November 8, 2019 | Andie Wood

People Share Their Weird Habits That They Think No One Else Does


We all have weird quirks and mannerisms that are hard to shake, no matter what we do. They may be so weird that we only exercise them when we're alone, so as to avoid criticism (or even ridicule) from the public. But the reality is, the very habits we try to conceal from everyone else may actually be more common than we think. People took to the internet to share the weird habits they have that make them say, "Tell me I'm not the only one who does this!" From talking to oneself to obsessing over even numbers, you may discover that the weird habits you're self-conscious about are actually not so weird at all:

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Don't forget to check the comment section below the article for more interesting stories!

#1 Hitting The Exhale

I learned that most people when out of breath just take deep breaths and get back to normal. I've always had a thing where I had to hit the perfect inhale. When out of breath I'll take several deep breaths but I never feel quite right until I can get this one breath that feels as if it fills up my lungs completely and the others just never made it. I mentioned it in a biology class in high school and that's when I learned I have asthma.

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#2 Out Of Breath

Whenever I really have to yawn, I can never fully "complete" it. I keep trying to, but it never happens, so instead I'm just taking deep, unsatisfying breaths. It makes me feel like I'm short of breath. The frustrating thing is that if I'm around somebody else, it LOOKS like I'm yawning and that triggers their yawn, so then I want to yawn even more but I can't...

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#3 Talking To Myself

I have fake conversations in my head, but on occasion, I also say my half of the conversation out loud, either to no one or to anyone in the room if I'm not careful. Sometimes I'll also  I’ll make the gestures I would in my fake convos, like an exaggerated shoulder shrug or rolling my eyes. I can tell I'm having a bad day when I catch myself preparing for a hypothetical argument that will probably never happen...usually while in the shower.

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#4 Conditional Tourettes

Not a habit so much as a reflex, but oftentimes when I’m thinking of something embarrassing from my past I’ll uncontrollably blurt out a random word, phrase or even just a noise, regardless of if I’m alone or in public. I hope nobody overhears me stammering "end me" when I'm alone in my room, because I don't actually want that. It's like conditional Tourettes. Other times, it's "I hate you" or "I love you," even when the memory is completely inappropriate for those words. Luckily, it doesn't seem to happen when other people are around.

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#5 Multitasking Fail

I can't talk on a cell phone and sit down at the same time. I got a call while on my usual one-mile walk. I ended the call after six miles. It works out because I tend to pace if I'm on the phone. I don't know why, but it's just something I've always done. Oddly enough, I don't feel the need to do it at work.

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#6 Wet Wipe

Whenever I wash my face (or submerge my head), I have to "wipe" my eyelids before I can open them, even if they are not particularly wet.  I never understood how everyone could just pop up out of the water and open their eyes. I’ve never been able to do that. Like, people in movies just come out of a pool and don't wipe their face at all.

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#7 Gargoyle Behavior

I always have to have my feet propped on something when I'm sitting. I usually either perch like a gargoyle or sit cross-legged. I can sit normally when I have to, but I'll either be bouncing a leg or wiggling a foot unless I put in conscious effort. The thought of having to have both feet flat on the ground while seating gives me weird anxiety. If I can’t tuck one leg under me, I will cross my legs.

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#8 Odd Sits

The only positions I'm really comfortable sitting in are either W-style or just laying down (sometimes sort of scrunched up, with my knees up resting on something, mainly if I'm in a car or a movie theatre). Eventually, I'm probably going to end up paralyzed in a car accident because I was horizontal in the passenger seat.

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#9 Cheeky Habit

I bite the inside of my cheeks. I can't remember a time when I haven't done it and I've never been able to break the habit. I've done this since I was a child. Literally both of my cheeks have scars on the inside where I tend to bite them. I don't know how this habit started but I do this on a daily basis. My friends and family can immediately tell when something is on my mind because I unintentionally just bite the inside of my cheeks.

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#10 Wet Your Toothbrush

I wet my toothbrush before I put toothpaste on. I've done this my whole life. If I don't, I feel like the toothpaste has a strange texture. For me, the pre-rinse is to wash off dust and any bits floating about, while the post rinse is to water it down for a more agreeable texture. I was taught this as a child. I thought it was the normal method.

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#11 Self-Argue

I have such strong arguments with myself in my head, it will affect my mood. Many times, I've been angry. I was like thinking to myself, "Wow, that was so uncalled for? Who the heck would say that?" Then, I remember it was me to me. Also, I have strong visualizations. Like one time, I cried because our son didn't get his scholarship and we couldn't afford the school he wanted to go to. Then I remember I'm 26, financially stable, not married and no kids.

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#12 OCD Or Something Else?

When in a moving car on a residential street, driving or not, I lift toes on my right foot when a driveway on the right lines up with the front of the car, and put them back down when the car has passed. Same with the left foot. Pretty sure I'm on the spectrum. This is also what I do with the street lights and electrical poles. I have been doing it for 25 or so years.

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#13 Equal Stimuli

I have a weird compulsion to experience equal stimuli. Accidentally scuff your left shoe while walking? Gotta scuff the right one. Oops! That scuff was too hard. Gotta re-scuff the left again, just a tad... Also, I'm not sure how to describe it, but sometimes my nails feel too detached from my fingers? I’ll, like, apply pressure on the pads of my finger, right under the nail, until the nail is entirely touching flesh, then release.

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#14 Harmless Mumbles

When I was a child, if I didn’t get my intonation for words quite right, I’d repeat it to myself very softly, sometimes just the one syllable (or partial syllable) that I got wrong. This led to an almost constant string of barely audible grunts and sounds that I always was afraid other people would hear and judge me for.

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#15 The Perfect Bite

I don't know how to explain this. But, here we go. Say I have a plate of food. I'll automatically try and find the perfect bit of the meal and eat it last, eating around the "perfect" bit.

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#16 Finish Big

His isn't that weird, but whenever I have a small piece of pizza and a big piece I always eat the small one first so I don't finish the big piece and then become sad because the last piece is a small one. I'll do this with subs that are cut in half too. I don't want to look at the tiny piece and think dang, that's all I have left?

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#17 Water Enthusiast

I need access to water at all times. Going somewhere? Need a water bottle. Bedtime? Two water glasses. Movie theatre featuring salty popcorn? Two water bottles. Your girl likes to hydrate. I swear I'm a water creature.  I'll wake up in the middle of the night to chug 32 oz of water, then roll over and immediately fall back asleep. Anywhere I go, I will finish my water within five minutes of getting it.

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#18 "Let Me Do This First"

If I get home and I really have to go #1, I do all my errands before going even if I’m bursting. For example, I'll change into comfy clothes, put the groceries away, etc., then go to the washroom. This is primarily due to being more comfortable at home. There's a sense of safety, familiarity, and well-being entering into the area that you have made your home. You can often relax more when you come home than if you are at a friend's place. Even if you didn't think you needed to go, getting home wipes away any subconscious restrictions your body places on you. Some have attributed this as a kind of Pavlovian response to our conditioning. The human brain is a wonderful and mysterious beast.

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#19 "Outside" Clothes

Not sitting or lying in bed with "outside" clothes. I always got irrationally angry as a kid when someone on TV would just hop in their bed wearing sneakers or boots. Who the heck wants to sleep with mud, grass, and dog doo-doo in the sheets? For anyone who wears shoes in bed: I hope you lose a button on your favorite shirt.

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#20 Singing Gibberish

If I mess up any part of a song while I'm in the car, I just start singing gibberish until the song is over. Also, I make up random lyrics to beats in my head. It starts out as gibberish but eventually evolves into words.

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#21 I Meow At My Cat

If there's nobody in the house, I'll just talk to myself endlessly and walk around. I cannot watch anything through continuously and silently. I have to pause or interject to riff and commentate. I meow at my cat. In fact, I’ve been meowing at my cats for a while now to the point where I start to do it with my friend’s cat. Sometimes, I forget not everyone meows at their cats but they’re missing out, my cats and I have great conversations.

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#22 Rhythmic Movement

I count the steps as I walk up and down stairs. Recently it's branched out to counting the steps when I'm walking or any repetitive movement or sound.

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#23 Racing The Toilet

I flush the toilet while I'm still going #1 in a way that I finish going just as the water finally goes down the pipe. I don't know how much time this actually saves but I've been doing it for years, so it's a habit now. I started doing it as a kid because it was fun to "race" the flush and see if I could finish going before it finished flushing. Eventually, it became a habit and wasn't even something I thought about anymore.

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#24 Second Is Best

I've been told this is weird. When shopping, I never grab the first one available. Buying a movie? I don't want the one on display. I want any other one behind it. That box of cereal up front looks fine? Then someone else can have it. I have to take the one behind it.  I think because the item at the front is the "display" item that gets handled most frequently before purchase, like a book.

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#25 Keeping The Balance

Stepped on a crack with my right foot? Now I need to step on one with my left. Oh, but you stepped in the center of the pavement with the last two left steps? Better make those next two right steps centered to balance it out. Sometimes I find myself walking like a freaking moron to keep some stupid made-up rhythmic balance going.

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#26 Even Numbers

I always keep the volume on even numbers. So realistically, my volume options are 0, 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18... etc. 5's are honorary even numbers. I don't know why that is and I'd really like to know if I'm not the only one who does it. I also recently noticed that I do this with my car's AC. It needs to be set to an even number.

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#27 Fan Face

I have to sleep with a fan on my face. I feel hot and stifled if not, even if the temperature isn't warm. I started using one for the white noise but now I need the air movement too. I constantly need to feel air moving. I always have our ceiling fans on at home and the vents are always going in my car. I think I just get hot and stuffy too quick.

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#28 Pet Songs

I sing random, impromptu songs to my dog and cat. "Hello, Kitty... I hope you're not too pretty... 'Cause it would be a pity if you were not the greatest kitty in the city!" or "Puppy needs to go outside! Gotta go doo-doo, just like me and you...! Doo-doo-d0o!" The neighbors genuinely think I'm nuts. I probably am.

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#29 Gotta Love Subtitles

While playing a game or watching a movie, I constantly adjust the volume up and down subconsciously to even out the booming background music and people talking. I do this, even more, when others are watching. In other situations, I always request subtitles when I go over to someone else’s house (they’re on automatically at mine). The last time, my friend's dad made fun of me for it.

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#30 Wet Hands

I have to get my hands wet before I put soap on when I wash them. I think that soap is uncomfortable to touch with dry hands... I've always felt like I was not getting my hands clean if I put soap on dry hands. The same goes for toothpaste— I always wet my toothbrush before (and after) putting toothpaste on too.

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#31 Chewing Addiction

I used to chew plastic. Really bad. Water bottle tops, pen caps, other soft plastic. It was just a nervous tic for a while, and I have made a conscious effort to get off the habit, but yeah, it's weird.

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#32 If I Think It, I Must Do It

When I think about doing something, I have to do it. For example, if I am walking somewhere and I think "I have to touch that tree," then I must. I know nothing will happen if I do but if I think it, I must do it. This has come to the point where I'm bringing sticks and rocks home because I think, "I want that rock." My dogs and I get along famously.

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#33 Face Down

I almost always place a TV remote face down on the couch. The buttons are made of what feels like a rubber material and prevent the remote from inadvertently sliding away, particularly when you are putting the remote on the arm of the couch. I also use it sometimes to prop my phone up on. I also face my phone face down because in case something spills it doesn’t get on the face. People think I’m trying to hide my texts but jokes on them, I don’t have any friends.

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#34 A Shirtless #2

I take my shirt off before going #2. It's something about feeling cool air on your body. It really helps with the process. With a shirt you feel...constricted. Like a caged animal being forced to go on demand. It's also just so annoying to pull it up and holding it all the time. I know you can just leave it hanging, but yeah...

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#35 Underlying Anxiety

When I'm watching any video on my iPhone, I have this uncontrollable habit of clicking on the screen to make the time bar reappear. It's tearing me apart. Sometimes, I’m concerned I’ll lose my sense of time if I’m not aware of the time... yet, I still waste all of the time I have on the internet anyways. I don't know, it might be underlying anxiety.

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#36 Eating Strategies

I eat a lot of foods in a weird way. Basically the entire strategy revolves around saving the best part for last. For example, I eat oatmeal cream pies by first detaching the two cookie sides and then eating all of the outer edges until I have cream left, then I try to eat away as much cookie to leave just the cream. I also chew on the wrappers of muffins like gum because they retain the flavor of the muffin really well. I feel like this is actually a hidden gem, but I still don't do it in public.

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#37 Straws Are For Chewing

Whenever I have a drink with a straw, I take out the straw, fold it up, then chew on it like it's gum for awhile till I feel the need to spit it out. I usually do this after I've already finished the drink so I no longer need the straw. Then you get it back in your molars and have your spit absorb into the folds and then squeeze out when you chomp down.

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#38 Toothpaste Monster

I brush my teeth like a freaking monster. Toothpaste drips EVERYWHERE, and half the toothbrush and my hand will be covered with toothpaste by the end of the carnage. I’ve tried to brush like a normal person and can’t. How do people do it without getting toothpaste down their chin, face, hands and sink? I have to be hovered over the whole time.

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#39 Lonely Thoughts

Looking at someone and fantasizing about a life together. Fantasizing about the everyday companionship that we'd have together. Cooking dinner together. Going shopping for clothes together. Waking up first and what I'd have to do to be quiet so I don't wake him or her. Sitting on the couch both reading and being okay with the silent company. Or maybe that's just a lonely person thing. I don't know.

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#40 Mirroring Accents

Whenever I'm talking to someone that has an accent, I slowly start to subconsciously mimic their accent. It makes it seem like I'm mocking him or her and I HATE IT! Why?! The other day I was at the grocery store and one of the employees asked me how I was doing. He had a super thick British accent and I replied, "Doing well, mate, you?" in a terrible faux British accent. It was so awkward.

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#41 Demon Hand

I’ll randomly raise my arm while laying in bed, and just let it stay there as if I’m Hermione Granger in potion class. I did this once where I was staying in the same hotel room as my mom (think I was about 12). It was in the middle of the night—she saw it and immediately freaked out for the rest of the night, adamant that she had just seen a demon hand... Then, another night, I wanted to videotape myself sleeping to see if I did anything weird. About two hours in, while asleep, I raised my arm and had it up there for almost three minutes before lowering it. I showed my mom the video and she freaked out so much she forced me to go to a psychologist with her.

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#42 Passing The Time

I tap my fingers when my hands aren't doing anything, but I have to make sure that every finger is tapped the same amount of times, and I only tap one at a time. I tap my index finger two times, then the middle, ring, pinky, and thumb, then I repeat. I continue doing this until I have something to do. It's a great way to pass the time, actually.

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#43 Keep The Good Times Rolling

If I'm out with a group of friends, I never announce that I'm leaving. I will go use the bathroom and duck out the back entrance, say I have to take a call and not return, etc. I always think if I announce that I'm leaving, the second I leave everyone will start talking about me behind my back. Or I just don't want the evening to end, so I don't make it official.

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#44 Like A Dog

I sleep with a blanket. I don't care if it's hot or cold, I cannot sleep without a blanket of a formidable weight on top of me.

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#45 Get Comfortable Quick

When I get home I have to IMMEDIATELY put on pajama pants or gym shorts. I can’t stand lounging in jeans or shorts Also, not so much anymore, but when I was younger, if I spun around I had to spin back around the same amount of times and volume had to be an even number.

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