We have been socialized to be a certain way without thinking about the reasons behind them.
But when you really think about the logic behind certain behaviors or protocols, they don't seem to make much sense.
For instance, some people believe that a morning person is somehow more morally superior – yet there is no evidence to suggest that is true. It's just a longheld assumption that needs to go by way of the Dodo.
Curious to hear about people's opinions, Redditor stocdave asked:
"Which cultural norms have been around for FAR too long?"
Corporate Culture
There are some cultural norms at the office that employees can stand to get rid of.
Salary Status
"At least in the US, not talking about how much you make. Your bosses can't fire you for it but everyone thinks they can."
We Are Gathered Here Today For Nothing In Particular
"Meetings that clearly could have been an email."
"I've had meeting invites where the description of what the meeting was about was enough to not need to have the meeting. Like wtf did you not read what you typed?"
"It usually winds up being a way to blindside people with something."
Nobody's Beeswax
"Having to explain why you're taking a day off. Never made sense to me."
"Whenever I told my scheduler I needed a day off, they always asked me 'why' and I always answered 'it doesn't matter why, I'm using my time off for this.'"
"When I became the scheduler, I always stopped people when they started going into detail why they need their time off. I don't care if you're gonna go sit on the couch for a day or steal the Declaration of Independence, if you ask for time off, I'm gonna try to make it happen."
Meeting A Quota
"The 40 hour work week."
"Even worse when you feel like 10 hours of those 40 are just pure waste, the meeting about the meeting."
World Of Retail
Consumers and store employees alike have their share of frustrations.
Short Life Expectancy
"Big ticket items like cars and appliances arent expected to last longer than 3-7 years."
– KenJyi30
"For appliances I've learned just buy the bare bones ones without lots of fancy stuff. They tend to last way longer and are usually cheaper."
– Poctah
Unpopular Store Policy
"That the customer is always right."
"As somebody who does customer service for a very large Bank I 100% agree with this statement. The level of entitlement and the victimhood mentality is absolutely astonishing."
Looking Productive
"The idea in service jobs that you have to stand and look busy your entire shift because sitting down makes you look lazy."
Making A Point
"Going to work when you're sick to 'prove you're a hard worker'. All you've proven is that you don't care about your coworkers."
"No One Told Me!"
"Bank customer service is especially vile. Like for the people who work. 'No one told me!' Is so f'king common when you tell them they're negative by dreads of dollars because they kept swiping their card even though they had only $100 at the start of their weekend."
"The other day I had to tell a customer that because he had signed up for debit card advance and kept swiping his card he went waaaay into the negative. 'But they didn't tell me I had that!' Really? Because there's paperwork with your damn signature on it saying you wanted DCA."
Keeping Up With Appearances
These Redditors are beside themselves about certain things regarding one's aesthetics.
Fashion Flaw
"Chicks not having pockets. I'm over here right now with a full water bottle, a phone, a map, earbuds, and a swiss army knife, and every woman that I meet has barely enough room to put their hands in their pockets. They are missing out big time."
A Certain Sacrifice
"Long hair is unprofessional, specifically on men. As a dude in my twenties about to enter the workforce, I hate the idea that I will definitely have to cut my luxurious locks because apparently I can't both have long hair AND be competent at my job."
– LosJoye
Some Clothing Is Optional
"That a man can go walking around without a shirt on regardless of the size of his breasts meanwhile women cannot in a lot of places. Not that I want to, but damn it I want the opportunity if I feel like it."
Horrible Stigma
"The idea that autism eather means that you are a dumbass or the smartest person alive. At school nobody I've told about it has reasonable expectations. Always eather babying me when I do bad on a test or thinking I'm the next fucking Steven hawlking when I get a ten."
– Truegr
It Ain't Always Nasty
"Being weirded out by sex/thinking it's taboo. Or thinking everything with the human body is sexual. I think if we were honest about sex, there'd be less teenage pregnancy going on."
"There'd still be some, but I imagine there'd be less."
Growing up as an Asian American, I always found it to be demoralizing to bow to anyone. Yet I couldn't escape it for fear of being judged by my own community if I didn't bow out of respect.
As my rebellious phase dissipated as I grew older, I believe bowing is not a social norm that bothers me as much as it used to. It's a cultural gesture I find to be humbling and refined.
Not to mention – in the age of the pandemic – I much prefer slightly lowering my head to rubbing elbows on the street in lieu of shaking hands.
But that's just me.
