Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Their Weirdest 'It Runs In The Family' Traits

People Break Down Their Weirdest 'It Runs In The Family' Traits
Image by Niek Verlaan from Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google

The strangest things can keep a family together.


Barring the (hopeful) love and support you all share for one another, there's an underlying understanding that runs through a family tree. Sometimes it's an inside joke, started years ago on a family vacation in one specific moment which would take far too long to explain to people who weren't there. Other times it's a physical quirk, an odd tic of sorts the entire tree possesses, separating you from the rest of the pack. Whatever traits run in the family, it keeps them together in a way that would make Dominic Toretto from "Fast and the Furious" proud.

Reddit user, u/Turuu_Was_Taken, wanted to hear how your family sticks together when they asked:

What are your absolutely weirdest "it runs in the family" traits or characteristics?

Some "runs in the family" traits are funny, quirky, and, overall, hopefully non-harmful?

Dangerously Sleepy

"We all sleep walk and sleep talk, mom and dad both did it, my siblings and children do it."

"Best one is my mom, she's a saint during the day but 10 minutes after she dozes off she starts screaming and cursing like a trucker. It's funny because if she goes somewhere we have to explain in advance what will happen."

"She's harmless for the most part, she has tossed and broken a few remote controls that she left on the bed next to her though."

"Me I'm a sleep walker/talker and eater, I check the locks, the gas on the stove, then raid the fridge and eat anything that I can get my hands on."

MadLintElf

Half-Legolas

"I have one slightly pointed ear, my grandfather had it too, and apparently his grandfather. So we have an elf ear that runs in the family that skips a generation. Also none of my siblings or cousins have it so it hits one person every other generation… weird."

I_hate_Swansea

There's No Stopping The Onion Train

"Everyone on my dad's side of the family becomes allergic to onions and garlic around age 40. I have 10 years left and then I need to do some serious research into alternative seasoning."

ParaTodoMalMezcal

"How sensitive? Fermented garlic in honey may be a solution for you."

apoliticalinactivist

"I'm not sure if it's technically an allergy, it's only if it's eaten and it causes pretty nasty stomach issues. Apparently, it's less severe if the onions/garlic are cooked but still bad enough that my dad/uncle/grandmother avoid those ingredients."

ParaTodoMalMezcal

Handle It All

"Toe thumbs. (look up Megan Fox's thumbs, it's like that)"

Agentcowboyhollow

Window Cleaners Share The Best Things They've Ever Seen | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

*insert squawking noises

"Pretty much everyone on my dad's side of the family, like most of his siblings (he has 8) and then some of their kids, me included, have what we call "bird legs."

"We all have pretty long legs, and whenever we walk our knees knock together. It doesn't seem that bad, but on hot, humid days, it makes my legs/knees supper itchy from the constant rubbing, and I can't do anything about it."

HoneysLemon

Maybe the crew all react a certain way to things. This kind of behavior comes from years of learning, watching one another, and incorporating those actions into our own routines.

Kick Them Demons Away

"Kicking our feet when falling asleep. My whole family does it, we all feel uncomfortable unless we do."

ugg_monster

All Power, No Technique

"The men in my family have a considerable amount of natural brute strength. We are all built like linebackers with extremely broad shoulders. But here's the rub. It is great for jobs and tasks that require pure strength but we have a lot of issues using it for skill related purposes. You need something heavy lifted,, torn off, or moved,...great! Give me a call. You need a skill position on a sports team? Well maybe not."

"When up to bat I really have a hard time hitting past the infield. Three point shooting in basketball was embarrassing how often I airballed until I worked like crazy on my technique. It is funny to think back how other parents were always wary about us playing with other kids our age when younger. I guess they thought at any minute we would just pick up one of their kids and defenestrate them on a whim."

TheUnblinkingEye1001

Just Have One Of Those Faces

"My mom has this odd thing about her in that random people will just approach her and talk to her about pretty much anything. You'd think that she knew these people her whole life, but no. I never understood what was up with that until it started to happen to me. For about a decade now, I'm constantly having unexpectedly long and in-depth conversations with complete strangers."

PerpetuallyVerdant

Locking On To Something And Staying

"Addiction gene I guess. Whether it's smoking, alcohol, pills, cars, cleaning, food. There is something each person from my dads side is addicted to. It's not like a passion or hobby. Like real REAL addiction. Idkk lol I guess it's got to do with some sort of psychological satisfaction thing. (There are a lot of mental health problems too but all of them are supportive amazing people)"

Visual-Chocolate3352

And then there's these traits, generated deep down in the blood, and passed from generation to generation.

How Much Time Do You Have?

"My family is full of genetic oddities and weird quirks."

"Our canines grow in higher up the gums and over lay other teeth like fangs."

"We're all born with large, pointed ears that round out by 3."

"Our eyes shift color with sun exposure. Mine are dark brown for most of the year but turn almost gold in summer where my mum's go from emerald to an almost ghostly white."

"We're abnormally warm blooded, I normally sit around 99.8 or higher."

"One boy from every generation never leaves home, but fortunately I think that one ended with our line."

Postmortal_Pop

Coffee Is Full Of Sound And Fury, Signifying Nothing

"Multiple people in my family have Meniere's Diseasse, which, among other things, makes it so consuming caffeine makes us go deaf."

Notmiefault

"What? How? Why? Does it go away? How long does it last?"

deterministic_lynx

"Basically our inner ear sucks at fluid balance, and caffeine messes with it further, exacerbating the problem and making us go deaf and dizzy. Hearing and balance fluctuate day to day, but with management it's not too bad."

Notmiefault

Extra...Teeth?

"In my family all of us from my dad's side can crack just about everything. Not just the usual knuckle cracking but also toes, ankles, elbows, knees, neck, wrist, back, nose, jaw, and hip. My mom always gets weirded out by it."

"Also, a lot of us have extra teeth. I had 6 wisdom teeth removed, my dad had 5, and I know a lot of people in my family just get extra teeth for some reason. Maybe we're shark idk. My dentist said that roughly 0.8% of the population has this."

SpurnedOne

...No Idea.

"Before we vomit our left hand goes numb, no idea why"

Lampnsalt

There We Go

"Webbed toes. My mom and I have them and so do my kids."

jdward01

Whatever keeps the family together, right? Even if that means kicking your feet while scratching your elf ears and having to no longer eat onions, so long as you're doing it together is what matters the most.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

A split screen of Jeff Bezos on stage at a panel and Dolly Parton on a red carpet.
Chesnot / Contributor;Getty Imges/ Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Jeff Bezos Called Out For Hypocritical Post Praising Dolly Parton's 'Generosity'—And We're Shaking Our Heads

The world is still in mourning following the death of Dolly Parton this past Tuesday.

In addition to President Trump declaring that flags in the U.S. will fly at half-mast for one week, countless people have taken to social media to pay homage to the beloved singer, actress, and philanthropist.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cameron Brink; Enes Kanter Freedom
@BrickCenter_/X; Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

WNBA Star Bluntly Rips Anti-Trans Former NBA Player Over His Bigoted Antics in Viral Video—And She's Totally Right

WNBA star Cameron Brink has blasted former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who changed his name after becoming a United States citizen, over his transphobic antics.

Kanter Freedom, a Turkish national who moved to the U.S. to play high school basketball, had an unremarkable NBA career playing for five different teams—twice switching between the Boston Celtics and Portland Trailblazers, for a total of seven NBA team changes in 11 years in the league. He's had no major endorsement deals, claiming he was "blacklisted."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Dylan Crawford during MS NOW interview
MS NOW

Young MAGA Voter Who Is 'Struggling For My Life' Goes Viral With His NSFW Message For Trump

Dylan Crawford, an Iowa MAGA voter who is struggling with the affordability crisis after graduating from high school, went viral after swearing at President Donald Trump when asked what he would say if he could speak to the president.

The interview comes as the rising cost of living becomes difficult to ignore for the overwhelming majority of Americans. Consumer sentiment fell sharply in August, according to data released earlier this month by the University of Michigan that found that older and lower-income Americans are particularly affected by elevated fuel prices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Byron Donalds
@AGGancarski/X

GOP Candidate Slammed After Sharing Absurdly Sexist Reason Why Roads Should Be Repaired

Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds was called out after making a sexist remark at a campaign rally about why women need roads to be fixed.

Donalds is currently campaigning for Florida's governorship. He is President Donald Trump's preferred candidate in Florida and would be the state's first Black governor if elected to succeed the term-limited Ron DeSantis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Davidson attends SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Pete Davidson Was Spotted Wearing Blue Contacts And A Wig While Filming A New Movie—And He Looks Low-Key Terrifying

Pete Davidson put in some blue contacts, threw on a wig, and somehow emerged looking like the guy you absolutely do not want making prolonged eye contact with you on the subway.

It all went down when Davidson was photographed on August 25 in costume for his new movie, Tommy Karate, in which he plays notorious, martial arts-trained Bonanno crime family enforcer Thomas "Tommy Karate" Pitera.

Keep ReadingShow less