Richard Osman told a lovely story about an old lady asking him to pick something up from the top shelf in the supermarket, that,she couldn't reach. When he handed her the item she thanked him, and then asked if he wanted her to get him anything from the bottom shelf.

Blowing out someone else's candle does not make yours burn brighter.

The internet is this times a million.

Speaking as someone with chronic eczema all over my body which often causes flakes of skin or blood spots on lighter clothes, this is BEYOND true

My face was red and peeling from a doctor prescribed 30 day chemical peel. I was shocked by the rude questions and jokey type comments. "Is that a birthmark?" "Were you in an accident?" I sympathize with those who have permanent differences and have to deal with this on a daily basis.

Exactly!! 'omg you're so small' thanks I didn't know... I'm glad you and everyone else tells me every single day of my life.

I love Richard Osman. Kind, wise, funny, and genuine.

I've learnt to ignore those who highlight my difference, or if I'm in a really foul mood I tend just to reply with "yes, I know, thank you for pointing it out!"

I was born with a very significant hip problem. I was bullied all through school. I have found amazing friends as I've gotten older. I recently told my youngest son that I think it's because by my age (50) almost everyone has something physically wrong and has learned a bit of compassion. I still get the odd comment, but they're much kinder now. ❤

Grew up hearing it even from family. It kills your soul

Happy people don't spend their time trying to make other people feel bad.

Good man Richard. ❤

I know the problem & its hugely difficult & extremely stressful & horrendous to deal with!

I have the exact same issue as someone who is 5ft and was in a male dominated industry. I was then expected to be much younger than I am for most of my life (thought to be 9/10 at 16, thought to be 14/15 at 20, thought to be 21/22 at 30) and everyone tells me I should feel so lucky to look so youthful when I'm older but having to prove myself over and over again is exhausting.

Those people do not deserve your time and kindness. Live your life well.

Yes!!!, i relate w/ in different ways..

Well spoken Richard. For humour - here's a Calling Card I've seen: YES I AM TALL / I am 6' 10" - No I am not kidding - Yes that is tall. / No I do not play basketball / Yes, seeing the top of everyone's head is weird / Yes, the weather is nice up here / This has been a great conversation.

I'm so glad he's said this. As a 6'3 woman I have had people constantly comment on my height. And he's right, most people are nice but all I heard, especially as a young person, was that I was unusual and different. As an adult it effects me less but as a teen it left me feeling incredibly self conscious and that there was no light at the end of the tunnel because I was never going to get smaller and I would always be getting these comments. To you it may just be a casual comment, but to me it's the third time in that day alone. And for every day of my life. As a teen it just slowly chipped away at what little self esteem I had left Commenting about peoples body unprovoked is never necessary

Agreed 100. Words that seek to demean or belittle come from unhappiness. I hope the world gets happier, so hate disappears.

Growing up I had this lovely classmate who just wouldn’t grow in his own curve & needed growth hormones. He intuitively know who needed support on any given day.

My dad always told me: it doesn’t cost anything to be kind. I’ve never forgotten that.

7ft over here and agree with this 100% It staggers me when I see someone else who is nearly as tall, and they do it too. Usually saying, "I know how annoying this is, cos I get it to, but bloody hell you're tall". On the flip side, when people are kind, friendly and move on quickly, it's no problem. I actually quite like a lot of the conversations I get into, and view it as an easy conversation starter for people who just feel like a chat in a situation where it might be awkward to start chatting without an opener. I once saw Billy Connolly describe his purple goatie as an excellent twat detector. Could tell by people's reaction to it (or lack of) whether or not they were worth investing more time in.

This, 100%, thank you. I do not even have features that make me stand out, but people always seem to find a way. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything, and don’t put other people down to make yourself look better.

I came across a women who spoke about the "5 second" rule. It had nothing to do with dropping food on the floor but rather, if a person cannot "fix" the difference in 5 seconds, you don't say anything about it. Fly down? You tell them and they can fix it within 5 seconds. Are really tall or fat? You don't say anything because it's not something that can be fixed in 5 seconds. I loved this.

Being overweight most of my life it became so irritating (later amusing) how many people must've genuinely thought I did not know I was fat and needed to be told so. Like seriously I am aware I am overweight - it has not escaped my notice.

Richard is a class act through and through. Class all the way.

Completely agree. My wife is under 5ft and gets fed up with people saying ‘my aren’t you short’, including Carla Laine announcing it at a public engagement, who should have known better

The fact that so much hate is coming from people who are themselves unhappy or alienated is so important. If we want a kinder society, we need to deal with the systematic causes of unhappiness and the deep sense of worthlessness that is inflicted on so many people by the ruthless, exploitative and predatory system that we live under.

Such a warm, wise man. ❤

I love to compliment things people might feel insecure about. Glasses? Love them! New bangs? Love them! Have some Canadian crutches? Those are friggin dope! Have white spots in their hair? Gorgeous! Because 100% of the time, the things that make someone different makes them beautiful ❤️

When I worked as a cashier I treated every customer the same. I made small talk about their pets(worked at a pet store) or complimented one thing about their outfit. Kind words can go a long way to make someone's day just a little better

I'm 5 foot 8 and went into b&m and walked down the aisle where the pedal bins were. A shorter older lady said, "Excuse me, can you reach that bin off the top shelf for me please"? I said sure and walked over. The 1st bin had a dent in it so I pushed it aside, I couldn't reach the one behind it so I lifted my walking stick up and used it to hook the bin towards me. The woman was mortified I was using my stick and that she hadn't noticed that I have a walking stick. It made me laugh tbh, I found it refreshing that she saw my height before she saw my stick and my disability.

So true. I'm a female electrician and I'm so tired of people pointing out that I'm the first they've seen while im trying to work. But at that point I have to be nice because I'm a representative

As a teacher of young teens this is something I try to emphasize with my students. You are saying it once but the other person hears it day after day. Even "compliments" are a reminder that you are different.

Spot on. I used to hate the kids that bullied me at school. Now I realise I should've pitied them. They were so deeply unhappy they felt the need to attack me to draw attention away from how lost, miserable and lonely they really were.

Something I also try to remember when I am beating down on myself with all this internalised behaviour is, I don't need to do it. There is someone in the world who will do it for me. So I can chill on the self-hate. It works more often than you'd expect 😅

I broke my front teeth as a child and I had to hear over and over "what happened?" from every single stranger who happened to see them. They didn't even care, because I initially felt like I had to explain myself I could see them zoning out after just a couple seconds. People don't actually care they're just impulsive and nosey.

People try to make you feel what they are feeling; always 'not enough' in different guises, i.e., different, incompetent, not in control, scared, unattractive, less valuable, a figure of fun, out of your depth etc. Young children do it all the time because they've not learned how to acknowledge and accept, then heal that feeling, and adults do it also as they've not learned how to ... yes, exactly the same thing. I learned this whilst an Early Childhood Educator, which was life changing and now use it as a nursing student (colleagues and patients) & of course, within my own personality.

I use it as a way to determine whether that person is worth spending my time with. As he said "C##T Radar"

What a lovely post from Richard Osman+everything he says here is just so true x-when you watch him on his BBC show "House of Games"-you can just see that he radiates kindness-in the way he treats his guests but also the way he talks to the camera+to the audience at home-he makes you feel that you are part of the show too!-this quote may come up on his show in the future but one of Gandhi's most famous quotes is "Be the change you want to see in the world"🌎-Richard Osman is doing that in his very own way+it is admirable Xxx😀👏💛

Some people are challenged when they see someone different. They have learnt that there’s only one way to be and if they come across someone who is different, it occurs to them that they might be “wrong” and they have to dispel that thought by attacking the difference.

We all know that kindness is key and we all like to think we're kind. But we're clearly not as kind or compassionate as we should be.

Billy Connolly had a pair of really loud patterned trousers he used to wear to parties. He said it cut down the time he had to spend talking to people who turned out to be ass-hats. I always thought that was brilliant.

This resonates so much. I’m 6’5 and all my life I have been really tall (and struggled with my weight) and only the other day someone shouted out “fucking hell mate, you’re massive”. Now when my young children say things about other people, this is pretty much what I say to them. I think it’s really important to teach that from a young age.

Articulate and accurate. Richard gives great insight into the human condition.

I'm going bald. It's fine. I'll look ok bald, and I'm surprised it didn't happen to me at a younger age. But I definitely don't need to be told that I'm going bald.

Richard Osman is so lovely x❤

You can't not like Richard Osmand, he's like a breath of fresh air in a world of self righteousness. I see him manage celebrities on his shows like a master, bringing out the real people and handling them like the best headmaster on the planet. Attenborough level!

Embrace your individuality 😊

As a 2 metres tall person and your doppelgänger I truly feel those words.

Being 5'4" I feel your pain - my two brothers are over 6 foot . I am 65 and at a recent family wedding somebody who was a friend of the family for over 50 years commented that I looked really tiny next to my brothers when we posed for a photo.....I'm like...no sh*t ???

So true. Why does it make them feel better? I hate that

We're all different.....just mind your business ❤

Kindness is free.

Simple terms - Have a mark on my face - enough that i constantly get people coming up to me asking/jokingly "who'd you get into a fight with/did the other guy lose the fight" comments like that....Ive learnt over the years, the ones that never ask at all as it never crosses their mind generally indicates a person who is usually the type to never critise someones appearance or are willing to learn about someone first before assuming they know what happened or throw out a poor joke.

I'm different in so many ways that I started to go barefoot because this is one obvious way to be very different that most people most of the time just talk about my feet and let the rest of me alone.

I'm 6'2 (184 cm). Sometimes to make friends with someone shorter than 5' I will say "You know what we have in common? Nothing fits." -Frank

I understand completely. Fortunately for you, Richard, people can say of you that you are incredibly intelligent and kind, too. Too often people don't think before they speak. If they would, we could go through life without having the obvious pointed out to us constantly. It's not that being fat or tall or short is inherently bad. It's just not necessary for others to state the obvious. I didn't need anyone to point out brown hair or blue eyes, so why do people think I don't know about my height?

I'm 6'9" and can honestly say I can count the negative reactions I've had to it on one hand. Mainly it's just answering the same boring questions over and over which is just part of the job in my eyes, there's very rarely any malice in it. Just make an effort, I've absolutely loved some of the comments. Best I've ever had was from a landlord in a pub in Dublin. "Bejesus, if ye fell over you'd be halfway home"...

i’m glad someone is talking about this

So true. Understanding not everyone has been raised to self reflect is also a truth.

Thank you for posting this 😊

Absolutely true, why some people have to be cruel is beyond me. If someone tries to belittle you shows you more about them, than you.

Thank you!

100% I have alopecia... and every hairdress I went to told me I had thin soft hair that's balding... I'm a woman. And so now I chop my own hair... or what's left of it. I mean I know, I know every day that I have it... don't tell me

I'm a similar height to Richard, and the palest man on earth. I currently live in a country where I'm the minority in both these aspects and it can be annoying but at the same time I take it as a curiousity thing. I'm a freak and people are naturally curious and want to ask questions and see what's up the neverending basketball and nba questions can be slightly tedious but I guess it's all in good nature in the end.

See the relaxed happy look in those eyes as he says unhappiness 😀

As someone who is 2 feet shorter than Richard I'm well aware that I'm short. People don't say it as much now but kids will 'subtly' try yo stand near me to see if they're bigger. A good stare helps.

I was always bullied. Even now at 66 people still prod my stomach and make a comment. I’m a little over weight, but I have diverticulitis, it causes bloating. So it’s quite hurtful. I try to just laugh it off!

I love being tall.

Have learned from a childhood of being bullied that just because you CAN say something, doesn't mean you should. I hope I've never made someone feel the way I was made to feel then. He's correct in saying it's a good indicator of what a person is like. Richard seems like a good person.

What a most accurate summary about people in the internet, too.

Such weird timing seeing this now. Earlier today I was participating in charity work where a small group and I take people from the old folks home out on special bikes so they can get a breath of fresh air and outside again. People were smiling as they saw us cycle by. However once I had finished and was driving home (I am 18 and fortunate enough to have quite a nice car), all I got was frowned upon from most people. I suppose they assume I’m some sort of young drug dealer or similar, I even had someone else on the road flip me off for no reason, he happened to be driving the older version of my car. Was it envy? Maybe, but why do something like that. I can’t even grasp how it makes a person feel better. I do my charity work and other things because that’s where I find the real feeling of happiness, knowing that you contribute to your community and society as a whole. I find we live in a world where people are so self obsessed that it destroys any chance of them living a genuine and fulfilling life. My car was recently in the garage and I was given a very nice 2023 Mercedes AND BMW as a courtesy car, my neighbours all looked at me disapprovingly and never spoke to me or my mum ( we live in a ‘normal’ neighbourhood). However one of my neighbours who recently just bought himself an 80K BMW X5 came over and spoke with me. We discussed how people were so quick to throw us aside as we got the newer cars and would no longer speak with us. He said people are good at making us feel guilty for our own success by means of trying to hold us back. That really made me think. What I am trying to say, to anyone reading this, is that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, at the end of the day all that matters is can you sleep at night. If you know you’ve done no wrong what is there to be worried about. People who make you feel guilty or try to hold you back or bully you. They are losers. They’ve given up, so they try to make you feel/seem the fool for not giving up. Fuck those people, live a good life, and do what you want to do because no one will remember you anyway.

I’m 5ft, and it makes me sad when I see really tall people hunch their shoulders to appear or seem shorter. Stand tall everyone, no matter your height ❤

This is so true - people don’t need it being told constantly

Respect Richard, can relate to pretty much all of this, everyday single day is so true, it's draining, jealousy is curse onto humans, keep up the fight Richard.. ❤️

I feel you, I see you, Richard. Thank you for these words.

If you are a man and you had to pick a physical abnormality being exceptionally tall it's one of the better ones.

I needed this today. I’m in my mid-30’s, and am 6’3, and my whole life I’ve always been quite slim, but have always just had a bit of a paunch belly. I had to take this medication for something and lost a bunch of weight, and just had an impossible time putting it back on, so I decided to just go skinny, which most people get congratulated for… but me; I only ever get told how sick I look, asked if I’m ‘okay’, or whatever, just all the bad crap that is a reason why someone might lose weight. And my neighbour is some older woman who reminds me every time I see her that I look sick, or my clothes are falling off of me, or ‘when I first moved in I looked larger and more manly but now not so much’… Very tired of it all.

Most people don’t pay attention to what they think. Humanity is pretty poor really.

I'm a little bit taller than Richard and share his observations about people pointing it out although fortunately I'm not self-conscious in the slightest. Occasionally when asked how tall I am I reply 5 foot 9 and see how long it takes for them to say "no you're not!". A girl once said to me "wow, you're really tall" but didn't find it funny when I quoted a line from Lock Stock by replying "oh, you must be the brains of the operation".

I like the shorts where the tall guy takes a spin on it and makes it positive and every interaction that he has is positive as people because of his perspective

Aww Richard u amazing I totally agree abuse and bullying. 😁🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦😁 all the way from South Africa

If you are taller or smaller than average you stand out. It can be a pain and I agree: There is no need to tell people that they are very tall or very small. I am rather tall at 6.4 ft or 1,95m and people, colleagues, family and friends keep asking me if I have grown since we last met (happens all the time). That is just so lame. Some of them are genuinely surprised of my height, but to me its just annoying and for the record: I never tell small people how very very tiny they are when I meet them, because I know it would be hurting their feelings and its obvious and various people will make sure they remember anyway. But especially very small people pick on me constantly for being tall. For them I am sometimes some kind of physical threat. Which I am not - I am very sweet. We are the same - we stand out - just on the other end of the scale. I like the small people that team up with me because they know this.

I'm only 5ft6" and I've had it all my life about how short I am, the worst offenders are only an inch taller.

I have just read his books and fallen in love with them and him too! Thanks Richard! ❤

THANK YOU!

Why is it calling someone short/too tall is OK, but calling someone fat is so offensive? You can actually lose weight but you can't do anything about your height. Think about it.

Yes - it is now so ingrained in me that I blame my weight for everything (to my own detriment sometimes)

I never comment on these things. But this really hit home. Well said Richard

We are all alike in being different. That's actually great.

I get hate all the time. They see my autism and think _I'm_ the one who's different.

Yes. People notice when something is different. They will stop and look and sometimes their brain overrides their mouth.

Nailed it. I've learned to ignore these idiots. They hate that.

very well phrased, it is all unhappiness where it comes from...

100% right!. A good radar for the C word! Spot on!!

Buddha said if you dont accept the gift it stays with the other person. Dont let it get to ya

Thank You.

Thank you for saying this. As a fellow tall person, I felt this

Oh no I'm too tall. I have the key feature delusional women seek and I hate it. Always a victim with these losers.