32 Split-Second Decisions That Changed People’s Lives

‘To say hello to that incredibly cute girl 30 years ago’
32 Split-Second Decisions That Changed People’s Lives

While most people may stop at a second opinion when suffering from a mystery ailment, one Redditor found that the third time wasn’t only the charm, it also saved their life.

After being brushed off by two physicians with their complaints of “unnatural tiredness,” the poster listened to their gut and headed to yet another doctor for their take. Moments after sitting down in their office, they were immediately sent for “urgent blood tests” that proved just how dire their situation had become. “It turns out I had severe blood poisoning,” they recalled, noting that they were “on the verge of organ failure.” “If I’d not gone for a third opinion, I’d be dead now.”

This alive-and-thriving poster is far from the only person who had their life changed by an off-handed choice. Below are a number of other split-second decisions that had a major impact, the wildest of which include avoiding deadly accidents, putting down the bottle and chance encounters that led to decades-long relationships.

bridgewood2005 . 2y ago Lied to a girl I'd known for a few months. Told her I'd be in her neighborhood and that we should hang out. She was like well what part of LA? LA is huge. I had only been to Santa Monica so I said Santa Monica. She said cool, I'm in Venice. Total guess. Total lie. Wound up marrying her. 9 ...
IslandsOnTheCoast 2y ago Quitting a game of Call of Duty Zombies (whatever the one was in 2010/2011). My friends in the dorm would play this constantly and were addicted. One day, my friend comes in and says he's going up to his gf's dorm to meet her new roommate, did anyone want to join. Normally, nothing could pry me from that game... but something compelled me to say yeah, sure. My buddies I was playing with were pissed. Went up there and had the closest thing to love at first sight I can describe. I still remember looking at this
GreedyNovel e 2y ago Had a boss who asked me to help him commit fraud. At the time I was very heavily in debt and badly needed the income, nonetheless I resigned immediately. Luck shined on me and I got another job a month later, just in time to pay bills. A few years after that I looked up my old boss - he got caught and served time. 201 ...
mekdot83 2y ago A person who was a stranger to me at the time logged in to delete her online dating profile. There was a message in her inbox. It was from me. 15 years later, we are 12 years happily married. 211 ... + More replies
jn7nh0 . 2y ago Making myself an appointment for in- patient rehab consultation. I couldn't decide if I was being dramatic or necessary. 5+ years sober now! 117 ... + More replies
tsoro 2y ago Cutting my group of friends out of my life. I always felt like crap around them, and one day I realized that they would never ever be there when I needed them. So I just noped out and changed numbers 267 ... + More replies
Winter-Algae8569 . 2y ago I asked my best friend Do you want to talk about the unspoken thing. It was a very impulsive decision, but something I had wanted to say for a long time. she responded What, the fact that we love each other, like romantically? 93 ...
Wickywahwah 2y ago Going for a third opinion after being misdiagnosed by two doctors in a day for unnatural tiredness. The third doctor rushed me off to get urgent blood tests, and it turns out I had severe blood poisoning and was on the verge of organ failure. If I'd not gone for a third opinion, I'd be dead now. 70 ...
AlmostChristmasNow . 2y ago A neighbour of mine is a teacher at an elementary school. One day (6 years ago) she asked me if she could give my phone number to the parents of one of the kids at the school who needed tutoring. I wrote down my number for her and started tutoring the kid. Over time, I basically became part of the family. 56 ...
BadFishette 2y ago I had just accepted a job offer when I got a call from a previous place that I had applied, & they offered higher pay & more benefits. After thinking for just a few seconds, I turned them down (I thought I would like the job that I'd already accepted more). Everyone thought I was crazy at the time, but after a few months of working there a really nice & attractive customer came in. We've been married for over 21 years now & have 2 teenagers. I never would have met him if I had taken
mistertickertape 2y ago I didn't get into the car with the drunk acquaintances because i had to pee. They left without me and wrapped the car around a telephone pole, killed everyone. I was 17. Never rode with or drove tipsy ever again. This was early 2000s so no Uber/Lyft or smart phones or anything. They were nice kids that I only vaguely knew and it was a stupid party I'm the middle of nowhere, but shit like that changes you. Please don't drive under the influence, friends! 105 ...
drainspout . 2y ago When I was joining the Army, my recruiter asked me if I wanted to jump out of airplanes. I thought about it for three seconds and said YES 171 ... + More replies
reiveroftheborder . 2y ago I stood outside a dance venue having a smoke and debated with myself whether or not to bother my arse to venture on in... I did go in and met my future wife. We have three kids. I sometimes wonder, what if I just headed home that night? 45 ...
Bhelduz . 2y ago I stepped off the high speed train tracks, waited for the train to arrive, and went home. 49 ... + More replies
SpamFriedMice - . 2y ago To say hello to that incredibly cute girl 30yrs ago 90 ... + More replies
The_ghost_of_shell . 2y ago should i really cross this street right now? turns out that if i proceeded to really cross the street like i normally would, i would get completely obliterated by a speeding car. so yeah i guess my life changed in the way that i'm still alive 26 ...
TheQuietType84 2y ago I couldn't sleep one night in 2019, so I went outside. While sitting there, I heard a faint nose under my car. I found a 5 week old kitten. There had been a flood that day, and I guess he got separated from his mom. (She never returned to the neighborhood.) Не bonded with me, became my baby, and was always with me. Не loved taking his naps on me, and wanted to be carried to his food bowl. Не also slept on me every night. Не got me through Covid lockdowns with three bored kids at
Duckymew 2y ago Giving up weed. I was on about an 1/8oz (3.5g) a day without 'having a smoke' and my parents found out quite how much I was smoking. They both did when they were younger, so knew they couldn't flip out, but said if I could stop for 2 weeks they won't bring it up again. Skip forward 2 weeks and hey presto, job's a good'un - let's have a smoke. .... Nope - don't like this feeling. Haven't touched anything beyond a can of cider since and quickly realised that, with how I was back then, I was well on my
Mryan7600 2y ago Not my decision by my best friends husbands. Last minute he decided he didn't want to come to an event at Disney we were all going to. Another friend, who was going, asked if he could invite his Orlando local friend. 6 years later my partner and I are celebrating the anniversary of our first meeting. 35 ...
Ohhhhhhthehumanity . 2 2y ago Quit my job and moved 1000 miles away living in a rusty old van for a career change that initially made me extremely poor but 5 years later has me making almost 3x what I've ever made. 33 ...
Numerous-Ad8451 2y ago My coworker asked if I wanted to go to lunch first, and I almost never agreed, but this time I did. I'm not sure why I said yes, but something happened during my lunch break. While getting lunch, I met my current girlfriend of 6 years. She was the one who approached me first and started talking to me. She was a little older than me, but I began conversing with her and learning about her. I would not have met her if my coworker had not asked me that question and I had not responded positively.
SillyBoDilly1 2y ago The passing of my brother from COVID (and my mom 12 years earlier from pneumonia), finally dealt with it all in a healthy way (re: not drinking into oblivion every night). It may not have been 'split second' but I realized I needed to be alive for my dad to at least take care of him in his elder years. Started getting a healthier mind and body. I'm not perfect by any stretch, but I feel 1000x better than I did 2 years ago. Dropping 30lbs helps too (got another 30 for my goal). Moral: hug your
Icewellocome 2y ago Decided to take the back roads leaving work instead of the main highway, rear tyre decided to have a massive blow out. I was new to driving and would skip details about checking my car over, the failure was the inside of the tyre which you either would be checking for by feeling or by removing the wheel altogether. Would have been too dangerous swapping out to a spare on the highway, the back roads were quiet af 16 ...
IzzieTheStrawberry . 2y ago Not me but my mother, I had let my favourite plushie fall into a rapid stream. She was standing further downstream, I screamed, she immediately understood and jumped to get it. I was 5, very tiny and would've jumped into the water. She saved my life I'm sure of it. 16 ...
 2y ago Edited 2y ago Deciding to swipe right instead of left on a guy on Hinge who I thought I wouldn't have a chance with. Then deciding to go on a date with him the next day for the fun of it. That was six months ago - safe to say, I would've missed out on meeting the love of my life. EDIT: Due to recent cynicism, perhaps I should clarify he's the love of my life so FAR. As in, I haven't loved anyone as of yet the way I love him. 25 ...
 . 2y ago NOT buying a lottery ticket one time. I'm sure it would've been the winner. 16 ...
paisleyhunter11 . 2y ago I was at a bar with work people and we were all tipsy. The guy to my right poked my boob, so I thought he liked me. 9 years of absolute HELL. I wish I would have just told him Don't touch me. 13 ...
 . 2y ago My friend and I got stuck after sundown on a little sailboat with no lights. The wind eventually picked up and I was trying to decide whether to go straight a couple miles to where the truck was or turn 90 degrees and land at the closest beach. I turned, and about 30 seconds later a huge tanker ship plowed past that would have annihilated us if I'd kept going straight. 7 ...
uReallyShouldTrustMe . . 2y ago Last minute, to not waste time, I told my bro to let's just go in here during anime expo. We had an hour to kill and the thing he wanted to watch was full. It was a seminar on teaching abroad. I've been abroad ever since, due to what I learned in that seminar. 2 ...
narcissistich03 . 2y ago Dropped all my stuff out of my window one night and ran away to live with my mom. Almost two years later and I'm happy and free, experiencing things i would have never gotten to if I'd stayed with my dad. 2 ...
Nervous-Road-6615 . 2y ago I met a woman on fetlife (if you know you know) and had arranged a meet via her husband/dom. Chickened out. Anyway recently saw her her pictures again. In the news. She stabbed a man to death 2 ... + More replies
To_a_Green_Thought . 2y ago Saying, I love you, too, the first time she said she loved me. (This month is our 19th anniversary.) 2 ...

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