Any time responsibility and accountability is spread to thinly without the individuals themselves having the possibility of facing consequence for their actions people stop feeling the need to or trying to do the right thing as they normally would. See bystander effect and ** insert metaphor for society here**. You see this play out in group projects and the same is true for trying to get to big of a group together to do something. Trying to organize a trip for 12 “friends” to all stay in a vac…

Names are a personal thing… A personal thing that you traditionally have no control over—yet that defines your life before it even begins… and forms the basis of how others shape their understanding of you. It's understandable why we need them. The whole thing just makes sense and would be a little confusing if we didn't have ways of categorizing and referring to one another—even in the simplest means of communication… Imagine a world without names where you had no way of identifying who a mess…

It's often said that you should never ask questions that you don't know the answer to. It should also probably be said that you should never insist on an answer to that question once the chance to give one has been politely declined. Doing so is just setting yourself up for a bad time when the person you're demanding an answer from gives you one that you really don't want to hear… and when things get sensitive, a confrontation is sure to follow. This step-mom insisted on placing herself on the…

Group projects are the absolute worst—and the absolute worst for a reason. Never up until this point in your life have you had to suffer such a demotivated group of sniveling tagalongs who want nothing more than to cling to the coattails of whatever member is willing to drag them to the next step of their education rather than actually learning something and putting in the work to get there themselves. But, it's not necessarily their fault; the system has taught them that getting to the next st…

Names are a dime a dozen, and—a bit like an ileum… everyone has one. The first time in your life that you meet another kid with the same name as you is also the first time you realize that you're quite as special as mommy says you are… You're just one in a sea of hundreds of thousands with the same name as you. Heck, as you get older and learn how to search your name on Google, you realize that you aren't even the only one around with the same first and last name combination—queue a lifelong fe…

The workplace presents itself with many challenges... Chief among them being painful social interactions with the dreaded coworker . Take, for example, Trish, who brings her needlessly pungent soup every day for lunch. The soup smells as if it has been assembled with broth made by soaking the feet of aged retirement home inhabitants before distilling the soaking to carefully concentrate the very essence of foot odor. Trish heats her foot soup in the kitchen microwave daily, where its putrid sce…

How many people working in customer service, retail, or the service industry have had to deal with this exact same scenario? The closing time was 6 pm—it's now ten after—and there are still customers in the store. You're not allowed to turn customers away—management has forbidden it—still, customers continue to pour in. This same thing happens often, and management insists that every last customer be able to order, forcing you to stay late well past scheduled closing… Yet, every time you try to…

It is often said that if you have an unexpected windfall of cash, you should tell nary a soul and lawyer up immediately. You'd be surprised how quickly even the most distant relatives and vague acquaintances come out of the woodwork once they catch a whiff of cash, looking for a handout and saying something about how you owe them because of that one thing they did for you that one time. This advice gets passed around any time the topic of winning the lottery is brought up, and everyone likely h…

It has been said that “Hell is other people” take a trip to any public place where your own enjoyment hinges on a stranger's ability to follow simple social etiqute and you'll confirm this to be true.

Beggars shouldn't be choosers—and when you find yourself down on your luck or in a desperate situation, you probably shouldn't be making demands about how those who are willing to offer you support provide that support. There is nothing in this world more wholesome than receiving support from friends, family–even complete strangers—in a desperate time of need. A selfless act of support, willingly given, says more than words ever could and is often essential for making sure that you come out the…

The proper etiquette and managing of your pooch in a public place is a tricky subject. Far too many dog owners let their dogs roam—recklessly leaving their dogs free to approach strange humans and unknown dogs without a second thought. Now, I know your dog is probably lovely, your prized little nugget of fluffy joy—but the chances of it lashing out at a stranger are not zero. To make matters worse, every dog owner in existence will give you the “He/she is friendly!” line—whether it's true or no…

One thing's for sure in this story… This guy needs to drink a glass of milk and cool off. It's important to remember that things aren't always about you ; you need to let other people in your life have their moment in the limelight, especially during times when it is literally all about them. These times include (but aren't limited to) weddings, birthdays, and funerals—any time that your job is to be there for someone else. Taking it upon yourself to claim the spotlight will only ensure that yo…

If you change a plan, especially at the last minute, you need to take responsibility for the increased workload that you've made for everyone. This principle holds true even when you suddenly decide to cancel a catering service because you'd rather cook for 20 people yourself. If you have the ability and time and would like to take on that task, more power to you, but don't expect others to give up their time and energy to help out when they were quite happy with the original option in the firs…

This sister came with receipts when trying to expose the truth that her gentle-parenting sibling was concealing behind a social media pity party spun into a web of lies. Sure, we're all for being nice to people, and there's no argument that this should extend to your kids so you can avoid passing your generational trauma onto them as much as possible. However, if you want your kids to grow up into fine young adults, it's probably important that you don't also teach them to be woefully entitled…

Just a pro tip for those of you looking to enjoy the comfort of an outdoor fire this summer… If there's already a nearby forest fire raging, throwing out enough smoke to choke your entire region of the country... just don't. Don't do it. Find something—anything—else to do instead, just as long as it doesn't involve starting a non-metaphorical fire in a literal tinderbox. With large swathes of North America being drowned in the smoke of forest fires every summer in recent memory, it would just b…

Growing up, it's important to listen to your parents. Generally, they have a lot of insight and experience that you lack at this point in your life—plus a healthy dose of resulting cynicism. Once you've graduated from their care and have your own place, you get to live your life on your own terms, free to make your own mistakes and live your own life—which often ends with you constantly asking them for advice anyways. We value our parents and their advice, but some parents have trouble letting…