40 Times People Took The Task Literally And The Results Were Hilarious

It seems that many of us still struggle to follow simple instructions. And when people try to follow instructions literally, the results can be really hilarious. All living creatures have their own ways of communicating to each other. Odd as it sounds, even plants communicate with each other by producing chemical signals that are either transmitted through the air or through the soil. Of course, it’s no secret that humans communicate in variety of ways. But verbal communication is the most commonly used form.

The use of spoken words is obviously the easiest way to convey messages and instructions to other people. However, some people still fail to comprehend the message even with the use of simple words. But why is it so? One of the reasons is that the listener is not focused on the conversation, making it hard for them to hear the instructions. Another reason is that some people tend to take each word literally. So, when you tell a person to keep their valuables under watch, don’t be surprised to see them inserting their iPhones under their wristwatch.

 

Some People Take Instructions Literally

people take instructions literally show your thinking
Imgur

Not just verbal messages, but written instructions are also almost everywhere. Public warning signs such as ‘Watch Step’ can be taken literally and have people actually looking at the step. Funny, right? So the next time you’re about to give instructions to other people, choose your words wisely. You may get an unexpected outcome that would either infuriate or amuse you. Here are some of the funniest instances when people did exactly what they were told.

 

Here Is Actual Motivation

people take instructions literally go answer
TheImpundulu

 

“Asked My Daughter To Lean Against The Pole For A Picture”

lean against the pole
xtionna1

 

“I Asked My Wife To Send Me Some Underwear Pictures, This Is What I Got In Return”

wife sends underwear picture
MWolverine

 

“A Friend’s Daughter-In-Law Was Told To ‘Cover Up’ While Feeding Her Baby, So She Did”

cover up while breastfeeding
Carol Lockwood

 

“Some People Just Want To Watch The World Burn”

people take instructions literally post no flyers
Yonderyeti

 

You Got What You Asked For

people take instructions literally name this plant
_teadog

 

“Oh Susan…”

car insurance lady got wrong photos
mirandaasantos

 

“Told My 3 And 4-Year-Olds To Put The Toilet Paper Under The Sink. Must Be More Specific Next Time”

people take instructions literally under the sink
bert3r

 

“My History Prof Wanted Us To Write A Paragraph From Any Historical Figure’s Point Of View And Urged Us To Be As ‘Realistic As Possible'”

realistic historical chinese phrase
ElegantMonkeyMan

 

“Asked For ‘Nothing’ As Dessert On A Disney Cruise. Got This Masterpiece”

people take instructions literally nothing dessert
Douee

 

“After A Huge Meal (Schweinshaxe) In Berlin I Asked For Just A Small Beer. This Is What The Waiter Brought Me”

people take instructions literally small beer
Krutang

 

“This Person, Who Took His Girlfriend To All The World-Class Cities Of Ohio”

ohio european name cities tour
capittalism

 

“I Asked My Wife To Pick Up Some Frozen Fruit At The Grocery Store”

frozen fruit banana with sticker
jtstonge

 

So Compliant

when red light shows wait here
Reddit

 

“Anarchist Here. My Uncle And I Are Cut From Different Cloth”

people take instructions literally watch step
nitsky

 

“My Wife’s Grandma Likes To Buy Us Snacks Whenever She Goes To The Store, So We Asked Her For Some Sour Cream And Onion Chips. We Were Amused By What She Came Back With”

sour cream and onion chips
spcmnspff335

 

“Don’t Hesitate When Telling David Your Name”

customer name uhh zack
Isaacxxi

 

“My Wife, A Venezuelan Smart-Mouth”

america uses h not j
gaudiocomplex

 

“Went Through The Taco Bell Drive-Thru With A Friend. When Asked If We Wanted Sauce, I Said: ‘As Much As You’re Allowed To Give Me’. I May Have Made A Mistake”

taco bell gives too many sauce
ThreadedPommel

 

“Not What I Meant, But Ok”

people take instructions literally wrong photo
ckkohl

 

Probably

probably university of central lancashire
sandipsych

 

“Picture On The Credit Card”

credit card photo too large
roasted_weenie

 

Spoons

people take instructions literally kellogg logo
harps_joey

 

“I’m Done”

people take instructions literally write 100 words
spicerldn

 

“When You Ask For A Golden Retriever For Your Birthday And Your Boyfriend Gets You This”

girlfriend got a golden retriever for birthday
maddipotter28

 

“These Guys Always Have The Best Signs”

change the sign so i did
Rizzpooch

 

“I Asked My Brother To Take A Picture Of Me In Spain And This Was The Actual Picture He Thought Was Fine (P.S. I’m Not Wearing A Hat)”

take a picture in spain
amaltedmilkshake

 

“Boss Said I Wasn’t Using Enough Wet Floor Signs While Mopping”

not enough wet floor signs
SadGravel

 

“My Husband Asked Hardees To Put Extra Frosting On His Cinnamon Biscuit”

people take instructions literally extra frosting
denimOwl

 

“I Think My Barista Is Trolling Me”

brian with a y barista
SuperCub

 

“And You Even Can’t Be Mad At Him”

brother eats half the grapes
Jaaaaaymomma

 

“My Friends’ Kid Asked For A 3DS For His Birthday”

kid asked 3ds for birthday
lundah

 

“I Told My Students To ‘Include The Word Count In Your Essays'”

include the word count in essay
hellomurrwan

 

“Was Worried About Privacy, So I Asked If They Could Put A Door Up To The Men’s Change Room. Problem Solved”

people take instructions literally privacy door
YonoJ

 

“Asked My Husband To Put The Pillowcases On The Pillows”

put the pillowcases on the pillow
BitchCobbler

 

“Coffee Shop Compliance”

coffee shop staff compliance
windrage2738381

 

“Asked For A Small Frosty But In A Medium Cup ‘I Wasn’t Sure, But Hope This Is What You Were Asking For'”

small frosty in a medium cup
Musicisevil

 

“Taking Advantage Of A Poorly Worded Question On A Music History Test”

people take instructions literally back did not compose
HanzoShotFirst

 

“My Cousin’s Friend Ordered A Chicken Burger And Asked For Mayo On The Top And Bottom, This Is What She Got”

people take instructions literally mayo on top
xcilx