We Notice More Than We Let On
Sure, sure, as much as we convince ourselves that no one pays that close attention to us, chances are, they do. They just, you know, don't make it obvious that they notice the sorta embarrassing parts of you. People are surprisingly observant, after all, and there are plenty of little details we pick up on in an instant, bad or good. You, too, have probably noticed these 20 things about strangers but purposely turn a blind eye.
1. Bad Breath
Sorry, but if we shimmy or lean away right when you talk, that's probably because your breath is kind of rancid. Nobody wants to be the person who tells someone their breath smells unpleasant, though, so just. You know. We'll stay over here, though.
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2. Weight Gain
Even if you got a little plumper, no one's going to comment on it—unless, of course, they're your mom and they insist on letting you know everything about your appearance. After all, weight changes can happen for countless reasons, and most understand how rude it might sound to bring them up.
3. Lipstick on Their Teeth
If someone keeps glancing down at your mouth every so often as you talk, it might not be because they're admiring your juicy lip gloss. In fact, it's probably the complete opposite, and you've got a little something on your front tooth. It's especially noticeable when you're wearing a bold red or dark shade.
4. Food Stuck in Their Teeth
Or, you know, it could be worse: someone might glance down at your mouth because you've got food stuck smack in the center of your front tooth. But of course, no one's going to do the awkward thing and point it out, lest you clam up for the rest of the night, so sorry if you prefer being told immediately.
5. Panda Eyes
Strangers can't tell if you just got poor sleep, you're having a stressful week, or your dark circles are hereditary, so they'll often just choose not to comment. Sometimes, even if you try to cover them up with concealer, the shadows still peek through, so. No one's going to say anything.
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6. Unpleasant Body Odor
Sure, you might be an athlete, or maybe your clothes simply got soaked after a rainy day, but that unpleasant stench isn't going to pass by unnoticed. People do notice if you forgot to put on deodorant or skipped a shower day—they just ignore it. And sit away. Or open a window.
7. Sweat Stains
Speaking of bad body odor, people will also likely ignore your sweat stains, no matter how prominent they are. You don't need us to tell you that this comment is pretty unhelpful, unless you've got a spare shirt to spare. Hey, at least it makes sense in super warm weather, right?
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8. Bad Skin or Breakouts
No matter how well you tried hiding that golf-sized pimple on your chin, we're sorry to say: everyone can still see it. Don't worry, though—sudden breakouts are inevitable! Everyone gets them. Most know how embarrassing it can feel, so they won't point out another person's skin concerns.
9. Blatant Lying
You know what else people pretend not to notice? That's right: lying. Look, no matter how convincing you think you're being, most of the time, everyone will see right through your act. Calling you out would sometimes create more trouble than it's worth, though, so we just let it go. (Yes, we know you weren't actually too sick to work, or that you suddenly caught a cold before a date.)
10. Unwelcome Flirting
Flirting you do welcome you won't pretend not to notice, but unwelcome wooing? From the lingering eye contact to the subtle-not-subtle repeated attempts to sit beside us, we know. But we don't want to turn you down in front of everyone, so we'll just smile awkwardly and look away.
11. Holes or Tears in Their Clothes
We've all seen a small tear in someone's sweater or pants before, and we've all pretended it was nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, informing the person might be the better bet, but you never know. Maybe they like the rips! Maybe it's intentional! You don't want to make them uncomfortable.
12. Dandruff
Those white flakes on top of your head? Yes, we see them. Even if you try to pick them away or brush parts of your hair over it, we can still see it, especially if you're shorter than us. It's even more noticeable when you're wearing dark clothing.
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13. Too Much Perfume
There's nothing wrong with wanting to smell nice, but apply too much fragrance, and you're bound to give everyone a headache. We get you want to smell like a flower bouquet or something musky, but one spritz is really all you need. Still, for your sake, we won't say anything.
14. Unwanted Facial Hair
From a few stray chin hairs to an unusually bushy eyebrow (especially in the, ahem, middle), these pesky facial hairs are bound to catch someone's attention during face-to-face conversations. Of course, most people recognize that facial hair is natural and, no matter how unkempt-looking, will choose not to comment on it.
15. Greasy Hair
You know the smell of week-old hair? Yeah. Not only will people notice when your hair looks noticeably oily, they'll also know if you haven't washed it in a while, even if you douse your scalp with dry shampoo. But, like everything else we've mentioned on this list, most wouldn't dream of asking when you last shampooed.
16. Thinning Hair
Sorry—as well as you try to hide your thinning patches, we can still see what's happening. We also notice if your hairline has been sitting, well, higher than usual on your forehead. Strangers or not, though, we'll err on the safer side and avoid touching on this sensitive subject unless you bring it up yourself.
17. Severely Chapped Lips
Chapped lips are common enough that most people won't look twice, but severely cracked or peeling lips? That can be difficult to overlook. However, we know that you probably know how dry they are, and you might feel pretty self-conscious already, so we'll keep our mouths shut.
18. Nose Hair (and Snot)
Can you imagine if someone told you that you had a long nose hair sticking out? You'd run away! So, obviously, no one is going to be that person, unless they're your family and they aren't afraid of embarrassing you. On that note, we also notice when you've some, ahem, treasure in your nostrils.
19. Visible Stains on Their Clothes
It's not just the sweat stains most people notice—any spills on your clothes will instantly catch people's eyes, too, especially in professional settings. You, however, might be completely unaware of it, leaving everyone else to decide whether mentioning it would be helpful.
20. Crooked Teeth
Got unusually long canines or an overlapping front tooth? Maybe you even have an over- or underbite. Whatever it is, people will pick up on crooked teeth pretty much as soon as you smile or talk. Thankfully for you, most people know better than to comment on it.
