Having a teacher that truly supports you is priceless. But sometimes, our favorite teachers can fall from grace, and through whatever events or circumstances, they become the bane of your existence. It sucks, but it happens quite a bit. Here are some of those stories.
u/Reiders-theaters93jx asked: What did your favorite teacher do to become your worst one ever?
That doesn't make any sense.
Sounds petty but.... In 7th grade. I always made 100% on spelling tests. Always. Hell, they give you the words on a list beforehand. But anyway, I got my test back with a score of 80%. I checked and rechecked and rechecked my paper and couldn't see the error. So, I go up to the teacher and tell her I can't find my mistakes. And honestly, she says to me, "You didn't dot your 'i' right over the 'i'. Huh?
I go back to my desk and ask to see my friend's test. They didn't dot their 'i' right over the 'i' either. I go back up to the teacher and tell her this and she says, 'Well, if everyone else is going to jump off a bridge, does that mean you would too?" By this time, I was pissed and said, "yes, I would."
I got sent to the principal's office. Hated this class after that.
Karen-esque, indeed.
My Freshman year of High School, I had this one English teacher who was not only a really cool dude but very good at his job and made great choices in assigned readings (including Shakespeare's more violent plays, like Macbeth and Titus.) As his student, I had a lot of respect for him.
Fast-forward 5 years, I'm taking a year off between High School and College to work a regular job so I can save a little more money. This same teacher walks into my store with a small order, and then proceeds to verbally tear the cashier next to me a new one because the items he "needed for his class" would have to be back-ordered. Like that's somehow the cashier's f*cking fault the distributor didn't ship out certain items to YOUR liking? I was utterly dumb-struck at his Karen-esque behavior.
Lesson learned: Just because someone is good at what they do doesn't mean they're a good person, you never truly know someone until you see them interact with the public.
Wow.
I was a student worker in the guidance counselors office. I worked there two periods a day, doing filing, decorating, and generally being a gopher (go for this, go for that). I loved the two teachers/counselors who sat in that office.
And then one day, the fundraising candy box comes up $10 short. That's weird, because all candy is $1, but we assume someone made change and then someone (maybe else) saw a tenner and legged it.
That's what I though, anyway.
Several months later, we're running the book fair. I'm a cashier. One of the tills comes up $5 short. Could be theft, but could be just high schoolers bad at math, or a making-change swindle, or whatever.
The next day I get called into the principals office (oooOOOoohh!) and am told that they know I stole $20 from the book fair, because they also know I stole $20 from the candy sales several months prior, though they couldn't prove it at the time.
If, however, I pay the principal $50 in cash by tomorrow, my parents don't need to be involved.
Well, I don't want my parents involved because that's an automatic thrashing just for being contacted by the school, never mind what they'd do if they thought I was a thief (never mind I worked in the family restaurant since I was 9 and ran the register for years after school without ever coming up short). So I go to my two favorite teachers and ask them for help, because obviously something is screwy here.
Turns out, they're aware, because they told the principal that I had stolen the $20 from the candy box (never mind it was $10), so it seemed pretty obvious that I also took $20 from the register (it was short by $5). Never mind the extra $10, I guess.
Well, I had a job, so I actually had money, and I gave it to the principal the next day and like any honest blackmailer, he never told my parents.
The worst part about the whole thing was the implication of stupidity. Like, I don't much mind being called a thief, but I resent being called a stupid thief that would TWICE steal from his own till.
F you, Elkton High School. Those teachers are long dead, but you're still sh*tty in my book.
WTF?!?!
Our teacher Mr. A was really cool. We were in 6th grade. He was in his early 20's. He joked with us, made difficult concepts easy, and was easy to talk to since he liked a lot of the same shows and movies that we did.
One day, a girl with Down Syndrome transferred in. Our beloved Mr. A would pick on her and if she didn't know an answer, would relentlessly ask her and say stuff like "you're keeping the class from learning." She cried almost every day. The girl was gone a few weeks later. The teacher still works there.
HAPPY ENDING EDIT: A little Google digging let me know that the girl he used to make fun of sits on the local mental health board and has a full-time job in the community. The local paper had an article on her.
Definitely not always capitalized.
Last round of my 3rd grade spelling bee. Word is constitution. "c-o-n-s-t-i-t-u-t-i-o-n, constitution," I proclaimed confidently. My teacher said it was wrong, since constitution is capitalized. Except it's also an improper noun, dumb b*tch. So no one won the spelling bee, despite the other finalists spelling it blatantly wrong.
Definitely not the students' fault.
High school English teacher is an all-around fun person, and many people (including myself) chose her for the next grade of English classes. Christmas comes around and the teacher brings up the idea of doing one of those Salvation Army Angel (a gift for a less-fortunate kid in the community you take from one a tree at a store or mall. The class was on board with the idea, but then she insisted on doing two for our class section. It's an honors-level class with a few higher-income students, but we're in a Title I school where the majority of student—including myself—were on free/reduced lunch.
The weeks go by, and as people are dropping a few dollars here and there, the teacher expresses how she wanted to go bigger with the gift. Jackets for both, some toys, a baby doll for the girl, an iPod shuffle for the older boy. "What's an iPod without any music?" "What's a baby doll without some accessories."
Even when she said there was no pressure for us to give if we were unable to give, she began to make passive aggressive about how disappointed she was with the amount of contributions for the Angels. She began taking up class time to address how if we weren't able to fund two, we shouldn't have taken on the responsibility of two Angels. Putting blame on us that she's having to fund these with her own money. It's too late to return the Angel and it'd be our fault they don't have quality gifts this Christmas. As time goes on, more and more people are getting a bit uncomfortable, their perceptions of the sincere, 'cool teacher' start to change, and after a few more unrelated class rants and punishments, one of my favorite teachers goes to being my worst one ever.
That's rough.
TA in college. He ran our labs and was close to us in age so we used to hang out with him socially, play games with him etc. and he would give us extra licenses for software if we asked even though we were only supposed to get 1 each. He could give out Windows Pro licenses and stuff so this was really nice.
Then I missed a lab once because my Aunt was in the hospital dying of cancer. She didn't actually die that day though, so when I made up the lab the next week he marked it late. She died the next week.
YIKES.
Favorite English teacher my senior year of high school. She let me borrow novels to read, I'd chat with her before first period, she put a coffee maker in her office she'd let me have a cup. She was in her early 30s. Came in one day a frazzled mess and got arrested in class. She was sleeping with an 18 year old student. He had a girlfriend and she was married. She got everything revoked, teaching license, banned from teaching in the state. Changed her name, got divorced, ran off with the kid. I was devastated. I really connected with her and the sub replacement was a b*tch.
Well that sucks.
Had an amazing biology teacher who I really looked up to both as a teacher and as a strong female role model, until final year when one day in class she started on a rant about how gay people were abominations and were going straight to hell. I had found out a year earlier that my older brother was gay and was going through hell after being disowned by my dad. I lost all respect for my teacher right there and then.
Ew.
When I was about 7 I thought my swim instructor was the coolest dude ever. One of the last things we had to do in the summer course was to dive down and touch the bottom of the deep end of the pool (8 or 9 ft) while he's also at the bottom to make sure if you made it or not. I hated opening my eyes underwater so I had no idea how close I was. Apparently I was within inches but I panicked and started going back up. He grabs my f*cking ankle and I lose it and started thrashing around until I surfaced. His excuse was that "I was so close".
That was over 20 years ago but I still remember. I know he was probably just some high school lifeguard with a summer job but it went from idolization to betrayal in an instant.
"Truly sorry."
Over reacts sometimes. I mean, she was sweet and kind but sometimes she overreacts over nothing.
I had a habit of saying "Isn't it suppose to be..." over something where I thought it was one way but thought it was another.
Apparently, she took it as an act of me "commanding" how an answer should be and got upset over the word "suppose".
One day I said it and she had already been upset with me, but later she gave us our test results. I walked up to her saying she might have given me a wrong mark, I was ACTUALLY telling her to lower it not increase it but I accidentally missed two points. She got upset that I suggested she was wrong, so instead of praising me for my honesty, she was going to send me to the headmistress. She said "I'm very sorry I had to do this," and I wanted to tell her that if she was truly sorry she WOULDN'T do this.
BTW, I was 9.
Yikes.
My current Chem teacher has no respect for students. She seems nice but I've broke down many many times in class sobbing. She's been standing right next to me watching me like nothings the issue. And when we had two students pass away this year (one due to medical reasons the other to suicide) she gave the message to the class in the most disrespectful way ever. You could tell that in her mind it was just a disruption.
That's an oof from me, dog.
It's gonna be hard writing this since the terms don't really correspond to the international norm, but bear with me.
So I'm taking university courses in Economics, majoring in Statistics and Economic Forecast, lots of maths, algorithms, statistical analysis and all. Last year we were supposed to choose our coordinating teachers for our degree thesis, and I chose the baddest badass of them all (or so I was told), simply because hearing that he's rather tough implied that he's a good professor - and a strict one, which gave me the impression that he'd get the best of me. We were supposed to choose between econometrics and statistical survey as practical methodologies for our thesis and I chose econometrics since I'm a lazy ass and didn't wanna go around asking for people to take my survey, also I like econometrics and data analysis a bit more.
So first meeting with my prof and my colleagues (we were 5 students who chose this prof as our mentor for the thesis), he seems like a really nice guy, immediately liked him and his attitude, kind of a careless guy with lots of knowledge to share and lots of willingness to share.
Fast forward to the beginning of the third (and last) year of our studies and we finally have classes with this professor. Oh boy, was I wrong.
To say he was rough was an understatement. From the nice guy he ought to be, his attitude shifted between being nice and careful and gentle to shouting and yelling and berating students, calling us names and threatening us with failing his class, which meant we'll have to come back for another year to take his class. Not to mention that he was that type of man, in his 40s, divorced, single parent, highly unattractive, not really relevant to our studies, but you could see that his frustration was affecting his performance as a professor and co-ordinator, mainly focusing on girls in our group.
A couple weeks ago he kind of confessed to his frustrations, when while grading our papers, he randomly started talking about how women leave you no matter how good you are, how nice you treat her, she'll always leave you for a better looking guy, or a rich one, or both. He went on with this for like 10 minutes. Me and a girl who I get along with would always joke about this before his rant, we always suspected he acted the way he did because of some frustration towards women, mainly because we knew his wife left him. He was also very temperamental, and taking grading and evaluation criteria decisions based on his mood, contradicting himself and making up his mind about grades. He was also very personal when evaluating us. It's sad that I really liked this professor, he really got me into studying and enjoying my studies, then disappointed me as a student.
Sorry for the long read, I had to get it out.
That seems uncalled for.
This happened in high school. I was going to the bathroom during passing period between I think 5th and 6th period. The urinals were kinda occupied, and guy rules dictate that I cannot go there, so I take a stall at the far end. I then pee and get out to wash my hands, but am immediately intercepted by a teacher. The teacher may not of been my exact favorite, but he was certainly close. He was my World History & Civilization (all one class) teacher, and that was my favorite class discounting teachers, even after what is about to happen. The teacher tells me I cannot leave or wash my hands or anything, and after another kid leaves the stall, he takes both of us out into the hallway. We are ordered to empty our pockets, and we do, then he looks confused. The teacher then just leaves.
As me and the other kid go back in to wash our hands, I ask him why we were just searched. Apparently, one of the kids in the stalls was vaping and the teacher must of saw the vapor. Keep in mind there are only three stalls in the smaller, upstairs bathroom where we were. The teacher searched the two of the three who weren't vaping. I had a real life smh moment, then went to my class.
After 6th period, lucky me had World History & Civilization class. I figured once there, he would apologize for wrongfully pulling me over and making me look stupid in the hallways. But no, the entire class he just ignored me completely, even when I raised my hand to answer questions he asked. As far as I know, that idiot never even caught the actual kid vaping. Like, seriously? I was acing his class and being a smart kid before that, but I would stop participating from then on out.
The class was still easy and I still aced it, but no more answering questions the others didn't have an answer for. No more laughing at your references only I get. Have fun getting everyone else to do something.
That's not a good teaching method.
I had a pre-algebra teacher who I thought was fun but she ended up being really annoying. I thought she was fun because she had a squirt gun to tease the kids with. But after a while she became just another one of those teachers, and she yelled at our class for not being able to solve problems in literally five seconds.
She kept saying things like "it's only going to get worse" and "you guys need to be spoon fed answers" constantly. It got so bad I had to leave pre-algebra and do normal math.
We aren't perfect. There's plenty of things in our pasts that we look back and cringe at.
That being said, sometimes those cringe moments go far past cringe. Sometimes they get to the point of no return awfulness because that's where our human nature took us in this moment.
He's Not Dead
<p>When I was 17 my brother walked into a room where I was lying down on my back and stamped on my chest. </p><p>I saw red and stood up and punched him square in the face, unfortunately this was in a doorway in front of a staircase, which he fell down backwards and when he hit the wall at the bottom folded up in such a way I thought I'd killed him. </p><p>He didn't move for what seemed like forever and I was certain he was dead, the world just spinning out around me. </p><p>He wasn't dead, obviously, but knocked out briefly and he never laid a finger on me again, after being the kind of nasty bully who had spent much of my childhood just randomly beating on me for his own enjoyment.</p><p>Those were the longest seconds of my life.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/MrSpindles/" target="_blank">MrSpindles</a></p>Complete And Total Taking Over
<p>I don't know about "haunts" but it makes me cringe. In public school we had this thing in our school called 'Jumpstart for Kids' where you'd go around, often door to door, collecting money for this charity once a year. </p><p>Anyway I was 12 and I liked a boy in highschool and he convinced me to take the envelope and go door to door and collect money... to give to him so he could buy a drum set. </p><p>I walked around collecting from all these sweet people who told me I was so nice for collecting money for underprivileged kids. Fortunately I got caught and my parents made me donate it instead. So embarrassing.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/heather-rch/" target="_blank">heather-rch</a></p>Scene Of The Crime
<p>Provincial Park, pay shower, 12 years old, line-up to get in. Towards the end of my turn in the shower, get the urge to poop. Cannot hold it. Using a sock to smoosh the last of it down the drain, water turns off. Out of quarters. Put a towel over my head, run out of there past the line-up.</p><p> Get back to the camp site, immediately change clothes, shoes, hairstyle, put on a ball cap. Work up the courage to go by the area later on, it is all cordoned off. Hear people angrily discussing how someone took a dump in the shower.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/eskerhobolo/" target="_blank">eskerhobolo</a></p>When Bullying A Bully Isn't Worth It
<p>We had a camper in this large campground at a lake when I was growing up. Tons of families with kids riding bicycles and golf carts up and down the gravel roads through the property. </p><p>There was this one kid that was a few years older than me (I was 10, he was probably 12 or so) who's dad was the security guard and they lived on site and he was the biggest punk in the park. He'd try and wrestle you in the pool, throw rocks at you as you were fishing, ride off on your bike if you left it laying around, bully and hit smaller kids, even girls. </p><p>I was driving the golf cart down a pretty steep, gravel hill one day when I came up on him on his bike, going the same way as me. He never turned around to acknowledge I was there so I got up just to the side of him and turned HARD right into him. We were both going probably 10-15 miles an hour down this hill. </p><p>He took a nasty spill and rolled off the side of the road and wasn't moving. I kept on going, acting like nothing happened. We were completely isolated so no one saw me. I remember him getting taken away in an ambulance and hearing that he'd been hurt pretty bad.</p><p> I immediately felt remorse for what I'd done but never said a word to anyone. He or anyone else never had any idea I did it either. I look back now and think about how much of a financial strain I put on that family, seeing as how they were already living in a camper. That was a really REALLY evil thing I did and it still crosses my mind quite often.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/harp9r/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">harp9r</a></p>Not Hurting
<p>So you know the carnival horses you can sit on outside of grocery stores (back in the 90's). Well I wanted to ride one and this sweet old woman tried to help me get on, slipped, and really really hurt herself falling into the ride. I just remember hearing her scream and I got scared and ran away.<br></p><p>I'm 31 years old and think about that day at least once a week.</p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/packhawk2689/" target="_blank">packhawk2689</a></p>Gotta Get Up, Gotta Get Out
<p>Easy. When I was 5, I burned my house down.</p><p>We were living in a small home, me, my sister, mom, dad. I was supposed to be in the bed, but I wanted a toy or <em>something</em> that was under my bed, and I didn't want to wake my parents by turning on my light... soooo I grabbed my dad's cigarette lighter and light the flame under my bed. Needless to say it went up like a match. </p><p>My dad tried to stomp the fire out after I started screaming fire, burning his leg horribly. My room and the source of the fire was blocking EVERY other bedroom from escape, so everyone had to jump out of a window. Funnily enough, I don't remember the world-class a** whipping I must have received for that. I just cringe at the thought that I almost killed all of us being a dumb kid.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Paradigm_Pizza/" target="_blank">Paradigm_Pizza</a></p>Escape
<p>I was married to an insanely abusive man. After two years I escaped and he killed himself shortly after. Not sure if it was him avoiding charges, or avoiding his deployment but his family decided it was 100% my fault. They told the police I gave him the gun and encouraged him. </p><p>That was investigated and unfounded. What they didn't know was he'd scanned and emailed me his suicide note the wee hours of the morning of. The police didn't find the note. Of course I handed it over when they asked. His family would not believe I wasn't involved or at fault and harassed me for a long time. </p><p>If I got a job and they found out about it they'd call and leave so many complaints I'd get let go. Found out what I drove and had their other kids and their friends follow me. </p><p>I ended up having to leave that town and disappearing to avoid them. But before I did, I printed a copy of his suicide note, found his moms car at her job, and left it on the window shield. That note detailed the abuse his father put him through, his rage at his mother for never leaving him and making himself and his siblings live with the SOB. </p><p>That he never wanted me to blame myself, that this was his way of getting the hell away from them and the damage he caused. I felt pretty bad for awhile. But at the same time.... they literally wouldn't leave me alone and stalked me for 5 years.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/TinyTinasRabidOtter/" target="_blank">TinyTinasRabidOtter</a></p>If You Give A Pup A Shower
<p>Bored in the house one day alone when I was about 10, so decided to give my dog a shower, I genuinely loved my dog, he was my best friend growing up, but for some unknown reason I decided to turn the shower onto hot water only (extremely hot) and started showering him. There was a delay I guess in him reacting because his fur was so thick, which meant I kept it on him for a few seconds.</p><p>suddenly He started yelping like dogs do when in pain, his instincts were to not be aggressive or try to escape but just looked at me scared and confused.</p><p>I panicked smashed on the cold and cooled him down as quick as I could.</p><p>Fortunately he was not 'burnt' or had any ongoing issues, he never even lost trust in me.</p><p>I felt physically sick and ashamed in myself for days after, and obviously it still bothers me 20 years later.</p><p>The good thing to come from it is that I was so disturbed by my action that I have never knowingly inflicted pain on anyone or anything since.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ChrisLeeHD/" target="_blank">ChrisLeeHD</a></p>Caught In The Act
<p>I was at school and for no reason at all, I eavesdropped a very private and delicate conversation between one of my teachers and her husband. </p><p>Then she opened the door and saw me eavesdropping. It was beyond humiliating and I deserved the scolding afterwards. I was young and stupid obviously, but when I remember the look on her face, I still cringe hard, even if it's been almost 20 years.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/naydeilinsei/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">naydeilinsei</a></p>Shunned
<p>Second grade, I had a classmate (fake name Sasha) who was kinda awkward. Crooked teeth, quiet, not too bright. Didn't really have any friends within the class, though she did have some people she would hang out with at recess. </p><p>In any case, a boy in the grade above us, a friend of my brother's actually, for some reason decided to spread a rumor among all of us that Sasha had lice and to stay away from her. </p><p>I bought it without a second thought, and so did most of us; as far as I know, she wasn't particularly teased, but she was just shunned. No one talked to her. </p><p>She was around till the end of the year and didn't come back for third grade. No clue what happened to her, but I really hope we didn't mess her up too much.</p><p>Next summer, I got the worst case of head lice my pediatrician had ever seen. Karma, my dudes.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Isabel79540/" target="_blank">Isabel79540</a></p>Image by elizabethaferry from Pixabay |
I don't miss high school or the people in it. People who seem to have peaked in high school also weird me out. How? Why? I can definitely tell you that life got much more interesting the older I got (my 20s were way more fun than any of my time in high school). If you were to ask me if I have any regrets, I suppose I would say that I wish I had been more assertive and stood up for myself more. Depression has a way of complicating goals like that, though. Let me tell you: It feels nice to be so much healthier than I was then.
After Redditor Sub2735 asked the online community, "What's your biggest regret from high school?" people shared their stories.
"I'm sure the mentality..."
<p>Being too shy, I'm sure the mentality that everyone hated me wasn't very good for making friends.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpad84o?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">aeflare</a></p>"I'm not sure how it could have gone differently..."
<p>Dropping out. I am not sure how it could have gone differently, but I do wish it had. It was expensive to upgrade all that education to get into post-secondary, and I also missed out on a lot of social things.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpafhng?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">DaughterEarth</a></p>"I was already pretty cynical..."
<p>I was told I had received a full-ride scholarship, so I stopped putting in any effort on other scholarships. When the time came, it wound up being awarded to someone who applied late, got it due to their family's income level, and then dropped out of college after one month. My first two years of college were a financial nightmare as I had to pay my own way on everything (except rent, as I lived at home and commuted across state lines for work and college). If I had $50 at the end of the month, that was a damn good month. I couldn't get student loans and my parents refused to help, so I had worked out a deal with the financial office at college to pay something like $550 a month, which was about 90% of my income.</p><p>I regret not confronting whoever made that decision about the scholarship. I somewhat regret not putting in the effort to get other scholarships at the same time, but I can't blame myself for it either.</p><p>I was already pretty cynical at that point, but that was when I realized just how quickly your back becomes a knife block for someone else's optics.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpalo5m?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">A_Garbage_Account</a></p>"I used to daydream..."
<p>I used to daydream about going back one day and burning it to the ground, but it's just been demolished by land developers. So I guess that dream's dead.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpafcpx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">EducationTangle06</a></p>I suppose the phrase, "Always follow your dreams"...
<p>...doesn't apply in this case.</p>"Acting like a clown..."
<p>Acting like a clown, annoying everyone to the point where no one really stayed in contact with me after, and taking my precious little charter school for granted.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpae5ak?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">SalFunction12</a></p>I have a friend who has expressed similar concerns about his time in high school.
<p>He ended up spending his college years going to therapy and maturing. His clownish antics were a coping mechanism for a lot of crap going on in his life at the time. He's happier and healthier now and that's what matters.</p>"To be fair..."
<p><span>Dating my best friend. To be fair that's how I found out a lot of people weren't really my friends but getting ghosted afterward really hurt.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpasudw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">kannacantplay</a></p>"She got tired..."
<p>I took my crush to Daft Punk Alive 2007 instead of my best friend. She wasn't responding all day, and I was with my friend. We were about to leave when she called. She'd been with her boyfriend all day and had forgotten about the concert. I took her. My buddy was disappointed but cool about it.</p><p>She got tired of being on the floor halfway through so we sat in the bleachers. We started walking out before the encore because she wanted to get home sooner.</p><p>Always wanted to take my buddy to a Daft Punk show after that, and was going to, no matter where or how much it cost. But I'll never get the chance.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpbd6so?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">spanishgrapelaw</a></p>"Looking back now..."
<p>I regret not telling my crushes how I felt about them. Looking back now, I know that those puppy love relationships probably wouldn't have developed into anything long term and I no doubt would've had my heart broken when they inevitably ended but, I can't help but wonder: What if?</p><p>Having cultivated a host of insecurities by the time I got to high school, I was really good at hiding my inner thoughts and feelings - I also probably didn't see myself very clearly. So, I just assumed that there was zero chance of my crushes reciprocating my feelings and never said anything to them about it. I also probably sub-consciously ignored any signs that they were interested in me (again, didn't see myself clearly, was very insecure).</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpazwl2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Vegoceraptor</a></p>"The world is wider..."
<p>Not engaging with opportunities available to me and just looking at it like a holding pen just before adulthood.</p><p>It may seem hokey, but join clubs, try out lots of sports, pursue interests, pay attention in class and engage with your peers.</p><p>The world is wider for adolescents than I allowed myself to believe it was at the time.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpaxnsf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Big_Requirement_3540</a></p>"I already knew I was quitting..."
<p>Senior year I had the option of a guaranteed internship and doing half days at school. Turned it down because my parents wanted me to be in band (and I enjoyed it so didn't put up a fight).</p><p>I already knew I was quitting when I went to college. The internship would have been great experience to propel my studies/career.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv5ytu/what_is_your_biggest_regret_from_high_school/gpatszd?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ClubbsMcLubbs</a></p>High school isn't easy.
<p>Nor is it particularly fun for a lot of people. Remember how awful being a teenager was? Remember what it was like to feel like you were at the whim of your hormones all the time? It's an emotional rollercoaster. It's no wonder so many people would rather close the book on high school once it's over (or have some regrets related to their time there).</p><p>Have your own stories? Feel free to share them in the comments below.</p>When we are on the outside looking in, it can feel so obvious that a relationship is doomed.
When we offer advice to friends, family, or people oversharing at a party, the correct next move often seems wildly obvious: get out of that relationship.
Enough Was Enough
<p>"He was mentally ill, possibly with Paranoid Personality Disorder, definitely delusional, maybe schizophrenic. I was accused of all types of things, affairs, being part of plots to 'get' him, even urinating on his toothbrush."</p><p>"I stayed for 3 years after I knew I no longer loved him because I knew he would spiral without someone to look after him. He had destroyed every relationship with his friends and family because they were all also out to 'get' him."</p><p>"I finally told him I would only stay if he got help, which he refused. So I left."</p><p>"I was right about him spiralling. He went from sharehouse to sharehouse as all the other tenants were 'out to get him'. He eventually ended up homeless for a while is now facing 18 different charges so will probably end up in jail."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpal6ip?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">damekl</a></p>An Unfortunately Common Response to Fading Love
<p>"She threatened to kill herself and even though I wanted out of the relationship, i didnt want her to be hurt or die. I remember us arguing about something very trivial but she was getting very upset. She walked out mid conversation and came back with cuts all over her legs and thighs."</p><p>"I tried getting help from parents, school counselors, doctors. None helped. So i just tried to manage as much as I can. Eventually she joined the military & moved away and that was the moment I was finally free."</p><p>"Years wasted though."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpab7fm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">corazon_im_hurt</a></p>A Bare Bones Story
<p>"Short version: domestic violence."</p><p>"Long version: I was afraid to leave because I believed he would find me and kill me."</p><p>"Conclusion: He pushed me too far and I ran."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpaizjk?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">AliceMorgon</a></p>Tipping Over the Edge
<p>"He was a violent drug addict and I was scared of what he may do if I left. I never truly loved him but our relationship became very codependent very quickly."</p><p>"He cheated on me, took advantage of the fact that I had a car and money, but I still stayed because he was always threatening to kill himself or to kill my cats."</p><p>"Then one night he literally backed me into a corner and tried to punch me in the head so that finally made me open my eyes and realize I had to get out."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpb5z6l?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Theging96666</a></p>Optics
<p>"She's terminally ill, and dying of Cancer, even though she is abusive now, and was before, I can't really leave, the social pressure to be a *good man* plus the cost of divorce and everything else is just too much, at this point it's just easier to wait it out."</p><p>"Plus I really like her family, and if I left her when she was sick...it would pretty much kill that relationship."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpbm18j?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Boise_State_2020</a></p>Always a Reason to Stay
<p>"We were living together at 16, she cheated on me and I told her I wanted her to leave, she begged me not to send her back to her moms house because they have like 8 people in a 2 bedroom house and because she would've had nowhere else to go."</p><p>"I was 16 I didn't know how to handle a girl literally begging me so I let her stay against my better judgement and it created a hurtful cycle of falling in and out of love."</p><p>"Feeling like things could get better and then having my world come crashing down every time I look at her because I think of reading the message of the guy saying he loved watching her get on top of him."</p><p>"A couple of years go by and we're not in love, just tolerating each other at this point and then we got pregnant, stayed together through the pregnancy but the stress was too much for both of us and caused fighting, sleeping apart, more cheating."</p><p>"When the baby was born she had finally turned 18 and we moved away our relationship got much better with each other, we're best friends now and are just trying our best to raise our daughter to be healthy and happy and know she's loved."</p><p>"Neither of us had good childhoods."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpa47ed?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Lapidot-Wav</a></p>For the In-Laws
<p>"I lived with a man I never loved. His mum was also living with us and I loved her more than my own biological mum."</p><p>"She was the nicest, kindest and the most caring soul I have ever met in my life. I left that man when he told me that he knew I was only with him because of his mum. That was 20 years ago but I still miss her every single day."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpbz7av?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Mayfl21</a></p>A Sudden Shift
<p>"I was with my wife for 14 years. For at least half of that, I wasn't happy with the relationship. But I had decided I was ok with it because everything about our life together was acceptable, for lack of a better word."</p><p>"We owned a house, made good money, got along well, shared hobbies, etc. We were basically roommates/best friends who just didn't love each other the way you would normally expect from a married couple."</p><p>"When the pandemic hit, and we were forced to stay home more and spend time with each other EVERY DAY, we started to get a better sense of how well we actually tolerated each other. It didn't go well."</p><p>"She ended up getting really into online gaming and met some other guys and basically cheated on me. In retrospect, it was obvious it would reach that point."</p><p>"But I was content to stay there as long as I could because it was a comfortable life with very little stress and obligation."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpaadi2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">knucklehead923</a></p>Slow Fade
<p>"I was no longer as 'in love' with her. But I still loved her. After years together it could become tricky to figure out exactly what It's just a lull and what is it really going away."</p><p>"I was still living with my best friend. But ended it because once we really realized that I wasn't feeling the same way anymore. I was just hurting her for me to stay since she was still in love."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpa6h2s?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">collin3000</a></p>Wise, But a Little Sad
<p>"We have good chemistry and built a life together. After a lot of years, love comes and goes. It is like the seasons."</p><p>"As cold as it can be in the winter, if you put the effort in, the spring will always come back."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lv3k1j/seriouspeople_who_have_stayed_with_someone_they/gpa41jl?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Aizpunr</a></p>Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay |
Some people don't take breakups very well. And those that don't can sometimes engage in behavior that others might view as bothersome, unsettling, even toxic.
Others engage in abusive behavior during the relationship, a major red flag that some people might not take seriously until it's too late.
After Redditor XYZ3110 asked the online community, "What's the creepiest thing an ex has done?" people shared their stories.