What's your weirdest habit?

[Adventine]

Just because I felt like making another Off Topic thread with a random question.

I'll start:

I talk and hum to myself. A lot. Everywhere. Walking down drab office corridors. Doing the groceries. Sorting the laundry. As a filler for conversation. My entire day has a made up movie soundtrack, and it changes every day.

[GuitarStv]

Just because I felt like making another Off Topic thread with a random question.

I'll start:

I talk and hum to myself. A lot. Everywhere. Walking down drab office corridors. Doing the groceries. Sorting the laundry. As a filler for conversation. My entire day has a made up movie soundtrack, and it changes every day.

This is completely normal behaviour.



My brain constantly finds scenarios where I could kill someone but maintain plausible deniability.  Like . . . waiting for subway in crowd of people, 'accidentally' fall forward pushing the person in front of me off the platform and into the path of the oncoming train.  That sort of stuff.

[Adventine]

@GuitarStv thanks, I guess, for normalizing my aberrant behavior and slightly disturbing me with your own? X)

[GuitarStv]

@GuitarStv thanks, I guess, for normalizing my aberrant behavior and slightly disturbing me with your own? X)

I stand by my spotless record . . . 39 years and no murder convictions.

[wenchsenior]

I talk to myself regularly, but I don't consider that weird. My whole family does it, and lots of my friends do.   I'm fairly nerdy, which manifests in ways that I don't find at all weird, but I guess other people might (e.g., I am far more interested to look at any plants/insects/birds in my immediate vicinity than look at people; I love to have discussions analyzing themes in novels; stuff like that...).

My weirdest habits are probably related to food.  If served a sandwhich, pizza, etc., I'll usually take it apart or eat one element at a time, unless I'm in a big hurry.

Conversely, when cooking, I'm the queen of just throwing random stuff that's around into 1 pot together and heating it with some seasoning and eating it. 

[Metalcat]

I talk to a bunch of strangers on the internet every day about their personal lives and spending habits.

It's fucking weird.

[NotJen]

Just because I felt like making another Off Topic thread with a random question.

I'll start:

I talk and hum to myself. A lot. Everywhere. Walking down drab office corridors. Doing the groceries. Sorting the laundry. As a filler for conversation. My entire day has a made up movie soundtrack, and it changes every day.

Are you doing this out loud, or to yourself?  I often get songs popping into my head (I love how appropriate they always are), and I'm constantly telling myself stories or having conversations with myself.  But all silently - which I've always considered to be normal.  But I do usually make facial expressions to go along with my internal conversations, which would get me weird looks at work sometimes.

My weirdest habits are probably related to food.  If served a sandwhich, pizza, etc., I'll usually take it apart or eat one element at a time, unless I'm in a big hurry.

I do this a lot too - eating food components separately.  I always pick apart at least 1 piece of sushi.  But I make sure I get the "experience" of eating some of it together as well.

[Caoineag]

I pace while listening to music. Don't understand how anyone holds still while listening to music; it seems unnatural. Fortunately only people who live with me see that habit and my college roommate adapted to it with good grace. However, it has been an issue for downstairs neighbors, dormmates, etc.

The one that amuses other people is that I will talk to inanimate objects. A good example is that if something tries to tip over I will tell it "whoa, whoa, whoa" as if that will stop it. I have had a few coworkers over the years laugh so hard they cried at seeing this trait. Usually they then ask me if the objects ever answer back or obey.

[Freedom2016]

Just because I felt like making another Off Topic thread with a random question.

I'll start:

I talk and hum to myself. A lot. Everywhere. Walking down drab office corridors. Doing the groceries. Sorting the laundry. As a filler for conversation. My entire day has a made up movie soundtrack, and it changes every day.

Are you doing this out loud, or to yourself?  I often get songs popping into my head (I love how appropriate they always are), and I'm constantly telling myself stories or having conversations with myself.  But all silently - which I've always considered to be normal.  But I do usually make facial expressions to go along with my internal conversations, which would get me weird looks at work sometimes.

My weirdest habits are probably related to food.  If served a sandwhich, pizza, etc., I'll usually take it apart or eat one element at a time, unless I'm in a big hurry.

I do this a lot too - eating food components separately.  I always pick apart at least 1 piece of sushi.  But I make sure I get the "experience" of eating some of it together as well.

I imagine/preview conversations with various people... silently... but apparently I move my lips. I never knew that until DH noticed it early on in our marriage and said something. A couple of weeks ago, my 6yo also called me out on it.

[Morning Glory]

I don't sit normally in office chairs. I usually sit on my knees, cross legged, or on one hip with my legs tucked up and off to the side. I fidget and change position a lot too. It just feels better on my back than sitting with my feet dangling down.  We had backless stools at one of my jobs and I became known as the person who did yoga poses on the stools, which most people thought was cute and endearing.

I lose weight on vacation or when I get too stressed out; I guess most people do the opposite, from what I've heard.  Stability makes me hungry.

I drink enough water without having to remind myself to; I don't understand how most people aren't thirsty all the time. 

[Adventine]

Just because I felt like making another Off Topic thread with a random question.

I'll start:

I talk and hum to myself. A lot. Everywhere. Walking down drab office corridors. Doing the groceries. Sorting the laundry. As a filler for conversation. My entire day has a made up movie soundtrack, and it changes every day.

Are you doing this out loud, or to yourself?  I often get songs popping into my head (I love how appropriate they always are), and I'm constantly telling myself stories or having conversations with myself.  But all silently - which I've always considered to be normal.  But I do usually make facial expressions to go along with my internal conversations, which would get me weird looks at work sometimes.

All out loud and with matching facial expressions here.

I don't sit normally in office chairs. I usually sit on my knees, cross legged, or on one hip with my legs tucked up and off to the side. I fidget and change position a lot too. It just feels better on my back than sitting with my feet dangling down. 

I do this too!

[sui generis]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

[Adventine]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

My father does this for his three daughters living with him, so you're perfectly normal human beings in my book.

[Just Joe]

A couple people havbe already mentioned it: talk to myself and talk to inanimate objects - especially if I am controlling or repairing them.

My dogs and I have had some long conversations over the years too.

[Travis]

I pace while listening to music. Don't understand how anyone holds still while listening to music; it seems unnatural.

I pace back and forth while talking on the phone. It's impossible for me to just stand there.

[Metalcat]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

I'm sorry, what's the weird part? Sometimes forgetting to throw out a hairball??

BTW, I highly recommend the Tub Shroom for catching hair.

[Travis]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

This is word for word DW's routine. She has long curly hair that ends up stuck to all of our clothes, on the floors, and a fair amount gathers whenever she washes her hair.

[yakamashii]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

This is word for word DW's routine. She has long curly hair that ends up stuck to all of our clothes, on the floors, and a fair amount gathers whenever she washes her hair.

Same here for DW. I don't think it's weird; it's actually kind of endearing.

My habits:

I tap or beatbox the rhythms to the earworm of the day whenever my mind wanders. DW is a saint for putting up with it.

I also look around my mid-sized, relatively insignificant town and think of how terrorists could fuck with things in ways that would REALLY terrorize people.

[Luke Warm]

i eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich most every morning for breakfast.

[GuitarStv]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

Only gets weird if you knit the hair into a sweater.

[Davnasty]

I hold my hands up like a meerkat when I'm thinking hard. Had no idea I was doing it until people started referring to my "thinking hands".

[NextTime]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

Not weird at all. I wish my wife had that habit. She just leaves it in there.

I also have to scoop up hair from the tile floor every couple of days because I know she won’t do it.

And don’t get me started on the vacuum. We have a Roborock, which is fantastic, but I have to remove and clean the roller pretty much every time I run it.

I really hate hair.

[shuffler]

Only gets weird if you knit the hair into a sweater.

Victorian Hair Art as a weird post-FIRE hobby, perhaps?   X^P

[MustachioedPistachio]

I have a habit where I must immediately wash or dry my hands should they come in contact with any fluid or fluid-like substance. Like, I cannot function until they are dry and clean (Ok, ok, some hyperbole). If they are supposed to be wet, that's fine, but it's when they get splashed on accident or pick up something sticky on a container that I can't stand. Cue handwashing habit.

[J Boogie]

After showering, I take my recently discarded shirt out from the hamper and use it to exfoliate certain areas like behind my ears. I have a skin condition which generates excess skin cells in certain areas and if I don't exfoliate daily I will get flaky.

I know the "normal" thing to do would be to use a washcloth, but keeping a bunch of dead skin cells on a washcloth for a week is gross. And changing a washcloth every day is too much work.  Might as well use some cloth that is going in the dirty clothes anyways.

And by shirt I also mean underpants. Just not those parts of the underpants.

To preserve the magic I try not to do this in front of my wife but I'm like 99% sure she's seen me do it and just doesn't care.

[wenchsenior]

After showering, I take my recently discarded shirt out from the hamper and use it to exfoliate certain areas like behind my ears. I have a skin condition which generates excess skin cells in certain areas and if I don't exfoliate daily I will get flaky.

I know the "normal" thing to do would be to use a washcloth, but keeping a bunch of dead skin cells on a washcloth for a week is gross. And changing a washcloth every day is too much work.  Might as well use some cloth that is going in the dirty clothes anyways.

And by shirt I also mean underpants. Just not those parts of the underpants.

To preserve the magic I try not to do this in front of my wife but I'm like 99% sure she's seen me do it and just doesn't care.

I also do this. Autoimmune skin rashes, too much effort to wash washcloths all the time, yada yada. ETA: My husband definitely doesn't care.  He's too distracted by the naked.

[John Galt incarnate!]

I'm wary of germs so when I eat some foods that I touch with my fingers I won't eat the part  that my fingers touch.

For example, if I'm eating French fries I grasp them by the end and bite them off close to my fingers and drop  the remaining "stub" on the plate.

I don't think this is all that weird but some  diners who've seen me do this have a facial expression that communicates  "that's weird."

[jeninco]

I talk to a bunch of strangers on the internet every day about their personal lives and spending habits.

It's fucking weird.

Wait, are you suggesting that we're "strange"?

Most of these don't seem weird at all to me. Except for @GuitarStv , and I generally lean on the side of "who knows what other people are thinking?"  And not eating the entire french fries -- if I'm ordering them, and they're good, I'm going to eat the whole danged thing!

When I had long hair, I stuck it to the tiles on the wall of the shower so it was easy to take out with me.

Also,  one of the best things about walking around in a mask is that I can have conversations with myself and not worry about whether I'm moving my lips. And I definitely preview potential stressful conversations with other people, by figuring out what I'll say, and how I'll deal with their potential responses.

And, as a volunteer first responder, I tend to think about how bad actors might attack where I am, and what the escape routes would be. I also (pre-COVID)  count rows to the nearest emergency exit in aircrafts, and locate exits in concerts.

I do not sit still well. I pace while on the phone, and -- as my house is basically a racetrack around a center block -- my coworkers know this, because sometimes I say stuff like "I'll write that down as soon as I get back to my desk".

[Just Joe]

There was a book suggested here many moons ago about surviving catastrophes. Between that book and my time in the military, I'm always on the lookout at least a little. Where are the exits?

And I've always taught the kids (now much older) that if DW or myself says we need to leave, we leave. No discussion. No looking around. We'll explain later.

[crazy jane]

When I eat something that has several parts, I try to make different flavor combinations. In the morning my cereal might have blueberries, banana and strawberries. That means a bite with each on their own, pairs and all three. It gets fun with more items. I also have to eat even numbers of things.

[Metalcat]

I talk to a bunch of strangers on the internet every day about their personal lives and spending habits.

It's fucking weird.

Wait, are you suggesting that we're "strange"?

Well...yeah

[Adventine]

We're all oversharing weirdos here.

[FIRE Artist]

My weirdest habits are probably related to food.  If served a sandwhich, pizza, etc., I'll usually take it apart or eat one element at a time, unless I'm in a big hurry.

I am the complete opposite, I eat what are traditionally hand foods with a fork and knife off a plate, and try real hard to make every mouthful the “perfect bite’” containing all elements of the food construction in each bite if possible.

[limeandpepper]

My brain constantly finds scenarios where I could kill someone but maintain plausible deniability.  Like . . . waiting for subway in crowd of people, 'accidentally' fall forward pushing the person in front of me off the platform and into the path of the oncoming train.  That sort of stuff.

Mine is thinking about unlikely unfortunate accidental ways I could get killed, and it often involves getting crushed by collapsing structures, typically overhead. Like I'd walk through an underpass and imagine the train trundling over above breaking through the structure and crushing me.

[E.T.]

I unintentionally tap my feet when I'm excited or particularly pleased. I didn't realize it until my husband pointed out what he calls my "happy duck feet".

[JoJo]

I crack my toe knuckles by wiggling my toes... they will crack multiple times in succession. 

[Kris]

I click my teeth in complex rhythms to the ear worms in my head. I have to be careful to do it very softly when I notice it so that I don't completely wear down my teeth.

[Metalcat]

I click my teeth in complex rhythms to the ear worms in my head. I have to be careful to do it very softly when I notice it so that I don't completely wear down my teeth.

I used to do this, it's a sign that you are a clencher

[Kris]

I click my teeth in complex rhythms to the ear worms in my head. I have to be careful to do it very softly when I notice it so that I don't completely wear down my teeth.

I used to do this, it's a sign that you are a clencher

Yes, I definitely am. And I grind my teeth in my sleep -- at least I used to.

[rosarugosa]

Well, let's find out if this is weird or not.  On hair-washing days, while in the shower, I collect my hair so as not to let it go down the drain.  See, I have a lot of hair....so so much hair.  It would definitely clog the drain like every time if I let it go down. Several handfuls come out each time (Yet, I somehow still have so much hair left on my head, I get headaches if I wear ponytails for too long).  So anyway, part of the post-shower activities (like moisturizer, combing hair, etc.) is grabbing the giant ball of hair out of the shower and trashing it.  The part that makes it a weird and not very desirable habit is if I forget to grab it out.  Luckily my husband is not easily grossed out.  I think it's worth it to protect the plumbing, but I am not aware that other people do this.

I do this too, although I almost always remember to throw it away afterwards.  DH makes fun of me and asks if I am pulling hairs out of my head and counting them, as I carefully collect them.  Yes, we do shower together every day.

[rosarugosa]

There is a very old episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, "The Caterpillar," that involves earwigs boring into peoples' ears and chewing through their brains.  I saw that show well over 40 years ago, and to this day, I cannot fall asleep unless the ear that isn't on my pillow, is covered by my hair (I sleep on my side). I do know that earwigs don't really burrow in peoples' ears, and if they did there is no reason to think they couldn't get past my hair, but still. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.
I was very excited to find and re-watch the show online several years ago.  It turns out I have an almost sentimental affection for something that disturbed me so greatly in my youth. Here it is if you are interested:
https://www.nbc.com/night-gallery/video/the-caterpillar/3972469

[By the River]

I thought "Oh I don't have any weird habits"  but while changing shoes to walk at lunch, I had to put the left shoe down and pick up the right.  I have to put the right shoe on first.  I tried to put the left on first but it was just wrong.  (I also put on in this order: right sock, right shoe, left sock, left shoe). 

[Metalcat]

I thought "Oh I don't have any weird habits"  but while changing shoes to walk at lunch, I had to put the left shoe down and pick up the right.  I have to put the right shoe on first.  I tried to put the left on first but it was just wrong.  (I also put on in this order: right sock, right shoe, left sock, left shoe).

You keep your shoes where your socks are? Or do you bring your socks to where your shoes are? Or do you bring them both to a third location??

[anni]

I talk to a bunch of strangers on the internet every day about their personal lives and spending habits.

It's fucking weird.

this lol ... started on neopets at age 12, continues to finance forums at age 25, who knows what the future holds? side note, i really love the 2000s vibe of this forum design, vintage internet is hard to come by.

[BikeFanatic]

I talk to myself too, and then we laugh and laugh. I have scared a few people passing on the bike and talking ( or singing), I feel these days I have the possible cover of being on the phone.

[Caoineag]

I talk to myself too, and then we laugh and laugh. I have scared a few people passing on the bike and talking ( or singing), I feel these days I have the possible cover of being on the phone.

I lived in a city where I knew schizophrenic people would often hold conversations with themselves (my bus routes throughout my time there had regulars who I knew on sight. Sometimes it was fascinating to listen in to their one sided conversations with whatever object they had in hand).

Imagine my surprise when Bluetooth one ear headsets came out and suddenly the schizophrenic population grew by a factor of 10. It took me a little bit to figure out who was on the phone and who was having a conversation with their imaginary friend (I am confident that the ones conversing with broom handles for extended periods of time were not Bluetooth ear pieces).

To this day my default assumption is imaginary friend when I  can't see a phone or person who they could be talking to which is usually wrong since I am no longer in an area with a high concentration of street people (mental illness is unfortunately extremely common in this group).

[SunnyDays]

I'm wary of germs so when I eat some foods that I touch with my fingers I won't eat the part  that my fingers touch.

For example, if I'm eating French fries I grasp them by the end and bite them off close to my fingers and drop  the remaining "stub" on the plate.

I don't think this is all that weird but some  diners who've seen me do this have a facial expression that communicates  "that's weird."

So how do you eat sandwiches?  Or hamburgers/hotdogs/tacos etc?

I also collect hair in the shower.  I’ve never thought that was weird, just sensible.

I talk to myself all the time too (or the dog).  I also talk back to the TV a lot.

And I put pants/socks/shoes on left foot first.  I seem to have better balance that way.  Go figure.
(Funny story: when my dog was a puppy, she loved to chew my shoes/slippers/boots.  Always the left one for no apparent reason.  One day, she took the right slipper onto her bed to chew.  I said “I thought you liked the left,” and I kid you not, she brought it back and took the left one.  Couldn’t stop laughing at that!)

[Aegishjalmur]

If you hang around well I am cooking, chances are you will hear me humming/singing Phantom of the Opera......

[John Galt incarnate!]

I'm wary of germs so when I eat some foods that I touch with my fingers I won't eat the part  that my fingers touch.

For example, if I'm eating French fries I grasp them by the end and bite them off close to my fingers and drop  the remaining "stub" on the plate.

I don't think this is all that weird but some  diners who've seen me do this have a facial expression that communicates  "that's weird."

So how do you eat sandwiches?  Or hamburgers/hotdogs/tacos etc?

I put a napkin ("safety wrapper") between my fingers and the food.

I also collect hair in the shower.  I’ve never thought that was weird, just sensible.

I think it's sensible too. Why let it go down the drain to start a clog?

I talk to myself all the time too (or the dog).  I also talk back to the TV a lot.

I too, talk to myself  frequently.

[Adventine]

I talk to myself too, and then we laugh and laugh.

The phrasing of this creeped me out for some reason. But I do it too.