This Online Group Is Dedicated To “Mildly Interesting” Stuff, And Here Are Their 139 Best Posts (New Pics)

by admin July 29, 2022

Not everything can be fascinating, mind-blowing and life-changing. Every film cannot win Academy Awards, and every book will not be a New York Times bestseller. But that is okay! If everything was the best and the biggest and the boldest all the time, we would be wildly overstimulated. Every meal should not be the spiciest dish you’ve ever tasted, or you would never appreciate food with a good kick. Sometimes, it’s okay for things to just be mild.

In celebration of all the middle of the road fun facts people have recently learned and not-quite-fascinating things people have recently seen, we’ve gone through the Mildly Interesting subreddit to gather them for you below. We don’t want to oversell this list, so don’t expect absolute greatness. But you probably can expect to learn something! Who knows? Maybe what one man considers mildly interesting, you consider very interesting. Keep reading to also find an interview with Oliver Wilson, host of The Mildly Interesting Podcast, and be sure to upvote all of your favorite pics. Then if you’d like to see the last Bored Panda article featuring the same subreddit, you can find it right here.

#1 Ken Jeong Was A Physician At The Hospital I Work At

Image credits: tim_mcmardigras

Sometimes mild is just the best. That may sound oxymoronic, but haven’t you ever heard the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? She did not want the most extreme options of anything. The middle of the road, mild options were just right. That’s the appeal of the Mildly Interesting subreddit. We cannot be bombarded with breaking news and life-changing facts constantly. They are fun sometimes, but we would go crazy if we had to take in information like that all the time.

And clearly, mild is quite popular on Reddit, as this group that is “for photos that are, you know, mildly interesting” has over 20 million members. This might be because of how vague the description is, so people can post almost anything in the group. But it is also a fun place to visit because members are never quite sure what they are going to see. The community’s description is also quite humble, as it states, “Aww, cripes. I didn't know I'd have to write a description. How many words is that so far, like a hundred? Soooo, yeah. Mildly interesting stuff. Stuff that interests you. Mildly. It's in the name, ffs.”

#2 A School (?) Of Jellyfish Congregated Under This Boat

Image credits: pants35

#3 One Of Our Barn Kittens Has Both Stripes And Spots

Image credits: DGS_Cass3636

Don’t think that this subreddit is just the Wild West, though. They do have to enforce some rules to ensure that everything is organically, mildly interesting. Rule number one is no memes. “This includes references in titles of your post (e.g. "banana for scale," "potato quality"),” the moderators write. The next rule is no related posts. Basically, if you are referencing another post already on the page, you must do so in the comments of the original post. Makes sense, all threads should be original.

The next few rules are all along the same lines of original content: no x-posts or reposts, original photographs only, and no screenshots. Members are not really supposed to edit their photos either, so everything should be as original and natural as possible. Lastly, “Titles must be exact but concise descriptions.” They are not allowed to add jokes or backstory, and in fact, the moderators write that the titles should be like spoilers for the images. Simple subreddit, simple rules and posts. We can’t have anything too interesting winding up in here.

#4 None Of My Fingers (Or Toes) Have Middle Knuckles, And Its Hereditary

Image credits: Silence31603

The idea of mildly interesting topics is beloved by many, even those outside of the 20 million member subreddit. In fact, there is a podcast titled The Mildly Interesting: A Nightly Bedtime Podcast that you can stream on various podcast platforms. To get a bit more insight about the show and hear how it began in the first place, we reached out to the creator and host, Oliver Wilson. "I love listening to podcasts, and my love has passed on to my grandchildren. So much so that my granddaughter would request that I play her whatever I was listening to on Alexa to help her fall asleep whenever she visited," Oliver told Bored Panda. "The problem was I would fall asleep while waiting for her to fall asleep, so I wanted to listen to something that I found a little interesting but didn’t care too much about so I wouldn't mind if I fell asleep. I couldn’t find any bedtime podcast that I liked so I decided to make one of my own for my granddaughter and anyone else who wanted to listen to a podcast while trying to fall asleep."

#5 Helen Keller, Maya Angelou And Eleanor Roosevelt Barbies. There’s Braille On The Helen Keller Box

Image credits: Str33twise84

We then asked Oliver what qualifies as "mildly interesting" to him. "A mildly interesting thing is something that is not very exciting or compelling but is still worth noting or paying attention to. It may be mildly amusing, slightly intriguing, or simply not dull such as the cultivation of almonds (yup, I did an episode on almonds). It is probably not the most important topic to the general public, but it's something to which we should pay attention."

The show also features episodes on oatmeal, blueberries, carousels, buttons, sour candy, roller coasters and more.

#6 Indelible Ink Is Dropped On Your Fingernail After Voting To Prevent People From Voting Twice In The Philippine Elections

Image credits: Godfreee

We also asked Oliver if he thinks mildly interesting things are underrated. "That's tough to say," he told us. "Some people might find mildly interesting things more intriguing than others who might find them boring. It depends on the person's perspective. But, I have found that when I think I am going to be bored by a topic, I usually find some aspect of it interesting. Or, at least, mildly interesting."

In contrast, we wanted to know what he would consider fascinating in contrast to his show. "Physics. Definitely mind-blowing and would require too much concentration for my bedtime podcast," he says. Fair enough, I think hearing about physics would put me right to sleep without a chance of hearing anything. I would much rather learn a little bit about oatmeal and slowly drift off.

#7 This Bar That Decorated Its Bar Top With The Confiscated Fake IDs Of College Students

Image credits: beeedeee

Lastly, Oliver wants to remind everyone to, "Keep an open mind, and you will find something interesting about everyone and everything." If you're interested in checking out his peaceful, night time podcast, you can find the show's website right here.

#8 Witnessed An Unusually Large Banana

Image credits: the_local_hobo

#9 Ordered A New Knife They Give You Two Band-Aids With It

Image credits: Butt-chicken

Sometimes mild things are unfairly overlooked. The most popular destinations in the world may be beautiful, but they are also usually crowded and overhyped. The biggest car on the road is probably cool at first, but it won’t be so fun when it takes 20 minutes to parallel park. Or when a tank of gas costs $80. An $8 giant chocolate chip cookie might look amazing, but it might leave you with a stomach ache as well. A simple, small cookie baked with love by your mother might be even more satisfying. That wild person who took you on the craziest date of your life where you both pulled an all-nighter might seem like the most exciting person you have ever met, but do you really have the stamina to be partying like that every weekend? Some of us are born to live extremely interesting lives, but there is no shame in embracing the mild every now and then.

#10 The Silhouette In The Ice Cube Looks Like A Disney Princess

Image credits: Vixi0n

#11 Someone Placed A Small Stick On Each Of The Dog Graves In This Cemetery

Image credits: zherper

#12 3D Yearbook. Names Written In Braille. Georgia Academy For The Blind

Image credits: thunder1967

Have you ever heard the world lagom? It’s a Swedish word that is very prominent in Swedish culture meaning “just the right amount”. It roughly translates to “not too much, not too little”, and it can be applied to almost anything. You should eat lagom, your clothes should fit lagom, and your work/life balance should have a basis of lagom. It’s the idea of balanced living, and it leads to great contentment. These mildly interesting posts make me think of the idea of “lagom” because they are just the right amount of interesting. It’s a word for mild with a positive connotation, and it can be utilized in almost any situation.

#13 McDonald's Using Reusable Packaging When You Order To Eat Indoors

Image credits: GeDeOh

#14 There's A Tooth In My Chin

Image credits: super9mega

#15 Stick Attached To Cats Preventing Them From Stepping Out

Image credits: hiyame

Many people grow up wanting to be the most remarkable person in the world, or at least in their field, and they dream of having a massive impact on others. Finding the cure for cancer, becoming the president or winning a gold medal at the Olympics are amazing goals, but let’s be honest, we are not all destined for greatness. And that is totally fine. Social scientist Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic wrote a piece for Psychology Today titled “The Upsides of Being Average”, and I think that is exactly what the Mildly Interesting subreddit excels in.

#16 Flowers On A Wall That Look Like A Gradient

Image credits: liquah

#17 A Condemned Apartment Complex On My Way To Work Had A Tree Growing Out The Side Of It

Image credits: nerdyoats

#18 There Is A Squirrel With 3 Different Colours In Their Fur That I See In My Backyard Every Day

Image credits: Odeiminmukwa

Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic explains that about 65% of people will have average intelligence, personality, memory, happiness, leadership potential, creativity, etc., so there is nothing wrong with being normal. In fact, there might even be advantages. Certain characteristics, even desirable ones like ambition, sociability, confidence and conscientiousness can be turned into negatives if they are overused or exploited. For example, the most ambitious person you know might become greedy and stop caring for the feelings of others if they impede on his or her goals. Balance is actually a great thing, and when we are “average”, we have an easier time relating to one another.

#19 I Cut Into A Cantaloupe And The Inside Was Square

Image credits: alisonj143

#20 Finding Out That My Cat Potty Trained Himself

Image credits: tunalemon

#21 Had To Pay 50 Cent To Use The Restroom, But There Is A Cutout For Kids To Use It Free

Image credits: Prodigy829

“Needless to say, the world is optimized for average people: Nothing would function if the majority of us were outliers, but it’s nice to think that while everyone else is the same, we are celebrated for being different,” Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic writes. And while the world does rely on exceptional people to make innovations, advance technology and champion social movements, it is perfectly healthy for all of us to accept and embrace our mildness. What is important for most people is to be happy, or at least content, and that can absolutely be achieved by living an average life. Not too much stress, not too many crazy things happening and not too many unachievable goals.

#22 My Husband Got Tipped With A $10 Coin At Work Tonight

Image credits: dehydrationking

#23 This Irish Supermarket Has Quiet Evenings For Sensitive People

Image credits: Smetvrees

#24 Me Looking Like 4 Different People On 4 Valid Id Cards Of Mine

Image credits: funnybalu1

Even some extraordinary people preach the idea that we are all average. As the late American writer Dale Carnegie once said, “The surest way to antagonize an audience is to indicate that you consider yourself to be above them. When you speak, you are in showcase and every facet of your personality is on display. The slightest hint of braggadocio is fatal. On the other hand, modesty inspires confidence and good will. You can be modest without being apologetic. Your audience will like and respect you for suggesting your limitations, as long as you show you are determined to do your best.”

#25 My Coworker Puts His Coffee Creamer In Breast Milk Bags In The Common Fridge

Image credits: ProudTacoman

#26 A Tiny Spider Built Her Web In My Fruit Fly Trap

Image credits: jragonizer

#27 In Nepal The Pringles Mascot Has Different Facial Expressions Depending On The Flavor

Image credits: Carb0nMonoxide

We hope you are enjoying all of these mildly interesting photos of things you may have never seen before. Be sure to keep upvoting all of the pics you would argue are more than mildly interesting, and then let us know in the comments if you have any slightly interesting fun facts to share. If you would like to see even more of these random, completely original photos, you can check out some of Bored Panda's previous articles on the same subreddit here, here, and here!