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Health

Doctor shares why you should never flush the toilet with the lid open

This will change your flushing habits immediately.

toilets, flushing, dr. rajan
via Miriam Alonso/Pexels

A woman flushes the toilet.

Dr. Karan Rajan, a super popular TikTok user who creates videos about health and medical mysteries, posted a video about the dangers of flushing the toilet with the lid open and it will definitely change how many people use the restroom.

It will also make those who’ve always flushed with the lid open recoil in fear and shiver with regret. According to the doctor, every time you flush the toilet, an invisible raging sewage volcano flies out of the bowl, contaminating everything in the bathroom.

“Your puny human eyes can’t see this, but there's a tidal wave of microscopic particles that fill the air after a flush," Dr. Rajan says before sharing a video that appears to have been filmed with an infrared camera. The video shows that when a toilet is flushed, particles from the bowl are projected into the air at 2 meters (6.5 feet) per second.

"The same droplets can reach 15 meters (49 feet) above the toilet bowl within 8 seconds. Toilet soup goes everywhere,” Dr. Rajan says in the video.

(Note: The audio appears to have been disabled on the video.)

@dr.karanr

Shut the lid

Dr. Rajan ends the video by sharing some basic hygiene tips: "Close the lid, wash your hands, stop touching your eyes so much and maybe move your toothbrush.”

While the video may upset those who have flushed with the lid open for years, one commenter made a horrifying observation. "So flushing whilst still sitting down is a bad idea then," Kevin Wilson wrote in the comments. "This is the first thing that I thought when I watched this," Mr Unknown added.

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Joy

5 small things that made us smile this week

Your weekly cheat sheet to the best of the Internet

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Life can be bleak, so we’re going to be celebrating the small joys while we can—whether that’s asweet snack that boosts your mood (courtesy of our friends atAll In), or a picture so incredibly goofy it restores your faith in the algorithm (even if only for a second). These momentary mood boosters are everywhere you look—you just have to be able to find them underneath all the noise. And that’s where we come in.

Consider this weekly web series your cheat sheet to the best of the Internet—not just random memes to make you laugh, but examples of people truly finding something extraordinary in the mundane. Each Friday we'll be delivering five pieces of media that allow you to stop for a second, take a breath, and feel just a little bit brighter among the daily stress. (Think of us as your chronically online bestie who knows exactly how to make you smile, exactly when you need it the most.)

Ready to smile? Here we go.

1. Unplanned triplets 

@murdockmultiples The first of many family reactions to our spontaneous triplet news! Telling my parents we were expecting spontaneous triplets 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻 And yes my dad didn’t understand that “Baby B” meant twins at first 😂 #spontaneoustriplets #tripletreaction #triplets #murdockmultiples #murdocktriplets #surprisetriplets ♬ original sound - Murdock Multiples

Pregnancy reveals are always fun to watch, but this one is three times as exciting. In this viral TikTok clip, these new grandparents get exciting news when their adult daughter tells them she is pregnant with twins. But wait–there’s more. In what’s probably the shock of their lives, she then reveals that, on second glance, there’s a third baby in there. As in, spontaneous triplets. Three babies. Unplanned. Their reaction is both adorable and totally real: “I don’t even KNOW people with triplets!” Congrats, grandpa–you’re the people, now!

2. Little moments of morning joy

This week, the All In crew is polling people on the streets of New York City about small, everyday things in the morning that bring people joy, from gorgeous greenery to the early morning sun catching the light in just the right way. Just listening to these is making us feel super relaxed.

3. This teacher doing the absolute most for Pride Month

@joey_.veres Mr. Folnsbee the ally that you are @nadipowers @lanie @Fatty ♬ suono originale - 𝙎𝙊𝙁𝙏𝙇𝙔

Meet Mr. Folnsbee, a high school teacher from Horseheads, New York who’s taking Pride Month to the next level. In support of Pride Month (and, presumably, the LGBTQIA+ students at his high school), Folnsbee lets students bedazzle his head with rainbow gemstones—so much so that it looks like a giant, glittering Pride flag. Talk about setting a good example for the next generation!

4. The "goodnight" trend 

@sydsacks I’ve been cracking up at this trend so I made Peter call his besties to say goodnight 🤪 #goodnight #besties ♬ original sound - syd

Calling a friend and wishing them goodnight is a sweet gesture, right? What if the person you were calling was someone you haven’t spoken to in years, or someone with whom you’re just a casual acquaintance? That’s what people are doing in this new TikTok “prank,” and the results are so funny they’ll have you crying. They’re also so sweet, as the responses range from being confused but polite, to wanting to have a long conversation, to being genuinely concerned for the caller’s mental health. It might be a “prank,” but it definitely shows how much we all truly need human connection.

5. Spontaneous street singing

This could only happen in New York City. Instagram users @sabrinakvictor and @thecoryterrell — who were strangers before this video — shared a moment recently on a chance meeting in NYC when the two started singing the exact same song. Watch as the two of them vibe out to "Impossible" by James Arthur and try not to smile or sing along as you watch them (it's actually impossible). The joy here is actually contagious—and the harmonies are on point.

For even more “extra”-ordinary moments, come find us on social media (@upworthy) or on upworthy.com!

For scrumptious snacks that add an extra boost of joy to your day, be sure to check out All In.

Culture

Philosophy expert shares the 'simple but profound rule' to tell if someone is a good or bad person

It comes down to a specific type of kindness.

via Canva/Photos and G.Meiners/Wikimedia Commons

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and a scene at a restaurant.

Have you ever met somebody new and wondered if they were a good person with a mischievous streak or a bad person who can turn on the charm and behave occasionally? Determining someone’s true moral character is important, especially if you start dating them or have a business relationship. It is crucial to get to the core of who they are and know whether they can be trusted.

Popular TikTok philosopher and Substack writer Juan de Medeiros recently shared a great way to determine whether someone is good or bad. His rubric for judging someone’s moral character comes from a quote commonly attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet, playwright, novelist, and intellectual known for works like Faust and The Sorrows of Young Werther.

How can you tell if someone is a good or a bad person?

“Here's a pretty good indicator that somebody is a bad person and vice versa, how you can spot a good one. And this goes back to a simple rule, a moral aphorism by Goethe in which he writes, ‘Never trust someone who is unkind to those who can do nothing for him,’” de Medeiros shared in a TikTok video with over 45,000 views.

“Never trust someone who is unkind to those who can do nothing for him,” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

@julianphilosophy

Good vs. bad #good #bad #wisdom

De Medeiros then provided real-world ways to determine whether the person you have questions about is good or bad. “A bad person is unfriendly to strangers, to the elderly, to children, to service staff, to anybody they're not trying to impress,” he said. At the same time, the good person treats people equally, no matter what they can do for him. They’re good for goodness sake, not to get anything out of it.

“A good person carries grace within them and shares it freely with abundance. A good person treats other people as they would like to be treated as well. And it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what your status is, they will treat you and see you as their equal,” de Medeiros said.


What is 'The Waiter Rule'?

Goethe’s quote echoes the common red/green flag test that many people have on dates. Sure, it's important if your date is courteous and treats you well on the date, but you really want to watch how they interact with the server. The rule is often called “The Waiter Rule,” outlined by William Swanson. Swanson, the former chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company, wrote in his book, 33 Unwritten Rules of Management, "A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter—or to others—is not a nice person." Boxer Muhammad Ali is also known for saying something similar: "I don't trust anyone who's nice to me but rude to the waiter. Because they would treat me the same way if I were in that position."


Rudeness toward the waitstaff also indicates that the person isn’t very smart. It’s not wise to be rude to someone who is in charge of your meal for the night.

Conversely, a good person is kind to others without looking for anything in return because they want to spread joy and believe that others deserve respect. You are what you do, not what you think or believe, and when someone treats others with goodness, it's a clear indicator of the type of person they are.

In the end, we are all a mixed bag of behaviors and attitudes, and even the most perfect of us has a devil on their shoulder telling them that it’s okay to occasionally get into a bit of mischief. However, when it comes down to determining someone's core character, how they treat those who can do nothing for them says everything.

This article originally appeared in April.

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Humor

People share the most embarrassing things they've ever said and the cringe is delightful

A psychologist explains why those moments stick in our minds.

en.m.wikipedia.org

A photo ofJohnny Depp in 2020.

There's never a dearth of cringe when it comes to the embarrassing stories we all (or at least most of us) have. In sharing those stories, maybe we can't completely mend humanity, but it's nice to not feel so alone.

So, I'll start. I went to the premiere of the movie Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on the Paramount lot many years ago. The film's star, Johnny Depp, was making the rounds with his publicist and they were almost to my tiny table. My breath got shallow, my eyes watered from anxiety. My boyfriend at the time told me to "chill"—which always helps a person chill. I did not chill. He said, "Just tell him you liked the movie." I thought, yes, that's what I'll say. But when we were finally face to face, I completely panicked. And instead of something appropriate like "How 'bout that Sondheim?" I said, and this is exact, "We're both wearing hats." He looked at me, gently, and agreed that yes, we were both wearing hats. I added, now feeling more at ease, "They are brown hats."

Johnny Depp, brown hat, premiere, movie star, celebrityJohnny Depp at Pirates of the Caribbean event | Andy ...www.flickr.com

I couldn't make eye contact with my boyfriend the entire ride home.

There are so many online threads dedicated to embarrassing things people have said over the years. You know, the ones that stick in your mind, well…forever. In the r/AskReddit thread, someone simply posited, "What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever said or done?"

The replies range from adorable to downright high-alert awkwardness. Cutely, this person shares, "I once called my teacher 'dad' once."

Also in school, but less wholesome, this person had an oopsie in Home Economics. "In middle school cooking class we had to come up with the name of our fake restaurant in groups. We decided on the Chum Bucket from SpongeBob. I had to go type it in to be displayed on the giant screen—yep, I typed 'C-- Bucket' on accident. I don’t think I even knew what that word meant yet."

spongebob, cartoons, happy dance, Nickelodeon, cringeGIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy Nickelodeon

And since we're talking about school days, here's one more from my personal vault. In 9th grade, Brian, on whom I had the biggest crush, offered to walk me from World History to English—complete with carrying my bookbag, like it was the 1950s. I struggled to find anything to say, as I was so nervous, and finally, after wracking my brain, asked, "So what school do you go to?" I asked this of the guy carrying my books in the SCHOOL WE WENT TO.

A few other Redditors got racy with their confessions. "Let someone use my phone to look up something. Forgot the last thing I did was watch porn and that was the tab that was open." A Redditor responded to that with, "One time I forgot to close the tab, got in my car with my buddy, my phone auto-connected to Bluetooth... you see where I'm going with this."

And this one takes the spatula. "I accidentally spanked my fiancé in front of his mother." (It's later explained she didn't realize the mother was in the room.)

Now here's a sweet one that could happen to anyone. "Once, I was talking to someone I thought was a long-lost friend, and I went on about how much I missed them. Turns out, it was a complete stranger who just had the same name. I still think about how red my face was when I realized."

hugging, friendship, awkward, cringe, gifTwo people embrace in an awkward hug Giphy

Psychologist David J. Hallford explains in his Psychology Today article "Why Do I Remember Embarrassing Things I've Done... and why do I feel ashamed all over again?" that these thoughts and feelings are common. "We’ve all done it—you’re walking around going about your business and suddenly you’re thinking about that time in high school you said something really stupid you would never say now."

But digging into why these memories pop up is rather interesting. "Memories might share a type of context (different beaches you’ve been to, restaurants you’ve eaten at), occur at similar periods of life (childhood, high school years), or have emotional and thematic overlap (times we have felt close to or argued with others)." In other words, as our brains were developing, synapses connected and emotions ran high. That explains why so many "embarrassing" memories seem to come from our younger years.

That, and well, wearing a hat with Johnny Depp.

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Science

Frugal people share 30 things they stopped buying completely to save money

There's so much we buy and use simply out of habit.

Image via Canva

Frugal people open up about how they save money.

Saving money is never a bad thing. And for those looking for economical solutions for how to cut back on spending, a smart place to start is taking an inventory of your spending habits and what you buy.

In an online forum of frugal people, member TS1664 posed the question to fellow savvy financial members: "What’s something you stopped buying completely and don’t miss at all?"

They continued, "For me it’s paper towels. Switched to rags and microfiber cloths a year ago and haven’t looked back. I used to go through a roll a week without thinking, now I just toss the cloths in with regular laundry. Saves money and space."

And they ended the post with some more insight. "It made me realize how many things I was buying out of habit, not need. What things others have cut out completely that turned out to be no big deal or even better without. Could use some inspiration!"

The callout garnered some excellent real-life advice from frugal people. These are 30 things that thrifty people shared they stopped buying completely that helped save them money.

save money, saving money, money habits, money advice, savingMake It Rain Money GIF by A Little Late With Lilly SinghGiphy

"Dryer sheets." Super-Examination594

"Starbucks - bought an espresso machine, took some time to learn how to dial it in and pull a proper shot. It’s been 4+ Years and don’t miss it one bit." Fox_137

"Makeup! Used to wear it every day and buy tons of it to try new products and such. Now I only wear it for special occasions. It works great — even just a little bit of makeup really pops when you hardly ever wear any." VerschwendeMeineZeit

"Soda. Too expensive now. Pre-pandemic, sometimes Kroger would have a sale (4) 12-packs for $10." NotJimIrsay

"Cigarettes 😊." rickety_picket

bottled water, bottled waters, water, plastic water bottle, water martial arts water GIFGiphy

"Bottled water." WorriedPermission872

"Most fast food but especially McDonald's and bk. When I paid $20 for two adults' meals, it stopped making sense, and I'll cook better burgers and better sides fries at home for less." diegothengineer

"Cable tv subscription." nombreusuario

"Pizza delivery service. Frozen meals are just as unhealthy, but much cheaper." The_Keri2

"We started our pizza making journey by buying dough (under $2) at trader joe's. it really lowered the barrier to entry. once we kind of perfected the bake etc, we started playing with dough recipes until we found one we loved. it sounds painful but it was a good learning experience and fun to do together." suddenlymary

candles, candle, scented candle, buying candles, glass candlechristmas sniffs GIF by TargetGiphy

"I stopped buying scented candles. I used to grab them all the time on impulse, but they’re expensive, don’t last that long, and honestly gave me headaches half the time. Now I just open a window or boil some citrus peels with cloves if I want the place to smell nice." HollisWhitten

"Cigarettes and nicotine pouches! Been smoke free since august 2021 and pouch free since July 2024 :)." HueLord3000

"Amazon Prime. We stopped paying for the privilege of shopping and making money for Bozo. Now, we just put stuff in the cart until there is enough for free shipping. I don’t miss Prime, I never found anything on Prime video I wanted to watch once that wasn’t a rental. We live in a rural village, so online is cheaper than driving 25 to 50 miles to a store." cwsjr2323

lottery, lotto, lottery ticket, scratch off, scratch offsAnimation Scratch Off GIFGiphy

"Lottery tickets." evissamnoisis

"Hair color. I’ve embraced the gray!" phishinfordory

"I’ll add sandwich bread. I started making my own. It costs just over $1 for me to make a small loaf that’s just enough for the 2 of us for a week. Plus no additives or preservatives." BeerWench13TheOrig

"Books. I go to the library." Significant-Emu1855

library, library card, library book, books, readingDog Glasses GIF by County of Los AngelesGiphy

"Broth. Have an ongoing 'broth bag' going in the freezer. Once I run out of frozen broth cubes, I make another round." Colorfulplaid123

"New clothes from shops! I'm now a charity shop and Vinted gal, my clothes are so much better quality and I spend less." CorinaPhoto

"Bidet toilet seat is cheap, easy to install, much easier and faster to use, and most importantly will keep you far cleaner while not wasting any toilet paper." hopopo

"Menstrual products. Bought a menstrual cup back in 2016 and have not looked back." simply-misc

"Chip clips. I buy cheap old wooden clothespins! Works great and if they break, no biggie. It’s $2 for 24. I also use clear shower caps for dishes I have no lids for or it’s something that can’t have a lid, like deviled eggs. I use the shower caps. Much cheaper than those bowl covers they sell 8-12 in a pack for $1.25. Those bowl covers are kind of pricey and you get 1 large and 2 mediums and a bunch of tiny ones!!" Florida1974

alcohol, quit alcohol, drinks, pour out, drinkingPour One Out Malt Liquor GIFGiphy

"Alcohol." Fit_Artichoke_523

"Baked beans in the can, I literally keep everything on hand to make it so it was an excess purchase. Instant rice packs, I make regular rice, 20 minutes is not that long 😆 We keep getting gifted napkins but we don’t purchase them." Miss_Pouncealot

"Soap in a pump bottle. Switched to bars (Costco). So much value, less trash and plastic, and a better experience. Why did we invent pump bottle soap??" thebiglebowskiisfine



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Family

Man brilliantly points out the unexpected effect of growing up with 'judgmental' parents

"Not enough people talk about this.”

Photo credit: Canva

How judgmental parents taught us to anticipate a judgmental world.

Many of us grew up as sounding boards for our parents in one capacity or another—including being the one to hear their offhanded comments about someone else. It could very well be a trait that’s passed on to us that we do with our own kids, whether we realize it or not.

However, there’s one major way this impacts how littles grow up to perceive the world, says Nick Werber, an Integrative Coach who posts a lot of family education content across social media.

In a clip posted to his TikTok, Werber explained that, “When you grow up around a caregiver that was constantly judging or complaining about people behind their back but they did it in front of you, you may or may not have thought ‘Wow, mom or dad— they’re really judgmental.’ But what you might have absorbed is the fear that people are judging you behind your back.”

@nick_werber When judgment is the background noise of childhood, it can shape how you experience closeness, even as an adult. This one is pretty specific, do you relate? #familydynamics #highlysensitiveperson #innerchildhealing #cyclebreakers #attachmentwounds #scapegoatchild #traumaawareness #healingjourney ♬ original sound - Nick_Werber

He continued, “Because even if your caregiver’s judgments weren’t directed at you, the behavior shapes how you see relationships. It’s like you absorb that belonging means getting scrutinized. That closeness with other people opens you up to their judgments."

“I share this today not because I think parents should or even could be perfect in every way,” he concluded, “but because this is one of those things I think that really does affect sensitive, attuned kids and not enough people talk about this.”

If this scenario felt all-too-relatable for you, you’re not alone. The video, which racked up over 500K views, also brought in a slew of comments from folks who apparently had this exact same experience—many of whom grew up to become chronic people pleasers. Imagine that.

“My mother judged everyone. The mailman, the cooking show host, the cashier at the grocery, the lady at the drive thru. This makes SO much sense.”

judgmental parents, family education, family, parents, parenting advice, healthy parenting, toxic parentingA woman judging a mailman. Photo credit: Canva

“So you’re telling me the reason I feared going into ‘popular’ stores at the mall as a teen because I feared the employees wer judgin me because I didn’t belong was actually because my mom judge everyone and everything? huh.”

“Ergh yes. They were constantly pointing out ‘fat’ people.”

“How did you know my life.”

“This is how I grew up. My mom would be so sweet to someone’s face then sneer at them the second they turned around. It was very confusing."

“Funny how growing up under constant judgment wires your brain to assume everyone’s holding a gavel, even when you’d never pick one up yourself. It’s like your nervous system still thinks it's being graded, even though you dropped the class years ago.”

“Absolutely. My mom, grandmother, and aunts live close together and talk about all the other family members. I will never open up or trust them because they will talk about my business too and make it everyone’s business.”

“I literally thought ‘wow mom and dad are so great so listing out all the ways people can be wrong, now I know how to be perfect…lol.”

judgmental parents, family education, family, parents, parenting advice, healthy parenting, toxic parentingPeople pleasers, unite!Photo credit: Canva

This conversation isn’t meant to bash any parents for being imperfect, but rather to point out common, yet unhelpful, patterns which may continue to stifle our personal development (and that of our kids) if left unbroken. Thankfully, we are at a time where pattern-breaking conversations are very much the norm, and so many parents today aim to use the insights they gain about the past in order to create the healthy environments they might not have received.

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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, prankAn 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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