35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

Emotions are powerful. So powerful, in fact, that they can feel likeirrefutable factsand consume our entire being, blinding us to other perspectives. Even when they’re more reasonable than ours.Recently, Reddit userMlkrs_mariaposted a question on the platform asking others what the dumbest reason someone got mad at them was, and people immediately started sending in their replies.From texting the wrong word to merely minding your own business, continue scrolling to check out the ones that got the most attention, and don’t miss the chat we had with psychologist Dr. John A. Johnson. You will find it in between the stories!This post may includeaffiliate links.

Emotions are powerful. So powerful, in fact, that they can feel likeirrefutable factsand consume our entire being, blinding us to other perspectives. Even when they’re more reasonable than ours.

Recently, Reddit userMlkrs_mariaposted a question on the platform asking others what the dumbest reason someone got mad at them was, and people immediately started sending in their replies.

From texting the wrong word to merely minding your own business, continue scrolling to check out the ones that got the most attention, and don’t miss the chat we had with psychologist Dr. John A. Johnson. You will find it in between the stories!

This post may includeaffiliate links.

My ex gf from college got mad at me and didn’t speak to me for 48 hours. Why? Because she texted me asking if she could borrow my charger and I said “Sure” instead of “yes”. Apparently it’s rude to say “sure”.When we broke up she texted me asking if I was happy leaving her. I texted back “sure”. It’s been 15 years and it still makes me laugh.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

“Our mood oremotional statedefinitely has an impact on our perception,“Dr. John A. Johnson, professor emeritus of psychology at Penn State University, toldBored Panda.“Some people are more-or-less continuously high-strung, so they react negatively to many situations, including those that most of us would regard as trivial. But even people who are normally pretty levelheaded can become over-reactive if they haven’t had enough good sleep lately, haven’t been eating well, or have been under a lot of stress.”

“Our mood oremotional statedefinitely has an impact on our perception,“Dr. John A. Johnson, professor emeritus of psychology at Penn State University, toldBored Panda.

“Some people are more-or-less continuously high-strung, so they react negatively to many situations, including those that most of us would regard as trivial. But even people who are normally pretty levelheaded can become over-reactive if they haven’t had enough good sleep lately, haven’t been eating well, or have been under a lot of stress.”

When I was 14 my mother thought her 45-ish year old boyfriend was “having an affair” with me, kicked in my bedroom door(which had no lock) and tore into me calling me a s**t. I was still virgin and VERY obviously hated her douchebag boyfriend. I left that night with a garbage bag of my clothing/possessions.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

Had a houseguest who used my toothbrush then got mad when she got a cold sore. I understand being upset, but the blame is clear.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

According toKandi Wiens, who is a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and the author of the bookBurnout Immunity, not only is the sheer number of people experiencing burnout higher than ever, but recent evidence shows that burnout is affecting workers at younger ages—and its effects are more debilitating.Indeed, the 2023 Stress in Americasurveyrevealed that 67% of adults ages 18 to 34 say stress makes it difficult for them to focus, 58% describe their daily stress as “completely overwhelming,” and nearly half report that most days their stress is so bad they’re unable to function. No wonder so many of us are overreacting during casual interactions.

Indeed, the 2023 Stress in Americasurveyrevealed that 67% of adults ages 18 to 34 say stress makes it difficult for them to focus, 58% describe their daily stress as “completely overwhelming,” and nearly half report that most days their stress is so bad they’re unable to function. No wonder so many of us are overreacting during casual interactions.

I love telling this story.I worked retail for 8+ years, so I’ve got stories. This one particular day, we were kind of dead. I was stuck at the service desk and this nice little old man came in and shuffled up to the counter. I smiled and greeted him, he returned the smile and explained to me that he wanted the information on one of the sofas we were selling at the time. His wife was stuck at home and he wanted the dimensions, the fabric type, etc.So, I grabbed some receipt paper and a pen. I walked over to the sofa he was interested in and began writing the information. He stiffened and let out an audible “OH…” I apologized and asked if I had done something wrong… he goes, “you’re left handed… you… are a COMMUNIST!“He then shuffled his elderly butt back out the door and across the parking lot. While I stood there just like 😶…I never got angry with him, but it was incredibly hilarious and out of left field.

Once someone got mad at me for politely holding the door open for them. Apparently, it made them feel ‘rushed.’ Can’t win!

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

A coworker got super pissed I didn’t comment on her coloring her hair a few shades lighter. Sorry, not that interested in your hair lady.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

“Also, people might be harboring anger over some past issue, and the ‘dumb reasons’ are not the real reason the person blows up,” Dr. Johnson explained to us.“If someone overreacts, I might want to ask them if there are other things going on in their lives that are stressing them out, or if there’s something I’ve done recently that upset them that they would like to talk about.”

“Also, people might be harboring anger over some past issue, and the ‘dumb reasons’ are not the real reason the person blows up,” Dr. Johnson explained to us.

“If someone overreacts, I might want to ask them if there are other things going on in their lives that are stressing them out, or if there’s something I’ve done recently that upset them that they would like to talk about.”

I used to work security at a high-end condo a long time ago.Someone on the top floor called about a possible intruder on their roof-terrace-area-thing. So I immediately went up to the roof to investigate.Lady complained that I entered her property without permission.Lady, you called me for assistance. If you don’t want my assistance, I’ll go grab a Coke. I’m thirsty.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

I got written up in school once for gagging bc a girl threw up right next to me and I reflexively gagged back. Said I was making fun of her.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

Walking along with boyfriend (now husband), I can’t even remember the context but I jokingly called him ugly, he hit me with an equally jokey “nuh uh YOU’RE ugly” and we continued this childish back and forth for about a minute until a stranger overheard us and then got mad that we were being “so abusive to each other”, even though we were clearly joking and laughing.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

Dr. Johnson acknowledges that remaining thoughtful in these situations is often easier said than done “because when we feel that we’ve been judged unfairly, we might not feel like dealing with the person at all.“But it’s important to at least try. “If the person is important to us and is someone we spend a lot of time with, we have to get over our resentment at their apparently irrational judgment and try to have a calming conversation with them.”

But it’s important to at least try. “If the person is important to us and is someone we spend a lot of time with, we have to get over our resentment at their apparently irrational judgment and try to have a calming conversation with them.”

I was very sick with some kind of stomach thing, and had been taking the smelliest s**ts of my life. My girlfriend at the time wanted to come over, but I told her no, I was sick. She came over anyways, and the second she walked in, she said “oh, I have to pee, be right back”. She walked right into a bathroom I just obliterated two minutes prior, then got mad at me because it stunk so bad. Like legitimately mad, then stormed out.

Had a date get upset and walk out on me because my blouse had those little strings on it that hold them on the hanger. He asked me what the string was and I told him and then he called me “too bougie for his taste” and stormed out.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

A dream. Dreamed I cheated and stayed pissed an entire day.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

However, if you’re going through this list and can’t help but think of the times you yourself have acted irrationally towards others, there are things you can do to keep cool.“If you find yourself overreacting to a situation, you might keep in mind the acronymHALT[and ask yourself] am I hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? And then take care of the issue so that you do not keep overreacting,” Dr. Johnson added.

However, if you’re going through this list and can’t help but think of the times you yourself have acted irrationally towards others, there are things you can do to keep cool.

“If you find yourself overreacting to a situation, you might keep in mind the acronymHALT[and ask yourself] am I hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? And then take care of the issue so that you do not keep overreacting,” Dr. Johnson added.

I told him cows do not in fact drown through their as when they walk into water. Yes, he actually believed cows will just fill up with water the moment their as is underwater. No, I don’t know how you could actually believe this.I think I made him feel stupid but it’s hard to explain cows can close their a*s without being at least unintentionally condescending.

For dyeing my hair, even when I hadn’t.First day back after the summer holidays and I’m walking into my classroom and my teacher would not stop watching me, glaring at me but I continued and sat myself down at my seat.She kept her eyes on my the whole time, as the rest of my class arrived and sat down. It was only when everyone had settled, that she called my name in front of everyone, causing all eyes to be on me.The first thing that came out of her mouth was, “You’ve dyed your hair. It’s lighter.” Not asking, just accusing and so she gave me an instant detention. I told her that I hadn’t, that it got ever so slightly blonder because of being out in the sun more but she shook her head and told me not to lie and then gave me another detention.Obviously, I didn’t go, so I got more detentions for not going but I didn’t go to those either. It went round and round until she stopped but deemed me a naughty child.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

Guy at work drove a vehicle into a metal pole and blamed me. Was so mad at me. Actually reported me and told the manager it was my fault.I was 50ft away from him when it happened, but because I was the last one to talk to him before the wreck, in his mind, I was somehow at fault.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

A couple years ago a man angrily called me demanding to know why I had called him. I had not called him and was actually busy cooking when he called me. Maybe a year or so after that a woman accused me of stealing either her mother’s phone or phone number. I’d had the number for probably a decade at that point so I don’t know what that was about but I was having a bad day and we both got pretty loud and angry.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

I was on a bus once, and this angry last just snapped and started yelling at me for not getting up and giving her my seat.I had both my hands resting on my cane right in front of me. There were a dozen other people sitting down who weren’t visibly disabled. .

When I was 16. Dating a girl who bought me a mouse teddy thing for Valentine’s Day - I thought, ‘awe that’s sweet, something different!’ So I said, ‘That’s really sweet, something different! I love it’s a mouse! What made you pick the mouse?‘And she went mental.I made it SUPER clear I liked it, and appreciated it, and the question was a genuine, ‘what made you think of that, it’s so cute, how’d you pick it, it was perfect’ question. But no.So she took a 150 Irish pounds + of a vintage locket I got her, and threw it in a drain.Nutter.

One time I was walking down the street, then a woman who I’d never seen before tapped me on the shoulder and told me “You know what you did” and I responded with “I don’t know what you’re talking about” and she replied with “I know you’re lying” then stormed off.So, I don’t know the reason she was mad at me, but I’m pretty sure that was the dumbest reason anyone had gotten mad at me.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

An ex gf was mad at me cause her ear was painfull and she 100% believe she caught my “cauliflower ears” from having sex, like if it was a STD.p.s : no i did not f**k her ear, nor grab it in any way.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

I got banned from a Reddit sub for pointing out that punching someone in the chest poses a risk of commotio cordis.

One time, a friend got really mad at me because I didn’t reply to their text right away. I was busy with work, and my phone was on silent. When I finally checked my phone, there were like 10 missed messages, all getting more and more upset. I replied as soon as I could, explaining that I was just caught up with work. But they were already furious, thinking I was ignoring them on purpose. It turned into this whole argument about how “true friends” make time for each other, even though it was just a few hours. It took days to smooth things over, all because I didn’t respond right away.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

I got written up when I worked at Walmart because I asked someone if they found everything okay instead of saying hello.

35 Things You’d Never Think To Be Offended By Until Someone Else Was

I have partial hearing loss, not enough to be counted as a disability, but enough to be annoying as there’s a frequency almost dead-middle of the spectrum I cannot hear. And there is a small subset of the population I found that their natural speaking voice sits in that part I can’t hear, so no matter what, their words unless they pitch it up or down slightly are unintelligible to me.Anyways, I’m working at a store doing whatever, and I can hear Something but it sounded far off and directed elsewhere so I just ignored it. Out of the corner of my eye I can see this old woman just staring at me with a pissy look on her face, I asked her if there was anything she needed help with and I swear to god I cannot tell you what she said and I was staring right at her. So upon asking her to repeat herself she stomped off in a huff and bitched at my Manager who (thankfully) already had witnessed this issue. I guess he played up the guilt factor that she yelled at a “Deaf” person (I’m not deaf) and she conceded whatever her point was on my behavior.

I had a girlfriend break up with me because she got an eye injury and I told her to go to the ER. She wanted to study for her final exam.She took a projectile to the orb (unrelated to me). She was leaking vitreous fluid. (TL:DR That’s the stuff that isn’t replaceable.). She ended up missing her final and was furious at me about it. I probably saved her eye with first aid & prompt Dx. Didn’t matter to her.Thst was a life lesson for me: even when you’re right, relationships work on the value system of the partner as well as your own. I should have acknowledged her priorities better, even if they were dumb.Would do it again tho….