
_Colonel_Mustard

11.

I taught myself how to play clarinet.

Six months later someone told me that I’d been playing with the mouthpiece upside down.
Aleriya

12.

After moving to a new city I went to the laundromat and the Korean lady working was yelling at me about something I couldn’t understand. After some pantomime it became clear that she was upset I was putting in the wrong detergent but it was the same kind I have been using for 8 years (since moving away to college and behind). Turns out I’ve been washing my clothes with only fabric softener for nearly a decade.
KyloWrench