Have you ever known someone and thought you liked them—until you learned about their hobbies? Then you get to know them and then you’re like, “Wow, red flag.” Well, you’re not alone. According to Redditors, some of these seemingly unsuspecting hobbies are actually subtle indicators that someone has some big red flags.
Do you know which hobbies make someone a red flag? Continue reading this blog to find out!
Posting everything on social media
Do you know someone who posts about everything on their social media accounts? Sharing everything from where they go to the food they eat, their new AirPods, or their misplaced slippers—pretty much everything—could be a red flag.
One person said, “Just woke up, had my coffee and protein drink and am sitting here on my couch enjoying your comment in my PJs.”
Another Redditor replied, “I broke up with someone before because of this. Not so much I cared that she posted. But I was tired of going on dates with her phone instead of with her.”
A third commenter added, “Oh boy! My ex girlfriend used to do this. Post updates about our relationship and how proud she was of the ‘work' I was doing going to therapy and then also post all the relationship struggle mental health quotes when the dynamic was harder though never specifically identifying me but cmon! People that have to share all their personal stuff [are] so weird.”
Driving on rainy days and splashing on pedestrians as a joke
“My old roommate used to go out driving on rainy days specifically to splash pedestrians. That seems pretty red flaggy to me,” one person said.
“That's straight up evil,” the second person replied in agreement.
“Yeah it is. I remember taking the bus late one Saturday night after work to get Easter candy baskets and toys for my kids the next morning. The right before the bus came, someone purposely splashed me at the bus stop by veering into… the large gutter puddle and everything was ruined,” a third Redditor replied.
These people sound like high school bullies from the movies. Don’t you think?
Making fake social media content
Do you know any vloggers or influencers who would go to any length, including faking their videos, for views and money?
One Redditor said, “Honestly I always assume it’s always staged. I with they’d all be arrested. I think a person with a good heart who’s doing that kind of thing is the least likely to want to show it off for popularity or monetization. Unless it’s to find homes for the animals, that’s different.”
Another person commented, “That ain't a hobby, that's just greed and being a psychopath.”
Another user replied, “It's funny to think of abusing animals and homeless people as a ‘hobby,' but when you put it in context of a prank it makes more sense. I always thought of those things as things psychopaths do for fun, but the word ‘hobby' never entered my mind.”
Participating in cock fighting or dog fighting for fun
For some, animal fighting is entertainment. People would place their bets and take big bucks when they won. It's an abusive hobby, and shows no compassion for animals; Redditors piped up to label betting on animal fighting a red flag.
One person shared, “Participating in something banned for animal cruelty is not a red flag. It's not a warning that they're a bad egg, you'll know.”
Another person replied, “I'm saddened this doesn't have more upvotes. Dog fighting should not exist here.”
A third commenter added, “That flag’s not red, it’s on fire. So is the building it hangs from. And all of the immediate surroundings are also on fire.”
Stalking and randomly messaging strangers about themselves
One person said, “There was a post of a guy that was angry at his mother because her hobby was to find random people on the net, find everything about them and message them about it.”
Well, that sounds really creepy and could be considered cyber harassment.
A second Redditor replied, “This is a new level of horrifying. I’m pretty sure it’s also considered cyber stalking.”
Another user shared her own horrible experience, “I think this happened to me after a first date? The guy made a couple jokes about how he could find out anything about anyone. We had some playful banter, and moved on. The next day, he texted me all of my family’s names, addresses, what cars they drive, and what they do for work. It creeped me out SO MUCH.”
Being into Hitler
Despite what Hitler did to the Jews and many people hating him for it, there are actually some people who admire Hitler, and it’s a red flag for Redditors.
“Of course that's a red flag! With a white circle and the swastika inside it,” one person said.
“Arh I am glad someone wrote this!! I went on one date with a guy who told me he had a serious hobby but would not tell me about it until we met up. We meet up and he tells me he likes doing role play war re-enactments for [ww2] and he is always a high up nazi officer of some kind (can’t remember details). He then goes on to tell me he collects nazi stuff, he had a nazi flag on his wall at home, and he had all these unusual tattoos which were all nazi symbols. He was also obsessed with gender roles being traditional and so on so forth…. Massive red flags just because of their hobby, so no second date!” another person replied.
Gambling
Gambling is a very addictive hobby where someone can lose their hard-earned money easily. A $200 loss can easily become $5,000 just by trying to win back their losses. It’s no wonder why it’s a red flag for Redditors.
One Redditor said, “My ex lost his job, his family and his health because of gambling. Gambling is not a hobby. It’s a house wrecker and person breaker. Personality even changes when a gambler steps inside a casino. They become possessed. May all beings be safe from gambling. I’m almost certain it changes brain chemistry.”
Another person replied, “Gambling can be a hobby. Gambling can be an addiction also and that would affect brain chemistry. Some people can gamble professionally without being an addict. The lure of gambling does not affect everyone the same. Sorry about what you went through with your ex.”
A third commenter said, “Not a hobby or addiction when it's packaged as strategic retirement planning and investing.”
Pushing people to turn their hobby to make money
Have you ever done something you enjoyed and had people tell you that you should be making money from it? While it can be flattering at first, it just doesn’t look good for some Redditors.
One person shared, “Yes! This! I do wood carving as a hobby and every time it gets brought up there's always 1-2 people who tell me to do that. At first it was flattering now its really annoying.”
Another user replied, “I often try to explain hey, I’m not saying you SHOULD do this for money because often that takes the whole joy out of it, but what I mean is your work looks freaking professional, as if you totally could sell it.’”
Another commenter added, “Ah, it sounds more appealing to the observer. Just doing what you love and getting paid to do it. Not draining the fun out of a hobby by mandating it for your financial benefit.”
Guys who spend hours on IG liking and commenting on random models' posts who they’ve never met
Is someone courting you, but also spending hours on IG liking and commenting on random models’ posts? That could be a huge red flag.
“I’ve seen so many girls complain about their bfs doing this, and I find it so insane. I basically have no experience in the boyfriend department except for the one I have now but I just find it really baffling tbh. I just can not imagine my bf doing such a thing,” one person said.
“My ex did this. We had multiple fights over it and he gaslit me into thinking it was normal. He ended up cheating on me lol,” another person replied.
Crushing monster energy drinks and punching dry walls
One person stated, “Crushing monster energy drinks and punching drywall could potentially be considered red flag behavior, as it could indicate a lack of impulse control or a tendency towards destructive or violent behavior. Engaging in activities that are harmful to oneself or others, such as punching drywall or consuming large amounts of caffeine or sugar, can be dangerous and can lead to negative health consequences. It's important for individuals to choose hobbies and activities that are safe, respectful, and consensual, and to avoid behavior that could be harmful to themselves or others.”
“Brah, what if we keep the crushing monsters but take away the drywall punching and do chest bumps instead?” a second person chimed in.
“Once worked with a guy who told me that this is how he and his brother would vent their anger. He mentioned it so casually, like it's something everyone does,” another commenter added.
Which of the hobbies here do you mostly consider as red flags? Let us know in the comments. You can also check out this Reddit thread for more.
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