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Rash judgments are part of human nature, but more often than not, it’s harmless behaviors that will make people look down their noses at others, even though they’re not likely to admit it. Reddit users recently shared the harmless behaviors they quietly judge others for that they know realistically they really shouldn’t.

Psychologist Dana Harron, Psy.D., explained that although it’s totally normal for humans to sort of size each other up, she stressed that, “Judging other people has nothing to do with the people who you are judging.” She said it really has to do with your own feelings of inferiority. That’s also why it’s something we do but don’t often readily admit, especially when we judge others for relatively harmless behaviors we likely engage in ourselves.

Here are 3 harmless things people quietly judge you for, even though they’d never admit it:

1. Texting with the keypad sound on

Brooke Cagle | Unsplash

This one is sort of obvious, as it’s hard to think of a noise more annoying. In fact, let’s just lump not using earbuds in public and having conversations on speakerphone into this category too. We’ve all been guilty of poor phone etiquette now and again, and we’ve likely all judged others for similar actions. 

Outside of simply being annoying, the clickity clack of the keyboard sound when texting is pretty harmless in the grand scheme of things. As one Reddit commenter noted, “The worst is when someone is typing out a long text message in a quiet space and you have to hear every. Single. Click. It’s like they’re announcing to the world ‘HEY EVERYONE, I’M USING MY PHONE!’ Bonus points for the ones who also have notification sounds turned up to maximum volume.”

Yet even though you might feel inclined to judge others for this, know that there’s a chance they’re not being annoying on purpose. Some people just have a hard time turning the keypad sound off. An Apple Support Communities thread had a discussion on how to do exactly this in 2024, which started with one person complaining about the difficulty of turning the sound off. There were hundreds of people struggling in the thread, so it’s obviously something that stumps a lot of people.

Another thing to consider … some people genuinely just like the sound. One brave person on Reddit wrote, “The louder my keyboard is, the happier it makes my brain. The happier my brain is, the more productive I am.” When you think of it in either of these contexts, suddenly it takes the wind out of the judgment. 

: 11 Phrases People Say When They Quietly Judge Everyone But Don’t Say It Out Loud

2. Being unaware of your surroundings

elif aktuylu | Pexels

How can you not judge someone who stops in the middle of the sidewalk to look at their phone? People are walking fast, trying to get to their destination, but someone just thought it’d be a great idea to stop and look at Instagram. 

The same goes for couples walking side by side on the sidewalk, holding hands and not letting anyone else pass. And honestly, who hasn’t clogged up an aisle in the grocery store, stuck in their own world without a care for who might be trying to grab a box of cereal?

Better Together Here, a New York City guide company, went so far as to say that stopping in the middle of a sidewalk is the number one walking rule you shouldn’t break in NYC. Harsh, right?

We’ve all done these things. And what’s worse? We’ve all judged others for doing them! According to therapist James Killian, LPC, “Judging is a way for us to perceive the world and figure out where exactly we fit in. When we form opinions of others, we are able to recognize what we like and aspire to be, as well as what we don’t like and want to avoid. While many may see this as a positive thing, the problem lies in the comparison. Routinely comparing ourselves to others leads to a lack of self-confidence, self-worth, and an inability to find enjoyment in most situations.”

: 11 Things That Make Gen Z Quietly Judge Older Generations, Even If They’d Never Admit It

3. Writing with typos

Thirdman | Pexels

Ok, grammar police, this one’s for you. With phones, it’s normal to shorten words or even sentences, even in emails. People will type “u” instead of “you” or “wyd” instead of “what are you doing?” It might be annoying to some, but it’s generally accepted. Still, some typos just give people the ick. One person wrote on Reddit that they judge others for making a word possessive when it should be plural.

Whether you simply mistyped or maybe autocorrect is auto-mistaking, it doesn’t matter, because either way, people will judge you for it. 

And EVERYONE makes these mistakes. Back in the ’90s, Vice President Dan Quayle spelled “potato” with an “e” at the end of it, and the gaffe followed him throughout his entire career. Fast forward to 2025: Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, in a frenzy of excitement over the Eagles going to the Super Bowl, spelled the team’s name wrong during the famous fan chant. She said, “E-L-G-S-E-S, Eagles! Let’s go, Birds.” She knows how to spell Eagles; it was just a mistake. She was still judged for it!

On a side note, not only will you be judged for typos, but you could also have fewer chances of getting a romantic partner. According to psychologist Robert P. Burriss, recent studies show that profiles in dating apps with textual errors were rated lower in social and romantic attractiveness. 

Look, no one is without fault. That means no matter how innocent a mistake or relatively harmless a behavior, you’re going to get judged. You know what else? You’re going to do it right back to others. Should we all be a bit more patient and understanding? Of course. Will we? Probably not. 

Moral of the story: if you like the clickity-clack sound of your text keyboard, enjoy it, but also be ready to embrace the fact that it’s annoying and get on with your day.

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Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.