College grads get real about how drastically job hunting has changed and what’s helping them survive

How to find work in the age of ghost jobs and AI screenings.

Mar 25, 2026

College grads entering the job hunt are finding that things have changed dramatically. – Photo credit: Canva

Looking for a job has never been easy, but it used to be simpler. In 2026, job hunting is more competitive, frustrating, and exhausting than perhaps ever before.

Recent college grads and people transitioning in their careers have been sounding off on social media about how different the career landscape is now versus just a few years ago, and what it takes to finally get hired.

AI screenings, and yikes, even interviews

More candidates than ever are being filtered out of consideration almost immediately. Not by recruiters, but by robots.

ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) have become more advanced and more prominent. They can eliminate resumes based on keywords, experience or lack thereof, and plenty of other “red flags” set by employers. An estimated 99% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS to screen applicants before they ever have human contact.

Then there are interviews conducted not by humans, but by virtual chatbots.

“I went through one, it was [extremely bizarre],” a Reddit user wrote. “It cuts you off at pauses to move on to its next question.”

To be fair, this overuse of technology goes both ways. With modern tools and AI, job seekers can churn out custom resumes and apply to hundreds of jobs with almost no effort. That creates huge backlogs for recruiters and more competition than ever for open positions.

“There are a lot more candidates, fewer jobs and it’s easier to apply than it ever has been so recruiters are overwhelmed and looking for the easiest ways to weed people out, whether that’s over relying on tools, only looking at the first few applicants or only taking people referred in,” a Reddit user noted.

Ghost jobs galore

“This is the worst job market I have experienced,” one Redditor lamented. “Most of the jobs don’t even really seem real.”

Ghost jobs are listings that get posted but never filled, and they’re everywhere these days. The same roles are posted and reposted again and again, and job seekers are noticing. A job seeker recently wrote on Reddit:

“I’ve noticed recruiters on LinkedIn posting the same job over and over, collecting 100+ applications and then remaking the same job. Word for word, exactly the same. I’ve seen the same 6 jobs ads at least 100 times in the past few months. I report these to LinkedIn, but they find ‘nothing reportable’ with this.”

Companies may post jobs they have no intention of filling in order to:

Give the illusion of growth
Collect data on the candidate pool and job market
Develop a passive talent pipeline

Many ghost listings also pop up when companies plan to hire an internal candidate. Laws often require the job to be posted publicly for fairness, but that doesn’t mean those external candidates will be seriously considered.

It can be extremely frustrating for anyone who’s seriously looking.

Offshoring and remote work

You’re no longer just competing with job seekers from your area. With the rise of remote work, many companies are accepting candidates nationwide (or, in some cases, worldwide), opening up an incredibly deep and competitive candidate pool.

Worse, offshoring is sending many positions overseas, where workers are often more affordable—and it’s on the rise.

“Worked at a Fortune 500 company. Started there in 2019 and it was great, all US employees about 100 people in IT,” a Redditor shared. About six months ago, they wrote that their company had outsourced the majority of its work internationally and was planning to lay off 80% of its staff.

“I worked with people who were employed with this company for 25-30 years, many people retiring here as they paid very well,” the Redditor added. “That opportunity will no longer exist for the millennial generation and onward due to rampant offshoring and cost saving tactics.”

200+ applications is the norm

jobs, career, job search, job hunt, college grads, gen z, money, economy, work, young adults, adulting — Brace yourself. It might take over 200 applications to land a single interview. Photo credit: Canva

Depending on who you ask, it might take 50, 100, or even more than 750 job applications to get an interview or land a job. Regardless of the exact figure, that number has risen dramatically in recent years.

When you need to write a custom cover letter and tweak your resume for each application, it can be exhausting for job seekers.

One Reddit user recently shared a success story about finally landing a job as a Kroger grocery clerk—after submitting more than 500 applications.

“500 apps for a grocery clerk is insane,” read the top comment.

Rounds and rounds (and rounds and rounds) of interviews

One Redditor shared that they recently had to fill out a 172-question personality test with “weirdly invasive questions,” including ones about how they feel about their appearance. After that, they had to record a video introducing themselves.

All just for a chance at getting a real interview.

Experts agree that more companies now require far more extensive interview processes than in years past. These rounds can include homework, tests, personality assessments, intelligence quizzes, and several traditional interviews.

You need experience to get experience

This has been a conundrum for years: the entry-level job that requires five years of experience. But recent job seekers say it’s only gotten worse.

Entry-level jobs have become really hard to land—if they haven’t been replaced altogether by AI.

So is it all doom and gloom out there?

The process has become harder, more complex, and more competitive. That’s for sure. But people who have made it through successfully say there are a few strategies that can help.

What’s new that works, and what’s old that still works

LinkedIn is the place to be

Though not without its own issues, many people say LinkedIn is a good place to look for jobs because the listings are usually tied to a real person, like a recruiter. Putting a face to a job can go a long way. Job seekers say it’s more reliable than many aggregators, like Indeed and ZipRecruiter.

If you can apply via the company website, even better. In fact, much better. Just avoid Easy Apply at all costs.

Networking and referrals still work

This is harder than ever, but also more important than ever. Some estimates suggest that getting a referral from an employee makes you about seven times more likely to be hired than a job board candidate. It may not be the advice anyone wants to hear, but keeping your network “warm” is a must in this job market.

“I’ve had 2 interviews recently and the only reason is because I’ve reached out to the far limits of my network to find anything … it’s really the only way,” one Redditor suggested.

Just get employed

Traditional career paths are all but gone, and they’re not as stable as they once were. There’s no guarantee you’ll land an entry-level marketing job and stay in the industry for decades, working your way up. The most important thing is to take a job that pays your bills and worry about finding something better later.

In a Reddit thread, a user debated whether they made the right decision in turning down a decent but not great job offer. In the past, they might have been advised to hold out for a better long-term position, but modern job seekers overwhelmingly agreed that being employed was the best outcome. “This is called a transition job. Take it, and use your free time to find a different job. Get paid in the meantime,” one person wrote.

Job-hopping has traditionally been frowned upon, but younger people are finding, often the hard way, that the only way to get ahead—and earn a raise—is to leave for greener pastures. The BBC calls the stigma against job-hoppers “outdated.”

Above all, hang in there

The statistics aren’t on your side, and it may take over a year and hundreds of applications to find the right fit. It’s not just you. Finding community (through social media groups, friends, discussion boards, and more) can go a long way in helping you stay motivated.

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Youth-led party for community engagement, MEDEA, Tanzania Captured by James Roh for Pura

Culture, Education, Empowered Women, Equality, Family, Identity, Modern Families

The next generation of female leaders has arrived. Here’s how they’re making sure they (and every girl) get a chance to learn.

Malala Fund and their local partners, with support from Pura, help girls find their voice. The result: greater access to education and a better world.

Sarah Watts

3/8/2026

Music, community and joy drive real change

In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.

It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.

The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?

Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.

MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura

Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.

Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.

Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.

A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission

Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.

But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.

The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.

You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.

Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil

Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura

In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.

“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.

But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.

Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura

Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.

“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”

Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria

Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura

In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.

“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”

When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.

Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.

Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura

To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”

“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”

From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.

Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.

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How to dust your home the right way. – Photo credit: Canva

Life Hacks, Skills

Pro cleaner shares ‘trap’ method to stop dust from returning and allergies from raging

“Dust is such a massive problem for so many people simply because almost everyone cleans it the completely wrong way.”

Emily Shiffer

3/24/2026

As spring arrives, it’s time for the annual spring cleaning ritual. From decluttering your home to cleaning up messes and washing sheets and duvet covers that feel a bit dank, it’s a great time to reset and refresh.

A deep clean usually involves getting rid of dust that has accumulated on various surfaces. While you might reach for a duster and swipe surfaces in one fell swoop, cleaning expert Sergio of EDGE Cleaning Service says most people are dusting completely wrong.

In an informative Instagram video, he explains why dust always seems to come back so quickly after you’ve cleaned. It all comes down to technique.

View this post on Instagram

How to dust properly

According to Sergio, most people pick up a duster and simply swipe it across surfaces, thinking the job is done. However, he explains that this method is just pushing dust back into the air, where it will soon settle again.

“Dust is such a massive problem for so many people simply because almost everyone cleans it the completely wrong way,” he says.

The goal, he says, is to “trap the dust instead of just moving it around.” To properly dust, he recommends first cleaning your duster by vacuuming it, a step many people neglect, often starting with an already “dusty” duster.

Next, he says you should adjust your dusting speed.

“Dust surfaces slowly so the dust sticks to the duster instead of flying into the air,” he says.

After dusting each room, he says you should vacuum your duster again to prevent trapped dust from spreading to the next room.

Finally, you should wipe down surfaces with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. “The damp cloth helps trap dust so it doesn’t float back into the air,” he says.

Reduce allergies by dusting

Dust is a leading cause of allergies in homes due to dust mites, which feed on human skin flakes shed every day and on moisture in the air, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

Sergio offers an extra tip for managing dust in your home: clean and replace air filters regularly.

“Dirty filters can push dust around your house through the vents,” he says.

He also recommends dusting your home once a week to prevent buildup. If that’s not possible, aim for once every two weeks.

The AAFA notes that bedrooms are a haven for dust mites, where they tend to live more than anywhere else in your home. To reduce them, it recommends washing blankets and sheets weekly in hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit) and using dust-proof mattress and pillow covers to prevent mites from penetrating them.

Since humidity is also a factor, the AAFA notes that your home’s humidity should not exceed 50%. If it does, consider investing in a dehumidifier.

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Some life hacks are super simple, but effective. – Photo credit: Canva

Life Hacks, Skills

22 ‘oddly specific’ life hacks that could save you time, money, energy, or sanity

“If you find a toilet in your dream, don’t use it.”

Annie Reneau

3/17/2026

Life hack advice abounds in the era of optimization and influencers, but the desire to live life a little better is nothing new. Even ancient philosophers pondered the wisest uses of our time, energy, and resources. But in today’s more complicated world, the answers to such questions can be a lot more specific.

Young adults have been asking for “oddly specific” life tips, and people are delivering their favorite hacks. These aren’t the “surround yourself with positive people” kind of tips we typically see, but rather random, specific bits of advice.

I’m 25. Give me oddly specific life tips. No general ”surround yourself with positive people” tips. I want the most random, specific advice possible.
— Tokyo (@otokyo__) March 2, 2026

Here are some of the most universally applicable ones shared on X:

Food

Thinking about what to eat, preparing what to eat, and actually eating it takes up a decent amount of our daily lives. It makes sense to give it a little extra thought, both for efficiency and enjoyment’s sake.

“When in an unknown small town, pick your restaurant based on the number of pickup trucks in the parking lot. Nobody goes on vacation in the pickup. Those are locals, who know where to eat.” – @KeelowSierra

“Learn to cook 3 meals extremely well. It will save money, impress people, and make rough weeks easier.” – @Alacritic_Super

Learn to cook three things well. Photo credit: Canva

“Make a weekly rotating menu so you never have to agonize over what to make for dinner. Like Taco Tuesday. Vary the specific item each week to keep it fresh but man it saves time, energy, and money.” – @RuralUrbie

Health

There’s a lot of health advice out there, and a lot of it is conflicting. But here are a few tips that seem solid no matter what your approach to health might be:

“Always wash your hands standing on one leg. We lose our balance with age and this simple habit forces you to consistently practice it without interfering with your life.” – @catpoopburglar

“Drink a full glass of water before you touch your phone in the morning.” – @EarthOriginHQ

“Speaking as someone who *didn’t* do this enough: Literally touch grass as often as you can. Go outside, get some sun, go camping, disconnect from your phone and social media and go explore the world without a filter. It’ll do wonders for your mental health, it’ll force you to spend some time alone with your thoughts, and you’ll gain some perspective about yourself and life in general.” – @CitizenAmedia

Money

Getting money advice from strangers can be dodgy, to say the least. But a few folks offered some pretty universal bits of wisdom:

“Before any purchase over $100, wait 48 hours. If you still want it after two days, buy it. You’ll be surprised how often the urge disappears. This one habit will save you thousands over the next decade without any willpower required.” – @BellaBaddie__

“I wish I had practiced minimalism. I’m spending the second half of my life getting rid of expensive junk for free that I thought I needed. I wish I had invested that money for my future instead. That’s solid advice.” – @starjaxranch

“Roth IRA and regular investment brokerage accounts. Contribute every month, even if it’s only $20. Just keep doing it and don’t stop. When people panic about the market crashing just keep contributing. It isn’t a loss if you don’t sell and it always bounces back higher, crashes are nothing but buying opportunities to increase your returns down the road. Just keep investing in funds. Learn how to get a shopping high from investing.” – @AnteEcho

Work

Most adults spend much of their day working, so advice in this area is particularly valuable. Here are some nuggets of wisdom that apply no matter what kind of work you do:

“Keep a ‘brag document’ – a running list of every win, project, compliment, or achievement at work. Update it weekly. When it’s performance review time or you’re updating your resume, you won’t be sitting there trying to remember what you did six months ago.” – @PursuDr

Keep a running list of your wins at work. Photo credit: Canva

“At work no matter what your job is or how much you are currently being paid, if someone offers to teach you a new skill… Get out a notebook and a pencil and say ‘Thank you, I want to learn how to do that!’ This is how you increase your value.” – @TimothyMcGuire

“Always keep one skill you’re quietly improving that nobody knows about yet.” – @Alacritic_Super

“For all the jobs you have, don’t burn bridges when you leave a place. Keep your colleagues contact informing from each job. Leave on good terms. These things help in networking for a new job in the future.” – @daoc151

General

Outside of those big life categories, people offered all sorts of great tips born from experience. Keep these in your pocket when you need them:

“After you spend ages looking for something store it in the first place you looked.” – @floboflo

“Buy your concert t-shirts one or two sizes larger. You’ll likely be larger yourself for the reunion tour.” – @TeamToad

Buy your concert t-shirts one or two sizes larger.
You'll likely be larger yourself for the reunion tour. pic.twitter.com/teJoxj8lpS
— Michael Mauldin (@TeamToad) March 9, 2026

“When you find a pair of shoes or sandals or a bra that fits you comfortably and perfectly, buy three more just like it immediately and save them in your closet. Everything good gets discontinued.” – @Suzanne08053

“The mental energy associated with procrastination is costing you the same (if not more) as the energy required to take action. Pick action over mental suffering.” – @ConMcGovy

“Check the toilet paper holder in the gas station bathrooms BEFORE you sit down….” – @scdavem

“Treat every microphone like it’s on.” – @RobOps_xyz

“Never make a major life or business decision after 10 PM. You aren’t yourself when you’re tired; you’re just a high-stress version of yourself. Sleep on it. The solution is almost always waiting for you at 7 AM.” – @ria_rustagi

“When you drop something. Especially something small like a screw. Don’t grab wildly at it to keep it from falling. Concentrate on watching it fall with absolute focus.”– @GeorgiasGiant

“If you find a toilet in your dream, don’t use it.” – @Sandy166059 (If you know, you know.)

There’s a lot we need to learn on our own, of course. But we can also learn from the lessons others have shared, taking what works and leaving what doesn’t.

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Comedian Pete Holmes. – Photo credit: Neal Brennan/YouTube

Celebrity, Life Hacks, Skills

Wholesome comedian Pete Holmes shares 3 words that have been a game changer in how he views life

“It’s so weird. That’s why it works.”

Cecily Knobler

3/16/2026

If you’re familiar with comedian Pete Holmes, you probably know he’s not afraid to go deep. He’s seemingly on a constant journey of self-improvement—physically, mentally, and spiritually—and his work as a stand-up comic, author, and podcaster reflects that with relatable, honest humor.

He recently appeared on Dan Harris’ podcast 10% Happier, where he discussed a simple three-word phrase that he claims helped change the way he views life.

Harris asked about his mantra, “Yes, yes, thank you.” Holmes gently corrected him, noting that it’s only three words: “It’s ‘yes, thank you.’” He then explained the concept: “I’ve heard really good teachers say that if you can really just say ‘yes’ to what ‘is,’ that’s all you need.”

View this post on Instagram

Holmes went on to explain how it works:

“It just really short-circuits your brain if you say ‘Yes, thank you’ to it. And I mean almost instantly. Flight is delayed. ‘Yes. Thank you.’ It’s so weird. That’s why it works. Everything—attraction and aversion—right? So aversion is just charging it with all this push, like a basketball underwater. You’re giving it all the energy. When you just ‘Yeah’ as if it’s what you wanted.”

He gives an example:

“And then you realize you’re in an airport. You’ll be in an hour later. It can just be a clean breath and a recognition that you’re alive. Maybe you see the sun coming through the window. And maybe you remember that people used to die in covered wagons on the journey you’re about to take in four hours.”

View this post on Instagram

Holmes explained that the concept is quite simple:

“But it can really be way less than that. Really, not debating with the bad feeling—just saying ‘Yes, thank you’ to it. That’s been one of the most powerful things in my life.”

10 percent happier

The clip was part of a larger discussion on the aforementioned podcast, with Holmes and Harris delving into faith, meditation, awareness, and how we learn to accept what is given to us.

Harris asked, “So the nature of existence is love because love is acceptance?” Holmes answered, “Even if you’re resisting it, what you’re resisting has already been welcomed into awareness.”

Stoicism

Much of what Holmes is describing is steeped in Stoic philosophy.

Former Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations, “And with that in mind I have no right, as a part, to complain about what is assigned me by the whole. Because what benefits the whole can’t harm the parts, and the whole does nothing that doesn’t benefit it.”

According to a site supporting Benny Voncken’s Via Stoica podcast:

“Gratitude in Stoicism is not a mood but a moral stance, an expression of understanding that everything is given for a time, and that everything that happens can serve the good of the whole. When you practice gratitude, you move closer to what the Stoics called eudaimonia, a good spirit, a flourishing soul. You see life as it truly is: transient, interwoven, and deeply precious.”

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People are sharing mind-numbingly simple solutions to problems it took them years to figure out. – Photo credit: Canva

Life Hacks, Skills

People admit their most embarrassing ‘duh’ moments that took them years to figure out

Visual illusions offer a fun behind-the-scenes glimpse at how our brains work and their limitations. For example, you might see a simple image of two faces side by side, as if about to kiss, and struggle to find any hidden symbols or messages in the picture. Once you realize the image can just as easily…

Evan Porter

3/15/2026

Visual illusions offer a fun behind-the-scenes glimpse at how our brains work and their limitations. For example, you might see a simple image of two faces side by side, as if about to kiss, and struggle to find any hidden symbols or messages in the picture.

Once you realize the image can just as easily be seen as the silhouette of a vase or candle, your eyes immediately find it. You simply get “locked in” to the way your brain originally perceived it, and for a while it’s difficult to see it any other way.

The classic “Rubin Vase” illusion.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

This phenomenon isn’t restricted to the way our eyes and brains perceive visual images. Simple, everyday tasks or problems can have the same effect. Sometimes, a challenge seems frustrating, difficult, or even impossible when the blindingly simple solution is right in front of us the entire time.

These “duh” moments can take an embarrassingly long time—years, even—to occur to us. But we’re all equally guilty of overlooking the obvious from time to time. Thankfully, some brave souls on social media are sharing their most embarrassing “duh” moments so the rest of us don’t feel so alone.

1. You can wait for the shower to warm up before getting in

A user on Reddit bared their soul with this one:

“I didn’t realise you can warm up the shower before you get in for years. Nobody told me the proper procedure so for years I would turn it on while I’m inside already, then kinda hide in the corner while I wait for it to warm up.”

Surprisingly, they’re not the only ones. While there’s a whole subset of people who believe a few minutes of cold water does the body good, there’s another—perhaps larger—group of people who simply never realized waiting for the water to heat up was an option.

@lammylami
the shower was not on
♬ Fields in the Rain – Spirit Twin

2. You’re allowed to separate bunches of bananas at the grocery store

Another poster was eternally frustrated that the store never seemed to have a bunch of bananas in quite the right size. It was always either too few or too many. It took them years to realize there was an incredibly simple solution:

“I didn’t realize until I was 25yo that you were allowed to rip apart banana bunches at the grocery store to get the amount you want. I always thought you were required to grab a bunch that had the exact amount you wanted.”

3. Turn the electric toothbrush on once it’s in your mouth

A viral post on X had everyone laughing at the thought of specks of toothpaste flying across the bathroom:

“When I was 18 I bought an electric tooth brush. I would apply paste to the bristles, turn it on and try to shove it in my mouth as fast as possible without slinging the paste everywhere. One morning, my then girlfriend looked at me and asked ‘why don’t you turn it on after you put it in your mouth?’ Top 5 dumbest feeling I’ve ever felt in my life.”

There’s an easier way to brush your teeth. Photo credit: Canva

4. A double scoop of ice cream can be two different flavors

One person had been living their entire life under the crushing weight of wanting to try multiple flavors of ice cream but not being able to—until it hit them:

“[Recently I learned] that if you order a double scoop of ice cream, it doesn’t have to be the same flavor for both scoops. I grew up poor and never had double scoops as an option. I learned this a few weeks ago and I’m 47.”

5. Scraping the dishes before washing them makes cleaning less disgusting

Another Redditor admitted they dreaded doing the dishes because of all the soggy chunks of food floating around in the water:

“It only recently occurred to me that I can use a dry paper towel to wipe away the bulk of the filth straight into the garbage can making doing dishes notably less disgusting. Why’d it take me so long to think of that?”

6. A dull box cutter blade can be saved

There’s nothing more annoying than digging your box cutter out of the junk drawer or toolbox and finding it dull past the point of use. If you’re like this X user and aren’t in the mood to sharpen it, you might be overlooking a far easier way to fix it: Flip it over.

“I threw away 3 box cutters before i figured out you can not only flip the blade when it gets dull but you can replace it too…..”

7. You can (usually) lift up the stove grates, or even the entire top

Cleaning the stove is a gross, annoying job. It’s made even worse when you’re unwittingly doing it on hard mode, like this person’s daughter-in-law, who must have been painstakingly scrubbing between the grates:

“I was cleaning the kitchen and had the stove top lifted up, my sons wife walked around the corner and was like ‘what the hell? I didn’t know stoves did that!! They need to teach these things in high school!’”

8. There’s an easier way to fill the coffee maker

How do you make sure you’ve added the right amount of water to the coffee maker before brewing? For some, it can be a painstaking, one-cup-at-a-time process—until they realize there’s an easier way:

“I used to always pour water into our coffee maker one glass at a time. It was such a pain … especially to fill the reservoir to the number of cups I wanted. Until I realized I could just fill the carafe with water, which has the exact same measurements, and pour the water in that way.”

“My coworker, in the first week of work, picked up the whole damn coffee maker and brought it over to the water cooler to fill it up. The whole. Coffee. Maker. He unplugged it and carried it across the office. Outstanding.”

9. Small cats can fit through big holes

Once upon a time, there was a busy man whose cats were always interrupting his work. He wanted them to be able to come and go through the door as they pleased without bothering him, so he cut two holes in it: One large hole for the mother cat, and one smaller hole for the kittens. It wasn’t until a carpenter pointed it out to him that he realized the smaller cats could just…go through the big hole.

This “duh” moment is alleged to have happened to Sir Isaac Newton, who—legend has it—went on to invent the cat flap. The story is likely apocryphal, but it’s probably based on some kernel of truth.

So, if it can happen to one of the smartest astronomers, physicists, and mathematicians who ever lived, you definitely shouldn’t feel bad the next time you realize you’ve been struggling with a problem that has a laughably obvious solution.

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Mechanics explain what happens when you drive on empty. – Photo credit: Instagram/AeschbachAuto (with permission)

Life Hacks, Skills

3 car mechanics explain what really happens when you keep driving on empty

“I wouldn’t go lower than a quarter of a tank, unless you have to.”

Emily Shiffer

3/10/2026

Hitting the gas station to fill up can be a tedious task. With gas prices constantly fluctuating and recently on the rise, many Americans are in the habit of waiting until they’re nearly on empty before filling up.

According to a survey by AAA, 24 million Americans reported that they continue driving even after their gas light signals “Empty.” Unfortunately, if you’re in the habit of doing so, it could cost you in the long run.

Three car mechanics from Aeschbach Automotive in Wisconsin explained exactly what happens if you drive until your gas light comes on. All three agree it can have serious consequences for your car—and your wallet.

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Each mechanic was asked, “Is it bad to keep driving once my gas light turns on?” Here were their responses:

Mechanic #1

Mechanic Sandro answered:

“The general rule of driving with less than a quarter tank is gonna lead to overheating your fuel pump, ‘cuz the fuel pump sits in the tank and is cooled by the fuel that it sits in. And driving on ‘E’ consistently is going to lead to burning up your fuel pump much, much faster and [lead] to premature failure.”

Mechanic #2

Mechanic Justin had a similar response, but with some humor mixed in:

“I don’t know, ask my wife, considering she’s got it on 90% of the time. Yes, it’s horrible for your car. The gas helps keep your fuel pump cool. When you’re running it low the fuel pump’s not submerged in gas anymore so it’s not staying cool. Your pump’s gonna overheat, eventually die. Just hurting it. I wouldn’t go lower than a quarter of a tank, unless you have to. A quarter of a tank, fill it back up. Quarter of a tank, fill it back up. It’ll be cheaper in the long run ‘cuz you won’t have the repairs and you won’t be pumping so much gas into your tank every time.”

Mechanic #3

Finally, the third mechanic, Antonio, also shared his advice:

“Yes, because when your gas light’s on, you’re running low on fuel. And the fuel pump inside the tank needs to be submerged by fuel because it’s what cools the fuel pump. If you don’t have enough fuel in it, the fuel pump’s gonna get hot and prematurely fail.”

Viewers share their experiences driving on “E”

People had a lot to say about their experiences driving on empty and left a number of funny and relatable comments:

“Drove on E for a week, Toyotas were made by God😂.”

“Listen… If I’m gonna be struggling, my fuel pump gonna be struggling, too 😂”

“I drive my 4Runner on E consistently and always have. I’ve never had a problem. Therefore I keep doing it. 🤷🏻‍♀️”

“Great info! I knew the ‘tank rule’ but I never knew WHY it was beneficial.”

“So you’re saying my anxiety keeps my fuel pump safe? Perfect.”

“I’m in California $5 a gallon I’m always on E.”

“Oh wow! Didn’t know that – now I’ll look at quarter of tank as if it says empty.”

Fuel pump 411

The fuel pump is an important part of your car.

“The fuel pump, or fuel sender unit, is responsible for sending pressurized fuel to the fuel rail on the engine,” automotive repair YouTuber speedkar99 explained. “It is normally situated inside the gas tank, cooled by surrounding fuel.”

Keeping enough fuel in your tank can help prevent expensive repairs down the road. AutoZone noted that fuel pumps typically cost between $75 and $250 for the part alone. However, that doesn’t include labor. With parts and labor, the average cost rises to between $400 and $600.

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A woman is blown away by wisdom. – Photo credit: Canva

Life Hacks, Skills

Woman’s request for ‘life-changing sentences’ is a gold mine of wisdom

“Never miss anyone who knows how to find you.”

Tod Perry

3/9/2026

Sometimes, a simple phrase or sentence of sagely advice can have a huge impact on our lives, whether it’s from a religious text, a mental health expert, or an old saying your grandmother lived by.

Chelsea Anderson, a content creator in Denver, Colorado, loves to collect these pearls of wisdom, so she asked her TikTok followers to share their favorite “life-changing sentences,” and they delivered by the thousands.

Anderson is a popular figure on Instagram and TikTok for what began as babysitting life hacks, but she’s since graduated to becoming someone who “explains it all,” a playful riff on the 1990s sitcom Clarissa Explains It All.

“I collect life-changing sentences,” she said in the video. “You know, something that you read and you’re just like, wow, this changes everything. I’m gonna give you some of mine, and then I wanna hear yours.”

@chelseaexplainsitall
I will compile the best ones and make another video! #quotes #inspiration
♬ original sound – ChelseaExplainsItAll

Her life-changing sentences of wisdom

“Growth can feel like grief when you loved who you were.”

“The only way to discover all of the talents that you have within you is to give yourself permission to be a beginner.”

“Don’t worry about disappointing people who do not impress you.”

Commenters chimed in with over 3,000 of their own life-changing pieces of wisdom

The most popular piece of wisdom: “Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.”

This quote is commonly attributed to Neil Strauss, author of books including The Game and The Truth. The message is pretty simple: if you expect something from someone and never tell them, the other person has no chance to meet that expectation, which can inevitably lead to resentment.

A woman at peace. Photo credit: Canva

Quotes about life choices

“People only see the choice you made, not the choices you had.”

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.”

“Twenty minutes of doing something is more valuable than 20 hours of thinking about doing something.”

“Birds do not land on branches because they are certain the branch will hold. They land because they trust their wings to carry them if it doesn’t. Trust your wings.”

“Easy and hard are just familiar and unfamiliar.”

“You’ll never feel ready. Ready isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision.”

“I trust the next chapter because I know the author.”

A woman making a choice. Photo credit: Canva

Quotes about relationships

“Forgiveness is for mistakes, not patterns.”

There is no clear origin for this phrase, but over the past decade it has become a popular meme. The phrase matters because it’s about setting fair boundaries. We all make mistakes, but when there is a pattern of behavior the other person can’t seem to break, you shouldn’t give your forgiveness so easily. Eventually, it becomes enabling.

“Over-explaining is a form of begging.”

“You don’t have to attend every fight you are invited to.”

“Sometimes the things that break your heart fix your vision.”

“Never miss anyone who knows how to find you.”

“Accept people as they are and place them where they belong.”

“Don’t work harder than the person you’re helping.”

A woman is unsure about her relationship. Photo credit: Canva

Quotes about society

“If you’re not allowed to question it, you’re being controlled by it.“

This quote offers a way of looking at the authoritarian forces in our lives. Whether it’s the government, the educational system, law enforcement, religion, the media, or even people in your family, when you’re not allowed to be critical or ask questions, those in authority are more interested in controlling you than serving you.

“Equality can feel like oppression to the ones who have held power.”

Quotes about mental health

“You can’t hate yourself into a version of yourself you love.”

This quote is attributed to Lori Deschene, the founder of Tiny Buddha. She’s also the author of Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal, Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, and more. The quote highlights the idea that self-improvement is more likely to come from self-acceptance than from self-criticism.

“If it doesn’t change my life, then it shouldn’t change my mood.”

“Avoidance is just prolonged suffering disguised as safety.”

“People of value don’t go around devaluing others.”

“You are not the voice in your head, you are the one that hears it.”

There’s something wonderful about having little pieces of wisdom in your back pocket that you can draw on whenever things get rough. Kudos to Anderson, who asked her audience to share the wisdom many people may really need right now.

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A psychologist has found the keys to happiness, including money – Photo credit: Canva

Life Hacks, Skills

Wharton researcher discovers money can buy happiness. But these 3 other things matter just as much.

Money definitely helps, but it’s not the only way.

Evan Porter

3/9/2026

There’s no simple answer for how to be happy, but many brilliant individuals have dedicated their lives to finding the answer nonetheless.

Matt Killingsworth is one of them. A Harvard-educated psychologist and senior fellow at the esteemed Wharton School, Killingsworth has led numerous studies designed to uncover the secret to happiness. In one of his biggest undertakings, he helped design TrackYourHappiness.org, “a large-scale research project that uses smartphones to collect real-time happiness data from people around the world.”

The findings he’s cultivated over the course of his career are mandatory reading for anyone who wants to maximize the joy they get out of life. Here are just a few takeaways from his body of research:

1. Money can buy happiness. Really.

Money can buy most people a little more happiness. Photo credit: Canva

A groundbreaking study conducted in 2010 by Daniel Kahneman and others found that money does not make you happy. Or rather, money increases happiness only up to around $60–$90,000 per year—enough to live comfortably and without many of the hardships associated with poverty. Beyond that point, Kahneman found no additional benefit to earning more money when it came to happiness.

Killingsworth’s own research disagreed, showing “a linear relationship between happiness and income” with essentially no upper limit.

The two authors came together to reconcile their findings in a paper titled “Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved.” In the end, they determined that the “flattening” effect applies only to the least happy people. Meanwhile, the happiest people continued to get happier as their wealth increased.

In other words, if you aren’t happy to begin with, more money probably won’t help. But if you’re generally pretty happy, having more resources allows you to maximize your joy in new ways.

2. Buying things doesn’t move the needle. Buying experiences does.

It’s hard to say exactly why having more money continues to make most of us happier, but some of Killingsworth’s other research may offer a clue.

Money makes a lot of problems in our lives go away. But as the old saying suggests, having a lot of money also creates new problems. One thing large amounts of money do allow us to do is buy things that can help us experience joy. Well, not necessarily things.

Experiences make us happier than things. Photo credit: Canva

In his paper with fellow authors Amit Kumar and Thomas Gilovich, Killingsworth finds: “Spending on doing promotes more moment-to-moment happiness than spending on having. Relative to possessions, experiences elicit greater in-the-moment happiness.”

The study found that experiences trumped possessions in nearly every category of satisfaction, including anticipation, moment-of-consumption, and remembrance. Vacations, concerts, parties, and adventures are a far better use of your money than cars, clothes, and other material items.

3. The joy is in the waiting

Speaking of anticipation, Killingsworth has found that it is sometimes one of the greatest elicitors of happiness.

In the published paper “Waiting for Merlot,” Killingsworth and his co-authors argue that waiting eagerly is a crucial element of extracting joy from experiences, and reiterate that the happiness we feel while anticipating an experience or event far outweighs the joy we get from waiting for a material possession.

Happiness expert and New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin agrees. She writes that there are four keys to maximizing how happy an event makes you. The first is anticipation, but savoring the moment, sharing it with others, and reflecting back on it often round out the magic formula.

“Anticipation is a key stage; by having something to look forward to, no matter what your circumstances, you bring happiness into your life well before the event actually takes place,” she writes. “In fact, sometimes the happiness in anticipation is greater than the happiness actually experienced in the moment—that’s known as ‘rosy prospection.’”

4. Being present is a happiness superpower

In “A wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” Killingsworth dropped one of the biggest truth bombs of his career. He and his co-author Daniel Gilbert found “that people are thinking about what is not happening almost as often as they are thinking about what is and … found that doing so typically makes them unhappy.”

In an essay for the University of California, Berkeley, Killingsworth writes that many of the other factors involved in happiness are relatively superficial: “Yes, people are generally happier if they make more money rather than less, or are married instead of single, but the differences are quite modest.”

Our ability to stay present in the moment and take joy in our lives—not what’s already happened, or what’s coming next—is incredibly powerful:

“We found that people are substantially less happy when their minds are wandering than when they’re not, which is unfortunate considering we do it so often. Moreover, the size of this effect is large—how often a person’s mind wanders, and what they think about when it does, is far more predictive of happiness than how much money they make, for example.”

It’s no wonder so many scientists, philosophers, and researchers have dedicated their careers to understanding the mysteries of happiness. After all, most people simply want to live a happy life, and feeling fulfilled can make us healthier and help us live longer.

Finding happiness is easier said than done. Killingsworth’s research suggests that being rich and checking things off your bucket list can help in the search, but ultimately the most important part is learning to find joy in the everyday moments.

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A teacher shares affordable mental health services. – Photo credit: Canva

Life Hacks, Skills

Teacher ‘refusing to pay $175/hour’ for therapy shares the no-cost mental health resources they use instead

“This is sustainable on my salary and it’s genuinely helping.”

Emily Shiffer

3/8/2026
Mental health therapy in the United States is expensive. According to a 2024 study that analyzed over 175,000 psychotherapy providers, the average cost of a therapy session was $143.26 for those paying cash without insurance coverage.

Unfortunately, the high costs of mental health services and support can prevent many people from getting the help they need. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), nearly half of Americans with mental health needs go without treatment.

To help others, a teacher on Reddit making a “teacher salary” with “teacher mental health needs” shared the affordable mental health resources they discovered to help them stay well on a small budget after “refusing to pay $175/hour.”

@therapydebbie
#therapy #finance
♬ original sound – Debbie | NYC Therapist

“Spent a summer researching what actually exists between ‘expensive therapy’ and ‘suffer alone.’ More options than I expected,” they wrote.

They found several mental health services that were both free and low-cost. “Total: under $100/month for real, human support,” they added, noting that they receive monthly therapy at a community health clinic for $35, peer support calls between sessions for about $50 per month, and a free NAMI support group twice monthly.

“It’s not perfect. I’d love weekly therapy with a specialist,” they shared. “But this is sustainable on my salary and it’s genuinely helping.”

These are some of the helpful resources they found, along with additional suggestions from frugal Redditors who shared how they afford mental health services.

Free mental health resources
- Warmlines
According to the site, “Warmlines (also known as peer support warmlines or peer-operated behavioral health warmlines) are phone, chat, or text lines that provide empathetic listening and peer support to individuals who may be experiencing distress or loneliness, or those seeking validation from a peer with lived experience who identifies with their concerns and can offer a confidential and non-judgmental space for connection and self-directed exploration of possible solutions and alternatives.”
- Support groups
The teacher noted that they use NAMI support groups, online and in-person, twice a month.

Another Redditor shared: “I just want to add that there are many other free support groups as well: Sharewell, HeyPeers, Depressed Anonymous, Emotions Anonymous, The Tribe, SMART Recovery (if addictions to anything are part of the problem), etc.”
- 7 Cups
7 Cups is an online therapy resource. The teacher explained that, in their experience, “quality varies, but it’s free.”
- Library books
The teacher shared that CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) books available for free through their local library are “surprisingly helpful.”

Another Redditor noted, “a lot of public libraries now offer free access to meditation and mental health apps through their digital services. My library gives free Headspace access and also has Libby for audiobooks — there’s a surprising amount of good CBT and mindfulness stuff in audiobook form that you can just listen to on a walk.”
- Mental health workbooks
A fellow Redditor shared a link to Mental Health at Home, a free resource for mental health workbooks.

“I’d like to add a fairly large collection of free therapy workbooks,” they wrote.
- VA mental health services
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers veterans a number of options for free mental health support.

“In the USA if you are a military veteran who served in a combat zone, you can go to a Vet Center and get mental health support for as long as you need it,” another Redditor shared. “For me that will be for the rest of my life. Not just for people who served in a combat zone, several other qualifiers– drone operators, Coast Guard drug patrols, military sexual trauma, and a few other I can’t remember. Call and ask and they will tell you. It saved my life.”
- Apps
Redditors also shared their favorite free mental health apps.

“Chiming in with my favorite free resource: freeCBT app on iOS and Android. parts of CBT are so formulaic it can literally be a … form,” one explained. “Anyway this has definitely helped me when I remember to use it.”

Another shared: “There is also a free [mindfulness meditation] app by UCLA called Mindful worth looking into, to at least help ppl get started.”

@evan.the.counselor
Top 2 Recommendations for Affordable Support #mentalhealth #addiction #aa #recovery
♬ original sound – Evan the Counselor

Low-cost mental health resources

There are also a number of “cheaper” mental health resources available:
- Community mental health centers
The teacher noted that these offer a “sliding scale based on income.”
- Open Path Collective
The teacher noted that Open Path Collective can also help you find affordable therapists through its membership-based model.
- University training clinics
Some local universities offer low-cost services through training clinics.

The teacher shared that you may be able to find affordable care, noting that in their experience they found help for “$20-50 with supervised grad students.”

One Redditor also shared that this helped them: “The university training clinic tip is gold. I did therapy there for a year, paid $25/session, and the grad student I worked with was excellent. They’re motivated and current on research.”

Another Redditor added that they were “also seconding the university training clinic tip. The grad students are usually way more up-to-date on current research than some private practice therapists who haven’t read a new paper in 15 years. And they’re supervised by licensed clinicians so it’s not like you’re getting unqualified help.”
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