On Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?” subreddit, users with questions about the ethics and/or morality of their actions lay it out before the merciless hoard of Reddit’s rabble, asking that age-old question: “Am I the asshole here?”
Often the result of Reddit’s judgment that said questioner is indeed the asshole (as they so often are) is nothing but salty feelings, but sometimes people take the scorn of internet strangers to heart and choose to do and be better. Here are 10 examples of folks who accepted Reddit’s “asshole” designation, listened to the tough-love advice from their fellow commenters, and turned things around.
Gamer proposes with virtual jewelry in Skyrim
This gamer-dude proposed to his girlfriend, but instead of a traditional diamond ring, he presented her with a rare amulet—in Skyrim.
Even though The Amulet of Mara reduces the cost of restoration spells by 10 percent, his noble lady was not happy at all and asked for a non-virtual engagement ring.
“Prithee, am I the asshole?” the future groom asked Reddit.
“Verily, thou art!” Reddit responded. But there was a happy ending, as you can see in the screenshot above.
Her friend was too stinky to go to the party
Addy’s “intense, musty odor” was bad enough that her friend considered disinviting her to a party, lest the other guests be offended by her stench. Rather than tell her she stinks, Addy’s friend planned to say the party was canceled—until Reddit judged her an asshole and suggested she level with her friend about her odor. Happy ending: Addy no longer smells and can go to the party.
Posting “looking good” on a relative’s bikini pic? Seriously?
If you comment “looking good” on a bikini picture of a step-cousin like this fool did, you’re going to make her uncomfortable. And if you plead your case before r/amitheasshole, Reddit is going to tell you exactly how creepy you are. Luckily, a little communication can smooth things over, as you can see in the redemptive follow-up.
Redditor hides terminal diagnosis from wife
Redditor 500daystolive has a descriptive username and a tragic story to tell: He’s dying, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell his wife. His question to Reddit: “Would I be an asshole if we moved to Australia for a few months, and I waited to drop the bomb until we returned?” Reddit’s verdict: You’re an an asshole; tell her now. Based on the community’s advice, 500days told his wife, they jetted off to Australia, and they had the best four months of their lives.
Redditor forbids daughter from speaking Welsh
Redditor SnooMacaroons7686 is an English bloke with a Welsh wife and a Wenglish child. He had an issue with his wife and daughter speaking Welsh around the house, since he couldn’t understand them. He pleaded his case to Reddit, and the commenters declared that Snoo was a twll dyn (Welsh for “asshole”). He took their words to heart, and, thanks to Duolingo, he’s learning a new language, has entered couple’s therapy with his wife, and his bilingual family is getting along better than ever.
Which child should get the bigger room?
Blending two families can be tough, and reddit thinks 7227throwaway did it like an asshole. According to his post, when 7227 and his daughter moved into his wife’s place, he moved his daughter into the bigger bedroom, ousting his stepson from his established room and into a smaller space. After being chided, cajoled, and manhandled by reddit’s commenters, 7227 decided to switch the rooms back, and everyone was happy.
Redditor has Feelings about her sister’s proposal
ResultAfraid7121 does not like how her sister’s boyfriend proposed to her sister— he just sprung the question over breakfast like it wasn’t a thing. On a call with her parents, Resultafraid7121 said the proposal “low effort” and “weird.” Of course, word got back to her sister, who was understandably pissed.
So was she an asshole? Yes, Reddit said. But based on commenters’ advice, the sisters hashed it out, ResultAfraid7121 learned there was more to the proposal than she knew, and now everything is back in alignment.
Controlling neat-freak mom drives daughter away
A neat-freak mom had had enough of her daughter’s slobby habits, so she threw her clothes on the floor. This was the final straw for the daughter: She moved in with her aunt. According to her entire family, mom’s neatness and need-to-control everything is a sign of a mental disorder. According to Reddit, she’s an asshole. But thanks to Reddit, Mom got some help, got diagnosed with OCD, and patched things up with her family.
DNA test leads to family drama
The results of a genetic test led a redditor to a previously unknown cousin. The cousin asked for the redditor’s uncle’s phone number to get in touch with their biological father. According to reddit, giving out the digits was an asshole move. Luckily, the unexpected family reunion worked out for the best, and a child was reunited with their long-lost father. Awww!
It’s weird to keep track of your friends’ outfits
A Redditor kept meticulous track of her friends’ outfits, secretly entering descriptions of their clothing in a spreadsheet every day, for years. It started as a way of checking outfit-repeat-frequency and developed into a habit. When her weird hobby was discovered, her friend said she was creepy. When she told the whole story to Reddit, they said she was an asshole (and possibly suffering from undiagnosed autism.) When she came clean to her pals, though, they were OK with it, and even asked for copies of the outfit database!