2024 has been a crazy whirlwind with all the things that have happened. One thing to come out of it is viral TikTok theories that have us questioning our lives. Lately, it seems that there’s a new theory every day, so it’s hard to keep up. If you have a hard time keeping up with all the theories, we’ve compiled a list of the 9 most viral theories that we’ve seen on TikTok this year.
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Do you hate it when your morning toast gets burnt? As bad as it may be, burning your toast might have just saved your life. This is the premise for the viral Burnt Toast Theory on TikTok, which states that something as unpleasant as burning your toast could be a part of something potentially bigger in your life.
For example, the time you spent burning your toast could have saved you from a larger inconvenience, like a car accident or the train breaking down. It just means that the universe has your back and there is a bigger plan in store for you.
Originating from Sex and The City, the Taxi Cab Theory illustrates that men are like cabs, turning their “light” on whenever they are available. Rather than looking for someone they love, they will marry the first girl that happens to be there when they deem themselves ready to settle down by metaphorically turning the light on.
The theory suggests that love is purely dumb luck, rather than fate doing its thing. In the Sex and the City episode this theory originates from, Miranda also explains that most men don’t stay lit for long, meaning that they will settle down pretty quickly once they are ready to commit. Women, on the other hand, will spend more time looking for the right one. To the hopeless romantics out there: don’t lose hope though! The right one will come.
TikTok user Jaycie recalls being in the shower when her mother barged in to yell at her, demanding her daughter put away some pink tote lids, also known as storage container lids. This request came seemingly out of nowhere. When Jaycie asked her mom for more clarification on what she needed help with exactly, her mom ended up lashing out at her, calling her dumb. Jaycie’s dad also got involved, berating Jaycie for not listening to her mom.
Essentially, a Pink Tote Moment is when your parents may mistakenly take out their anger on you, making you confused because you don’t know what you did wrong. The theory has seen TikTok users share similar moments of childhood trauma. Others have used it to reflect parental abuse, where victims have come forth to share their stories.
Have you ever wanted to eat a pomegranate but decided against it because it’s too much effort to peel? If this sounds familiar, you probably know about the Pomegranate Theory. The Pomegranate Theory states that if someone in your life is willing to endure the tedious process of peeling a pomegranate for you, then they are willing to stick by you even in the most trying circumstances in life.
Another way to interpret the theory is that loving someone is like peeling a pomegranate. You have to get messy peeling the fruit’s rind to yield the pomegranate seeds’ sweetness. It’s the same with people—you need to dig deep and learn their flaws before revealing their core.
Yet another theory related to food is the Olive Theory. The theory originates from the early 2000s sitcom How I Met Your Mother, where characters Marshall and Lily hypothesise that when a person who loves olives is paired with a person who hates olives, the end result is a strong relationship. In their case, the former was the olive hater while the latter loved olives.
Towards the end of that episode, however, it’s revealed that Marshall loves olives, but lied to let Lily have them because he loved her so much. That’s the real meaning behind the Olive Theory: at the end of the day, couples last when they’re willing to make sacrifices for each other.
It’s said that in life, everyone falls in love 3 times. Your first love will resemble puppy love, your second one will be the biggest heartbreak while your third love will be the best kind of love. Each love is supposed to teach you something. Your first love will show you what love is, your second one will teach you about yourself, while your third love will show what kind of love you truly deserve.
This is where the Third Love Theory comes in. Your third love is also supposed to happen when you least expect it, challenging your beliefs on what you think love is. In this TikTok, user Hanli Hoefer considers this theory accurate because she’s currently engaged to someone she considers her third love.
Do you want to test your partner to see if they’ve been paying attention to you? If you do, the Bird Test is perfect for that. To conduct the bird test, you will need to point out that you see a bird while on a walk with your partner. If they try their hardest to look for the imaginary bird, congratulations, they’ve passed the test.
If they manage to pass the test, it means they are genuinely interested in anything you do, even if it’s extremely boring. For partners who didn’t bother trying to look for the bird, it means that they aren’t very interested in you or your hobbies.
Isn’t it just so pretty to think that, all along, there was some invisible string tying you to me? Just like Taylor Swift’s song “Invisible String”, the Invisible String theory explains that everyone has someone they’re bound to by an invisible string, and this person might just end up being your soulmate. However, you could walk past said person every day, run in the same friend circles, but you won’t be able to materialise that connection until the universe decides you’re ready.
The theory also states that you will meet in the most random of circumstances and when you need them the most, so if you are still searching for your soulmate, don’t worry because the universe has a plan for you.
Gone are the days of dressing up to go to the club. Now, the trend is to wear comfy clothes to the bar, all thanks to the Comfy Clothes Theory. This theory says that if you wear comfy clothes to places like a bar or a club, more people—namely men—will approach you because you look more approachable.
Many girls on TikTok have tested this theory by wearing oversized sweaters with baggy pants to see if more people came up to them and bought them drinks. So far, the success rate is pretty high, but try this out at your own risk.
Of course, take these theories with a pinch of salt. Whether you choose to believe in them or not, the choice is ultimately yours. Nevertheless, we hope that this list has made understanding popular TikTok theories easier for you!
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