Back in the day, people lived lives that were much different than ours in 2025. Customs, lifestyle, and even relationships followed a certain set of rules that were hardly broken.
Even if someone dared to live differently, it was mostly considered taboo, and people would not talk about it. However, as times are changing, we are much more relaxed and we care about our desires and needs, and some of these things have become more accepted in modern times.
However, let us go back in time and see which things that we consider ‘normal today’ would raise our grandparents’ eyebrows.
1. Living Together Before Marriage
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Living together as a couple and not being married was something nobody even considered in your grandma’s time.
People found that to be inappropriate, and many believed that it was disrespectful to both partners and their families.
If you wanted to share your space and live together, you had to be married, and those were the rules.
Today, rules do not apply anymore, and even grandmas understand that young people want to get to know each other before marrying.
2. Talking About Mental Health
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Therapy and mental health were taboo topics for a long time. Only recently have people realized how important it is to talk about these topics and to understand how everybody feels about certain situations or relationships.
Men used to hide their emotions, women did not understand anxiety, and it was all suppressed to the point of no return. Saying you were depressed or anxious meant you were weak or spoiled.
Now, luckily, we understand the importance of therapy, and we are working on being better individuals for ourselves and others.
3. Having Visible Tattoos
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Tattoos used to be associated with rebellion, “the wrong crowd”, and those who were not polite and proper. It was a taboo to even want a tattoo, let alone show it publicly.
If you brought a boyfriend or a girlfriend with tattoos for your family to meet, they would most likely see them as unfit, as tattoos signaled trouble.
Today, tattoos are completely normal, and even some workspaces allow them.
4. Online Dating
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If you started online dating back in the early days of the Internet, you probably did not share it with anyone, as it was considered taboo and a highly dangerous activity.
Meeting a stranger whom not even your friends or relatives knew was considered absurd. Today, luckily, these things have become much more normalized, and dating apps are simply a normal part of everyday life for singles.
5. Being Open About Money
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Money talk was a taboo topic back in the day, and sometimes even partners did not discuss the income or how much money they had in savings.
It was considered too personal and too private to share. The fear of being robbed, perceived as rich when you were not, or simply seen as too poor, was grand.
Today, we are in an age where we compare our salaries, openly talk about buying houses or cars, and even our friends know our monetary status.
6. Having Kids Later (or Not at All)
Back in the day, it was always expected of a young lady to find a boyfriend, marry, and start a family, and that was her obligation even as early as her late teens.
It was also true for men, but their career was something they had to work on first. Not having or not wanting children was considered unusual and almost unnatural.
Today, we are lucky that these old beliefs are behind us, and we can decide whether we want to even start a family or not. Even our grandmas do not ask these questions anymore, which shows how times have changed.
7. Men Showing Emotion
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Our grandpas never cried, and our dads were taught the same. Showing emotions was for women, and men needed to stay ‘strong’ and collected at all times.
This meant that even love was not always shown, and ‘soft’ feelings were neglected. This pattern was passed from one generation to another, and it was hard for men to finally open up and show any sign of being vulnerable.
It was simply seen as weak. However, as we started to learn more about the human psyche, we realized how harmful hiding emotions can be.
That is why, today, it is even encouraged for men to show their fears, sadness, and happiness.
8. Working Moms (and Stay-at-Home Dads)
Our grandparents grew up in a world where women stayed at home with children and men worked and were breadwinners.
They would cringe at the idea of a woman working while her husband stayed at home with the kids, and they would laugh in your face if you mentioned the concept of ‘reverse roles’.
They believed that the system they lived in was the only correct one and would not accept it any other way.
Today, with many women working on their careers and many men realizing the importance of bonding with their children, it is not such a taboo after all.
9. Talking About Sex Openly
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Sex was a forbidden subject, and you were expected not to even mention it, think about it, or discuss it with anyone. Teens were uneducated about basic human anatomy and how things worked, so it left a lot of young adults confused.
You would cover your eyes during ‘risky’ scenes in a movie, and you did not truly understand why.
However, sex education today is widespread, and everyone finds it an important part of life that should not be overlooked, especially for teens.
10. Going to Therapy
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If you were someone who went to therapy back in the day, most thought that there was something wrong with you. This topic was hidden, not talked about, and simply considered taboo.
However, today, we are open about it, and it is encouraged through social media, talk shows, and even blogs we read.
Mental health is finally getting the recognition it deserves, and we are learning how important it is to be in tune with our feelings.
