Folks can’t help but marvel at how incredibly practical and mind-blowingly vast and interesting the internet has become.

But then you realize that it is also home to a number of communities who like all the weird, uncomfortable, and cursed content on it and then share it with the rest of the world so that we can all either hate it collectively, or ask ourselves (often rhetorically, with the hope of it being answered anyway) but why…?

Yep, this is that listicle.

#1 Thanks, I Hate Water Bottle Shadows

Image credits: pauldrye

#2 Thanks I Hate Seals Looking Up

Image credits: dsjdiw3dhuiwh

#3 I See All Of Your Cute Baby Animals. Now Check Out This Baby Wombat

Image credits: reddit.com

So, why is the internet so weird to begin with? In the internet’s own words, “because the internet is just a reflection of the world.”

Weirdness exists regardless of whether the internet is or isn’t. But since it is a thing, the internet has essentially empowered the weird ones to come out of their shell and to share it with the rest of the world. And accepted it too.

#4 This Wicker Basket With Creepy Squatter

Image credits: eliasblisters

#5 It's A Look I Guess

Image credits: phido

#6 A New Hotdog Topping

Image credits: 420bonerstalin

By getting a sense of anonymity, weird folks can now use forums, social media and other modes of virtual communication to show what life is like on their end.

So, it was only a matter of time until more or less official communities started forming around this weirdness. It’s places like Reddit, 4chan and others that empower people to be themselves and to find like-minded individuals.

#7

Image credits: ProfStorm

#8 It’s The Mustache That Gets Me

Image credits: kryptoshot

#9 Thanks I Hate It

Image credits: dasurica

Others in the Quora thread pointed out that the weirdness of people is not just empowered by the internet, but rather amplified. It is these communities that pave the way of how OK weirdness is and so your threshold is pushed forward for how weird(er) you can become. And, honestly, as long as it’s quality weirdness, the internet is all for it.

#10 Eww

Image credits: randomuser2984

#11 Hmmm

Image credits: surfnbrd

#12 This Snail With A Wasp Nest On It

Image credits: dante7894

But, as you might have understood already, the internet isn’t a key factor in people channeling their weirdness. As seen on r/But_Why, a lot of weird things happen in the real world (a.k.a. away from the keyboard) as well.

And then you spin it off into either r/ThanksIHateIt, or r/ThanksILoveIt.

#13 What In The

Image credits: hildaworld

#14 Biting The Hand That Feeds You

Image credits: homomachine

#15 Thanks, I Hate Panoramic Dog Pics

Image credits: Chrisaoo

But the ante keeps getting pushed and folks are constantly testing out just how far you can get with your level of weirdness without it entering scary territory.

How would you rate people literally touching eyeballs? Or someone curl-ironing their eyelids? Or banana and fish salad? Not the weirdest things you can see on the internet, but there’s something that just discomforts you inside, right?

#16 Thanks I Hate Raw Pb&j

Image credits: GrizzleJizzle

#17 Thanks I Hate Reward Snacks

Image credits: Mesto_kenway

#18

Image credits: ProfStorm

So, can you push it further? Always. Should you? It depends.

One of the reasons why weird, gross and scary things are so darned attractive, and thus empowering for those weirding everyone out is simple: evolution.

All that is grotesque and bizarre teaches us of the potential dangers out there, and we can’t but focus on it, watch its every move, so as to learn how we can defend ourselves against it.

#19 Just Why

Image credits: thedud-a

#20 Face Swap

Image credits: reddit.com

#21 Pizza On Pineapple

Image credits: someonepickedidunno

Another reason behind this is something called “benign masochism.” At least with things like the horror genre, humans have a tendency to seek out seemingly negative experiences so that they could enjoy controlled risks. Perfect examples of this are riding the roller coaster or eating super spicy foods. You know you might regret it, but the risk is relatively low, and you love the thrill.

#22 Samoyed Stockings

Image credits: whaleitsalongtail

#23 Eye Contact

Image credits: Freeman8472

#24 This Is What Happens When You Don't Order Your Pizza Boneless

Image credits: XDSLIPNUT

And when you really think about it, it can become a certain psychological mechanism that empowers folks to enjoy things that have seemingly negative connotations. If you’re hardcore enough, you can crack the code and condition yourself to enjoy things that are seemingly bad, but without that belief that they are, leaving the arousal of it all. Now that sounds weird.

#25 Thanks I Hate Voldemort With A Nose

Image credits: SupaDodo

#26 Thanks I Hate It

Image credits: reddit.com

#27 Thanks I Hate Paper Cuts On My Eye

Image credits: illusory_learning

Whatever the case, we are here and here is a place where giving yourself a gauntlet of pictures to go through that are grotesque, uncomfortable or otherwise cursed (and in some cases blursed) has become a certain kind of norm. Or at least it is accepted enough for us to not feel like we’re giving up our humanity for a cheap thrill. It’s quite the opposite.

#28 Cursed_spa

Image credits: Mifficer

#29 Strongly Opposed To This

Image credits: cakeboyplum

#30

Image credits: ProfStorm

And, so, what are your thoughts on any of this? Have something wildly creepy, yet can’t look away from it to share? Do so in the comment section below!

And, if you want more, there’s definitely that.