Many of us did stupid things as kids. But for some people, the stupid acts don’t stop when they reach adulthood. Just like kids, they have to be told “no” in order not to do something extremely foolish, yet even that doesn’t always prove effective.

An abundance of stoopid things people—young and old—have done in their lives was recently discussed by members of the “Ask Reddit” community. One user asked them, “What’s the stupidest thing you’ve seen someone do despite being expressly told not to do it?” and the community delivered.

Scroll down to find stories ranging from hilarious to concerning (but mostly hilarious), and see for yourself just how many stupid ideas and how little common sense some people have in everyday situations.

#1

When I was in grade 8 we had a science class were we were supposed to be describing the properties of chemicals. We were shown how to waft the hand over a vessel to get a smell, not to taste it, etc and then were given a beaker of liquid to write observations about. We were constantly warned to follow the protocols we were taught.

One kid grabbed his beaker, drank it down, and said it’s water. He was immediately kicked out of class and later that day I heard the teacher talking about how at the last minute he decided to use water as a first chemical instead of an acid because of how stupid this one kid would be. He wasn’t wrong.

Image credits: Hammerhil

#2

I worked tech support for copper phone lines. Had an old German sounding lady on the phone saying her phone was electrocuting her while she was holding it. The phone she was talking to me on. I told her to please stop using the phone and we’d send someone out to see what’s going on. This lady just kept screaming about how bad it hurt to hold the phone and how much pain she was in. I was like lol just hang up idk what to tell you, but she just stayed on the phone in agony until I ended the call.

Image credits: Grub-lord

#3

It was me.

I saw a red hot burner, asked my mom what red feels like. She responds telling me not to touch it that it’s very hot and will hurt me badly. I then decided I wanted to see what red felt like.

Image credits: somedoofyouwontlike

#4

Climb into a cardboard baler because he threw his phone in and wanted to check after he already crushed it. I yanked the key out and he was fired immediately

Image credits: tryinandsurvivin

#5

I was chaperoning a field trip where the 7th graders got to shoot compound bows. They were expressly told multiple times to NOT dry fire the bow (pulling back and letting go without an arrow).

One kid literally did that as soon as he was handed a bow and broke it. Luckily these were small/low strength pullback bows so he didn’t get hurt, but he sure as heck got benched for the rest of class.

Image credits: ConsultantForLife

#6

Safety video: “Do not stick your hand in liquid molten plastic.”
5 minutes on plant floor
Supervisor to Me: “Hey, take Johnny to the hospital because he stuck his hand in molten plastic and has 3rd degree burns.”
That was the end of Johnny. I never saw him again.

Image credits: TimeWear6053

#7

The tech next to me was using canned air to clean a dusty computer. I noticed he was tilting the can to the side really far to get into the fans so I told him to be careful because if you tilt it too far it’ll spray sub zero temp liquid that can freeze-burn your skin. He said “really?” and then immediately turned the can upside down and sprayed directly into his palm. I was just speechless while he clutched his hand and cursed.

Image credits: stanley_leverlock

#8

I worked in an aquatics store, and I told a new hire to be careful when working in the coral vats because the halogen lights got stupid hot (this was before LeDs and they were out the way of customers) so I told him not to touch. As soon as the words left my mouth, he stuck his fingertips on the light. Had to get him to A&E (accident and emergency or the ER for the Americans), and almost 20 years later, I can still hear the sizzle of skin

Image credits: Ulfgeirr88

#9

When I was 5 years old, my dad poured some sort of strong and relatively toxic deep cleaning liquid on our wooden dinner table to remove a stain. He jokingly told me not to taste it, and left the dining room for a moment while the deliciously green liquid was dissolving the stain.

I stared at it for a while and proceeded to lick it.

Image credits: TennoHBZ

#10

Picking up a box jellyfish and continuing to hold it the entire time it was stinging him.

Image credits: Zoidberg_Why_Not_31

#11

Parents: hey hey why are you smacking that with a stick?

Youngest brother: Because told me too?

Parents: Common you can’t use that excuse, you can’t do everything tells you to do. You can’t jump off a bridge if he told you to jump of a bridge.

Older Brother: Hey, jump off that bridge.

Younger brother runs a a head, jumps off bridge, and disappears from view

Think 2 or 3 feet off the ground over a drainage ditch in a park with loose rocks for the water to trickle through. He should not have disappeared.

Broken Ankle.

Completely Hilarious until we realized we had to go to the hospital.

Image credits: bluejams

#12

Saw a truck driver get his fuel tank caught on fire hydrant. Everyone yells at him to stop and points at the problem. Driver gets out looks at it, jumps back in and proceeds to try RAM his way through. Ruptures his fuel tank AND breaks off the hydrant.

Image credits: Complete-One-5520

#13

A guy i used to work with in a composites factory was moving a 10 ton mold from one part of a machine to another. The guys working with him told him not to rotate it after putting it down because he would drop it. He immediately rotated it and it fell to the bottom of the machine, breaking lots of stuff along the way. He doesn’t work there any more.

Image credits: isurelovemylife

#14

I used to work at a restaurant that specialized in soup. We always kept it on the burner on the stove so it would be piping hot when it was served. Every time I would bring it to the table I would say the same thing:
“Bon Appétit! Here’s your soup. Now be careful because it’s piping hot.”

And every. Single. Time. They would say:
“OK!” And then immediately take a sip of it and go.
“Ah! Thats..That’s… really….”
“Hot?”
“Yes..”
“Yeah, I know. I just told you that.” 😆

Image credits: wetfootmammal

#15

New hire running a press brake, which is a large machine used to bend sheet metal. The new hire was holding the part with one hand and resting his other hand on the bed of the machine.

Three different times he was told to NOT put your hand on the bed. The last time he was told there was a large amount of four letter words used to try an impress upon him that you do NOT rest your hand on the bed.

He would keep his hand away for awhile then go right back to it. He got into a rhythm and he placed his hand on top of the bottom dies rather then the bed. Top dies came down with 35 tons of force and crushed all four fingers off of his hand.

Image credits: Empereor_Norton

#16

Leaving the boardwalk in those areas of Yellowstone where you could break through the surface into a scalding hot spring.

Also in Yellowstone, approaching a bison “because they’re so cute”.

Image credits: merciful-tehlu

#17

One that happens entirely too often.

Tell the new guy do not watch p**n on the company computers.

Then I get a call from my boss saying the new guy got himself fired for watching p**n.

Seriously people, if it is on their network they can see it. Incognito mode will not save you.

Image credits: Ok_Spell_4165

#18

My cousin was living with us and the milk he purchased for himself was several days out of date. “Hey Nate, just a heads up that this milk is really expired so make sure you don’t use it.” Then I left it in the fridge so it didn’t stink up the trash before I could walk it to the outdoor trash bins. He immediately got up from the couch, walked in the kitchen, opened it and took a sip. Then immediately started heaving into the sink. It was straight up CHUNKY. He could have just taken a small wiff of it or even LOOKED at it to tell that it was, indeed, very spoiled. 

Image credits: Echolmmediate5251

#19

I did not see this first hand, but the story when through my hospital many years ago. Med school teaches us not to removed penetrating objects without caution under appropriate conditions. A patient presented with a screwdriver in his head. Med student reaches in a pulls it out. Everyone around yells at him to stop. He then proceeds to reinsert screwdriver to patients head!

Image credits: anon

#20

Lick the radioactive component of a military long range communications device.

Image credits: headhunterofhell2

#21

We where out and drinking with some friends. In the group was this guy and he was drunk as f**k and was saying he could jump over a car. We laugh not thinking anything of it. All of a sudden he runs in to traffic and jumps towards a car. Got hit and got thrown across the street where an other car hit him again.

No need to say, he was in the hospital for a long time. Never saw anything stupider than that

Image credits: Souleke_sounix

#22

I shot a 12-gauge shotgun with one hand. The gun flew out of my hand and almost hit my best friend in the head

Image credits: Secure_Seesaw_2023

#23

When I was in college there was this idiot that, despite being told multiple times that it was a bad idea, decided that he just HAD TO grab onto the electric fence around his friends property. I’m told that the noise that came out of him was hilarious.

Yes. I was that idiot.

Image credits: Afraid_Ad_1536

#24

Pour hot water on their icey windshield.

Like 4 of us going into the corner store told her not to do it, one of the guys told her in Spanish. She looked at us for like a second holding the steaming cup of water. Then broke her windshield by pouring hot water on it.

She then stared at it in total disbelief. One of the people who tried to warn her exclaimed in an extremely animated manner. Throwing his hands in the air then dropping them down near his knees “B***H, we f****n’ told you”..then she cried.

Image credits: MiasmaFate

#25

I had a friend looking for his first car and he wanted a BMW or Cadillac, which was pretty crazy considering we both worked the same job making less than $30K a year. After searching for two months, he finds a 2011 BMW 335i for $16k. But after six months of having the bmw it breaks down badly and it’s back to him getting a ride from people to work. Four people out of the six of our friend group told him to get a Honda or Toyota as a first starter car and he said “no I’m worth more than that. I want something nice”Now three years later hes still paying on the bmw that hasn’t been driven in 2 1/2 years

Image credits: Johnnytestikal

#26

Co-sign a car loan for a friend.

Image credits: SousVideAndSmoke

#27

11 years in the Army, I’ve seen it all.

Still remember from Basic that Kentucky kid who just couldn’t grasp the concept of not mixing uniforms with civilian clothes.

Image credits: amerett0

#28

Not me, but saw a video of a woman tell her husband not to put diesel in their car just because it’s cheaper.

Cut to… the car having to get towed. 

Image credits: chenosmith

#29

In the Navy, there was this guy who literally sucked at everything he did. You could put him in a 4×4 room with a giant steel ball and he’d find a way to lose it or break it. We were doing elevator testing, very clearly making it go up and down and ensuring people were CLEAR of the shaft before every operation. Obviously you’d get crushed to death hanging around that area while the platform was moving.

We get to the bottom of the shaft and I checked to ensure it was clear. I start walking up to tell the operator it’s all clear and they ask “Where’s McPhearson?” I look behind me and see he didn’t follow me up. I go all the way back down to the bottom of the shaft. Where is this MF? INSIDE the elevator shaft SLEEPING.

Image credits: Money_Breh

#30

During the peak of the DC Snipers spree someone I went to school with pulled the fire alarm to get out of a quiz. This is a few days after the middle schooler was shot. All of us evacuate our onto the field and line up. Then someone notices there are people with rifles on top of the building next door. People the teachers, administration, and apparently local cops have no idea about. Naturally we start booking for the treeline. Turns out they were FBI HRT snipers who just didn’t notify anyone they were there. A whole series of poor choices were made that day, pretty sure the other student got expelled for putting the entire school in danger. I guess technically no one told them not to pull the fire alarm while someone is all over the area shooting people including children at school, but it’s the kind of thing that shouldn’t need to be said.

#31

One night out with a group of friends, someone challenged another friend to climb on a really high street lamp. He was pretty drunk and not a great climber even in his peak condition. We told him several times to let it go but of course he went “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED” and started climbing the street lamp. To his credit despite being drunk he actually managed to get on top of it. The problem is he had no idea how to climb down and ended up just jumping down from way too high. The result? A broken foot, a broken ankle and 2 friends (me and another) that had to pick him up, walk 1 hour to the nearest hospital and spend the night there with him

#32

Saw a guy attempt to climb a ladder his friend was holding. Not supported by a wall, just his friend holding it.
Just as I passed it started to go wrong and I helped catch the ladder. He got down and we laughed at the close call. I get 10 steps away and he is head first in a hedge with the ladder around his waist.

#33

Anyone have a 3 or 4 year old?? You could name 5 things everyday..

#34

My daughter, always jumped in front of traffic. Most untrustworthy individual I’ve ever been around. My nerves were shot until she grew out of it in her mid teens. Nobody could convince her not to do it. How’s she’s still alive is beyond me.

Image credits: DucktapeCorkfeet

#35

Investing in Hawk Tuah girl memecoin.

#36

20 years ago I was deer hunting with a buddy. He had borrowed a gun from a friend while I had my own. We had come back to the parking lot from the woods to take a break and get some lunch.

The gun he had was a lever action, a temperamental one at that. You must swing the lever in full – all the way out, all the way back, no exceptions. Doing this ejects the prior shell with the out, and loads the new shell with the back action.

Reloading to head back into the woods he loads the magazine and cycled the action so a bullet was in the chamber. Now he halfway opens the lever to peek and make sure the round is in the chamber. But this causes a jam, and he didn’t know enough about guns to clear the jam. So I had to basically halfway disassemble this gun I don’t even own to fix it, put it back together, and show him exactly what he should do rather than what he did.

So he reloads it, cycles a round into the chamber, and f*****g peeks AGAIN. I was like dude, why did you do that? So I fix it again, tell him again you cannot open this action halfway, it’s not a bolt action. If you open it halfway and then close it the gun will jam. The only way to look in the chamber is to fully cycle a round.

So we go through this again, I fix this g*****n gun a third time, and he F*****G DOES IT AGAIN!! It was that day I realized what a true moron was.

#37

My friend asked me to “hold his beer”, so I did. He then jumped off of a cliff face and seriously injured himself.

#38

Wearing gloves while using a table saw. He “didn’t want to get any splinters”, and I believe he didn’t, though I did have to sift through a pile of sawdust to find his severed thumb for the paramedics, you win some you lose some I guess.

#39

On an aircraft carrier. 

We were using a chain hoist to lift a 25HP electric motor out of a main engine compartment. (About 175 pounds of metal going 60 feet straight up)

An officer pushed past me, the safety observer, past the yellow warning tape,  and into the stairwell. He proceeded to stand under the motor and stare up at it.

#40

Stuck a key in the outlet…not once, but twice. My mother thought after the first time I wouldn’t need to be told again. Same key, but different outlet.

Might explain why I became an aircraft mechanic/avionics technician. Now I’m trying to switch from mechanical engineering to electrical engineering.

Then again I was always that kid. Had to touch the hot stove, and to see if the fence was really electrified.

#41

Expressly told a patient not to smoke for 48 hours after an extraction (told him this before scheduling him too so he already knew) as that would all but guarantee a dry socket. They didn’t make it 5 feet out the door before lighting up. They were my first patient 3 days later with a painful dry socket

#42

I was in a class for cooking/baking.

One of the students with me got her oven mitt soaking wet after she put it under running water because it caught on fire.

I told her, not to use that mitt replace it before you grab something from the oven.

She didn’t listen and got a b***h of a steam burn. (And dropped our pie.)
They weren’t in class again and the next semester that class wasn’t offered.

#43

“Do not stick your head into that jets intake”

Jets don’t have reverse gears. You have to push them back manually, there are places to grab them.

You have to teach people to not do that, but there are really dumb people that don’t listen, and suffer the consequences.

#44

I was a prep cook in a college town restaurant kitchen. One of the other cooks was in the university’s ROTC program and was bragging about his “fire proof” nomex gloves. He decided to show off what they could do by donning a glove and submerging his hand in a pot of boiling water.

Nomex is a fire-***resistant*** fabric. It is neither heat resistant nor water proof.

#45

Not the most stupid but the most frequent:

There’s a particular kind of IT request that I’ve had to talk people through a lot over the last three years. Probably about one time in ten we will get most of the way through the under-two-minute process and I’ll get to the bit where I start to _really very slowly and clearly_ say:

“Ok, now it’s REALLY IMPORTANT that you do NOT click the submit button until you have-“

and then I watch in horror as their cursor immediately darts down towards the submit button, clicking it viper-like as if they’re going to win a prize as I am then forced to continue with

“…have changed the selection in the next drop-down box to [specific thing] because otherwise this [sharing tool] which you have now requested will actually only be available to you, and will not be created in the version that allows you to share it. At all. Ever.

And since we don’t have the access permissions to just delete the variety of things you have just created, you need to:
1. Wait up to 24 hours for the confirmation email to arrive with the details you need so you can…
2. Lodge a ticket with the service desk asking them to delete the thing you have created before you…
3. Choose a new and different name for the thing you’re creating, because now you’ve used it, even though you’ll delete it, you can never re-use the same name twice, so now you can…
4. Go and start painfully rewriting your process and planning documents to refer to whatever the new name of this will be, and resend all the communications emails you sent out to the people who were meant to be using this thing too.

TL;DR: There is a specific type of person out there who – no matter how carefully and clearly you explain what they need to do – will just continuously click around on random things they can see on their screen until they make an unfixable error even as you repeatedly say “Please stop clicking things!”. I do not know why but these people show up at all ages and in all kinds of different workplaces but the approach is exactly the same and it’s mystifying.

#46

“Don’t swim across that river, there’s crocodiles in it just hire a ferry.”

Bro didn’t feel like paying the ferry fee of like 3 bucks and tried to swim across the river. Low and behold a croc grabbed his foot and twisted it off. He lived btw.

#47

I’ve been a server for 4 and a half years and anytime I tell someone, “careful with this plate, it’s hot” they proceed to burn their fingers on it. Why!? Did you think I was making it up to mess with you? Even if I was, why would you risk it? Did you think I was challenging you to see how long you can touch it? I will never understand people who do this.

#48

When I was a manager at an oil change place we had this kid who was a total idiot. (My boss told me everyone deserves a chance)
He pulled the wrong plug and drained a transmission. We told him several times to not pull a plug unless he was 100% sure it was the oil drain plug. He drained about 6 more transmissions before I finally had enough and fired him

#49

Bunch of my cousins and I were ice skating on our grandparents’ pond. We were using hocky skates, and my second youngest cousin was trying to jump over a folding chair while doing a 360. I said, “Bro, don’t do that. you’re going to break an ankle.” He said, ‘No, I won’t! Watch, I’m gonna get it this time!” Then, on that very attempt, he proceeded to break his ankle. We all laughed because at first we didn’t realize he broke his ankle. Then, once he tried to skate it off, he immediately had a stabbing pain and needed to take off his skate. We literally watched the swelling start. Blew up like a balloon. Then it was off to the hospital.

#50

Had an ex-boss who was expressly told by HR to quit with his sexual harassment; he had “two strikes” by then.

He then decides to specifically mention my breasts in a public conversation. He was gone within the hour.

#51

Stabbing a hole through some cardboard with a screwdriver and hitting their hand

The idiot was me

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