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British people love teasing their friends and say it actually creates deeper bonds and loyalty

"If I’m nice to you we have a problem."

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A kid gets teased by classmates. Union Jack and American flags.

According to a meme making the rounds on social media, if you playfully mock your friends, you're "300 percent" more likely to be honest, loyal and have deeper bonds with them. But here's the catch. That number seems to have been pulled from thin air, as no one can find an actual source for that statistic.

What IS true, however, is that some researchers do believe that playful teasing can be a good thing. In his article for Psychology Today, Dr. Peter Gray Ph.D cites psychologist Dacher Keltner who claims teasing is "an intentional provocation accompanied by playful off-record markers that together comment on something relevant to the target."

But what was especially interesting about this false data making the rounds was how differently people responded to it. In particular, Americans and Brits/Aussies seemed to have very different points-of-view, at least on this Instagram thread.

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Gray suggests that teasing amongst the people closest to you can take the form of showing someone you accept them despite their flaws. It can also serve as means to humble one another, encourage positive change and even test the boundaries of the relationship. "Teasing can be a sign of affection, a constructive form of criticism, or a cruel put-down. It can also be a semi-competitive verbal game, in which the players are testing one another’s abilities to keep cool in response to provocation and provide clever responses."

teasing, playful, joking, friendships An animated girl teases someone. Giphy

It's also noted how vital it is that the person on the receiving end of the "tease" understands the assignment. If their perception of the "jokes" is negative, or they're feeling sensitive, (particularly if there are third-party witnesses) the teasing slips quickly into bullying. In the study, "The Role of a Bystander in Targets’ Perceptions of Teasing Among Friends: Are You Really Teasing Me?" researchers Ildo Kim and Nicholas A. Palomares note, "Given the provocation goals involved in teasing, being teased in the presence of a third party could be undesirable to a target. The target’s response can differ depending on who the third party is (e.g., another close friend, an acquaintance, a stranger)."

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After posting two women citing this stat on the @longevityxlab, the comment section was off to the races.

A handful of people pushed back against the notion, some simply writing, "No." One, (and we can't completely confirm that this person is American) writes, "I really doubt this in most cases. I have a doctorate in clinical psychology that I earned 4 decades ago. Saying hurtful things to one another is just hurtful. I think men pretend to be comfortable with it because it seems 'manly.' There are so many positive things to say to people we love. Maybe these friends are LOYAL to the friends who passively allow them to poke fun at them. I’d like to see the research."

Referring to the naysayers, one writes, "I’m assuming most of the comments are from Americans. In Britain we know this to be true. You only rip the piss out of your closest friends."

This commenter concurs. "Indeed I’m a Brit who lives in Australia. If I’m nice to you we have a problem."

This one gets more specific. "If mates don’t call you a K--b-head or a B-----d at least once when you are in their company, are they even friends?"

Of course, it's not just Brits and Aussies. People from all over the world including those from France, Brazil and Ireland commented that they essentially see playful teasing as their love language, as well. Obviously not ALL, and plenty of Americans take part in ribbing one another.

Ricky Gervais discusses American vs. British humor. www.youtube.com

But what can be confirmed is that many Brits truly enjoy the "insult" play. It's just a thing they often do. In the op-ed "The Difference Between American and British Humour" for Time Magazine, comedian Ricky Gervais writes of his fellow Brits, "We tease our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary. We mercilessly take the piss out of people we like or dislike basically. And ourselves. This is very important. Our brashness and swagger is laden with equal portions of self-deprecation. This is our license to hand it out."

He further assures Americans, "This can sometimes be perceived as nasty if the recipients aren’t used to it. It isn’t. It’s play fighting. It’s almost a sign of affection if we like you, and ego bursting if we don’t. You just have to know which one it is."

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Race & Ethnicity

Man shares two lessons he learned from disrupting a racist joke in a group of white people

"Can you speak up? Because our silence is not benign?"

Paul Scanlon/Facebook

Paul Scanlon shares his thoughts.

Racist jokes are one of the more frustrating manifestations of racism. Jokes in general are meant to be a shared experience, a connection over a mutual sense of humor, a rush of feel-good chemicals that bond us to those around us through laughter.

So when you mix jokes with racism, the result is that racism becomes something light and fun, as opposed to the horrendous bane that it really is.

The harm done with racist humor isn't just the emotional hurt they can cause. When a group of white people shares jokes at the expense of a marginalized or oppressed racial group, the power of white supremacy is actually reinforced—not only because of the "punching down" nature of such humor, but because of the group dynamics that work in favor of maintaining the status quo.

British author and motivational speaker Paul Scanlon shared a story about interrupting a racist joke at a table of white people at an event in the U.S, and the lessons he drew from it illustrate this idea beautifully. Watch:

Speaking up in a group setting where people have an unspoken sense of solidarity is difficult. Giving up social capital and being seen as a breaking a code of sorts is uncomfortable. But that difficulty and discomfort are not excuses for staying quiet. As Scanlon points out, our silence is not benign, it's malignant. Keeping quiet while a racist joke is being told and laughed at is harmful because it allows racism to go unchecked and white supremacy to remain secure.

racism, white supremacy, white solidarity, racial justice, anti-racism Anti-racist protest signs.Canva Photos.

An important point Scanlon makes is that not only do white folks allow harm to take place when we remain silent in the face of a friend, family member, colleague, or acquaintance making a racist joke, but we are actually rewarded for saying nothing. We maintain a sense of solidarity, we gain social capital, we're seen as agreeable and establish a sense of belonging. Those rewards are an insidious form of racism that many white people aren't even aware we participate in.

We have to decide ahead of time that we're going to give up that reward and embrace the inevitable awkwardness in order to do the right thing.

In a useful video based on her book Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity, Professor Emerita of Communications and Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Colorado Denver, Brenda J. Allen, PhD, breaks down how each of us can use our privilege—whether that's white privilege, gender privilege, financial privilege, education privilege, etc.—for the good of others. Watch:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

We have to decide that ending racism is more important than embarrassment. The more people who stand firm in that decision, the less awkward it will become and the sooner we can redefine what social capital and solidarity really mean.

This article originally appeared on 6.30.20. It has been updated.

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Kids

It took 3 minutes for a child to tell David Letterman a 'knock knock' joke but it totally delivers

"Is mom tired all the time?"

YouTube, Dan Giller

Kids join David Letterman to tell jokes.

In 1992, David Letterman invited some kids from P.S. 144 in Queens to tell jokes on his show. Adorably, the children lined up on the stage next to him while he began his introduction. "You know, ladies and gentlemen. It always gives us a great deal of pleasure…"

As seen in a clip remaking the rounds on social media, he is quickly sidetracked by a bouncing boy with a bowl cut pointing and yelling. Letterman asks, "How would you like a sedative?" The boy jumps even higher, starts clapping, and says something unintelligible. Letterman replies, "Alright. One second here, son. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the new Howie Mandel."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Now the boy is super-charged. Not unlike Animal from The Muppets (the red fiery drummer), he begins flopping his hair around, pointing to himself and grunting. He gives him the old Three Stooges "Why I oughta" fists. To which Letterman says dryly, "Bless your heart."

Letterman begins again. "It always gives us great pleasure to introduce our audience to new comedic talent." The boy keeps jumping as Letterman continues. "Tonight is no exception. Here they are, from the neighboring borough of Queens, New York, it's the kids of…" The boy now slaps his knees while bouncing, once again distracting Letterman from his introduction.

The Muppets, Animal, jokes, kids, Letterman Animal drums on The Muppet Show. Giphy

The young boy next to him advises him to "calm down." This prompts Letterman to ask, "Is mom tired all the time?" This is met with huge laughter, while the boy seems to look for his mother off stage. Letterman turns back and jokes, "I can see where she might need the occasional nap."

"Here they are," he continues, "the kids of P.S. 144, ladies and gentlemen." The boy bounces and settles into a Hulk pose, reminiscent of Chris Farley in his SNL days. "Okay," says Letterman. "Is there a Peter Howard in this group?" And wouldn't you know, that's our bouncing dude who exclaims, "Yes," now reaching new heights with his bounce. "What a stroke of luck right off the bat!"

chris farley, comedian, hulk, comedy, gif chris farley strikes a pose. Giphy

The boy, whose name we now know is Peter, can barely contain himself. "Peter, what grade are you in?" He screams "6!" which Letterman is able to understand as first grade. He's asked if he goes to school with the other kids and he looks down the line and says, "I recognize Alana and Charlie."

Things now take a turn. Letterman then clarifies Peter's age, which he screams "Six and a half! Dummy!" Thems fightin’ words. Letterman continues, "Peter, I understand you have a little…" Peter starts to literally wiggle. "Who gave you money for the candy machine?" Everyone, including the other kids, laugh uproariously.

Finally. "Peter, we understand you're gonna tell us a joke." He screams, "Two of them and they're knock knocks!" He begins, "Knock knock." Letterman answers, "Who's there?" And it would appear Peter has forgotten who, in fact, is there. So, he says it again: "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Atch." "Atch who?" For a moment, Peter has forgotten again, but recovers like any well-seasoned comedian. "God bless you!"

"Very nice, Peter," Letterman replies, as Peter now seems to be playing air guitar. "We don't have time for the second joke." Again, Letterman gets the fists. Before he can even say "Okay," Peter has yelled, "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Madame." "Madame who?" And here's where Peter brings it home. "My damn foot is stuck in the damn door."

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Letterman then moves Peter over so the other (extremely patient) children can get their moment in the sun. "Lock up the equipment, boys," Letterman says as Peter inches over closer to the crew.

Next up is Charlie, who has a much calmer disposition. His joke? "What do you get when you cross a dentist in a boat? The tooth fairy." Anton gives him a much-deserved drum rim shot. "Thank you very much," Letterman says as he shakes Charlie's hand. "You have to stand next to Peter now." We hear Peter off screen screaming as Letterman moves on.

Katie is up next, and she tells Letterman she's ten and a half. After he compliments her earrings, it's time for the joke: "What do you get with a thousand bunnies in a line jumping backwards?" It's low-hanging fruit, but Letterman takes it. Pointing to Peter, he says, "That guy over there?" Peter laughs and screams, to which Letterman replies, "Okay. We'll talk about your diet later." Katie repeats the premise. The punchline? "A receding 'hare' line." The crowd goes wild.

bunnies, jumping, comedy, bouncing, jokes Hopping white rabbits. Giphy Spacehead

Next, we have Alana, who appears to be the youngest of the group. She's six and in kindergarten, which she says she enjoys. Her big blue eyes widen as it's time for her joke: "There's a little man in my hands. Will you please hold his jacket?" Letterman asks, "Where's his jacket?" She mimes handing him the little man, which he pretends to hold. "What do you want him to do? Sing, act or dance?" "Sing," Letterman answers. She replies, deadpan, "You want him to sing? I'll ask him." She pretends to hold the little man up to her ear. "He doesn't want to sing." Letterman leans in and says, "I'll give him $100 if he sings."

She tries to steer him in the right direction. "You want him to act?" Letterman agrees and again, she says, "I'll ask him." She does. "He doesn't want to act." He turns to the audience and says, "This is like every meeting I've ever had with NBC programming." She asks, "Do you want him to dance? I'll ask him." She does. "He doesn't want to dance." Letterman asks her, "What should we do?" To which she responds, "Do you really believe there's a little man in my hand?" "With all my heart," he replies. She stares at him for a long beat in which Letterman realizes he has responded incorrectly. "No, I don’t believe there's a man in your hand." Here we go. "Then why are you holding his jacket?"

This is a long-game joke, perhaps influenced by the likes of an absurdist like Norm Macdonald.

Last in line is Leonard Davis. "So it's come down to this. Leonard, how old a person are you?" He answers, "Thirteen," which he explains puts him in sixth grade. "What is the difference between a snowman and a snowwoman?" Letterman repeats the question and adds, "I have no idea." Leonard brings it home. "Snowballs!" This gets a giant applause break, to which Letterman says, "There are kids here!"

snow man, snow, comedy, kids, jokes A snow man spreads out his arms. Giphy Chippy the Dog

He looks down the line and, referencing Peter who has never stopped jumping, says, "I want to thank most of you for being here tonight." An absolute classic and the crowd goes wild.

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Humor

Husband wakes up wife to pretend they're mid-Uno game and her reaction is adorable

"Waking up to a 'draw 4' is diabolical"

Canva

A husband pranks his wife with an Uno game.

When Kaleonahe Curry Puller went to sleep one night, she probably looked forward to getting good rest and, hopefully, pleasant dreams. What she didn't expect was to be jarred awake by her husband gently putting Uno cards in her sleeping hand while nudging, "Babe. Babe. It's your turn."

On the very popular TikTok account @kaleonahe_asantya, husband and wife team Bryan and Kaleonahe post hilarious and wholesome "couples" videos. In many of them, they prank one another, which, according to an article from the Cleveland Clinic, is healthy for a relationship. They share psychologist Susan Albers's view: “A good laugh can reduce our stress level, increase our immune response and, some studies suggest, help us to live longer."

On this particular day, Bryan thought a good old-fashioned sleeping prank was the way to go. On the viral clip, a chyron reads, "I woke up my wife in the middle of the night and made her think we were playing Uno" on the bottom as Bryan sneaks the card into her hand. She ever-so-slightly stirs with a "Hmmm?" to which Bryan says, "It's your turn, draw four."

@kaleonahe_asantya
I was getting that “GOOD” sleep‼️ #funny #funnyvideos #family #prank #foryou #foryoupage #explore #explorepage #viral #trending #followers➕ #humor #hilariousvideos #laughter

She groggily looks at her cards and questions with a quiet, "Huh?" He repeats, "Draw 4, babe." And then asks, "How you gonna turn over and fall asleep in the middle of a game, babe? C'mon."

She rubs her eyes and earnestly asks, "Draw four, what?" and is met with his laughter. Again he says, "It's your turn! Babe." She then looks at her cards and rolls over to scan the deck. He continues to rib her, saying, "Babe." She's now awake enough to say what we're all thinking: "What? Stop saying babe."

He stays in the bit and replies, "Well, you're just sitting there! Draw four. I put down a four, you've gotta draw four cards." And here's the best part: Kaleonahe actually begins fanning out her cards and retorts, "I'm seeing if I have one," (meaning a four, so she doesn't have to draw four cards.)

uno, card games, reverse card, playing games, prank An alien presents an Uno Reverse card. Giphy GIF by Quirkies

He tells her she doesn't, and she looks up with suspicion. "You already looked at my cards?" He denies this, but she understandably asks, "When were we playing Uno?" She then dutifully draws four cards. He immediately puts down a green card. She's full-on playing now, and it's simply so cute how agreeable she is, even half-asleep. She looks through her cards and changes the color to blue. He then tells her to "draw two," and now she's awake. She looks at his card and back at her deck, with one hand on her weary head.

She asks one last time, "When were we playing this?" He never breaks character, and it's a sight to see.

At over 3.5 million likes, the tens of thousands of TikTok comments are as delightful as the prank itself. One person notes, "You could have at least given her a good hand." Someone else suggests he "do 'Go Fish' tomorrow night."

Lots of people notice how strong the relationship seems and what a good sport she is. "Women are such team players in relationships! Sleepy and all allowed her boo to disturb the peace for Uno — too cute!"

Kaleonahe Curry Puller and her husband Bryan prank each other. www.youtube.com

The clip is making the rounds again on Insta Reels and YouTube, thanks to Kaleonahe's reminder that it got over 30 million views on TikTok. One Instagrammer claims they might have handled things differently: "The way she turned over and played is real love because the amount of not-so-nice words that would have come out of my mouth from being woken up from a dead snoring sleep."

Someone else jokes, "This is the meanest thing I've ever laughed at."

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Celebrity

Robin Williams and Martha Stewart can hardly keep it together in this classic cooking segment

"I feel incredibly honored to have grown up in an era where we had this wonderful man."

via Martha Stewart/YouTube

Robin Williams making Martha Stewart crack up.

It's hard to believe it’s been over 10 years since the great Robin Williams left our world. The man left a fantastic legacy of laughs, from his time on TV’s Mork and Mindy to his performances in comedy hits such as Mrs. Doubtfire and Disney's Aladdin.

Williams was also an incredible dramatic actor, giving memorable performances in films such as Dead Poets Society and Good Morning, Vietnam.

But the Comic Relief star always shined brightest when he improvised on stage, whether on talk shows or in stand-up comedy. One appearance on Martha Stewart Living from 2004 has been making the rounds recently because of how quickly he improvised jokes while cooking with Stewart. It’s also great because Stewart plays the perfect straight woman to Williams, although she has a tough time holding it together.

Whenever Stewart mentions an ingredient, whether cumin or brown sugar, Williams turns it into a comedic riff. He also jokes in Spanish and does a few accents that feel off-color over 20 years later, but they’re delivered with the best intentions. Williams also walks a bit of a tightrope during the segment while he tries to keep his humor appropriate for daytime TV while reacting to Stewart, who is “rubbing the meat.”

- YouTube youtu.be

"I feel incredibly honored to have grown up in an era where we had this wonderful man," the most popular commenter on the YouTube video wrote. "His ability to change characters on the fly is remarkable," another added. "His spontaneous humor is unmatched! He was an incredibly smart, kind and funny man. He is sorely missed!" another commenter said.

Who were Martha Stewart’s favorite guests on her show?

Years later, Stewart would admit that Williams was one of her favorite guests on the show. "We had so much fun because he was the fastest wit and the fastest mind and his mind was like a computer," Stewart told AOL in 2022. "No matter what I said, he had a retort and he was so quick. I was marinating meat and he loved that—can you imagine what he did with 'marinating meat' and 'rubbing the meat' and 'ooh la la?' Watch the segment; it's really good."

— (@)

What’s The Many Lives of Martha Stewart film about?

Although Martha Stewart has rarely been out of the spotlight over the past five decades, she’s been in the news recently after releasing the new Netflix documentary about her life, The Many Lives of Martha Stewart.

The film follows Stewart’s journey from teen model to Wall Street stockbroker to the queen of entertaining and good taste. Eventually, she would become America’s first self-made female billionaire. The documentary also discusses the insider trading scandal that sent her to prison in 2004.

The film also reveals Stewart’s guiding philosophy. “I have two mottos. One is: Learn something new every day. And the second one is: When you’re through changing, you’re through,” Stewart says in the film. “Change that garden if you don’t like it. Rip it out and you start all over again.”

If you want to relive the hilarious moments between Stewart and Williams in your kitchen, here’s a recipe for the Chili Espresso Steak Rub.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Modern Families

Wife has the perfect response when husband introduces her to coworkers as 'The Housewife'

She began by laughing hysterically.

via Artur Voznenko/Unsplash

An angry wife shares her thoughts with her husband.

A husband invited some new coworkers over for dinner and instead of properly introducing his wife, he made a sexist joke that she felt was belittling. The wife, who goes by the name Sadie on Reddit, shared the story on the AITA forum to ask if she responded correctly.

Spoiler alert: Yes, she did. “My husband invited his new coworkers over for dinner. When they arrived, he introduced me by gesturing at me and saying, ‘This is Mrs. Smith (he didn't even say my name)...the housewife!'" Sadie revealed.

“I looked at him for a second, then I started laughing hysterically,” Sadie continued. “I then told said, ‘No, honey, I work full time, and YES I still act like a housewife when I'm home because you simply can't bother to help.’” After Sadie’s remark, the guests stared at the husband, who tried to laugh it off and then changed the subject by asking them if they wanted a drink.

The rest of the dinner was awkward, with the husband and wife exchanging angry glances. After the guests left, the husband blew up at Sadie, saying that she laughed like a “lunatic” and that she ruined “his image.”

couple, fighting, spouses, husband, wife Husband fussing at wife.Canva Photos.

“I told him he was wrong to lie about my status and deny my degree, to begin with,” Sadie continued. He said I could've talked to him about it privately later but not like this, and making his coworkers think he's useless.” Sadie asked the online forum if she was out of line, and they responded with a collective, "No!"

People overwhelmingly supported the wife, raising an issue far beyond the fact that her husband was seriously inconsiderate. It’s a big red flag in a relationship when one spouse diminishes or belittles the other in public or private.

“Men who diminish their partners to look better at the office are gross. He only seemed to care about his embarrassment and not yours. I'd be mortified if my husband used a lie that robbed me of my success and accomplishments to prop himself up," one user responded.

“It's a red flag for the relationship. He doesn't want a partner who is an equal. He wants a dependent woman who he can provide for completely so he can feel like a man," another user added.

Some also noted that it was wrong of him to disparage homemakers.

"He diminished (being a housewife is not a ‘low’ role, but he meant it that way) you in public, you corrected him. In public. As he deserved,” said another.

woman, red flag, gif, couples, fight Red Flags Reaction GIF by Kamie CrawfordGiphy

The viral post received over 24,000 comments, highlighting the idea that belittling your partner is a serious sign of a dysfunctional relationship that should not be ignored.

According to Psychology Today, backhanded compliments, digs, and subtle put-downs are attempts by one partner to make the other feel small and themselves feel big. “Although cleverly disguised as a joke or a compliment, these comments may qualify as ‘toxic’ if they sting, cause confusion, and replay in a person’s mind for days, disrupting their peace,” Erin Leonard, Ph.D. writes.

Ultimately, commenters overwhelmingly agreed that Sadie was right not to let her husband's belittling compliment go unnoticed. By sharing it online, she opened up a meaningful discussion about appropriate humor in relationships. Studies show that it’s healthy for partners to joke around with one another, but when the comments are thinly veiled put-downs and backhanded compliments, it’s no laughing matter.

couple, couple fighting, husband and wife, red flags, conflict Husband and wife sit on opposite sides of the couch looking unhappy.Canva Photos.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Humor

13 men spill the weirdest, silliest secrets women don't know about guys

At some point, we've all fantasized about sacrificing our lives so others can escape danger.

Canva Photos

Tongs must be clicked a certain number of times. And all men dream of saving the day.

Men are simple creatures. We have far more emotional depth than we get credit for, but in truth we're very easy to please. It doesn't take much at all to truly make us happy: Good friends, a pat on the back, throwing rocks into a river. You know, the good stuff.

Alas, guys remain completely misunderstood. Modern masculinity forces men to wear masks, to conceal their emotions and true deepest desires for fear of ridicule and rejection. And it turns out that those deepest desires aren't really all that unusual. If you've ever wondered what the men in your life are really thinking about, it's probably much simpler and sillier than you could have ever imagined.

One man took to social media to clear up a few misconceptions. He posed the question: "What’s a 'guy secret' that’s completely harmless but weirdly universal?"

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humor No matter their age, men yearn for a sleepover with the boys. Photo by Husna Miskandar on Unsplash

Men from all over the world were eager to chime in and spill the tea, even as others jokingly urged them not to reveal too much.

1. Men play little pee games in the bathroom

"Peeing on the side of the toilet so there’s no noise," one user wrote in the popular thread on Reddit's r/AskMen.

Or aiming for little real or imaginary targets in the bowl. All guys do this whether anyone realizes it or not.

2. Men love a good hole, or a stick, or a rock

"It's also pre programmed that I must go and have a look if I see a bloke digging a hole," someone wrote.

Many users agreed that finding cool sticks and pretending they were guns or swords was a staple pastime. If you thought this was only something little kids do, you thought wrong.

3. Men also love a good piece of heavy machinery

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humor Men appreciate a good piece of machinery.Giphy

"Had a problem with the fire alarm at work yesterday. A few of the guys and I went out to check out the firetruck. Real nice piece of machinery, that," a guy shared.

Tractors, Monster Trucks, helicopters. You don't have to be a total gearhead to appreciate the amazing engineering at work on these vehicles.

4. Men fantasize about saving the day

One guy said, "The most random universal one I can think of is at some point (or often) fantasizing about saving the day. School shooters, hijackers, someone robbing an elder in front of you, some dudes trying to hurt someone.... and in all situations you turn it around. Think everyone has thought of it at some point"

Can confirm. We've all pretended or imagined that we were the hero, rehearsed our lines for the follow-up interview on the evening news, and no, this urge doesn't go away any as we get older.

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humor Men secretly want to be Captain America. Or just Chris Evans.Giphy

5. Men love the nod, and its many facets

'"The nods' with their subtle differences, but completely different meanings," one user wrote.

Another translated some of the meanings: "Nod up: what’s up dude? Nod down: hello sir"

And, "Nod to the right - come here and look at this. Nod to the left - can I have a word with you outside?"

And they say men don't communicate!

6. Items demand to be tested and fidgeted with

"When holdin a drill, it must be Zzzt Zzzted....Tongs must be clinked at least twice," someone wrote.

One does not simply hold a ball without tossing it from hand to hand, either.

7. Men dream of making the ultimate sacrifice

"We all fantasize about our death having meaning or purpose," someone added. "Holding the line while your brothers retreat. Sacrificing ourselves to save others. Fighting the boss fight and winning but slowly bleeding out in the soft snow and silence of a winters night. Till Valhalla, my brothers."

Yes, we all basically want to go out like Boromir from The Lord of the Rings. Gotta die one way or another anyway, right? Might as well go out in a blaze of glory.

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humor A hero's death is something men fantasize about regularly.Giphy

8. Men sometimes perform acts of chivalry that no one notices

"Sadly maybe not universal, but my mum taught me the man always walks on the side of the road to protect the lady from puddles and such. ... A fair few of my exes didn't understand why I was switching sides when necessary, when we crossed the road or something," someone wrote. "I thought it was a shame it's not common. ... On the flip side, if I see a couple walking around, and see the man on the correct side, I immediately gain respect for him without having to know him in the slightest."

For many of us, holding the door for strangers or waiting to make sure a friend or loved one gets inside their house safely before we leave; things like this are engrained in us from a young age, even if they're sometimes invisible.

9. Men are deep, but very capable of thinking about nothing

"When we say we are thinking about nothing, we are thinking about nothing," a user wrote.

Others clarified that nothing can mean nothing, or can mean a stream of thoughts so inane and irrelevant that we wouldn't dare to speak them out loud, even if we could make sense of them.

10. Things should never be handed that can be thrown instead

"You never hand another guy the keys. They must be thrown, even if you’re 18" apart," a guy revealed.

I take this approach with my kids. Oh you want this shirt? Better catch it!

men, masculinity, truths about men, misconceptions about men, toxic masculinity, reddit, viral, funny, humor We like tossing things instead of handing them over.Giphy

11. Men are highly superstitious.

The obvious must always be stated out loud, lest something terrible happen.

"If you don’t slap the tie down ratchet strap and say the words 'That’s not going anywhere' then it will in fact go somewhere," one guy said.

Similarly, if it's raining outside, we must always remark that it is 'really coming down out there' even though everyone can see it with their eyes.

12. Men secretly want a hug.

"Some guys want a hug bad but are afraid to say it. Try putting out a hand and saying 'do you do handshakes or hugs?' and a lot of people want a hug," a user added.

Don't assume that guys don't want or enjoy physical affection, even from each other, just because they might be too embarrassed to initiate it.

13. For guys, it doesn't get any better than adding another log to a roaring fire.

"Putting logs in a bonfire and watching it while being amazed. Never gets old," one man wrote.

How could you ever get bored of watching flames dance around?

The thread is a great reminder of the simple things that really make life worth living. A popular myth says that men think about sex every seven seconds, and otherwise they are machines of pure ambition, strategizing and scheming how to make more money and get ahead. Not so! What people don't know is that most of the time men are thinking about playing the hero, clicking a pair of tongs, or even nothing at all.

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British people love teasing their friends and say it actually creates deeper bonds and loyalty

"If I’m nice to you we have a problem."

Man shares two lessons he learned from disrupting a racist joke in a group of white people

"Can you speak up? Because our silence is not benign?"

It took 3 minutes for a child to tell David Letterman a 'knock knock' joke but it totally delivers

"Is mom tired all the time?"

Husband wakes up wife to pretend they're mid-Uno game and her reaction is adorable

"Waking up to a 'draw 4' is diabolical"

Robin Williams and Martha Stewart can hardly keep it together in this classic cooking segment

"I feel incredibly honored to have grown up in an era where we had this wonderful man."

Who were Martha Stewart’s favorite guests on her show?

What’s The Many Lives of Martha Stewart film about?

Wife has the perfect response when husband introduces her to coworkers as 'The Housewife'

She began by laughing hysterically.

13 men spill the weirdest, silliest secrets women don't know about guys

At some point, we've all fantasized about sacrificing our lives so others can escape danger.

Woman's whimsical 'Wheel of Fortune' guess is so bad it made her an instant legend

Woman calls out Champion for ill-placed pleat on new sweatpants and people are cackling

Millennials struggling to buy a home want 'out of touch' Boomer parents to get their reality

A hundred years ago, everyone wore hats. In 1960, they suddenly stopped. Here's why.