Guilty Pleasures, What It Is & 46 Guilty Examples We All Hide From Others

Discover what a guilty pleasure really is and explore funny, weird, and relatable guilty pleasure examples you probably won’t admit to.

Here’s the truth, everyone has at least one guilty pleasure. You know, that one weird, embarrassing thing that lights up your day but you’d never admit to doing. Whether it’s binge-watching trash TV, obsessively checking your ex’s Instagram, or watching someone eat 10 pounds of noodles on YouTube, guilty pleasures are what keep us human, and weirdly happy.

In this feature, we’ll explore what guilty pleasures actually are, the psychology behind them, and list the most common guilty pleasure examples that you’ll probably relate to (even if you’ll pretend you don’t). So grab that microwave brownie and scroll on, no judgment here.

[Read: What are you passionate about? How to find and own your desires]

👇 Quick guilty pleasure examples you’ll see below 👇

• Watching reality TV while judging everyone
• Online stalking your ex
• Binge-eating snacks in bed
• Singing K-pop in your undies
• Obsessing over celebrity gossip

What is a guilty pleasure? The meaning

A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy doing, even love doing, but you feel a little ashamed or embarrassed about it.

It’s like eating cake for breakfast, or secretly watching trash TV and pretending you “hate it.” The pleasure part lights you up, but the guilt part whispers, “you really shouldn’t enjoy this.”

In psychology, this guilt often comes from a conflict between your actions and your personal or social values. We’ll break that down more next.

Why do guilty pleasures feel so… guilty?

Some of these guilty pleasures don’t even feel that bad while we’re doing them. It’s only after the binge, the scroll, or the sneaky stalk that the shame creeps in.

So where does that guilt actually come from?

Psychologists suggest that guilt associated with pleasure comes from a mismatch between our values and actions, or from how we think others will judge us. [Read: Guilt Complex: What It Is, Why We Feel It and 39 Signs & Ways to Get Over It]

This inner conflict is part of what’s called cognitive dissonance, when your brain tries to juggle two opposing ideas at once. Like: “This reality show is trash” and “I can’t stop watching it.” That mental tug-of-war can make you feel a little dirty… but you still click “next episode.” 📚 Source: Festinger, L., 1957, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

There’s also social comparison theory, the idea that we evaluate ourselves based on what we think others expect of us. So if society says grown men shouldn’t cry at romcoms or women shouldn’t be obsessed with true crime, indulging in those things can trigger guilt. 📚 Source: Festinger, L., 1954, A theory of social comparison processes.

But here’s the twist: our brains are wired to chase pleasure, even when it doesn’t fully align with our values.

Neuroscientist Kent Berridge describes how the brain’s reward system has two parts: wanting and liking. You might want to eat that second brownie (hello dopamine), but not actually like the guilt that comes after. And yet… you still reach for it. 📚 Source: Berridge, K.C., 2009, ‘Liking’ and ‘wanting’ in the brain’s reward system

So yeah, your guilty pleasures are less about being “bad,” and more about being human. It’s just your brain trying to navigate modern life, emotional needs, and a scroll-happy culture.

Guilty pleasures we know you love just as much as the rest of us

Here are some of the most shameful, embarrassing, outrageous, and, let’s admit it, wonderful dirty, guilty pleasures you may share with other people, even if no one will admit to them.

1. Vampires and heroes

You know those fantasy romance titles and book series meant for teens? You love them! But you wouldn’t admit it.

You have a stack of those books under your bed and you cry, laugh, and fall in love with the characters on the pages, even if they’re not really meant for you. [Read: Dating a bookworm like you’re in a romance novel]

2. TikTok Psychics & Tarot Lives

You tell yourself you’re just scrolling, but suddenly you’re emotionally invested in a TikTok psychic pulling a card “for the collective.” You’re not even into astrology… but also, what did the third card say about your love life?

3. Rain dance

Whether it is doing the rain dance in the shower, pretending that there’s actual rain, or just simply dancing in the shower, you have your secret shower moves that you’ll never let anyone see.

4. Shower sonata

Aside from dancing, you belt out the high notes in the shower, too, something you’ll never do for karaoke. [Read: Shower sex – 18 sexy bathroom secrets to get wet, make love, and not slip]

5. Secret series

From Gossip Girl to Love is Blind, you have this thing for television series that you only watch in the privacy of your own room.

In fact, you quickly change channels when someone pops in, but we all do it, so watch those guilty pleasure shows with confidence!

6. Reddit Drama Obsession

You say you’re just on Reddit for news, but we both know you’re glued to r/AmITheAsshole and r/TrueOffMyChest like it’s the season finale of a Netflix series. You even have favorites. And villains.

7. Pimple pop

No matter how much your mom or the dermatologist tells you not to, you can’t help it, you just gotta pop that zit!

What’s even better than that? Watching pimple-popping videos on TikTok. Now that’s a real guilty pleasure. [Read: Why you shouldn’t be ashamed of what you do for beauty]

8. Act the part

You like to pretend you’re Daphne from Bridgerton or any other character from pop culture. When you’re alone in your room, you perform a litany of impersonations, and boy, it feels great!

9. Keeping up

You wouldn’t admit it to your friends, but you actually like to watch reality shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians. In fact, you also watch the Real Housewives show.

And the thing is, you’re a guy. [Read: Masculinity vs. femininity – 27 traits, stereotypes & the unique strengths]

10. Eating junk

No matter how much you try to stick to your paleo diet, you can’t wait for your cheat day. When it arrives, you binge-eat junk. ALL DAY.

11. Hover rover

You like looking over strangers’ shoulders and reading their text messages or emails. You hover over people with the most interesting conversations and quickly turn away when they look at you, looking at their phone.

12. Bawling and movies

You have that one movie you watch and end up crying through. Either you just can’t help but cry when you watch it, or you watch it because you want a good cry.

13. Choco loco

Whenever you feel tense or down, you put on your sweats, get in bed, shut out the world, and eat your stash of chocolate like there’s no tomorrow.

14. Trashy stash

Whether you’re a guy or a girl, you secretly hope that none of your friends have a peek at the accounts you’re following. Because some of those are just embarrassingly trash!

But you love seeing the celebrity gossip or salacious headlines on your feed, so you continue to pray that no one clocks on to your guilty pleasure.

15. Mirror, mirror

Every morning, you have a sexy, sultry monologue in the mirror to boost yourself up.

Often, this includes you rehearsing how you’d flirt with that guy from the bar, or that girl who always takes the same commute to work as you. [Read: 18 ways to have high self-esteem and start winning at life]

16. Girl power

From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift, you have a playlist of all the girl groups and singers that you like and you secretly sing along to.

You’re a guy, so sharing your playlist is definitely taboo, but that’s not gonna stop you from blasting heartfelt breakup songs.

17. Secret fan

You’d rather die than admit you’re a big fan of some celebrity. You follow them on all social media accounts, have photos tucked secretly in your computer folders, and also keep track of all news and celebrity gossip about them.

18. Self-gifting

Valentine’s Day is coming and to cheer yourself up, you buy yourself flowers. You even add a cute, heartfelt note to yourself. Even when it’s not V-day, you still do it, and your office mates think you have a secret admirer.

19. Birthday suit in the suite

Whenever you’re alone in the house, you take off all your clothes and walk around naked. You even do a little jig when you feel like it. [Read: Naked at home – why it’s good and 20 things best done in the nude!]

20. Musical maniac

You know all the musicals and can sing along to each of them. And, when you’re alone, you dance that number from Moulin Rouge and pretend you’re Nicole Kidman’s character, Satine.

21. The tub

As cliché as television and the movies make it seem, it’s always nice to just sit in bed, pop on a favorite movie *or go for a Grey’s Anatomy marathon* and gobble up a tub of ice cream.

22. Social stalker

From time to time, especially in the wee hours of the morning, you “peek” at your ex’s social media accounts, just to see how they are and what they’re up to *or if they found someone new.* [Read: 25 signs your ex wants you back and just can’t stop thinking of you]

23. Golden glob

You like picking your nose in private and you especially like it when you get something extra big and gooey. You hold it between your fingers and examine its texture before “throwing it away.”

24. Dashboard confessions

You keep a secret blog or throwaway account on Reddit where you post all your wildest fantasies and just about every thought and opinion you have about everything in your life.

You would never, EVER let anyone know your blog URL, or that you comment on Reddit as KittyHammer, but you won’t ever give up this guilty pleasure. [Read: Male sexual fantasies – 16 top dirty desires every guy has in mind]

25. Microwave desserts

Pancakes, waffles, and every sinful junk you can cook in the microwave. You eat it. The whole box. Are they nutritionally beneficial? Absolutely not.

But are they a fun guilty pleasure to indulge in every once in a while? Absolutely yes!

26. Master-bating

You actually subscribe to a porn site and masturbate under the covers in your room. Sometimes, you even light a few candles, dim the light, and make a night of it. [Read: How to masturbate – 30 solo orgasm and female masturbation secrets for girls]

27. Smoking or vaping

Although you would never admit it to your partner or your friends, you haven’t actually quit nicotine. When you’re alone in the house, especially in the toilet, you smoke a stick or hit the Juul.

28. Getting high

Speaking of smoking, you also like to get high and just lie on your bedroom floor, naked. You get a kick out of pretending like you’re floating.

29. YouTube Mukbangs

There’s something oddly soothing about watching someone eat 12,000 calories on camera while you eat cereal in your hoodie. You’re not proud. But you’re definitely subscribed.

30. Clean Girl” and “That Girl” Routine Obsession

You spend hours researching the perfect morning routine, watching glow-up vlogs, and saving reels of influencer aesthetic… even if your version of “clean girl” is just dry shampoo and iced coffee in a mason jar.[Read: How to get a nerd to like you & win over the intellectual badass]

31. Baby ASMR

You fall asleep to someone whispering affirmations and pretending to tuck you into bed. It’s weird. It’s comforting. It’s your bedtime ritual now.

32. K-Pop

You sing and dance along with K-Pop groups, although you have absolutely NO IDEA what they’re saying. You even try to dress like them, but you’d never let anyone see you outside your bedroom.

33. Smelling strangers

You know it’s weird, but you just like smelling people’s perfume or shampoo on the subway or in line at the deli. You find a sick sort of satisfaction in knowing which one in the crowd smells good and which one is just, eek.

34. Hello, Postmates

If anyone asked you how often you had food delivered to you, would you tell them the truth? Absolutely not! You’d tell them that you much prefer cooking healthy meals at home, all while kicking the takeout boxes behind the bin.

35. Procrastinate the day away

You have an important task to do for work or an annoying chore that will take seconds to complete, and yet you’ll find any excuse to push it off to the last minute.

Looking at your nails, searching for split ends in your hair, refreshing your email inbox, all somehow better than actually taking a few minutes to do something productive!

36. Doomscrolling

Opening up TikTok is just about the worst thing you can do for your productivity. You know you need to get up and get things done, but your finger just can’t help but scroll to the next video. [Read: 36 secrets to motivate yourself to achieve anything your heart desires]

37. Reminiscing

You absolutely loved your favorite film when you were a child, and as it turns out, you still love that film! Even if it’s the SpongeBob movie, you still get a kick out of watching it.

Our favorite films from our childhood don’t get worse with age, so you keep watching them well into your adulthood. And what’s wrong with that? Isn’t that what DisneyPlus was created for?

38. Forget the dishes

You’re home alone, so why bother dishing your meal onto a plate or pouring your drink into a glass? You’re going to chug that Coke from the 1L bottle and you’re going to enjoy it, dammit! Plus, you have less washing up to do later, so more time for your other guilty pleasures.

39. Selfie montage

Anyone who says that they are able to take the perfect picture on the first try is really hiding a photo album full of selfie duds. The perfect profile picture was never taken on the first try, and it never will be. [Read: How to take a good selfie and look cute every time you snap a photo]

40. Voice Notes You’ll Never Send

You record three-minute-long voice messages to your ex, your best friend, your crush, or even your boss, where you let out everything.

You cry, you rant, you rehearse how you should have handled that awkward moment four months ago. But you never send them. You just listen back, wince, then delete. Instant therapy… with a little side of self-humiliation.

41. Fake Online Shopping Sprees

You spend hours curating carts on luxury sites, comparing reviews for $60 candles, and imagining what your life would be like if you owned 14 beige linen throws. You’ll never actually check out, your credit card’s safe, but hey, you did emotionally commit to a whole new wardrobe, so that counts for something.

42. AI Boyfriend Chats

You downloaded the AI chatbot app “as a joke,” but now you find yourself texting him “goodnight” and waiting for his cheesy compliments. He says he loves you. He thinks you’re brilliant. You know it’s just code… but he understands you in a way no one else does.

43. Watching People Clean

Your own laundry’s been in the basket for a week, but you’re six videos deep into a stranger power-washing their driveway on TikTok.

You watch mold disappear in real time. You gasp at vacuum lines. You find peace in watching someone else organize their spice rack. It’s weirdly satisfying, and no elbow grease required. [Read: How to Cheer Someone Up: 36 Ways to Help Them Feel Awesome Again]

44. Internet Conspiracy Rabbit Holes

You don’t believe in lizard people. But somehow, you’re three hours into a documentary breakdown of moon landing footage and taking notes. You just wanted to check the weather, and now you’re questioning if birds are even real. You’ll never bring it up in conversation, but in the back of your mind… you’re not not convinced.

45. Shower Talk Show Interviews

You’re in the shower, staring dramatically into the shampoo bottle, and imagining you’re on the guest couch with Jimmy Fallon. You share your humble origin story. You win the audience over. You even fake laugh at your own jokes. It’s your moment. And your loofah is applauding.

46. Down the rabbit hole

Your time on the internet has exposed you to some… niche topics. Especially weird is your Youtube watch history. You don’t know why you have to watch so many true crime videos, or why you had to find out the entire FNAF timeline at 3 AM *despite never playing the games*, but you just had to.

If only you felt brave enough to share your weird and niche information at parties. But for now, those information nuggets you probably shouldn’t know about are tucked safely in your head.

Can guilty pleasures actually be healthy?

Surprise: yes, they absolutely can be. Even though they’re called guilty pleasures, research shows that small indulgences can be good for your mental and emotional wellbeing, especially when they’re done mindfully and in moderation.

Psychologists argue that guilty pleasures act as a form of emotional regulation. In moments of stress, sadness, or burnout, indulging in something low-stakes and feel-good can be your brain’s way of restoring balance. It’s a self-soothing mechanism, not a sign of weakness. 📚 Source: Tice, D. M., et al., 2001, Emotional distress regulation takes precedence over impulse control

Indulgence doesn’t always mean lack of control, it can be a form of self-care, especially if it gives you a sense of comfort, nostalgia, or even just a little spark of joy.

Plus, let’s face it: in a world obsessed with constant productivity and optimization, giving yourself permission to just enjoy something (even if it’s silly or messy) is a radical act of self-kindness.

It’s only when a guilty pleasure turns into avoidance, addiction, or constant shame that it stops being “pleasure” and becomes a problem. But if it makes your day brighter and doesn’t harm you or others? Lean in, babe. 📚 Source: Pine, D. S., et al., 2002, Trauma in children and adolescents: Risk and treatment of psychiatric sequelae

So go ahead, re-watch your comfort show, eat dessert before dinner, or whisper ASMR affirmations to yourself at 2 AM. Your brain deserves a treat.

Why do we have guilty pleasures if they make us feel guilty?

It’s the small things in life that make all the difference. When we are having a rough day, when we feel down, when we go through a breakup, or we get fired, we all have something we do that gives us a little pick-me-up.

They may be weird, embarrassing, or utterly disgusting, but these deeds and pleasures make us who we are. We may go to absurd lengths to keep them hidden, but these guilty pleasures just make our life a little more awesome.

Part of the fun of them is the fact that we’re almost ashamed of them.

There’s something about having parts of our personality that we wouldn’t share with anyone, that we keep purely to ourselves, that’s exciting. So go ahead, enjoy your weird guilty pleasures. And don’t tell a damn soul!

[Read: 55 secrets & self-love habits to build confidence]

It’s not a guilty pleasure if it makes you smile

We all have that one guilty pleasure, or let’s be honest, twenty, that gives us a tiny jolt of joy in a hectic world. Whether it’s watching ASMR haircuts, doomscrolling Reddit drama, or singing to K-pop in your pajamas, these moments don’t make you weird. They make you you.

So unless your guilty pleasure is truly hurting you or someone else, maybe it’s time to drop the guilt and just call it a pleasure. Because life’s too short to pretend you don’t love what you love.

Own your quirks. Relish your vices. And if anyone asks why you’re watching another episode of that trashy reality show, just smile and say: “It’s a classic guilty pleasure.”

Bonus reminder: Pleasure without shame is a form of self-love. And you deserve that.

[Read: Self-Discovery: What It Means & 50 Questions to Understand Yourself Better]

From K-pop to doomscrolling Reddit drama, ASMR lullabies to trash TV binges, guilty pleasures are what make us wonderfully weird. Just don’t ask us to admit it.