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49 Times People Lost The Respect Of Others In An Instant
One of the most basic things that we can give to other humans is respect. Life is complicated and challenging, but we’re all in it together. So we might as well try to stand by one another. However, if somebody shows you their true colors, and you don’t like what you see, you’re under no obligation to give them any more of your time or energy.
Netizens have recently been sharing stories on Reddit of moments when they instantly lost respect for another person due to their behavior or something they said. It can take years to build a great reputation, but as we see from these stories, it takes only seconds to ruin it. Good luck reading through these tales of people that you probably couldn’t stand either, pandas, and be sure to upvote the ones that you find particularly shocking! Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
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#1
I was living with a good friend (at the time) from highschool a year out of college. One day I noticed an expensive pair of sunglasses missing from my room and asked him if he’d seen them, he said nope. I thought I was going crazy because I have ocd and am very particular about where and how I put my belongings and knew for a fact I didn’t lose them. I hadn’t lost anything of value like that in my life and it was driving me insane. Well one day about a couple weeks later I was riding passenger in my friend/roommate’s car going to get some lunch with him and just randomly had the thought to open the center console in between the driver and passenger seat, not specifically to look for my sunglasses, I just had a weird urge to open it… well low and behold there were my sunglasses right there. I took them out and just stared at him for a minute. Needless to say he was embarrassed and shocked he got caught and didn’t know what to say. It was an awkward car ride back home and very shortly after that I moved out and never spoke to him ever again. The quickest way to make me lose all respect for someone is if they lie to me or steal from me.
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#2
I do tech work for a living. My grandmother passed away a few years ago, on my birthday. She was one of my favorite people and we were very close.
At her funeral, as I stand next to her casket, my step mom’s closest friend walks by and hugs me. As she hugged me, she pulled me down a bit to whisper something in my ear.
Most would think an apology or something sweet, due to circumstances.
She whispered “I have my laptop in the car with me, I’ll need you to check it out, there is something wrong with it”.
I’ve NEVER spoken to the women since that day. She had such little respect for anyone, she thought that was okay.
#4
I had a female friend and she told me every time she gets on a flight, she would call flight attendant as many times as possible because she paid for the ticket. (economy) She was bragging she would call them minimum of 5 times and usually 8 times or more. When I heard that I knew there's something seriously wrong with her.
#6
A friend of my wife’s has been asking me for free medical advice pretty regularly in the last few years since I finished residency. Twenty or thirty times. I’ve written a few prescriptions for her kids for walk in clinic level stuff, as i would for any friends or family, but it had gotten more frequent, and shes never really asked “oh do you have time..” etc etc, just kind of starts sending me pictures of rashes, etc.
It should be noted that she does have a family doctor for her and her kids and doesnt have any barrier to accessing it, and that my wife has been saying I need to set boundaries with her.
A few weeks ago, when i was folding laundry after putting my kids to bed, having worked 27 out of the preceding 28 days, just exhausted, she sends me a picture of her kid, asking me to provide a medical opinion on his growth/weight gain.
She didn’t give me his weight, his historical growth charts, etc or any of the things a doctor needs to evaluate growth in a kid, and [she had an appointment for this kid with his own doctor two days later].
I responded, not rudely, but saying (more or less) “you’ve gotta stop doing this. For emergencies, absolutely I’m happy to help out, but this is what I do for a living - would you ask a carpenter to come and build you stuff for free in the evening just because you felt like it?”
Well, she went off on me, which wasn’t unexpected and [leave] bc she’s my wife’s friend, not mine.
Whatever. What caused the instant loss of all respect and put her in my bad books permanently is that she then called my wife and started giving HER grief, saying I’m out of line etc etc, and when my wife said “literally get lost” to her, she started texting very conveniently cropped screen shots to their whole friend group and telling my wife everyone’s talking about about how arrogant we both are.
I’m still so cheesed about this. Don’t yell at my wife.
#7
I was my mom's full time caregiver for 10 yrs when she had dementia. It was a 24 hour job doing everything from doctor appts, changing diapers, feeding, bathing etc. She was unable to do anything for herself so she needed full time care.
I chose to take care of her and it became a full time thing. My sibling was not really into it and would help here and there but didn't really want to do much.
My mom was in the hospital and after a few days passed away....me and my sibling were her only immediate family and were there when she took her last breath.
As we were getting in the elevator just minutes after she passed my sibling said "now you can get a real job". I just kept my mouth shut because my mom was the only thing on my mind and this moment in time was about her.
After that comment I lost all respect for my sibling.
#9
Once I was in an informal meeting, at a politician's home, discussing future strategy for the next elections. There was this high profile professional, high hope political actor which everyone (me included) considered to be the next leader that'll save the country off the corrupted hands of the old establishment.
At one time, the host's cat got near us. He kicked it when he thought no-one will notice, with a profound disgust printed on his face.
I lost the trust completely in the guy.
#11
My friend has been in a loveless relationship for 7 years with a partner who cheats on her all the time. I’ve always felt bad for her. Then one day, she nonchalantly told me…
1. She got pregnant on purpose at the very beginning of their relationship and made it seem like an accident. She claimed she was on birth control when she wasn’t.
2. Once she got pregnant, she told her boyfriend that he could either be with her and see his child 24/7 or she would do everything in her power to make it so he had no contact with her or his child.
After that, I lost respect for her and actually started feeling bad for him. I don’t think cheating is the best thing for him to do, but I definitely sympathize with him now.
#12
I had a seizure at work as a server, in the middle of taking someone's order. I was severely anemic but at the time unaware of just how bad off I was and I'd never had one in the daytime before. It was humiliating honestly, and I refused an ambulance bc I couldn't afford that bill and I didn't want more attention on me.
Both the GM and his wife were working that day and fully aware that I usually walked to work. Not one single manager or the GM/owners wife even attempted to ensure i got home safely after a Public seizure, nor did they even bother calling or texting at any time afterwards to even make sure I got home safe.
I quit the next day. It was a second job and I was already insanely sick of the managers general behavior and the way they treated everyone but that blatant disregard for an employee showed their last true colors and I refuse to work for people like that and I was thankfully in a position where I could walk away.
#15
Day after a guy’s mother passed away and suddenly he’a going on these weird rants about how weak women are and no woman could ever do his job (observe and report security sitting in a booth and sometimes directing traffic through a parking lot) and how all women are inferior. Any time someone tried to get him to stop, he’d just invoke the passing of his mother as some kind of immunity from criticism. .
#16
My mom rented her home. Original owners were super. House changed hands about 7 yrs before my mom passed, because the owner had passed. Day of her funeral, owner walks into visitation. Asks me to step aside with her to another room. Mind you, I was in the receiving line. She proceeds to tell me I have SIX days to pack up my mom's stuff, and get out. I knew I had rights. But in such a state I didn't want to deal with going through the hoops. So I got it all packed up and moved, hoping Karma would find this wicked woman. 6 months almost to the day, this lady was deceased herself. I have seen alot of disgust and ugly in my life but this beat all.
#17
Guy I worked with who liked buying, fixing, and reselling cars told me once how he sold one to an older woman. Said it had a busted this and that, wasn’t worth a quarter what he sold it to her for. He was laughing about it. I thought it was sleazy and told him so, so he told me to get lost. Just looking at him grossed me out after that.
#18
I let a friend move in with me while going through a rough patch. I seen first hand how much she mistreated and neglected her pets.
#19
She let me take her on a date. She was flirty and affectionate. She kissed me. Then she revealed that it was a "prank" she was playing on her boyfriend, and I was just a prop for it.
#20
Woman I know professionally got Covid during a meeting in the middle of the pandemic. Took two extra international flights while contagious to places that didn’t require tests instead of sitting tight and getting past it.
#21
I work with a guy who seems to get a lot of enjoyment from bad things happening to other people. Even his “friends”, I was in a room with him and he said to me “*blank* is getting screwed over” while snickering.
The person he was referring to was just getting transferred to a new office arrangement who didn’t want to be. It’s one thing to not be happy for others when something good happens, but I can’t stand a person who gets happiness from other peoples suffering.
#22
About 3 months after my wife passed away I was invited to a gathering for bereaved people by a well known hospice organisation. One of their volunteers told me I shouldn’t still be upset - it was three months ago.
#24
At a party - cool, smart guy I recently met got pretty drunk. He insisted he drive despite his wife's half-hearted attempts to take the keys. Instantly lost respect; he endangered his wife's life, his own, and innocent drivers for no reason. Lame.
#25
Made a simple mistake because I was being overworked, which I had already raised concerns about over email with management. One specific HR woman decided that my mistake warranted a formal investigation with in her words “a view to letting me go”. I had been with the company for over a decade, was the most qualified, had an immaculate record and this was my first infraction. Meaning that firing me would be illegal where I am. Not to mention that we were extremely understaffed in a specialty field and even if a replacement could be found it would be at least a year before they would be a productive member of the team.
During the investigatory meeting she actually cackled when the charge against me was read and full on pouted when the impartial hr observer from our head office reprimanded her and told her what she was trying was illegal and that the evidence was on my side.
We later found out that she was a psychotic s****t who was having affairs with several married managers.
#26
In college a girl I was interested in dating told me she only dates Pre-med or Engineering students because they have good income potential.
As an engineering student, I was squicked out.
#27
Affer one if our company holiday parties, I volunteered to give one of the guys a ride home as he drank way too much. He was always very nice and helpful in the office. When I helped him inside, I just happened to look in one of the rooms and it was a shrine to Donald Trump. The walls were covered in Trump and MAGA flags. There were bookcases filled with, not books, but Trump merch including the Trump Bible and shoes. He also had an "altar" with a Trump statue and a light shining on it. I wish I had taken pictures but thought I was already intruding enough. Never talked to that guy again other than strictly business.
#28
So this is smaller than some things on this list.
Woman I used to work with. She seemed cool but I never really got a chance to talk with her. One day there was a conversation going on and she made an offhand comment about how she doesn't take vaccines because she doesn't know what is going in her body. That would've been enough, but she was smoking while she said it...
#29
My boss, who was the country manager, asked me to lie about performance numbers in the upcoming meeting with the client... And asked me in front of my 3 direct reports.
We worked hard to get the numbers up and knew what drove them and where they would be in a few months. Knew it backwards and forwards.
He just wanted to look good.
I literally told him "Sorry, not comfortable with that. We worked hard for these numbers and are confident that we'll continue to progress, so that's how I'm going to frame the presentation."
I walked out of that meeting with a lot less respect for him and realizing how much of a sociopath someone has to be to move up in the company. Resigned shortly after.
#30
It might sound small, but complete inability to apologize will do it for me. Even with friends I've known for 40 years. If our friendship isn't important enough for you to put on your big kid pants and own up for [messing around] up and promise to make a good faith effort not to do it again (people aren't perfect, so a good faith effort is all I ask for), that tells me everything I need to know.
#31
Friends dad got remarried like six months after his wife passed away because of cancer. Turned out he had been talking to her online for like a year. He was a pastor and the whole thing just grossed me out.
#32
As soon as I found out my new business partner had been cheating on their spouse for many years, with multiple partners.
Like, if you’re going to lie to the person you’re sleeping in bed with at home every night… You’re gonna lie to me too.
#33
At a diner, he mansplained the special to the waitress after the waitress had just explained to him.
#34
I used to have a friend who moved here a few years ago. From the moment he arrived until the last time I spoke to him a few months ago, all he's done is try to live free on government benefits and whatever other scheme he can find to get free money at the expense of others. His ultimate goal is to find a way to never work and basically live for free off the back of taxpayers.
#35
After my father died, his younger brother keep telling my mom that my dad would want him to have my dad's briefcase. My mom checked and found it full of cash. Turns out it was from gambling, and my uncle was happy to try to rob his sister in law less than a week after his brother passed.
#36
I overheard a former coworker telling another a lie about me. When I later confronted them about it, they lied again and denied saying it.
#38
Belittling your spouse in front of other people. Next door neighbors do it, best friend's husband does it, father-in-law did it. No respect for any of them after that.
#39
Guy admitted to me that he thinks monogamy isn't actually possible because every relationship he's been in either he's been cheated on or been the cheater.
#40
I looked up to my JROTC teacher quite a bit. Then at a football game he sat down next to me and we had a conversation, and he made some incredibly racist comments about some of my black classmates. My opinion of him did a complete 180.
#41
Ghosting...i just think you're a coward.
And yes i have ghosted someone before and learned from that. Never done it since.
#42
I was the new officer in charge of a small town in law enforcement . Was an older guy on section who I had heard a few whispers about. Let’s call him John. The guys worked single shifts and usually it was a quiet place, but I would patrol sometimes without necessarily telling them just as a bit of support as we were a long way from backup. On busy weekends shifts would overlap so they could back each other up. One night a violent domestic came in a woman being badly assaulted, kids present. I’m monitoring the radio and the first guy is calling John so they arrive at the address together. No answer. First guy is heading straight to the job as the call taker can hear this woman getting an absolute hiding. I head to back him up. Not far from the job I come across John’s patrol car on darkness parked off the road. Assuming a problem I pull up next to John and ask has he heard the radio? Yes I was just heading there he says, I will follow you. He’s literally shaking. Policings a hard job but I had absolutely no tolerance for that POS coward from that day on. Turns out he had form for mysteriously just arriving at jobs once the other guys had the offender in hand. He was an out and out coward but wouldn’t leave the job as the money was good. In my whole career I worked with guys and girls of all shapes and sizes but bless them, I never did come across another yellow dog like John.
#43
I spent weeks doing free work for this guy. Guy is a loud, constantly talking, never shutting up braggart but he's related to a friend so I told him I'd help him for free. I spent weeks doing manual labor for him, taking his direction and even working when he sits there because "we don't need two people working"
Time comes and all I want is for him to leave a room so I can do my own work. I ask out of respect because the owner of the place told me I could use it and bragger says no. He asks if I could go somewhere else instead. Right then and there I stopped being nice to him, stopped helping, stopped everything.
A week later he comes over and says it's time to give him a hand. I say no and he whines like a twelve year old and says I told him I would and he came all this way...I said no but I figure maybe there's a chance I made an off comment that I'd help him so I gave him one more day of work but made sure he was listening when I told him it would be the last time I help him ever. He says okay.
The very next day he comes over and acts like he didn't even hear me. Same deal "come on, it's time to go" I say no and he's genuinely confused. I go over everything we said when he whined last time and the guy cries.
All I wanted was for him to leave the room and give me a couple hours of peace.
#44
My MIL worked at a law firm that specialized in trusts and wills as a paralegal. While I was in college, I worked there as the receptionist and remember my then boyfriend’s aunt coming in to create her trust. She had no children of her own and named my boyfriend as the sole beneficiary of her estate. They had an amazing relationship. I mentioned it to him at the time, and life went on.
We eventually got married. About 15–20 years later, his aunt passed away from cancer. To our surprise, the will was never filed, and no one had a complete copy. My MIL produced an incomplete copy (pages 1 and 2 naming her as the executor) all of the middle pages missing, and the signature and notary pages at the end. He showed the records department at the courthouse, and they pulled him aside to tell him it was the shadiest copy they had ever seen. As a result, the will could not be validated. The estate went through probate, and because there was no valid will, my MIL was next of kin.
My husband chose not to challenge his mother or contest the outcome. I was alone one day and in a bad mood when she called me, and I let her have it. I told her that not only was she a bad sister, but also a terrible mom for purposely doing this to her son. She eventually made it right, but never ever will I trust that lady again. I still remind my husband to call her every once in a while, but inside I can’t believe any mother would treat her child like that.
#47
I started working with them.
They had this amazing reputation for being incredibly knowledgeable and very well skilled at their job. Took me all of one week to start questioning their actual knowledge. And about another two weeks to really start questioning their skill. All the find out that their reputation was fully unearned and fully based on their assertive personality so people just assumed that what they said was correct. They also had the arrogance of God knows what this place did before I started working here it would fall apart without me. No it actually worked better before you started and we continued on just fine with you gone.
#48
Found out about my husband’s (soon to be ex) mistress who also knew he was married. Have zero respect for either at this point.
#49
Lie. I was friends with someone who I think had 100 personalities.
Told me her mom passed. Acted like it. Only to have me walk into her house to her having a conversation with her mom on the phone.
A month later she told me two of her grandkids were taken by CPS. Only for me to walk into the house and she’s face timing the kids who were with their mom.
Said she built a million dollar home but when she left her significant other and moved back to where she came from, she lives in a two bedroom apartment.
I haven’t spoken to her since she left.
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