People reveal the stupidest things they have done just to prove they could do it — it's hard to believe

We humans often hold certain beliefs about ourselves and our capabilities. Even our morals and knowledge feel deeply personal, that's why when someone challenges them, we don't hesitate to prove them wrong. While some people don't care much, a majority get stirred up when told they are wrong or can't do something. In the bargain, they end up acting on these remarks, even if it means them going to extreme lengths.

A Reddit user, u/CherryCola31, asked fellow people on the platform, "What is the stupidest thing you’ve done just to show you could do it?" and the responses were mind-boggling. While one went on to eat insects, another got seriously injured just to support their belief. No doubt, many people have gone wild trying to prove that they can actually do the weirdest things. These 10 instances will leave you surprised.

1. Start smoking to show how easy it is to quit

"My partner was a heavy smoker, and at the time, I'd never touched a cigarette. I would subtly—and sometimes not-so-subtly, but always lovingly, urge her to quit. She told me I had no idea how hard it was. I decided to take up smoking for about a month and then quit just to show her I could do it. That was ten years ago. I'm on a pack a day. She no longer smokes." -u/UniversalPolymath

2. 'Jumped' over the China-Myanmar border

"This was in 2002. I was in China legally. Across a small stream and two thin strings of barbed wire was the city of Musé ('White Elephant City'), Myanmar, which was closed to foreigners at the time. A group of opium addicts were smoking in the thick bushes growing near the border and invited me over for a chat. I saw no border guards were within line of sight of me, so I did. We had an interesting chat in a mixture of English and Chinese. Then I high-tailed it back to the same crossing spot and over about 90min after I first went over." -u/hononononoh

3. What a piss

"When I was around 12, I was neglecting to flush my piss. Too busy playing armored core. So, my dear mother brings me into the bathroom and tells me if I don’t flush next time, she’s going to dip my hands in the piss. I looked at her, made a hammer fist, smashed it in the toilet, covered myself in piss, only a little on her. I wasn’t even a malicious child, just salivated at the opportunity to show I could withstand the punishment and was thus unafraid." -u/sweetperdition

4. Competitive spirit

"My friends and used to have those breathing contests in the pool where you'd go underwater and see who could hold in their breath the longest. I'm a really competitive person so of course I won. I passed out in the pool when I was 9 doing this. The lifeguard was too busy flirting to care and he thought I was faking it." -u/slightlylessright

5. Spidey sense

"I let a black widow spider bite me to prove that they were venomous but not deadly. I also won a $150 bet." -u/Pogo1974 "It did inject venom. The spot was red, a little swollen, and somewhat sensitive to touch for a few days. The bet wasn't that nothing would happen, just that it would not be life threatening." -u/Pogo1974

6. Cigarette in the arm

"Put a cigarette out on my arm Logan-Style (X-Men) because some dudes in my class didn't believe me when I told them I don't feel much pain in the arms. I still don't but I got a bad infection, the beating of a lifetime from my mom for my stupidity and the scar on my arm is not big but kind of ugly." -u/KalemIshtarr

7. Absurd resilience

"Remained standing through as much taser as possible. My friend used up the battery on himself and said he was trying to 'get used' to it. He said that he would be able to remain standing. I said what the hell and tried— its not easy fighting electro-convulsive action. We tased ourselves and each other a bunch of times... I don't think we got better at resisting it." -u/Sleepdprived

8. Jager bomb

"I downed half a 5th of Jager in one go because everyone said 'I could not do it.' Ended up falling in a river outside my apartment, having a smoke mid-winter in Michigan. Washed down about a quarter mile before I could grab onto something to get out. Made my way back home. Nobody had any idea until I walked in soaking wet in frozen clothes. It was about that time I passed out on the floor." -u/Pumpmkinb0y

9. Try me

"In college, the choir I worked for sent out an invitation for a 'sweats only' party. This was clearly intended to mean comfy/casual dress but a rumor got started that it meant you were only supposed to wear sweatpants, no shirt. The leader of the club issued a clarification. I joked to another friend that, if it was optional, I was coming topless. A freshman boy overheard and interrupted to tell us, 'No, you're not allowed to do that. Girls can't walk around with no shirts on.' The two of us went topless to the party in a Massachusetts winter. Pretty much froze our nips off, but we put him in his place." -u/thefuzzybunny1

10. I can do it

"Showed up with my department to make sandbags for flood relief and the head of the town crew says, 'So are the ladies here to learn how to tie the knots?' Our chief, to his credit says, 'Nope, they're here to do the heavy lifting.' I proceeded to bust my ass harder than anyone else on site to fill and sling around sandbags all day. Woke up the next morning feeling like a truck hit me, showered and did it all again." -u/parkaprep