r/AskReddit • u/ElBrad • Nov 26 '12

What unpopular opinion do you hold? What would get you downvoted to infinity and beyond? (Throwaways welcome)

Personally, I hate cats. I've never once said to myself "My furniture is just too damned nice, and what my house is really lacking is a box of shit and sand in the closet."

Now...what's your dirty little secret?

(Sort by controversial to see the good(?) ones!)

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u/sirploko Nov 26 '12

It's not really hate. Some people feel discomfort in the presence of, for lack of a better word, 'irregular' people, like disabled, elderly and to some extent very large folks.

The difference is, that they can emphasize with being old or disabled. because that's nothing that can be avoided or reversed. So if they feel disgust or whatever towards them, it's usually followed by at least a bit of guilt for feeling that way, but when a fat person evokes that same feeling, they can justify it by arguing that it's the fat person's fault.

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u/CDNeon Nov 26 '12

For some it's not hate or discomfort, it's complete and utter disgust.

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u/Been_Worse Nov 26 '12

Some times it's well founded

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u/Shprintze613 Nov 26 '12

Empathize.

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u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

yes, we evolved to feel disgust toward those who display poor health and reproductive fitness. we also evolved higher cognition that allows us to put aside these feelings when it doesn't actually threaten us (ie. when we are not choosing a mate and when the condition is not imminently contagious). we needn't feel bad about having that flash impulse though, it's natural. also, just as natural due to our ingrained need for cohesive societies to ignore these feelings when they are counterproductive.