this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2026
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. No politics
    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS

If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.

Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.

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[–] arotrios@lemmy.world 184 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 22 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Even if she'd said yes, it wouldn't have been permission. She was merely assenting that he was seemingly capable of the act, if nothing else.

[–] kunaltyagi@programming.dev 15 points 5 days ago (2 children)

The homeowner's assertion of vampire's abilities gives an implicit permission. If the homeowner says yes he can, who would override that? Belief is a powerful thing

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[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 103 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Just to be safe, throw out the welcome mat, and replace it with a "Do you have a warrant?" mat.

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 60 points 6 days ago (2 children)

If vampires gets warrants, do they still need to ask permission?

[–] dmir@gehirneimer.de 35 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Gotta be so careful with what your mat says...

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

It's fine. The mat was made by Flock. /s

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[–] Khanzarate@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

Depends how they can interact with local laws.

It's reasonable to conclude a temporary owner could invite someone in, just like a real one. If a warrant involved temporary possession, then the government that issued it would be able to invite someone in, and then if the vampire were charged with a search, that charge would be an invitation.

Based on wording on example warrants in the US, however, they do not word it as a seizure of the building, even temporary. Makes sense, but at least a US-based vampire with a warrant would need to still be invited in.

[–] moopet@sh.itjust.works 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

What is your favorite color?

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[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 67 points 6 days ago (1 children)

This is the quality of Showerthoughts we should strive for.

[–] ApollosArrow@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

We need the community to get back to these.

[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I got told to shut up last time I said this. "people can think what they want in the shower."

This com has turned into a "Just post" thing. They spirit is lost. Perhaps we need a "RealShowerThoughts" com.

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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 19 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 7 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I don't know what offends me more the photoshop job or the font.

[–] Tiral@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's one of those Chinese mass photoashop jobs. Like when they Photoshop ear buds in somewhere ears and it looks like they just copy and pastes it.

I think it's great that it's a pre-door mat.

Is that so you can wipe your feet on it and get it dirty and leave the actual door mat pristine?

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[–] highrfrequenc@lemmy.world 21 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My welcome mat says come back with a warrant. That should keep em away right?

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 19 points 5 days ago

That would keep them away if they could read. (not the vampires)

[–] Jela@lemmy.today 25 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

Not to take this too literally but.... According to pagan and wiccan practices, the welcome mat gives permission to all potentially negative spirits to enter

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 5 points 5 days ago

Take it literally.

Ward your house. Cleanse it. Gate keep your gates.

i love those negative spirits. brew them with lemon balm, rosemary, and lavender and they become delightful spirits.

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[–] normalentrance@lemmy.zip 21 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My wife bought a welcome mat that says "please leave" in cursive. Highly recommend.

[–] danciestlobster@lemmy.zip 9 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I had one in college that said go away. Someone stole it

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 5 points 5 days ago

I love my go away door mat. It sometime even gets the local religious cult to leave without knocking.

[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 5 points 5 days ago

But did they leave though?

[–] ChojinDSL@discuss.tchncs.de 23 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My door mat says, "Dogs welcome, humans tolerated". I think I'm good.

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Mine says GO AWAY.

It's a door mat, not a welcome mat.

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Mine is a hillbilly frog with a rifle and says "Hippity hoppity, get off my property"

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

is it specifically mr frog or mr toad? because that sounds really cool. i am getting a picture in one of my brains

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

No they just made their own frog design from what I can tell

e:

[–] pega_sus@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

Sounds too assertive to be a door mat

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 33 points 6 days ago

A welcome door mat means the person is welcome to announce themselves by knocking or ringing a bell, it does not mean they are welcome to enter.

If the mat said 'Come on in' then it would give anyone, including a vampire, permission to enter.

[–] SatyrSack@quokk.au 31 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Sounds like a bit that could fit into What We Do in the Shadows. They could tell the camera how they enjoy how they are able to freely walk into half of modern residences nowadays whenever they want because idiot humans usually have a welcome mat that technically counts as an invitation.

That's why mine has an asterisk and fine print on the bottom that says "*not supernaturally binding for blood suckers"

[–] TallonMetroid@lemmy.world 29 points 6 days ago (2 children)

According to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the answer is yes.

[–] korthrun@piefed.social 17 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

This is/was "hotly debated". IMO public schools are like any other public thing and accessible to vamps generally, and Angel was just being sassy when Jenny asked him how he got in.

But along those lines, my initial response was "Depends on who's writing" with the Angel/Jenny school scene in mind. "Enter all who seek knowledge" or whatever.

Overall they were not very consistent when it came to the invitation thing.

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[–] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago

How do you think the industry started?

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 25 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Wasn’t there a serial killer that said an unlocked door meant he was invited to go inside? That’s why I’ve never used a doormat that has “Welcome” on it. Hopefully that applies to vampires too.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

Yup, Richard Chase

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[–] sunsofold@lemmy.zip 24 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

The trick is, it depends. All vampires are bound by obsessive compulsive behaviours, but the particular form that obsessive behaviour takes depends on a number of factors. The most prominent are age and culture of origin.

More recently embraced American vampires tend to become absorbed in the minutiae of the contractual, legalistic formulation of things, so if they have an aversion to entering without permission, it is more based upon an obsession with the sanctity of individualized private property. This leads to the trait of rarely making a direct entry into a home for predatory purposes but rather a focus on convincing the victim it is in their best interest to give willingly their vital fluids and life force. Many victims of such vampires are not even fully aware of what they have had taken.

Older vampires from a more European context take a more hierarchical approach to property. If your home is in their territory, you are their subject and, as such, no permission is needed to enter what is effectively their house, perhaps literally if they are your landlord.

Other contexts, such as that of the Middle East of antiquity, produce vampires who hold sacred the unwritten yet iron clad laws of hospitality. They would never dream of entering unannounced, or taking more than a token sip from one who invites them willingly into their home, but equally would feel no compunction over slaughtering one who turned them away. To these, a welcome mat is an amusement, not an invitation, and only the most desperate leach would stoop to taking a whimsical decoration as written law.

But then again, vampires are an imaginary metaphorical construct for describing the greedy people of a society, so really the answer is no.

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[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

Only if you are Soooookie

[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Welcome is present day "well met" or something more like "I'm happy you're here" not "please come in my house".

So no, I think you can keep your mat; most vampires are probably old enough to take the original meaning anyway.

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[–] stopforgettingit@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

A no soliciting sign doesn't stop solicitors, so I don't see why a welcome mat should have any more power.

[–] jake_jake_jake_@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Depending on the jurisdiction, soliciting often requires a permit and conditions of the permit include obeying no soliciting signs. Failure to obey typically means the permit can be revoked, or it could be a criminal offense. Could be worth looking into that for your area.

[–] lonefighter@sh.itjust.works 9 points 5 days ago

The apartment complex where I live is posted no soliciting. Management heavily encourages people to call the police if solicitors ignore the sign. Even more shocking, the police will actually come and throw solicitors off the property if they're contacted. (This is also the same police department that tracked down and got an arrest warrant for the random stranger who broke into my car the day after it happened)

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Only if the hemogoblin can read it. Just because they may have been around for centuries doesn't mean they've bothered to learn every language.

Slurs like that make you sound like a hemophobe.

[–] bluGill@fedia.io 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

My Grandpa always had a "hello" mat because he would say hello to anyone, but not everybody was welcome.

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