The Best Reddit R/Relationships Threads of All Time

Reddit is full of relationship gems. From funny relationship stories to advice, here are the best r/relationships stories of all time.

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In the age of the Internet, Reddit has become a go-to spot for many people seeking sweet anonymity and relationship advice. From first time milestones to break up wisdom to more complicated situations, people congregate at AskReddit, specifically r/relationships, the Subreddit dedicated to troubleshooting all types of relationships. If you have a question, there's a Redditor out there with an answer. 

The r/relationships Subreddit is a peek into human psychology and modern love, from the perspective of a real person (or persons) somewhere in the world. Of course, not everyone out there is suited to give advice for a first date, let alone something more emotionally taxing—some of the responses may terrify you. But this is an upvote community, and r/relationships usually arrives at a cumulative response that supports and affirms the original poster, and Reddit users even show tough love where appropriate.

Cancel your evening plans; you've got some heavy reading to do. Here are the 10 best r/relationships threads of all time.

10. The Dungeon Master

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When Smurfette first arrived at the Smurfs' village, every Smurf desired her, and it sowed discontent, jealousy, and competitiveness in the once peaceful village. Something similar happened in this man's Dungeons and Dragons group. A cute, witty woman joined up with his all-male group, and things quickly got awkward and snippy, especially since the woman was most interested in him.

This story ends well. The guy had a talk with Dave the Dungeon Master about his rude behavior, and Dave copped to it. The original poster (OP) and the woman became boyfriend and girlfriend, and are looking forward to starting a new DnD group with more mature people. That's what happens when you have an extra high Charisma score!

9. Pregnancy Trick

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This is a long thread, but it’s worth your time. A man suspects that his girlfriend is trying to get pregnant without his consent. He later posts an update, in which she confirms that she has been "taking matters into her own hands," and she is currently pregnant. Talk about confirming your worst fears.

Luckily, this story has a neat resolution. In a second update, the OP says that his girlfriend took a pregnancy test that came back negative, which confirms she was lying about that as well. They aren't together anymore, which is probably for the best.

8. Winter is Coming

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If you've ever had a TV show or movie spoiled for you, then you know exactly how frustrating it can be. Now, imagine that someone is doing that, regularly and deliberately, and you'll have some idea how this woman feels when her coworker, who's been working at her company longer than she has, starts giving her regular Game of Thrones spoilers to mess with her head. Granted, it's not a life-altering, major r/relationships problem. But it's nevertheless a persistent irritation and a respite from the romantic dumpster fires that normally dominate the Subreddit.

The community is even-handed with its advice. Some users advise her to feign disinterest or to pretend she stopped watching the show. Others, with too much time on their hands, recommend that she start researching and spoiling shows for him. A smaller minority recommend she talk to the guy, directly. Fortunately, no one recommends that she tattle on him to HR—that seems like something King Joffrey might do.

7. She Towers Over Me!

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A man is insecure because when his girlfriend wears heels, she's taller than him. The entire community rides him mercilessly, and calls him an insecure fool: "Dude, you have a statuesque girlfriend who isn't hung up on what other people think. You've won."

The best response, though, was this one:

"I've got a girlfriend who has way nicer hair than me. I'm a bald guy who shaves my head regularly but my girlfriend has thick beautiful shoulder length black hair that she insists on getting stylishly cut. I've brought up the issue a couple of times, casually implying that she might consider shaving her head to avoid making me appear balder, but she claims it's normal. Feeling afraid I'll be cut out of social circles or stranded at parties when things get hairy."

In other words, the community treated this concern with the (lack of) seriousness it deserved.

6. He's Sitting 20 Feet Away

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This is one of those "livestream" threads that plays out in real time. A woman finds out her husband is cheating on her when she finds another woman's nether region on his Snapchat. She posts to Reddit, while the husband is right there, for advice on what to do.

In an update, the woman confirms her suspicions. She confronts her husband who breaks down crying and admits he had sex with the other woman, in the backseat of her car, on the first night they met. The OP says she'll be seeking a divorce and will keep her child (she was pregnant this entire time!), in spite of it all.

5. Making Amends

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These next three entries are non-romantic but no less compelling. In this thread, a dying 74-year-old woman wants to make amends with her estranged children of 20 years. She doesn't blame them; she admits that she suffered from narcissistic personality disorder and anger problems in their childhood. She just wants to apologize to and see them one last time.

What makes this thread so fascinating is that it's the inverse of what we've come to expect. There are entire support groups on Reddit dedicated to dealing with toxic, narcissistic parents; it's rare to hear about the situation from the other, less sympathetic perspective.

The comments are worthwhile, too. Together, they constitute a beginner's guide on how to correctly, sincerely apologize, which is a valuable lesson for all of us.

4. To Be Fair, Garlic Bread is Delicious

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Every prank on r/relationships ends badly.

This one, however, is pretty funny, since it's not happening to us. This poor girl turned her back on her resume for a moment, then sent it out to multiple job applications. What she didn't know is that her younger sister had switched out her "Hobbies and Passions" section for "Garlic Bread."

Needless to say, the joke didn't land. The community treated it lightly, probably because this was a summer job rather than a post-graduation career. Some people, one of them a job recruiter, even pointed out that it might be a blessing in disguise; "Garlic Bread" gives her a quirk that might pique an employer's interest. It's probably best not to tell the sister that though, lest she starts "helping" with other documents, too.

3. The Secret Sacrifice

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A woman finds out that when her sister donated half her liver to save her life, she also had to abort her baby; the sister and her husband later divorced over it. The sister never told the OP; she did, however, tell their mother, who accidentally spilled the beans.

It sounds like a philosophical thought experiment we would have studied in college, only in this case, it really happened. The community is supportive of the OP, correctly pointing out that if she had died and the sister had done nothing, she would have grown to resent her husband.

In most threads, there's a clear apportionment of blame. Things are less clear here. Would you save someone's life if it meant terminating a potential life? And is there a clear difference between killing someone and allowing someone to die? Few threads make us consider our ethical codes, but this one manages to.

2. Sell the Shotgun

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This is a rough one. A son, whose mother was killed by a drunk driver, sees that his father is spiraling out of control around the time the driver is set to be released from jail. The father buys a shotgun and starts saying odd things, which imply that he's either going to kill this drunk driver or kill himself.

A later update provides some relief. The r/relationships community gave the OP the strength to confront his father, who agreed to sell the shotgun and go into therapy. It's a tearjerker that shows the unusual maturity of an 18-year-old kid, who was able to take care of his caregiver during a crucial, potentially fatal time.

1. The Bucket List

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Checking items off a bucket list can be both incredibly rewarding and incredibly heartbreaking, particularly if one's time is actually limited.

In this r/relationships thread, a wife (26 years old) learns that her husband (29 years old) is dying of terminal cancer and only has one month to live. With the community's advice and support, she sets out to make that last month into a lifetime. She tells him she loves him, constantly. She cooks his favorite dishes. They have lots of sex. She takes lots of photos and videos. And she doesn't ignore the practical side of things either: the insurance, the access to bank accounts, the passwords. She even throws a "last life" party for him with all his friends (no crying allowed!) to let everyone say goodbye.

She later posts an update, confirming that he passed on and thanking the community (often by name) for helping her navigate a tragic ordeal.

This is as good as the Internet ever gets. The power to influence, help, and comfort can come from the oddest of places. And if it comes from r/relationships, who are we to judge?

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