Most of us have heard the phrase, ‘There is no question that is a silly question’. And while that’s usually true, there are times when you can’t help but wonder if some questions are a little, well, ridiculous.

For instance, when Reddit user BlueCaracal posed the question, “What’s something so obvious you couldn’t believe you had to explain it to another adult?” the internet responded in full force, sharing stories that ranged from amusingly clueless to downright shocking. Keep scrolling, Pandas, and brace yourselves—these questions might seem surprisingly obvious, but they’re definitely worth a look.

#1

I talked about this before and will until the end of days because this man deserves to be shamed.

A 23 year-old man, who had the right to vote, who had a driving license, who had a job, and could get married and start a family…

THOUGHT PEOPLE WERE HANGING THE MOON IN THE SKY.

Like, the moon, Earth’s natural satellite, was being hung on the sky like… a painting on a wall?

I’m still reeling over that one. This man had gone to school, had a formal education and was actually going to college. He *learned* about that in primary school!

And the kicker? I was the one to explain it to him, because I was his girlfriend at the time.

And let me tell you, things unraveled real fast when I started paying attention and saw through the smokescreen.

Dude was willfully ignorant, and bone-dead stupid on top of it. He was really, really good at hiding it.

I dropped him like the mess he was and dived into more and more books to compensate the loss of brain matter I suffered from going out with him.

Image credits: MerryMelody-Symphony

#2

My husband had to explain to a co-worker that she couldn’t take a train from the U.S. to Europe. She insisted she had to because she didn’t like flying.

Image credits: Munchkin-M

#3

That each country does not, in fact, have its own sun.

Image credits: Reasonable-Cat5767

Whether it’s at a party, at work, or during a casual conversation, we’ve all encountered situations where someone asks something that makes you want to pause and question the state of human knowledge.

Here’s the thing: asking questions isn’t bad—part and parcel of development and learning. None of us are born with all the knowledge in the world, and curiosity is an essential part of our lives. There are times, however, that people ask questions that seem to defy basic logic or common knowledge.

#4

Why a room below sea level on a cruise ship would not have a balcony

Image credits: rosiewayffu

#5

North is not whichever way you’re facing!

Image credits: Tobias—Funke

#6

That no matter how much you might want to put a camo pattern on your walls, you (not the paint) have to determine what that pattern looks like and you will also have to purchase multiple cans of paint tinted differently because “camo” doesn’t come out of a can that way.

Image credits: VelvetWhisperer12

You might find yourself sitting in a meeting when someone asks if the office will be open on Christmas Day—despite it being a national holiday. Or you may even be engaging in a conversation with one of your friends who, out of nowhere, asks whether brown cows give brown milk. You cannot help but blink at these questions, wondering what planet you are on.

But before we jump to conclusions, it is worth analyzing what makes such questions possible in the first place. There are situations where people are just credulous or ignorant about certain things. It could be, somehow, they never got the opportunity to know it, or perhaps they’ve been given wrong information.

#7

In regards to the North and South poles, neither is “the one that is always hot.”

Image credits: LeraViiiiii

#8

That you have to have a printer to print things at home. Tech support, and I wish I was lying.

Image credits: i__hate__stairs

#9

That the aztecs and incans are not interchangeable, they were in completely different parts of the americas, and that neither of them built the nazca lines. but especially not the aztecs, who were not in f*****g peru

this person kept trying to tell me it was “up to interpretation” like no its not!!! its geography

Image credits: blueschists

Other times, it could be possible they are nervous or distracted, leading them to ask something they’d usually know the answer to. We’ve all had those moments when we asked something we later realized was a bit silly. Let’s say you finally get to see your sports idol, and out of excitement, you ask rather silly questions like, “Do you like sports?”

#10

Volunteered in a charity shop. Lady came to the counter with a top and asked if I could look in the back for one of the same colour but a larger size. Tried to explain we don’t do that because we’re a charity shop. She insisted that other shops, like H&M, have done that for her. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Eventually I just went in the back for a few minutes, made a cup of tea for a co-worker, and came out saying we don’t have any. She got mad at that too.

Image credits: Aquashinez

#11

When I worked at a doctors clinic, I had a lady on the phone wanting to book an appointment to have her flu shot. She specifically asked it to be a telephone appointment.

I could not believe that I had to explain to her that we cannot inject her through the phone.

Image credits: ItBeginsAndEndsInYou

#12

I had to explain to my mom that my daughter was growing in my uterus and not my stomach so the hot sauce on my burrito wasn’t going to cause her skin burns. I also explained if she were growing in my stomach, my stomach would certainly cause way worse burns than hot sauce.
It was then that I understood why the school nurse had to explain to me in 5th grade why I kept bleeding through my pants every month at school, and not my mom.

Image credits: WeAreAllBetty

What’s more interesting is how many people are afraid to ask questions because they don’t want to appear stupid. The fear of looking foolish in front of others can stop us from seeking out the knowledge we need. In a way, this fear can be more damaging than asking an ‘obvious’ question. It hinders us from learning, growing, and understanding the world better.

#13

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and Italy is not a town in France. Same guy. My sister dated him for far too long.

Image credits: GravityLands2018

#14

That her power was shut off because she didn’t pay her electric bill for three straight months, and the letters on neon yellow paper from the power company were sent to warn her of this happening.

She thought she was legally entitled to free electricity because “it’s a requirement for human survival.”

Edit to add: She wasn’t in need. She worked a very well-paying job, and she enjoyed shopping for expensive things. This was *not* one of those situations where she needed assistance or mercy. She needed a foot lodged firmly in the backside, and the power company put on its boots.

Image credits: Anything-Happy

#15

(from a vet tech)

1) That the ticks on a male dog were actually nipples…and that male dogs have nipples…just like every other mammal.
2) That a rabbit that clearly has visible testicles was a male.
3) That you cannot feed an animal that is strictly a carnivore (a ferret, fyi) a “vegan” diet (that thing so SO sick when it came in).
4) That yes, when you have two animals (same species) of opposite genders in the house and they aren’t spayed/neutered…they will breed. Even if they’re mother/son, brother/sister, different ages, different sizes, different breeds, etc. You’d be shocked at how many people “didn’t think this would happen”. O_o Like…do you understand biology at all?

Image credits: Affectionate-Owl183

Consider a situation where you’re new at a job, and during the orientation, the presenter talks about “the cloud.” You know you came across the phrase some weeks ago, but you can’t place what it implies.

Everyone around you seems to know, so you hesitate to ask for clarification. Now since you were afraid to ask, it could potentially lead to bigger misunderstandings later on.

#16

A friend asked me how the sun knows the clocks have changed when we have daylight savings.

Image credits: CommunicationEasy142

#17

That you cannot give your child a “smaller amount” of medicine that is only to be given to an adult. Boy that was a stressful night of very close observation and many calls to the nurse/poison control line.

Image credits: Remote_Match_6280

#18

I worked tech support for an internet provider a few years back.

A woman calls in, complaining her wifi isn’t working.

Go through the normal troubleshooting questions, what’s your device, how are you connected, and finally “what can you see on your screen?”

Crazy woman (CW): it’s black

Me: how do you mean? Are you getting errors?

CW: the whole screen is black.

Me: have you turned the laptop on?

CW: I can’t.

Me: …. Why not?

CW: I’ve lost the charging cable

Me: ok…uh, do you have another device I can help you connect with? Maybe a tablet or your phone?

CW: no, you need to get the laptop reconnected.

Me: …can you go and buy another charging cable?

CW: no, you need to send me one.

Me: we don’t supply them…also we didn’t supply you with your laptop, we just provide internet

CW: yes, and now you’re not providing me internet, so you need to fix it

40 mins this went on, as my team around me stared in incoherent disbelief that this woman couldn’t understand why her internet provider couldn’t connect wifi to a computer with now power.

I remember hanging up the phone and putting myself on break. My manager looked at me and told me to take a walk, while barely hiding her unrestrained giggles.

Image credits: Katastrophiser

In reality, making requests, even the simplest ones, should be allowed and even encouraged. It’s easy to forget that at some point, everyone was ignorant of something.

The person who doesn’t know what the cloud is might be an expert in a completely different field, with knowledge you don’t possess. We all have gaps in our understanding, and the only way to fill them is by asking questions.

#19

We cannot hold period blood in

Image credits: miz_moon

#20

That raw meat juices, especially that of chicken, should in no way come in contact with other foods.

I learned this in 8th grade home ec, so I was 13 years old.
I had to explain to a 40-year old that no, you can’t put grilled chicken back on an unwashed cutting board that still has raw chicken juices.

Image credits: Throwaway03461

#21

That New Zealand, the country we were both born, raised and living in, is not in Europe. Edit to answer most of your questions: her reasoning is that when she fills out forms and has to tick a box for her ethnicity, she ticks “New Zealand European”. She thought that option was there because we are European and therefore in Europe. I had to explain to her that just means SHE is of European decent. That her ancestors lived in Europe. I also had to explain that not every New Zealander ticks that box. That there are other ethnicities here too.

Image credits: AriasK

As a matter of fact, these are some of the most successful people in the world; they got to where they are today because they did not care how crazy the questions they posed were. It is the quest for answers—for more information, more detail—that fosters purpose and new ideas.

#22

I hope this isn’t too racy for this sub…

I had to explain to a grown (college-educated!) adult that no, a**l sex does not “cause” AIDS. That no, if both parties are HIV-negative, they cannot “create” AIDS by engaging in this activity. NO, Daniel, that’s not how viruses work!

Image credits: candlestick_maker76

#23

When you save a file on Windows, the save window actually lets you save the file into a particular folder. You don’t have to go into your recent items to find it and then move it to where you want it to be saved. This person had been working an office job at a computer for more than 5 years at that point

Image credits: Dr_Octahedron

#24

That driving north meant the whole trip was uphill.

I laughed at her until I realised she meant it, ended up laughing at myself cos there’s no way I was going to explain it to her.

Image credits: AliHea59

Even if a question seems silly at first, it’s better to ask and learn than to remain ignorant. Life is full of mysteries, big and small, and the only way to solve them is by staying curious and never being afraid to ask.

#25

I was picking up Italian Liras one time (1999 – pre Euros) from a bank in Tennessee. The teller brought me the envelope. When I opened it to count the money, she looked at me with total surprise and asked, “Do other countries have different money?” A bank teller. ??‍♀️

Image credits: Pirate-Legitimate

#26

When COVID first hit the US and there were no real treatments for it or vaccines or anything, I caught it and got lung clots and had to spend a week in the hospital. Numerous people on the floor I was on died. The guy in the bed next to me had it and they had him under an oxygen tent. He fought with every single person that came in to check on him, refusing to believe that he had COVID. He thought literally everybody was lying to him about what was wrong with him.

He wound up dying about the fourth day I was there. To this day I hear people make comments that it doesn’t exist or never did or whatever dumb thing they have to say about it. I have to turn around and walk away from them or ignore them on whatever platform I’m on to avoid smacking them up beside the head.

Image credits: PickleManAtl

#27

My bosses wife was learning how to use a computer. She typed in the numbers 1 to 9 and then asked how you typed in a number 10.

We were very diplomatic.

Image credits: Rubberfootman

#28

Africa is a continent and not a country

Image credits: Mission_Literature44

So the next time someone asks you a question that makes you do a double take, just like the ones in this list, remember that we’re all just trying to figure things out. Embrace the moment, share your knowledge, and maybe even learn something new yourself.

#29

It was at work. I had to explain that if they didn’t do their job me or the next shift had to.

Image credits: LoveDistinct

#30

Used to work at a daycare. One day a little mouse entered the premises and caused an uproar until we caught and released it in the playground. 

After the whole ordeal, one of my colleagues (who was the dumbest person I’ve ever met) said: “let’s hope it didn’t lay eggs anywhere!” 

I was too stunned to speak and just stared at her, while my room leader/friend said, in the most done-with-this-s**t way: “Mice don’t lay eggs, .” and walked off. 

EDIT: I love how so many people in these replies are trying to find a different interpretation of what she must have meant, or say that she must have been joking 😀 but no, unfortunately I have to tell you she was 100% of the opinion that mice lay eggs because she even doubled down about it later.

Image credits: Miezchen

#31

That dogs are artificially bred, and that there aren’t wild golden retrievers, wild chihuahuas, and wild Maltese just running about that we’re catching to make into pets.

Image credits: ooOJuicyOoo

#32

When I was 19, I explained to a middle-aged woman that Jesus was not blonde haired, blue eyed, spoke English and from America.

Image credits: AWL_cow

#33

I had to explain to a restaurant worker that eggs are not dairy. Chickens do not have mammary glands. Someone who is allergic to dairy can eat eggs and chicken. Mayonnaise, containing eggs and oil, is therefore not dairy. 

She was looking at me like I was the stupid one, the whole time.

Image credits: annotatedkate

#34

The difference between Chinese and Japanese people.

Image credits: ChoirBoyComparedToMe

#35

Incremental tax brackets. a dude at my work thought he was going to make less money if he got a raise

Image credits: smashisbeast

#36

Whales don’t lay eggs.

Image credits: Tobias—Funke

#37

That women do not all have their period at the beginning of the month all around the world at the same time.

Image credits: itsteeeee

#38

I work in travel. I’ve had to explain time zones more than you’d believe. So, if you leave Sydney at 2pm and fly ~14 hours, crossing the international dateline, you arrive in LA at noon – about 2 hours “before you left.” I’ve watched this emoji ? happen in real time.

Image credits: Majestic_Tangerine47

#39

That you can still get pregnant with the woman on top ??‍♀️ “gravity doesn’t work like that!”

Image credits: Mysterious_Silver381

#40

I had to explain to someone you can’t buy like two pounds of lunch meat and eat it for a month. The concept of things spoiling was new to him. To be fair, we were both college students and he was living alone for the first time.

I used to work at a coffee shop and had to explain what filling something halfway meant to a woman I was training. She didn’t understand the concept of half.

Image credits: Lafnear

#41

That cold sores are herpes.

I’ve also had to explain repeatedly that mice are not baby rats. Like…a lot.

Image credits: MamaTried22

#42

I had to explain to a fully grown adult that yes…your car’s keyless entry remote does indeed have a battery in it just like a TV remote and yes the button stopped working because the battery is dead and you need to replace it. I also had to tell him that if you’re going to buy huge bags of dry dog food and keep it in your garage which you leave open most of the time…you might want to actually close the bag and maybe even put the closed bag in a container with a lid instead of letting it sit completely open and then always wondering why the dog food is full of bugs, spoils fast and attracts rats and raccoons.

I wish I could say he was a super brilliant engineer or something but yeah…no.

Image credits: EasyBounce

#43

That the earth was bigger than the moon. Long story short- this was the beginning of the end of our marriage. He and I had an argument in front of the kids the entire five hour drive. He was telling the kids how stupid I was to correct daddy.

Omfg

Image credits: Realistic-Most-5751

#44

I had to explain to my two coworkers that it wasn’t some magic fairy that was throwing away their coffee cups. They were joking around one day that their (old) coffee cups always disappeared by the next day and I had to tell them it was me and that I had to start doing it because they kept getting left in the way and being knocked over. I was off for a few days and came back and there were cups everywhere.

Image credits: sicksages

#45

People on the internet can and will lie to you

Image credits: Boring-Report-4257

#46

That an item damaged in a car crash did not qualify as a manufacture defect covered under warranty. The store refund policy was 90 days, and she had a receipt over a year old.

Image credits: WishieWashie12

#47

Where pineapples come from.
That orcas and narwhals are real animals.

Image credits: popsibaby

#48

How to make ramen.

The directions are on the packet. I pointed that out, their response was “i thought it was too simple to have directions on it”.

Image credits: Due_Purchase_7509

#49

I had to explain to 2 teenage girls (15 and 16) that the reason the candle went out was because they put the glass lid back on it’s jar. 1 of them said that fire can only be put out with water. I explained that fire needs oxygen and putting the lid back on it cut the supply. When they didnt understand after explaining a few times I had to explain it to them like toddlers. “Fire is hungry, so it eats the air. When all the air is gone, it goes to sleep. Bye bye fire.” The double “ohhhh” was too much.

P.S. The look on their mama’s face was so funny. She turned to me, threw her hands up, and said “I’ve failed.” In the most defeated tone. That poor woman.

Edit: I would like to point out that we did, in fact, have a serious talk to these girls about proper fire safety, and when to NOT use water on an open fire.

Image credits: AntibellumMoon

#50

A girl was staying with my family and had brought her dog. The dog got hurt at one point (freak accident) that required surgery on a back leg and the “Cone of Shame” to be worn.

At one point, she started cutting off a bit of the cone.

Me: Careful, cut too much, and he’ll be able to reach his stitches.

Her: That’s alright. He’ll be able to keep them clean.

I had to explain to her, very slowly, that the purpose of the cone was to keep him from licking the stitches and pulling them out. She honestly thought the cone was just an aesthetic thing.

Image credits: talledega7

#51

I had to explain to a friend of mine who had grown up with me that no you cannot vote for Trump in the Australian election. He is not a candidate for anything here.

#52

That bocconcini, Parmesan and feta are dairy cheeses. I used to work in a pizzeria and had to explain to this vegan couple on multiple occasions that these cheeses all were made from dairy.

It got to the point I had to grab the original containers and read the ingredients on the third try to get it to sink in.

#53

My mother once had to explain, to a fellow teacher, that humans only have one appendix.

#54

Her child (my child’s half sibling) could not have inherited a trait from my child, because that trait was inherited from me.

“But they’re brothers!!”

#55

That the moon wasn’t self illuminating from within.

#56

I had to explain to a doctor’s receptionist from Michigan once that Canada was not located somewhere mysteriously “across the ocean?”, but rather across the border… from Michigan. My mom and I spent the car ride home in stunned silence.

#57

When i was in culinary school i had someone ask me if their water was boiling. It was bubbling. I said yes.

#58

I had to explain to a 22 year old friend of mine when I was 18 what ovulation was. We’re both women, she had no idea.

#59

A small pizza is not the same size as a large pizza even though they have the same amount of “slices”…….

#60

I had to explain to someone that New Mexico is in fact part of the United States, not a part of Mexico. I assume they failed Geography.

#61

New England isn’t part of Europe (to three different people). Get your s**t together, Arizona public school system.

#62

Orange juice from concentrate doesn’t come from a place called “concentrate”.

#63

That the sun was a star.

“No it isn’t, it’s a Sun. I learned that when I was like 6.”

#64

I was amazed in my old workplace how many young adults, like early 20s or so, couldn’t tell the time from the wall clock.

#65

Blood is red and not green

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