“People Take Things For Granted”: 40 Things That Have A High Likelihood Of Happening

During our youth, we feel invincible and like nothing can touch us. But as we get older, life teaches us through many lessons how fragile we are in reality. We soon learn to measure risk and take precautions but even then accidents can happen. Though we hope to somehow be immune to the hardships of life, we eventually realize that there is a higher chance of unfavourable things happening than we would like to admit.

#1 We able-bodied tend to think of disabled people as unlucky but (as has been pointed out) being able-bodied is AT BEST temporary. Everyone will at some point have to face a life of disability unless you die early. The ADA helps everyone and is one of America’s great achievements.

Image source: D-Alembert, Caroline Cagnin / pexels (not the actual photo)

#2 That we will permanently damage the environment. We aren’t going green fast enough and politicians and big businesses keep working against green energy. We are setting ourselves up to be the first species to destroy ourselves because it wasn’t profitable to do otherwise.

Image source: MrPuzzleMan

#3 Dying. Many people take things for granted and do not prioritise right. Something I’ve noticed after I got cancer. Because I made the same “mistake.”.

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#4 One thing people often don’t realize has an extremely high chance of happening is experiencing some form of mental health issue during their lifetime. According to various studies, a significant portion of the population will deal with conditions like depression, anxiety, or stress-related disorders at some point. Despite this, mental health is still stigmatized, and many people don’t seek the help they need. It’s important to recognize that mental health issues are common and to encourage open conversations and support for those who are struggling.

Image source: RealSalad8412

#5 The US power grid failing. It would have extreme consequences. Just about everything we need and do in American society requires some sort of power. Even the water you drink.

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#6 Sadly, Miscarriage in the first trimester. Some studies estimate as high as 40% of pregnancies terminate by 12 weeks.

Image source: dangledor5000, Lazaro Rodriguez Jr / pexels (not the actual photo)

Edit: Since this has gained mild traction I figure I should highlight a through-line featured in a lot of comments: normalize talking about miscarriage.
Obviously folks who have experienced a miscarriage should not be forced to discuss it if they aren’t comfortable, but I have seen so many first-time pregnancies that miscarried where their first question was “what did I do wrong?” A significant majority of the time, there is nothing they did that triggered it; the more society is able and willing to provide that reassurance, the better off these people will be.

#7 Having an important relationship come to a sudden end.

Image source: Remarkable-Bar1394, Liza Summer/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#8 People often don’t realize that everyday accidents, like car crashes or household injuries, have an extremely high chance of happening compared to more dramatic or rare events.

Image source: cathlene_mwa, monkeybusiness / envato (not the actual photo)

#9 People don’t realize that there’s an extremely high chance of getting hooked on a TV show just before it gets canceled. It’s like a cosmic law of entertainment: the more you love it, the quicker it’s destined to leave you hanging.

Image source: Expensive-Pie-1813

#10 Getting hooked on social media. It happens so quickly and easily without ever realizing it.

Image source: Human-Magic-Marker, Tracy Le Blanc/ pexels (not the actual photo)

#11 Being diagnosed with a chronic illness.

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#12 In the US, going into poverty because of medical expenses.

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#13 A cyber attack or out of control vulnerability shutting down every single non air gapped communications network and computer on the planet, putting us in a quasi stone age for weeks or months. Very real possibility and almost certain to happen in the next decade or so.

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#14 Your parents dying. I’m in my mid-thirties and I’m seeing all these posts like “omg, I’m going to lose my mom/dad one day”

Yes. This was always a thing and you are supposed to outlive your parents. Make a plan now and talk about the hard stuff and then it’s not nearly as hard when it does happen. (My mother and I have been actively talking/planning for when she passes away since I was about 10- I lost my dad at 17).

Image source: Express-Object955

#15 If you live long enough, the likelihood of developing some sort of cancer approaches 100% If nothing else gets you first, cancer will eventually.

Image source: frygod, Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels (not the actual photo)

#16 Complications during labor and delivery.

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My wife wasn’t high risk with either of our kids. We had no indication that we had anything to be concerned about.

With my first child, he got stuck in the birth canal and had to be emergency vacuum extracted. He likely would have been still born had we not had an OB at the ready to act fast.

My wife hemorrhaged unexpectedly during recovery after delivering our second child. She likely would have bled out had she not been monitored during recovery by labor and delivery nurses, and emergency treated by an OB when the hemorrhage happened.

I know many women want to have their children in different arrangements than a traditional hospital birth, and I respect that. Just understand that having a doula in a birthing center is not the same as a team of labor and delivery nurses along with an OB that has an OR with blood band ready if things go sideways. The likelihood of complications is much higher than many understand. Just because you aren’t classified as high risk does not mean you are at zero risk of complications.

#17 Being killed in a car accident through no fault of your own. We are driving metal projectiles near each other at high speeds. S**t gets unpredictable, and you can’t control other people.

Image source: Square-Raspberry560, Artyom Kulakov / pexels (not the actual photo)

Consequently, you could survive an accident that absolutely devastates your health, functioning, and finances for years. You never know when you’re going to wake up on your last truly normal day. .

#18 Becoming disabled. There’s so much ableism in the world because people think it could never happen to them.

Image source: an_ineffable_plan

#19 Getting diabetes. At least here in the US people really don’t get how deep the deck is stacked against them.

Image source: galspanic, PhotoMIX Company / pexels (not the actual photo)

#20 Tomorrow being almost identical to today.

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#21 That thing you needed to find last week? You’ll find it when you don’t need it anymore.

Image source: clisr, Alexander Dummer / pexels (not the actual photo)

#22 Being betrayed by someone close to you.

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#23 Crashing and possibly killing yourself and/or others when you prefer to pay more attention to your phone than the road. Texts and social media can wait until you’ve parked your car somewhere.

Image source: Dels79

#24 Dropping your phone right after taking off the case.

Image source: NoMistakeInThoughts, Burst / pexels (not the actual photo)

#25 We could die at any moment for any reason. Human body is extremly complex and it’s easy to not know what happening with our own body.

Image source: Faelysis, Anna Shvets/ pexels (not the actual photo)