Scrolling every day online can sometimes feel all the same, or, dare I say, even boring. With algorithms automatically delivering personalized content, it becomes even more difficult to branch out beyond our interests and discover something new and unexpected.
However, today we have something just for those who want to change up their daily browsing. Subreddit Hol’Up is full of surprising twists and turns that might leave you saying, “Wait a minute!” As an extra treat, the posts they share are sprinkled with dark humor, which folks online just can’t get enough of. Scroll down to find them, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that caught you off guard the most!
While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with Tania Luna, a psychology researcher and co-author of Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected, who kindly agreed to answer a few questions about unexpectedness.
#1 Heartbreaking…
Image credits: colmflynnire
#2 I'm Stumped
Image credits: Kracka_Jak
#3 Smackdown In The Courtroom
Image credits: Unkie_Al
To learn more about the importance of unexpectedness and surprise in our lives, Bored Panda reached out to a psychology researcher, educator, and co-author of Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected, Tania Luna.
In the book, Luna, together with Dr. LeeAnn Renninger, shines a light on the most intriguing emotion that we humans feel and shows us how surprise can turn daily life into an adventure.
#4 0-100 Real Quick
Image credits: esberat
#5 Pro Gamer Move
Image credits: mlockwoodporter
#6 Law And Order
Image credits: Schwurbel_Peter
Luna tells us that, despite common belief, surprise (our reaction to something unexpected) isn’t a single emotion but a series of responses that are called the surprise sequence.
Interestingly, the first thing our body does when reacting to an unexpected event is freeze for about 1/25 of a second. This probably happened quite a lot while you were scrolling through this list, only that you might haven’t noticed.
#7 Why Batman Doesn't Get Dad Jokes
Image credits: Kracka_Jak
#8 Y'all Are Mean
Image credits: Cypher360
#9 Wholesome Holup
Image credits: DEMOPAN-TF2_69
Then Luna says, “Our brains rapidly analyze the situation to understand what’s happening.” After we grasped what was going on, she explained that “we adjust our perspective to make sense of the surprise.”
#10 Dude's Got A Point
Image credits: Andromedian_66
#11 Wait What
Image credits: no_im_not_normal
#12 ......but Do You Agree With Him?
Image credits: siempremajima
Lastly, we get the urge to share what we went through. “We relieve the cognitive burden created by the experience by passing on our story of the surprise to others. Throughout this experience, our emotions intensify. We like to say that “surprise makes us -er” (happier, sadder, angrier, funnier, etc.),” Luna explains.
#13 This Is Truly, And Epic Gamer Moment
Image credits: AndrewEpicc
#14 Wait A Minute...this Is Getting Too Relatable
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 Had Me In The First Half
Image credits: FrankiCookney
As the authors mention in the book, “We feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not. Even though most of us try hard to feel prepared and in control, surprise is at the heart of our most joyful and meaningful memories.”
Additional benefits of inviting surprises into our lives include elevating the mood, boosting creativity, enhancing learning, deepening relationships, increasing our resilience, slowing our perception of time, and making life more memorable.
#16 Holup
Image credits: killHACKS
#17 I'd Love Me Some Carrot
Image credits: DJkiller669
#18 Just Glad He's Ok
Image credits: DrMabuseKafe
To embrace unexpectedness in our lives (besides visiting the Hol’Up subreddit), Luna suggests against searching for big, elaborate experiences or adventures but instead finding small, frequent surprises, which provide more fulfillment.
#19 So Wholesome
Image credits: reddit.com
#20 Holup A Minute Here
Image credits: MentalRise8703
#21 Wait Right There
Image credits: ---Lancelot---
“Turn left where you’d usually turn right, sit in a different spot at breakfast, and shower in the afternoon. Spend more time in nature, look at people more fully, and say, “I don’t know, I wonder” often.” Accept an invitation, help someone who asks for it, and let your inner voice guide you to something spontaneous.”
#22 Ayo What’s This Person Planning
Image credits: kontonoll2
#23 Those Men Were Awf- Wait What?
Image credits: SkepticDrinker
#24 Laughing In The Grave
Image credits: memezzer
Additionally, she recommends seeking novelty, like visiting a new neighborhood, reading a new genre, or signing up for a random class. “Leave someone a small gift, compliment a coworker, and take your dog on an unexpected walk. Be unprepared: don’t check the weather forecast, don’t Google images of a place before you go there, and ask ChatGPT to assign you mini missions for the day.”
#25 Accomodation 100
Image credits: nickturani
#26 Not So Incredible
Image credits: secondestimation5
#27 Huh
Image credits: sipcris
For those who are really set on inviting more unexpectedness into their lives, Luna suggests giving themselves a surprise streak challenge. “Surprise yourself or someone else at least once per week!”
#28 Dear John
Image credits: crs1904
#29 When Life Imitates Art
Image credits: One_percentile
#30 That's One Intelligent Baby
Image credits: adithya17
#31 Yup
Image credits: __Dawn__Amber__
#32 Love It
Image credits: xyajx
#33 Children Say And Do Weird Things
Image credits: justinhr
#34 I’m Crying
Image credits: BiAdventureTime
#35 My First Roller Coaster Ride Since This Pandemic Started
Image credits: msdrxn
#36 That's How Homies Meet
Image credits: PDFfile69
#37 Hm
Image credits: BEsy3887
#38 The Pilot On The Flight Today
Image credits: jstuff846
#39 Wait What
Image credits: MemeOutMan
#40 I Love Cheating
Image credits: scooping101
#41 Metric System!
Image credits: S_Vader
#42 American Math Team Has Finally Beaten The Chinese In A National Competition
Image credits: MOTH_007
#43 Im Scared To Know
Image credits: Some-Maintenance7583
#44 The Kid In Green Is The Strongest By Far
Image credits: My_Memes_Will_Cure_U
#45 Oh Happy Birthday
Image credits: krishmurjani18
#46 That’s What You Get For Inventing Calculus
Image credits: duckykitty7
#47 Wait...what?
Image credits: Jitokeze
#48 Who Even Carried It?
Image credits: EfficiencySerious200
#49 Can Someone Explain? Like Bruh, What?
Image credits: tommy_oswalt
#50 Jalifornia Vibes
Image credits: Nintendophile79
