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15 tiny tricks for when people get weird
A thoughtful lesson in public-space etiquette, some tiny social power moves and a truly bizarre animal noise.
Greg Sullivan
October 05, 2026 • Est. Reading Time: 3 minutes
In partnership with
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.”
― Charles M. Schulz
Monday seems like a good day for a quick refresher course in dealing with other humans. Erik Barnes starts us off with a man who realized a woman on his running trail might be afraid of him and asked what he could do differently. We’ve also got 15 tiny social tricks for awkward situations, a fresh dose of the Peanuts dance, Monty Python turning 57, and an elk making a noise that absolutely should not come from an elk.
Ethics
Sometimes consideration starts with realizing the situation isn’t about you.
A man was out for his usual jog, hoodie up, matching sweats on, when a woman approaching him suddenly sped up. When he caught her looking back at him, he realized she might be running from him. And instead of getting defensive, he went home and asked the internet a surprisingly useful question: What could I have done differently?
As Erik Barnes reports, Reddit responded with an unusually empathetic mix of men sharing their own experiences and women explaining why public space can feel very different depending on who’s walking through it. The suggestions ranged from genuinely practical to wonderfully ridiculous. One very large man even considered a propeller hat, though he worried it might somehow make him more sinister.
But beneath the jokes was a pretty important point. Women explained that caution around a stranger often has nothing to do with that particular stranger, just as kindness can sometimes be misread as flirting. You may know you’re harmless. The person passing you on a quiet trail has absolutely no way of knowing that. So what actually helps?
GOOD reader Kim Michael says this lake in Glacier National Park revealed itself after an incredible hike and instantly became one of her all-time favorite views. We can see why. Also, that water looks COLD.
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Which common internet term got its name from a Monty Python sketch?The internet owes British comedy more than you might think. |
Last Week's Results
In Friday's issue, we marked 76 years since Peanuts first appeared in just seven newspapers.
And we asked: In comics, what do you call a string of symbols like “@#$%!” standing in for a swear word? Just 34.7% of you nailed it: Grawlix. Dingbat actually won the popular vote at 40.8%, which feels like a perfectly respectable wrong answer.
Grawlix (34.7%) ✅
Dingbat (40.8%)
Kerning (8.5%)
Rebus (16.0%)
Pop Culture | Courtesy of Upworthy
 | ||
Young people recreate the iconic ‘Peanuts’ dance, bringing wholesome joy to all ages | ||
“This deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.” | ||
By Heather Wake | ||
There are so many reasons why A Charlie Brown Christmas remains a beloved holiday watch, no matter what age you are. Between the nostalgic animation, the charming characters, the jaunty jazz score, the treeeeeeee… there’s just so much for everyone to enjoy. | ||
But one of the most smile-inducing elements is, of course, the dance. Each character has their own signature moves, including foot shuffles, head bobs, fist pumps, and arm swings, as Schroeder, Pig-Pen, and Snoopy bring the house down with piano, upright bass, and jaw harp. | ||
It’s silly. It’s exuberant. It’s everything. | ||
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Culture
A strangely useful list for anyone who has ever wanted a pause button for human interaction.
People are complicated. One minute you're trying to pick a dinner spot, the next you're trapped in small talk with someone you vaguely remember from 2017 while a toddler asks “why?” for the 40th time. Society: beautiful, exhausting, poorly labeled.
In this story by Erik Barnes, a Reddit thread on “psychological tricks” turns into a surprisingly handy field guide for navigating other humans without melting into the floor. The tips range from genuinely wise, like how to de-escalate anger by matching the emotional temperature just below the other person, to wonderfully odd, like stopping hiccups by challenging someone to prove they have them.
On October 5, 1969, Monty Python’s Flying Circus premiered on BBC1 at 10:55 p.m. on a Sunday night, tucked rather unceremoniously between Omnibus and the weather. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin didn’t just make sketches. They gleefully dismantled television itself, putting opening credits in the middle of episodes, ending shows before they were over and letting BBC announcers lose control in the background.
The series ran for just 45 episodes across four seasons, but its particular brand of absurdity became one of the most influential comedy styles ever created. Not bad for something the BBC initially buried at 10:55 on a Sunday.
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💬 From the group text…
Have you ever heard an elk bugle? I hadn’t either, but now, thanks to this video, I’ll recognize it instead of assuming that aliens are attacking.
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Until tomorrow, remember, it’s officially October, so you can put on It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and get that PSL. The long wait is over.