Glowing bodies

Every single person’s body emits a small amount of light that you can’t see with the naked eye. This is caused by biochemical reactions happening during cellular respiration. However, this bioluminescence is about 1,000 times below what your eyes can detect.

It’s only with the help of ultra-sensitive cameras that we can see humans glow. The level of light emitted from your body changes throughout the day and reaches its peak in the late afternoon, around 4 PM.

Shrinking heights

When you wake up in the morning, you’re actually at your tallest height for the day. As you sleep at night, your body’s cartilage discs recharge by decompressing and taking in fluid, giving you more height.

As you go about your day walking and standing up, you’re adding pressure onto your spine, which compresses those discs back down. By the time you go to sleep at night, you could be up to a half-inch shorter than when you woke up.

Constant rhythm

Did you know your heart beats approximately 100,000 times every day? It works non-stop to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. The average heart will beat over 2.5 billion times in a lifetime and it does not take a single break. The heart is an amazing biological engine that works tirelessly to keep you alive.

Shedding skin

The human body continuously loses dead skin cells. We lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells per minute. In a lifetime, the average person will shed approximately 40-50 pounds of skin as dust onto their environment. In fact, most of the dust in your house comes from you.

Stomach acids

Did you know the acids inside your stomach could literally melt through a metal nail, a razor blade, or zinc coins? Your stomach constantly secretes so much hydrochloric acid that, without a thick layer of protective mucus to guard your stomach walls from digesting itself, you would suffer severe chemical burns.

Your body replaces your entire mucous stomach lining every few days just to prevent any damage from happening.

Brain energy

Your brain makes up only about two percent of your body weight but uses about twenty percent of your daily supply of oxygen and energy.

When you are wide awake, your brain produces close to 12 to 25 watts of electricity, powering the millions of neurons inside your skull. That’s enough juice to light up a low-wattage LED bulb.

Unique prints

It’s common knowledge that your fingerprints are one-of-a-kind. But did you know your tongue has that same level of uniqueness? Your tongue print is made up of countless swirling geometrics, taste buds, and muscle clefts that could not be duplicated on another person.

A forensic specialist could theoretically take a scanner of your tongue and use it as a near-perfect biometric identifier.

Vanishing bones

When you are born, you have about 300 bones that make up your little body. Some of those bones fuse as you mature through childhood. For example, your skull and spine have bones that fuse tightly together. When you become an adult, your skeleton ends up with a total of 206 bones.

Vessel lengths

If you stretched out and connected every blood vessel in an adult human body, you could wrap them around the Earth’s circumference more than twice. That’s right, your veins, arteries, and capillaries are over 60,000 miles long combined.

Eyeball muscles

Strangely enough, your eyeball muscles are the fastest muscles in your body and are constantly moving. They each make more than 100,000 tiny adjustments every day just to help your eyes focus on moving objects and adjust to changing light. You would have to walk 50 miles each day to work your leg muscles that much.

Cornea oxygen

Your cornea is the only part of the human body that is not supplied by even the smallest amount of blood flow. In order for you to have a clear vision, there can’t be blood cells getting in the way, so your cornea gets its oxygen directly from the air around you. The surface of your eye literally breathes the air in the room to remain alive.

Shedding tears

Humans are the only living creatures known to produce tears as an emotional response to sadness, stress, or happiness. Animals do shed tears to lubricate their eyes or cleanse debris, but those tears do not contain stress hormones like human emotional tears do. When you cry, you are unleashing pain-relieving chemicals, allowing your body to flush away physical stress.

Microbe world

We humans each carry trillions of bacteria on our skin and in our gut. These microbes are actually good for us; they keep our bodies functioning every day by assisting in digestion, educating the immune system, and fending off disease. Without these helpful organisms hard at work inside you, you couldn’t even digest food or fight off infection.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

15 misconceptions that have become modern-day ‘facts’

Some misconceptions can get so deeply ingrained in our culture that we unknowingly spout them as facts, even when evidence supports just the opposite.

15 misconceptions that have become modern-day ‘facts’

Strength training

Rather than simply going for a stroll, aging men who stay fit continue to lift weights. Our bodies are naturally programmed to lose muscle mass and become weaker as we age. Resistance training fools your body into maintaining strong bones, keeping your joints from aching, and lifting heavy groceries feels like no effort at all.

Moving all day

These men don’t work out for an hour and then sit on the couch for the rest of the day. They find ways to stay mobile all day long, whether it’s gardening, walking to the local grocer, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Staying constantly active with light movement improves circulation, keeps your joints flexible and lubricated, and prevents pain associated with sitting too much.

Eating enough protein

Fueling your muscles properly with protein (especially at breakfast and lunch) is essential for having lean, strong muscles. Our bodies have a more difficult time breaking down protein as we age to rebuild muscle tissue. Eating eggs, fish, chicken, or beans will help restore your body and keep you energized.

Better sleep habits

Instead of viewing sleep as optional, aging gracefully allows you to prioritize a good night’s rest. Healthy aging males have a set bedtime each night and ensure the bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Restorative sleep allows your brain and body to catch up on cellular repair, clear brain fog, and reboot energy levels for tomorrow.

Drinking water constantly

The natural urge to feel thirsty begins to diminish with age, so most elderly adults walk around chronically dehydrated without even knowing it. Aging males who maintain a high energy level and mental focus learn to make drinking water a regular habit. Staying hydrated allows your kidneys to function properly, avoids unexpected energy crashes, promotes healthy digestion, and can even prevent dry skin.

Trying new challenges

Rather than falling into a pattern of doing the same things every day while watching the same shows on TV, these men seek out new challenges. Activities like learning to play an instrument, practicing foreign languages, or solving puzzles force the brain to create new pathways. Continually challenging your brain is one of the best ways to improve memory.

Balance and core focus

Balance is honestly the best way to avoid serious trips and slips. Performing daily stretches or easy balancing exercises such as one-leg stands or beginner core exercises allows elderly men to stay mobile. It allows them to walk across rocky terrain or use stairs without worrying about a serious injury.

Staying close to friends

Loneliness or isolation is a serious, silent killer that can tear your body down over time. Those aging gracefully take time to keep in touch with friends, join community activities, or volunteer in their area. Talking regularly and sharing a laugh reduce stress and give a strong emotional uplift.

Taking care of skin

Healthy aging shows on your skin too. It’s as simple as moisturizing daily. A basic moisturizer protects skin from becoming thin and fragile. Sunscreen protects skin from harsh UV rays. Keeping skin healthy and robust means fewer wrinkles that are deep or sun spots.

Having a purpose

Men who retire or slow down their pace of life can sometimes feel a little empty. But the energetic elderly never seem to lack motivation because they always have something going. Working on a restoration project, helping with grandchildren, or mentoring others are all great ways to keep them focused on a goal.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

13 trending reasons why women in their 60s leave their husbands

Choosing divorce in your 60s is becoming more common as women decide they want to live their best life, prioritizing themselves.

13 trending reasons why women in their 60s leave their husbands

Love: Elizabeth Woodville & Edward IV

King Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville is possibly Britain’s most scandalous love story. Elizabeth was a beautiful widow with two children and had no royal status.

Edward fell madly in love with her and took her as his queen in secret in 1464, sabotaging a major political alliance with France, which his main adviser had been negotiating. His decision, made solely out of love and passion, infuriated many of the nobles and led to decades of ruinous rebellions against the English crown.

Love: King Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson

King Edward VIII caused one of the largest modern-day scandals when he gave up the British crown for the woman he loved. He fell in love with twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson, who, by British standards (and by Church of England rules), was completely unacceptable to become his queen.

Faced with an ultimatum to choose between his country or Mrs. Simpson, Edward chose love and signed the official document to abdicate the throne of England in 1936.

Love: Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth II fell in love with Prince Philip as a teenager and insisted on marrying him in 1947 despite concerns from establishment figures who viewed Philip as a foreigner with comparatively little money.

However, the couple enjoyed the longest royal marriage in British history, lasting over 73 years. Philip was by Queen Elizabeth’s side through decades of history as her partner and greatest supporter.

Love: Tsar Nicholas II & Tsarina Alexandra

Nicholas II of Russia refused to bow to intense family pressure to select a politically advantageous bride and instead chose to wed Princess Alix of Hesse. Both of Nicholas’s parents were adamantly opposed to the union, but none could deny the deep love between Nicholas and Alix that was expressed in the hundreds of loving, intimate letters they shared over the course of their lives.

Their love for one another would be their refuge and remained strong even as their world fell apart around them during the Russian Revolution.

Love: King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden met Silvia Sommerlath, a German-Brazilian woman working as an educational host, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Since Scandinavian law prohibited royal princes from keeping their titles if they married non-royal commoners, Carl Gustaf could not marry Silvia until he ascended to the throne.

He married her in 1976, setting a new trend for modern European royals to follow by marrying commoners.

Arranged: King Henry VII & Elizabeth of York

Contracted purely to bring peace to England and conclude the Wars of the Roses, Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York (the eldest daughter of King Edward IV) aligned the houses of Lancaster and York under his newly established Tudor dynasty.

Although the marriage initially began as a political arrangement, the couple grew to become equals and true partners.

Arranged: King Louis XIV & Maria Theresa of Spain

The marriage of Maria Theresa and Louis XIV was purely political to end over 50 years of constant warfare between the nations of France and Spain.

The Spanish princess was married to the King of France to ratify the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1660. At the time of their arranged marriage, Louis was more interested in other ladies and spent most of his time away from Maria with royal mistresses.

Arranged: King George V & Queen Mary (1893)

The marriage of this prominent British royal couple was entirely orchestrated by Queen Victoria in order to continue the line of succession. Mary was initially engaged to George’s eldest brother, Prince Albert Victor. When he unexpectedly died of influenza, the royal family felt it only right for George to step in and marry his brother’s fiancée.

What began as a loveless marriage of political obligation blossomed into a deep respect and love that the couple shared for each other. They became the picture of stability for the British monarchy throughout WWI.

Arranged: Marie Louise & Napoleon Bonaparte

Marie Louise of Austria married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810, forging an alliance meant to bring peace between France and Austria after years of war.

She was only 18 years old and had never met the famed general. Napoleon was rapidly building his empire and wanted an heir through marriage to solidify his dynasty. They did have a son together and their relationship was founded in state affairs rather than romance.

Arranged: Marie Antoinette & King Louis XVI

Fourteen-year-old Austrian Archduchess Marie Antoinette was sent to France to marry teenager Louis-Auguste, the future King of France, as part of a powerful political alliance meant to heal years of hostile tensions between Austria and France.

Both were ill-equipped to handle the pressures of life at the lavish royal court of Versailles. Their awkward arranged relationship took seven years to consummate, which led to vicious speculation that ruined both their reputations long before the French Revolution.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

15 foods, drinks you’ll never see on a British royal menu

The British royal family enjoys plenty of great food, but some everyday favourites are rarely, if ever, found on the royal menu.

15 foods, drinks you’ll never see on a British royal menu

Riga, Latvia

Latvia’s capital city of Riga has Europe’s highest percentage of women to men at about 126 women for every 100 men. Contributing factors to this major single-women population include Latvia’s high rates of women enrolling in universities, a huge life expectancy gap between genders, and emigration of Latvian men.

Porto, Portugal

Porto ranks among Western Europe’s largest cities with a majority female population of 122.7 women for every 100 men. Porto is home to a major university in the country, as well as a growing service and tourism industry.

Salamanca, Spain

Known throughout the world as a center for higher education, Salamanca has a female majority with 120.6 women for every 100 men. With tens of thousands of female university students attending Spain’s University of Salamanca, this city has a heavy influx of young single female professionals and students fueling an active social life.

Łódź, Poland

Although overshadowed by the capital city of Warsaw, the industrial city of Łódź (once a textile giant) has long had one of Central Europe’s most female-heavy populations. Currently, there are approximately 118.7 adult women for every 100 men living there. The presence of light industry along with schools and hospitals continues to ensure that there are large numbers of women living independently there.

Thessaloniki, Greece

Greece’s multicultural city boasts a substantial female majority of approximately 115 women to every 100 men. Host to Greece’s largest student population, single women fuel Salonica’s café culture and arts scene.

Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal’s capital reflects national demographic trends, holding a ratio of roughly 114 women for every 100 men. Lisbon attracts single working women from around Europe due to its high concentration of corporate headquarters, tech hubs, and government positions.

Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw has seen a consistent migration of young women leaving rural communities to attend university and work in corporate positions. Women outnumber men in every category of university degrees earned throughout Poland, which has left Warsaw’s city center populated with hundreds of thousands of single career women.

Budapest, Hungary

Similar to other Eastern European capitals, Budapest has high female life expectancy and urban career developments which result in a majority woman population. Budapest’s public transportation, walkable neighborhoods, and large university settings attract women living independently.

Paris, France

France overall has a relatively balanced ratio, but Paris consistently tops the country in female-only residencies. High housing density, excellent public transportation, and an enormous employment industry centered around fashion, media, and technology have resulted in a large percentage of Parisian women choosing to live on their own well into adulthood.

Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden places a lot of emphasis on being independent and living alone. Because public welfare is dependable, city spaces are safe to be in alone, and women have high career involvement, single occupancy is very common in Stockholm. The city frequently has one of the highest rates of unmarried women living alone in northern Europe.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

Did you know these 17 US cities changed their names

Some of the biggest cities in the United States had completely different names when they were first founded.

Did you know these 17 US cities changed their names

Vintage linens and handmade quilts

Stained, shredded quilts and embroidered tablecloths are discarded all the time, but to textile collectors and crafters, they’re priceless. Patchwork aficionados will pay good money for ratty old quilts if they can use them as cutter quilts to make upscale vintage jackets, pillows, and works of art.

Pre-1965 coins

Coins including the dime, quarter, and half-dollar were made of 90% solid silver until 1965 in the United States. Since they resemble today’s pocket change so closely, most people spend them at face value or toss them into change jars, not knowing that the melt value of the metal is worth many times face value.

Rusted cast iron cookware

Old, rusty skillets that have been sitting in an attic or shed for years are often thrown away as trash. Cast iron will practically never rust away; soaking it in vinegar and re-seasoning it will make those antique treasures by sought-after brands such as Griswold or Wagner, worth hundreds of dollars.

Old postcards and ephemera

Boxes of old letters, handwritten postcards, antique instruction manuals, and paper restaurant menus are among the most commonly discarded paper-based printed items during home spring-cleaning sales.

Ephemera collectors pay premium prices for vintage postcards depicting lost towns, early flight, bizarre ads, or notable moments in history.

Vintage VHS tapes and media

Ordinary blockbuster tapes are worthless, but copies of rare horror movies, cult films, local wrestling promos, and obscure/unreleased videos on VHS can go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars apiece. Since lots of these tapes have never been converted to digital media/DVD, there’s huge demand for these rare physical copies.

Incomplete board games and toys

Incomplete board games or damaged vintage toys often find their way into the trash can, while individual replacement parts such as original metal game pieces, orphan cards, funky dice, or vintage action figure accessories garner quick sales online to hobbyists trying to fill holes in their collection.

Vintage costume jewelry

Old, tarnished costume jewelry found in dusty boxes tends to be thought of as junk metal. Signed vintage costume by known makers such as Haskell, Trifari, or Boucher can actually be worth more than new fine jewelry. Even unmarked pieces usually hold real silver, gold fill, or vintage glass beads that are collectible.

Discontinued perfumes

When cleaning out bathrooms, we often dispose of half-empty bottles of old perfume. Since fragrance companies tend to reformulate or discontinue popular fragrances, older versions of beloved perfumes such as Chanel, Dior, or Avon are highly coveted by collectors who will pay top dollar.

First-edition books and vintage paperbacks

Library purges frequently include discarded hardcovers whose dust jackets are long gone, and worn paperbacks. Collectors are always searching for first printings, little-known sci-fi paperbacks with amazing covers, and early copies of classic literature that may be worth a lot of money even with cosmetic damage.

Broken electronics and power supplies

Defunct gaming consoles, stereo receivers, and obsolete computer towers routinely become e-waste when tossed aside. Inside their circuit boards are valuable gold, silver, and copper. Original OEM power adapters, rare cables, and guts are commonly sold as replacements.

Old camera lenses

Old analog camera bodies and manual focus lenses are often discarded, viewed as old technology. Many contemporary digital photographers purchase older manual focus lenses, particularly older M42 or Leica mounts, to mount on current mirrorless camera bodies for their unique vintage glass characteristics.

Mid-century modern hardware

People often throw away original mid-century drawer pulls, brass doorknob sets, light switches, and starburst backplates during renovations to make homes look more modern. However, restoration enthusiasts spend large sums of money on reproduction period hardware to update old homes with period-correct details.

Architectural salvage and old wood

Stained glass windows, reclaimed solid wood doors, wrought iron railings, old floorboards being stripped out during demolition all too often end up going directly to the landfill. But architectural salvage yards and custom home builders will pay premium prices for these vintage high-quality materials that are no longer made.

Vintage advertising tins and crates

Used rusty coffee cans, old oil tins, wooden fruit crates, and soda signs that sit in barns or basements aren’t treasures at first sight. However, people who collect “petroliana” and old Americana pay hundreds of dollars for original vintage advertising products with colorful graphics and intact logos.

Old video game consoles and cartridges

You might toss out classic gaming consoles and boxes of loose cartridges stored in your attic because you think no one uses physical media anymore. However, retro gaming prices have skyrocketed, and even beat-up consoles, boxes, original controllers, and loose cartridges from the 1980s and 1990s are worth quite a bit.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

Don’t save these 13 objects thinking they’ll be valuable one day

Collecting things with the intention that they’ll somehow cover your mortgage someday is easy to do, but most nostalgia collector markets for mass-produced items have crashed and burned.

Don’t save these 13 objects thinking they’ll be valuable one day

Hygiene risks

Clothing, linens, and shoes donated to thrift stores are rarely washed and placed directly on shelves for sale. Thus, your clothing purchases may include invisible bedbugs, scabies mites, skin fungi, or even bacteria left over from the original wearer.

The need to sanitize every item you buy will turn what should be a quick trip into hours of decontamination at home.

Hidden damage

Thrift store items are often discarded by their original owners for a reason. They may have structural damage that’s unbelievably difficult to spot when illuminated by harsh thrift store lighting.

It could have defective zippers, missing electronic parts, broken seams, or odors. Since thrift stores nearly always have a zero-tolerance policy on returns, you are stuck with the item once you buy it.

Gentrification pricing

Due to the influx of corporate resellers and viral trends online, thrift store prices have inflated far past their initial value. Prices at some chain thrift stores are now listing used fast fashion items for more than their brand-new price on clearance at retail stores.

This price-gouging takes advantage of the thrifting trend and pushes out low-income shoppers who need to thrift to survive.

Toxic chemicals

Vintage furniture, old toys, and antique plates from thrift store shelves often fall below today’s consumer safety regulations. Products made before the late 1900s are prone to containing excessive amounts of lead paint, asbestos, or toxic chemicals in their coatings that wear away with age.

You are unknowingly inviting these harmful toxins into your home and kitchen.

Extreme clutter

Cluttered racks and stacks and stacks of merchandise can assault your senses and cause severe decision fatigue. The sensory overload can lead to compulsive shopping.

You’ll find yourself buying cheap things you don’t need or even like just because of its perceived value. Before you know it, your house is stuffed with poor-quality thrift store junk, sabotaging any possibility of intentional and budget-conscious shopping.

Reseller culture

Professional resellers who clear out entire inventory racks to flip the best items online for an insane profit have ruined the organic thrifting experience.

It used to be relaxing digging through clothes at your local thrift store. Now you have people fighting you over nice vintage pieces, winter coats, and plus-sized clothing. They clear out the whole section within minutes of it coming in.

Expired safety

Infant car seats, bike helmets, cribs, and any electrical appliances should absolutely never be bought used. They have manufacturers’ guidelines for how long you can use them, and safety features that wear down with time or disaster (like an accident).

You have no way of knowing if a thrift store item has been in a car accident or recalled, so you’re literally gambling with your life and your family’s.

Fragility issues

Vintage clothing and antique furniture have been through decades of wear and tear already. Their structural integrity is already compromised.

That gorgeous mid-century dress hanging in your closet might look great but will shred itself from normal wear in the washing machine or from walking down the street. Spending money on delicate items that will need pricey maintenance will empty your pockets.

Sizing inconsistency

Thrifting for clothes can be inconvenient because sizing charts throughout history are different from how clothes are sized today. Also, clothes tend to shrink, stretch, or owners may have had clothes altered, which makes the size on the tag useless.

Trying on ill-fitting pieces for hours on end in small, dusty dressing rooms can be completely aggravating.

Time drain

Discovering one good-quality wearable or useful item at a thrift store takes dozens of hours and pounds of your physical strength. You’ve got to be prepared to travel to various places, sift through piles of unorganized hangers, and sort through row after row of damaged home goods.

Most professional people simply don’t have enough time to lose to justify saving a couple of bucks at a thrift store.

Ethical theft

When middle-and higher-income shoppers empty thrift stores of good items to create trendy aesthetic closets, they are taking resources from low-income people who then have limited access to interview clothes, durable coats, and school supplies for their kids.

By being part of this trend, you may be involuntarily upholding a system that steals from marginalized communities.

Counterfeit traps

Thrift stores are now inundated with near-perfect counterfeit designer clothing, fake luxury handbags, and knockoff electronics. Employees usually lack the expertise to identify quality replicas when pricing these goods. So you could end up accidentally overpaying for a completely fake product.

Internal rot

Pre-owned footwear and couches will always adapt to their previous owner’s unique body shape, stride pattern, and spinal alignment.

Secondhand shoes with compressed interior support will lead to crippling misalignments, foot aches, and chronic joint injuries. Secondhand mattresses and couches will often contain built-up interior odor, dead skin, and irreversible structural sagging.

Poor selection

Thrift stores are limited to whatever random assortment of goods happens to get donated by people in your town. You have absolutely no control or influence over this selection.

If you walk into a thrift store needing a certain item in a certain size or color, you are almost surely going to fail. You’ll end up spending hours searching for something that either doesn’t fit you right or isn’t the style you’re looking for.

Corporate greed

Some of the largest and most well-known thrift store chains are actually billion-dollar predatory for-profit corporations posing as friendly neighborhood charities.

They get all of their merchandise for free from generous people in our communities, pay disabled employees under-the-table salaries using legal loopholes, and spend millions of dollars on executive bonuses. When you shop at these stores, you are funding corporate greed.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

Don’t save these 13 objects thinking they’ll be valuable one day

Collecting things with the intention that they’ll somehow cover your mortgage someday is easy to do, but most nostalgia collector markets for mass-produced items have crashed and burned.

Don’t save these 13 objects thinking they’ll be valuable one day

“You’re overreacting”

Your feelings are being invalidated and your reality denied with this statement. It’s a mild yet very effective form of gaslighting. Rather than tackling the problem at hand, it points an accusatory finger at how you feel about the problem.

A partner who cares about your feelings will take the time to understand why you’re upset instead of policing how upset you’re allowed to be.

“You can’t do anything right”

Absolute criticism slowly erodes your daily confidence and leaves you feeling fundamentally incompetent in your own home. It discounts all of your good, daily efforts and hyperfocuses on mistakes, trading mutual appreciation for never-ending criticism. You find yourself quitting before you start.

“I want a divorce”

If your partner weaponizes the end of the relationship every time you fight about something insignificant, you eliminate the baseline safety within a marriage.

If a threat of divorce isn’t serious and final, saying this will make you afraid of expressing how you really feel, constantly walking on eggshells. When the foundation of a relationship is continually attacked, you can’t maintain long-term trust.

“You always do this”

Using words like “always” or “never” locks you into a box and stops any effective conversation from happening. Statements like these attack your character instead of the temporary, specific action that is the issue.

Plus, they make you feel like there’s no way for you to change because your partner has already deemed you will never change.

“My ex never did that”

Comparing you to an ex is an insult to your value as a person and causes unhealthy competition in your home.

It means you will always be trying to better some imaginary standard your partner puts on you. This breeds resentment and will make you feel incredibly insecure in the long run.

“If you loved me, you’d…”

That’s straight-up psychological warfare and guilt-tripping you into surrendering your boundaries. A healthy partner, someone who really cares about you, honors your independence and your decision to decline, rather than twisting your love for them into a weapon so that they can have their way.

“You’re acting just like your mother/father”

Bringing up your family situation or history of abuse during an argument is really cruel. It’s admitting that your partner saved everything you told them in confidence just to be hurtful to you later.

You will never feel emotionally safe to be vulnerable with them again.

“It’s your fault I’m angry”

This is passing the blame instead of accepting responsibility for their feelings. Your behavior might make them angry sometimes, but a mature partner will accept responsibility for how they act, talk, and handle stress.

Blaming you completely is the easy way out of taking responsibility for their impulses.

“Just shut up”

It’s overt rudeness that completely negates any chance of having an equal partnership. You change the interaction from a civilized discussion between two adults into a power move filled with aggression and disrespect. You show your spouse that winning is more important to you than listening.

“I don’t care what you think”

Flat-out rejecting your view communicates absolute contempt for your intelligence and your status as an equal partner.

Marriage is about thinking with a “we” attitude, and blatantly nullifying your opinion completely excludes you from the equation. It communicates that you do not matter.

“It was just a joke”

Humor to deflect a brutal insult or childish put-down is another passive-aggressive tactic. When someone says something that causes you pain, a loving partner will pause and empathize with your hurt feelings.

They won’t take cover by blaming you for being too sensitive to hear jokes.

“You’re lucky to be with me”

There’s something incredibly presumptuous about that statement. It implies that your partner is better than you and that you are lucky to even be noticed by them.

It breeds a toxicity where you should feel grateful that they give you any attention at all while they lord it over you. Marriage should be between two people who were lucky to find each other and who appreciate each other.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

11 signs someone close to you secretly hates you (but smiles to your face)

Just because someone smiles at you doesn’t mean they like you; resentment can rear its head in little ways that you might dismiss until you notice a pattern.

11 signs someone close to you secretly hates you (but smiles to your face)

Reading or looking down in dim light

You age your eyes faster when reading in dim light and when holding books, newspapers, magazines, and computer screens closer to your eyes as a child. The more you strain your eyes up close when they are developing, the more nearsighted you will become.

Being highly nearsighted in adulthood is more than an inconvenience of needing to wear thick glasses. The risk of developing retinal detachment, glaucoma, and macular degeneration later in life is much greater.

Thumb-sucking

Thumb sucking is common among infants and toddlers. It’s actually a reflex that naturally helps babies soothe themselves. If the habit persists after age four or five, however, it can permanently change the structure of your teeth and face. Long-term thumb sucking misaligns permanent teeth, thrusts your upper jaw forward (resulting in an overbite) and flattens the roof of the mouth.

Excessive screen time

Kids who stare at smartphones, tablets or televisions for hours on end condition their young brains to anticipate constant quick-hit dopamine rushes.

As adults, their attention spans are shorter thanks to early childhood dopamine overstimulation causing difficulty focusing on tasks that require deep, slow thinking.

It also creates digital addicts whose adult brains instinctively revert to mindless scrolling whenever they’re bored, stressed, or have some downtime.

Engaging in or experiencing bullying

Whether you were bullied or the bully in childhood, both of these experiences alter how your brain responds to others and stress. If you were bullied as a child, you may struggle as an adult with healthy levels of cortisol, anxiety, constantly scanning your environment for threats, and trusting others in your personal life and work life.

If you bullied others as a child, you may approach conflicts aggressively and have difficulty experiencing empathy. They are at greater risk for engaging in antisocial behavior as adults and tend to have unstable relationships.

Nail-biting

Nail biting usually develops as a nervous habit in childhood due to stress, sensory overload, or boredom. It’s an unconscious oral fixation that carries over into adulthood for many people.

Nail biting for years damages your nail beds and nearby cuticles. This causes lasting deformities in your nails and repetitive skin infections. Biting also creates microfractures in your front teeth, wears down your enamel, and constantly pushes bacteria from your hands into your mouth.

Mouth breathing

Breathing through the mouth as a child, usually due to enlarged tonsils, chronic allergies or a crooked septum, can dramatically affect the growth of the face and future respiratory issues. Chronic mouth breathing leads to altered development of the jaw and eventually a narrow face, recessed chin, crowded teeth, etc.

Chronic sleep apnea, heavy snoring, dry mouth, and poor oxygenation during sleep are much more likely in adults who breathe through their mouths.

Slouching and poor posture

Slouching over desks, backpacks, and mobile devices trains kids’ growing muscles and bones to lean forward. As they age, hunching forward causes the chest muscles to tighten and lengthen, weakens the muscles in the upper back, and changes the curvature of the spine.

Later in life, adults experience neck pain, stiff lower backs, headaches, and shallow breathing from a compressed chest cavity.

Unpredictable mealtimes

Kids who don’t eat on a schedule (whether due to chaotic mornings or rushing out the door) literally train their bodies to not pay attention to hunger signals.

Meal-skipping adults have unpredictable blood sugar levels, sluggish metabolisms and little awareness of appetite.

Neglecting oral hygiene

Neglecting brushing and flossing as a child does more than lead to baby teeth cavities; it establishes oral microbiome changes and lifelong chronic inflammation. Years of inadequate plaque removal cause irreversible gum recession and bone loss around permanent teeth as adults.

Because periodontitis causes systemic inflammation, lifelong neglect of proper oral hygiene habits is closely linked to heart disease risk, adult-onset diabetes complications, and early tooth loss as adults.

Sleeping with the TV or noise on

Kids learn to sleep with white noise when falling asleep to something external like a television, tablet, or white noise machine programs their brain. As adults, they become incapable of falling asleep in complete silence or darkness.

Screens suppress the natural production of melatonin from the brain due to consistent exposure to light and inconsistent levels of audio, causing incomplete/restless REM cycles and fatigue during the day.

Hair twirling or pulling

Hair twirling or pulling (trichotillomania) can start out of self-soothing when reading or falling asleep as a young child because it feels nice on the fingertips. It eventually becomes hardwired into the nervous system after years of repetition.

So when someone is stressed as an adult, they automatically twist their hair. Aggressive hair twirling causes split ends, breakage and traction alopecia at the areas of the scalp where the hair is constantly being pulled.

Eating too quickly

Kids who grow up eating meals where they feel rushed, pressured by sibling rivalry at the table, or constrained by strict time limits learn to swallow their food without chewing.

When you eat too fast as an adult, your stomach doesn’t have time to signal to your brain that it’s full. People who eat too quickly are much more likely to suffer from lifelong heartburn, indigestion, overeating, and weight problems.

Grinding teeth

Teeth grinding or jaw clenching typically occurs from childhood as a subconscious physical response to stress, teeth that don’t fit together properly, or sleep problems. Grinding at night into adulthood causes years of hard grinding to erode enamel, chip away at fillings, and wear down the biting surfaces of teeth.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

Pride comes before a fall

The Bible warns us time and time again that pride goes before destruction. People tend to make bad decisions when they think they are better than others and can do no wrong. Pride makes us reject wise advice, take unnecessary risks, and insult those around us.

Humility, on the other hand, is never depicted as a weakness in Scripture. Humble people understand that there is always something more to learn and grow from, and they aren’t afraid to admit when they are wrong. (Proverbs 16:18)

Love of money can become a trap

The Bible is not against money. In fact, it teaches us to be good stewards of what God has provided. But when we love money more than God, we will begin to allow things like greed and dishonesty into our lives.

We begin to care more about what we can accumulate than what we can give. People who love money above all else will eventually find that it controls them. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Choose your friends wisely

The Bible teaches that the people who are around you most have a tremendous impact on your attitudes, choices, and character. Friends can influence you to improve your life, or they can drag you down into destructive behaviors and bad decisions.

That is why the Bible says over and over to keep the company of people who love wisdom, honesty, and self-control. Good friends can help build your character. Bad friends will gradually turn you around. (1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 13:20)

Be careful with your words

The Bible teaches us that words have tremendous power. Words can build others up or tear them down. Words like gossiping, lying, and wrong criticism leave scars that may never heal.

Kind words, truthful words, and words of encouragement lift us up and bring comfort, healing, and strength to our relationships. The Bible challenges us to think before we speak and to use our words carefully. (Proverbs 18:21; James 3:5–10)

Don’t let anger control you

The Bible doesn’t condemn anger itself. We all feel angry at times, but the Bible does admonish us when anger leads to out-of-control actions and words.

Letting anger control your actions can damage relationships, cause you to make unwise decisions in the heat of the moment, and say things you can’t take back. Scripture teaches us to be patient and self-controlled. If you handle your anger correctly, you can guard your relationships and your heart. (Ephesians 4:26–27; Proverbs 14:29)

Don’t envy what others have

The Bible says that envy will rob you of your happiness and fill your heart with bitterness. When you envy others, you tend to think about what you do not have rather than what you do have.

If it is not addressed, it can ruin friendships, cause bitterness, and lead to stealing. God tells us to be thankful for what we have and understand that happiness will not come by acquiring what someone else has. (Exodus 20:17; Proverbs 14:30)

Dishonesty eventually catches up with you

Bible verses about honesty explain why honesty builds trust and healthy relationships. Lies and deception might seem advantageous now, but they lead to bigger problems later on.

When you break trust with someone, it’s not easily earned back. The Bible says when someone is known for their integrity, they become respected and dependable, even when truth is hard to speak or comes at a price. (Proverbs 12:22; Luke 16:10)

Laziness has consequences

There are many verses within Proverbs against laziness and procrastination by referencing hard work, preparation, and accountability. Many people who put things off or don’t want to work hard will later in life experience unnecessary hardships.

God wants us to work hard not only to be successful but to be disciplined, help provide for others, and take advantage of opportunities God blesses us with. (Proverbs 6:6–11)

Don’t judge others hypocritically

Jesus cautioned people against finding fault with others when you have faults of your own. Before going to someone about something they have done wrong, the Bible instructs us to take the log out of our own eye.

It doesn’t ask us to turn a blind eye to sin. What it does ask is that we approach others with a humble and loving heart, with fairness and grace rather than righteousness. (Matthew 7:1–5)

Unforgiveness can poison your heart

The Bible teaches that bitterness and resentment are more damaging to the bearer than to the offender. Unforgiveness prolongs anger, harms relationships, and steals peace of mind.

Forgiveness does not change the past, nor does it eliminate punishment. But the Bible does teach us to release hatred so that restoration can occur. (Ephesians 4:31–32; Matthew 6:14–15)

Ignoring wisdom leads to trouble

One theme consistently taught in the Bible is that of the need to seek wisdom and submit to instruction. Those who reject sound counsel or think they have nothing to learn will continue to make the same mistakes and miss out on great opportunities to learn. (Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 19:20)

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

14 ancient religious practices that Jesus criticized

Many times Jesus’ fiercest condemnation was reserved not for faithlessness, but for religious rituals that had become meaningless, hypocritical, or distanced from God’s purpose.

14 ancient religious practices that Jesus criticized

Constant jealousy

Extreme possessiveness and baseless mistrust are not symptoms of true love. They are signs of extreme insecurity and a need to control. If your partner questions where you are every other minute, snoops through your phone, or attempts to keep you away from loved ones, there are no healthy boundaries.

Constantly dealing with this madness makes you live in a paranoid world where you always have to prove your innocence.

Chronic dishonesty

Regularly telling white lies or omitting important information compromises the trust that holds your partnership safe. He may become defensive if you confront him about lying.

He’ll make excuses, downplay his actions, or turn the tables by accusing you of doubting him when you ask questions. You can’t build a safe, healthy future with someone who isn’t 100% honest and transparent.

Gaslighting behavior

Gaslighting is when your partner twists facts or flat-out denies things that happened to make you doubt your memory, perception, and even your sanity.

They say things such as “that never happened” or “you’re crazy” in order to undermine your confidence and shift blame off of themselves. It makes you feel insecure, always confused and anxious, and too dependent on their version of truth.

Explosive anger

Someone who loses their temper explosively often, shouts and screams, hits walls or objects, and intimidates you into giving up arguments can make you feel psychologically and physically unsafe. Rational, mature adults don’t blow up and engage in intimidating behaviors that force their partner to tiptoe around them.

Anger that isn’t disciplined will usually continue to spiral out of control and rarely gets better on its own; it can also turn into other types of abuse.

Refusing accountability

Never owning up to wrongdoing or playing the victim card in every disagreement is childish behavior. If there’s a problem, your partner will blame stress or his ex or the small things you do wrong instead of apologizing.

You can’t have a healthy relationship with someone who never takes accountability for their actions.

Emotional stonewalling

Stonewalling is when your partner shuts you out, refuses to talk, or leaves the room when you need to talk about important things or even small problems.

When your partner punishes you by giving you the silent treatment, you are left in a painful place where problems aren’t discussed. You are constantly made to feel alone, ignored, and drained.

Love bombing

Bombarding you with too much love, grandiose gestures, and dramatic pronouncements of eternal devotion in the early stage of a relationship isn’t romance; it’s controlling behavior disguised.

They try to rush you into falling in love so fast you don’t see red flags and become codependent. After they have you wrapped around their finger, they tend to take the love away and replace it with demands, manipulation, and putting you down.

Boundary disrespect

If your partner consistently disregards your expressed wishes, limits, or physical boundaries, they do not respect you. Whether financial, sexual, or time boundaries, they should never make you feel guilty for communicating what you are comfortable with.

A good partner should care about your comfort level as they do their own.

One-sided effort

If you’re the only one reaching out, making plans, doing the housework, or attempting to salvage things when problems arise, you and your partner have an unhealthy power imbalance.

Someone who passively allows you to do all the investing without returning care, effort, and intimacy is taking you for granted. The more you have to shoulder, the more emotionally burned out you’ll become.

Disrespecting exes

Notice how your partner talks about their exes and their previous relationships. If every ex-partner is crazy, abusive, or 100% responsible for the breakup, they likely have a bad habit of never looking at themselves or taking any responsibility.

You will be on the receiving end of that lack of empathy and story one day during an argument.

Like our content? Be sure to follow us.

11 signs someone close to you secretly hates you (but smiles to your face)

Just because someone smiles at you doesn’t mean they like you; resentment can rear its head in little ways that you might dismiss until you notice a pattern.

11 signs someone close to you secretly hates you (but smiles to your face)