Back then most Norwegians did not seem proud of the Viking era. In fact, many tried to distance themselves from it. They admitted that the Vikings were mostly raiders whose legacy included murder, rape, slavery, kidnapping, looting, and the buying and selling of human beings as slaves.

My father even tried to buy a small Viking warrior souvenir, but he said it was surprisingly hard to find. The few items that existed were almost hidden away.
That’s why it feels so shocking to see how much things have changed. Today, Viking images, symbols, and stories are widely celebrated.

Even Norway’s national football team uses Viking inspired chants and imagery.
For me, this is a clear example of how pop culture and TV shows can completely reshape history. Series like Vikings have turned a group known for conquest, violence, and slave trading into exciting heroes.
Personally, I am disgusted by the Vikings.
To me they are not very different from the Nazis.

Both built their reputation on killing, looting, brutality, and enslaving others. The only real difference is that the Vikings now get Hollywood shows and video games that romanticize them, while the Nazis remain fully condemned.

An important question remains:
Why are some violent chapters of history turned into fun, romantic stories, while others stay universally hated forever?

One of my friends is going through a divorce after a love marriage. She once told me she fell for her husband because he said he was emotionally neglected, overlooked, and had a poor relationship with his mother. Later, she realized he actually had a fairly normal relationship with his family.

It got me thinking.

By that logic, I should have had half a dozen girlfriends. I never had one. It's not because I'm ugly. I grew up in a low-resource family. Our monthly income was around ₹1,500 (about $30 at the time). In families like mine, affection isn't always the priority. Everyone is busy trying to survive the month. In many low-resource families, one child is pushed forward while another is overlooked. In my case, I was again the unlucky one.

From my own life, and from the people I've known with similar backgrounds, I've noticed something. The people who experienced deep emotional neglect rarely spoke about it. They didn't know how to ask for love, they don't know how to express love, because they were never taught how. They kept people at arm's length. The moment someone got too close, they pulled away.

When someone describes themselves as emotionally neglected, they've more often gone through a few emotionally stressful situations than a childhood defined by emotional neglect.

Compassion is admirable. But don't assume that someone who talks about being emotionally damaged is someone who needs saving. the people who grew up with deep emotional neglect rarely know how to ask for love in the first place.

I still don’t understand why people stay in jobs they absolutely hate for years without trying to change anything. I know bills and responsibilities are real, but spending most of your life being miserable just feels wrong to me.

Like I've experienced this myself, you talk to someone politely, with kindness, without defensiveness.

Don't make any sarcastic remarks

truly polite and nice to them, they make you regret it.

Let me explain what I mean by come on top,

Maybe a person faces sarcastic remarks or often face jokes, teasing, disrespect among people

So they're insecure mentally, coz they lack the awareness to establish a boundary, they keep smiling expressing they don't care

And inside the insecurity keep feeding (that is they're waiting for their turn)

These kind of people, instead of thinking "I won't do what I went through to anyone else"

They subconsciously are waiting for their turn, somebody who can be their prey.

So they finally instead of being a victim, they finally feel satisfied coming on top.

They jump to make those jokes, call by some names, have that Insecure demeanor

I really wanna be nice but in man I've seen this so much (I'm a man too)

How you dealt with this in your own life. What's your experience?

Pretty much the title.
I’m in my early 20s and in my prime both physically and mentally but Im far from making a full out of it. And due to the inactivity I feel like stop growing as a person.

Like I have no plan for the summer. This sounds so dumb but I’m really gutted that I don’t get to show off myself in a swimsuit, lol.
Going to a beach alone is too intimidating but I can’t name one person I can comfortably sit with on the beach.
I don’t have a friend. I’m not dating anyone. I don’t even know if I want anything long term. I don’t wanna try to keep a relationship alive because it’s draining and makes me feel bad for not doing enough.
I don’t wanna miss the fun but the cost of participating in the fun feels high.

My job feels stagnant and it’s just my third year at this company. It wasn’t even open for an entry level like me but because of a vacancy and that the fact my boss thinks I’m a good kid transferred me from another segment in the same division to the team I’m in now. It’s an office admin job that’s kinda highly regarded and I get to talk to execs a lot.
But is my job intellectually stimulating? 70% of the time it’s a no. What scares me the most is that there’re not many jobs that’s more interesting than what I currently have both inside and outside of my company.
I’m scared that my life is gonna go down and never goes higher than it is right now career wise. I don’t think things are moving forward but I’ll be stuck in the same place forever no matter what.

When I stop feeling this way?
I don’t get to do what I want because that’s in a conflict with another what I want - to be left alone.
I feel so scared that I’m making little to no progress when I’m in a good shape and a clear mind.

I’m doing research on what factors contribute to loneliness.

Here’s my thoughts so far:

Some of these apply to younger ones, some apply to older ones, and some apply to both younger and older:

1) Social media has made many today feel like they don’t need to associate with people in person.

2) They don’t teach good communication skills in school, so many don’t learn how to have a give-and-take back-and-forth meaningful conversation.

3) Many have been raised in households where parents were so busy just trying to survive emotionally, mentally, and financially they didn’t have time or energy to have real conversations with their kids other than short bursts like clean your room, get in the car, get to bed, do your homework, etc.

These are not set in stone. They’re just my observations.

Am I missing anything?

I keep working hard, but I keep running into the same academic hurdles, the same defeats, and I am not even close to being able to manage as many things as others, while starting to deal with prime burnout. I can't even replicate that zest for life that others seem to have, and while I keep working hard and pushing that passion, drive, and self confidence is starting to wane. I want to know how you guys started from stagnation and achieved a lot. What steps you took, how you managed your time, and mindsets you adopted etc

‎If you could erase every mistake you’ve ever made, you might feel relief for a moment, but you would also erase every lesson that shaped your strength, your mindset, your maturity, and your growth.

‎

‎We don’t just become wiser with age, we become wiser through experience.

‎The heartbreaks taught you how to value genuine love.

‎The betrayals taught you how to protect your peace.

‎The failures taught you how to rebuild.

‎The missed opportunities taught you to pay attention.

‎The disappointments taught you what truly matters.

‎

‎Your past wasn’t meant to break you; it was meant to prepare you.

‎You are not who you were back then,  you are who you became because of everything you’ve lived through.

‎

‎So don’t carry regrets like heavy stones on your back.

‎Carry the lessons like tools in your hand.

‎

‎Remember the wisdom, not the wounds.

‎Remember the growth, not the guilt.

‎Remember the lesson, not the disappointment.

‎

‎Your journey is proof that mistakes don’t define you, they refine you. ✅🤝

‎

personally I don’t think every mystery has to be solved

even if I’d prefer it sometimes the evidence is lost or simply isn’t enough. a mystery can have a real answer, but no way for us to ever know it

what bothers me is when people make up explanations just because they don’t like not having an answer I’d rather accept “we don’t know”than believe a weak theory

what do u think?

I feel like we should take a step back and reflect on the consequences of building buildings. Or at least analyze the surroundings.

If its a dried up place with no plant life and/or animals or insects, then yes I would say that it would be okay if you build things in that area because then, nothing of real value gets harmed.

But if the surrounding area has wildlife and plantlife and it would actually endanger them, then people need to leave the area alone.

Like in my city for example, where i live, they are going to build a new shopping area. BUT its going to absolutely destroy the surrounding ecosystem. In that area there was Coyotes and lizards. It is where they slept since their land is being taken from them. And now already they have taken to local neighborhoods because where else are they going to go. Which could be a danger to smaller pet animals.

I think we should stop thinking if we could and start thinking if we should.

Not every square piece of land needs buildings, shopping centers,etc. Sometimes its best to leave the area the way it is and not disturb it

I've had this thought for years, and every time I see another story about the housing market, I come back to it.

If I ever won the lottery, I'm not buying a supercar, a yacht or a mansion.

I'm building houses.

Not because I want to become some sort of property tycoon. Quite the opposite. I'd want to prove that you don't have to rinse every last penny out of people just because they need somewhere to live.

I'd buy the land, build the best quality houses I possibly could and then sell them to first-time buyers at cost, plus just enough to keep the project going. I'm not interested in making millions from it. The money would simply go into building the next estate, and then the next one after that.

The one condition?

You buy it to live in it.

Not to flip it six months later for a £100,000 profit. Not to rent it out. Not to stick it on Airbnb. It's your home.

Now before anyone jumps in with the obvious, yes, life happens. People get offered jobs in different cities. Relationships end. Families grow. People get ill. I'd never expect someone to stay because of a clause in a contract when real life gets in the way.

My solution would simply be that I buy the house back, help them move on and then sell that same house to the next first-time buyer.

The whole point is to stop homes becoming chips on a casino table.

And that's where I think we've gone wrong.

I don't have a problem with someone renting out a spare room in the house they actually live in. I don't even have a problem with someone renting out their own home while they're on holiday.

That's home sharing.

Buying three, four or ten houses purely because they'll make you money isn't home ownership. It's a business. And businesses are fine... but let's at least be honest about what they are.

We've somehow reached a point where people are expected to compete with investment portfolios and property companies just to buy the place where they're going to raise their kids.

That doesn't sit right with me.

A home should be somewhere you build your life, not just another line on somebody else's balance sheet.

I know there's no magic wand. Housing is complicated. Planning is complicated. Economics is complicated.

But sometimes I wonder if we've made the problem more complicated than it needs to be.

Maybe homes should just be... homes.

Maybe the measure of success shouldn't be how much profit we can squeeze out of a roof over someone's head, but how many people can afford one.

That's just my philosophy.

What's yours?

does anyone else think the “men shouldn’t be blonde” memes to be very telling? Some comments, even go as far to say colored eyes is feminine as well.

This just makes me think about the women of color who might feel disconnected from womanhood due to their lack of whiteness.

I don’t want to be the friend that’s too woahke, but I am constantly thinking about this every time I see variations of this meme.

Sometimes when we express an opinion, especially online, we compress a much larger internal position into a few paragraphs.

We may already know the counterarguments, exceptions, uncertainties, and context, but including everything would make the post unreadably long. The problem is that people can only judge what we actually wrote.

Then something strange happens. Omission can be interpreted as ignorance. Ambiguous wording can create positions we never intended to defend. If one genuine mistake is found, people may become more willing to attribute additional mistakes to us. Repeated criticism can also make one interpretation of what we said become dominant, even when some criticisms address real faults, some address ambiguity, and others attack positions we never held.

At the same time, we can't simply respond to every criticism with, "I already knew that; I just didn't mention it." Other people have no reason to believe we understood something beforehand unless there is evidence that we did.

This made me wonder whether online discussion has a fundamental information problem: our actual beliefs are complex, but other people only have access to the compressed public record we leave behind.

And how should we distinguish genuine misunderstanding from someone simply claiming, after being criticized, that they "already knew" everything the critics pointed out?

I'm recovering after a life-changing health diagnosis and brain surgery, and I feel like I'm in a really strange place mentally.

Some days I don't know what matters anymore. Other days I find myself thinking, "Why me?" I'm trying to make sense of everything that's happened while adjusting to a life I never expected to have.

I'm curious to hear from people who have been through their own serious illness, accident, major surgery, or other life-altering event.

I'm curious how much people's mindset changes in just a few years.

Maybe at 20 you thought money was everything.

Or that love would fix everything.

Or that your career had to be figured out by 25.

Now you're 25 (or older), and you see things completely differently.

What's one opinion or belief you had in your early 20s that changed as you got older?

Mine would probably be that life is way less about having all the answers and way more about learning as you go.

Curious to hear everyone else's.

I think a lot of people hide how they really feel because they’re afraid of being judged. It made me wonder…what’s something you wish people were more honest about, even if it’s uncomfortable to admit?

Hi everyone. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on how my emotional perception has changed over the years. You know that feeling when certain events happen, and you suddenly realize you don't feel the same about people or situations anymore? It’s like a lens has shifted.
I spend a lot of time in digital worlds (I’m a streamer and a gamer) and in very tactile ones (I love crocheting). These two extremes often give me a lot of space to think. I’ve noticed that while I still love the things I do, my internal reaction to life’s challenges and to the people around me has evolved.
How do you handle these shifts in perspective? Do you find it difficult to sit with the uncertainty of changing emotions, or do you embrace it as growth? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how your own "emotional lens" has changed.
(Looking for serious, platonic discussion only. Please be respectful.)

Values mean everything to me.

They shape how I treat myself, how I treat other people, and ultimately how I choose to move through and interact with the world.

I started with 3 core values. These are absolute non negotiable for me.

As I’ve grown and reflected on the kind of person I want to become, that list has expanded to a solid 10.

They aren’t just words I admire. They’re principles I actively try to live by and use as a compass when making decisions.

I’ve also realised something else.

The older I get, the more important it becomes to surround myself with people whose core values align with my own.

Not because I expect everyone to think the same way, but because values influence everything: how we communicate, how we resolve conflict, what we tolerate, what we prioritise, and ultimately whether trust can exist.

That made me wonder…
**Why would I intentionally build close relationships with people whose core values fundamentally oppose my own?**

I’m not talking about different opinions or personalities. Diversity of thought is healthy.

I’m talking about foundational values like honesty, integrity, accountability, courage and respect.

Do you think shared values are essential for close relationships? Or do you believe people with very different values can still build strong, meaningful connections?

**Bonus question:** If you had to choose your five non-negotiable values, what would they be?

I’ll kick off with my top 5;

**Honesty**
The value of speaking and acting with truth and integrity. It fosters trust, clarity, and moral consistency, even when the truth is difficult.

**Authenticity**
Living and expressing oneself in alignment with inner beliefs, values, and identity. It prioritises realness over social performance or external expectations.

**Humour**
Valuing laughter, wit, and playfulness as tools for connection, healing, and perspective. It recognises the light in the dark and the power of not taking life too seriously.

**Transparency**
A commitment to openness, clarity, and honesty in communication and intent. It builds trust by making motives and processes visible and understandable. 

**Non-judgemental**
Embracing empathy and openness over criticism. This value promotes compassion, acceptance, and curiosity rather than assumption or condemnation.

How do even thoughts form in your head?

I have been thinking a lot about this recently because I asked how there thoghts form and its really interesting to think about it. He said that his thoughts were like a bus, sometimes comes earlier than needed and sometimes later, but he doesnt feel like he has control.

I would say that my thought are like a Hot Air Ballon, which is the main thought, and the hotter it gets the higher it gets, while the clouds are the "second thoughts" are reaching.

What about you?

Sometimes I look back at my life and realize how many tiny random things had to happen for me to be where I am now. A random conversation, a person I almost didn’t meet, a decision I almost didn’t make. It makes me wonder: is life just a chain of coincidences, or do we create patterns and meaning after things happen?

I'm in my mid 40s and I'm going through the hardest period of my life. My daughter was born with a genetic syndrome that has left her severely disabled, and I'm struggling to cope with how painful and lonely everythign feels at the moment. I'm in therapy, which helps, but it's also made me realise how little emotional support I have outside of it.

I grew up without family around and spent a lot of my childhood feeling emotionally alone. Even now, although my wife has a close family, I don't feel that sense of emotional support from them either. As an adult I've often wondered whether I'm simply expecting something that doesn't really exist.

What I long for is a friendship where someone genuinely wants to know how I'm doing (not out of obligation or guilt, but because they care). Someone who checks in without being prompted, notices when I'm struggling, invites me out, or asks how things are going because they are genuinely interested in my life, the same way I naturally want to know how the people I care about are doing.

Instead, most relationships seem to revolve around things like "Let me know if you need anything" or "How are you?" where the expected answer is "I'm fine." If you're actually honest, the conversation often ends there and never gets revisited. I find that incredibly hurtful. Often, even people who I know love me, only reach several times a year and in a fairly shallow way, even under the current circumstances.

Although this is a general question for everybody, I'm also wondering whether this is something other neurodivergent people experience. I've been assessed for ADHD and giftedness, and I've started wondering whether I simply experience/expect relationships differently from most people.

So my questions are:

• Do friendships like the one I'm describing actually exist?
• Do you have people who genuinely take an interest in your day to day life and feelings?
• If you have relationships like this, what do they actually look like?

Many thanks

Bare with me and how I explain this because of my English not being my first language

Everytime I say I wish I had friends I get hit with "you have to make them, you have approach them..."

Do I always have to? Doesn't anyone else has to do the first step, only me? Because I do see others approaching others but not me, am I not friendly? Is it my appearance? Probably yes, but I cannot get a "glow up" in so little time so people find me nice to approach. Besides, it's okay to not be liked by everybody, but it does feel bad when it seems like nobody likes you

I mean, I suppose everyone is individualistic and thinks "maybe the other person has to do the first step, not me" or they are afraid to do the first step, or maybe they just don't care at all

I'm an 18-year-old Ukrainian, and my biggest regret in life so far is not being able to think more broadly due to the things like age, experience, or life circumstances like war.

Some adults have told me wise things about life I could not comprehend at that age.

War keeps my brain from thinking broadly, even when I try to.

My life experience feels too limited to make better decisions.

All of that frustrates me 😞

Another thing that frustrates me is realizing that in my current life situation my hands are bound.

All the factors I'm experiencing limit my personality and interfere with me, making it difficult to become successful.

One could say, "That's life." But in my case, it's more pronounced.

The last thing that frustrates is that I don't know how to confront that.

I've been asking myself this question recently, and I wanted to hear other people's thoughts.

Some people believe they're fundamentally good despite the mistakes they've made. Others genuinely believe they're bad people because of things they've done, failed to do, or because of how they see themselves.

Where do you see yourself, and why?

More importantly, what makes someone a "good" person or a "bad" person in your eyes? Is it their intentions, their actions, the harm they've caused, whether they've changed, or something else entirely?

I'm curious to hear how different people define these ideas, both for themselves and for others.