We’ve all encountered that one person we thought we knew well enough, only to have them show their true colors. Such revelations can be disheartening, especially if someone close is involved.
This was the discussion in a recent Reddit thread when one user asked, “What’s a moment where you realized someone around you was actually a terrible person?” People candidly spoke about friends and family members whom they’ve since seen in a much worse light.
If you have a similar experience that sticks out, feel free to share it in the comments below.
#21

They moved into a new house and left their dog in their old house (his parents were going to move in about a month later). Wife didn’t want the dog around since it growled once at their newborn. Wife refused to socialize the dog at all - wanted it gone. Bought a bunny instead.
Before coming to terms with re-homing his 12 year old dog he just let it live and defecate inside the house for a month. My husband and I were asked to go feed him once and the state the poor dog was in was vile. First time I think I saw a dog cry.
My husband threatened to call animal services if he didn’t re-home the dog immediately. Guy finally did. I lost any morsel of respect for either of them after that.
Before coming to terms with re-homing his 12 year old dog he just let it live and defecate inside the house for a month. My husband and I were asked to go feed him once and the state the poor dog was in was vile. First time I think I saw a dog cry.
My husband threatened to call animal services if he didn’t re-home the dog immediately. Guy finally did. I lost any morsel of respect for either of them after that.
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36points
#22

My sister maxed out a credit card in our Mom's name when she had dementia.
36points
#23

I think it was when my aunt was newly widowed, and she asked my father to come help her fix her dryer, which he agreed to, and my mother (who is her sister) sat on her couch pouting, and then when they were done she told my father to go outside, and told my aunt not to call them for help ever again, that my aunt has two sons, and my parents are busy. Widowed a week, and she can't even ask for help from her own family because my mother and her BPD.
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33points
#24

Co-worker started spouting right-wing lies about immigrants and how a lady street vendor selling churros makes $80k tax free and is a criminal...
Lost all my respect for him. Putting aside the main point that he believes lies, my one point to him was:
WHY DO YOU CARE??? LIVE YOUR LIFE
Mind you he is of immigrant decent (parents from Cuba) and makes over $90k himself with full benefits. I'll never understand the ABSOLUTE HATE people have in their daily lives.
Worry about yourself in this world.
Lost all my respect for him. Putting aside the main point that he believes lies, my one point to him was:
WHY DO YOU CARE??? LIVE YOUR LIFE
Mind you he is of immigrant decent (parents from Cuba) and makes over $90k himself with full benefits. I'll never understand the ABSOLUTE HATE people have in their daily lives.
Worry about yourself in this world.
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32points
#25

When she wrote a horrible (and completely unjustified) email about me and sent it to someone she thought was my boss. Except it wasn't my boss, it was a trusted colleague who forwarded me the email. She doesn't know I saw the email. I bump into her sometimes and she has no idea why I totally snub her now.
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31points
#26

They claim to have "stolen" their current wife from a past friend..
It's like wow thanks for informing me you are in fact a piece of trash.
It's like wow thanks for informing me you are in fact a piece of trash.
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31points
#27

She asked me how I could stand to live in the area that I lived in at that time, because there were so many [derisory term for dark skinned people].
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30points
#28

My aunts dog was sick and incontinent (sp?) he had an accident after she told us he was sick and she hit him. I knew she was horrible before that but that just really brought it home for me.
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30points
#29

In one minute they would say they love me so much and can’t see a life without me. and then switch to “if you don’t like it you can leave right now.” A LITERAL MINUTE.
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29points
#30

My uncle always called me a swine, and I didn't learn what it was until I was 7 or 8. He contributed to my eating disorder at a young age. At the same time, I actually started to understand what he was saying and realized he was super racist, too.
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28points
#31
When they legit blamed EVERYTHING on someone else: young children, teens, adults, bosses, parents, etc but could NEVER see their faults.
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28points
#32
When my mother moved us across the country because I had a black friend in 64. When I found out it wasn't the military moving us, I was devastated to realize how racist my family was.
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27points
#33
My partner and I have been together 14 years. When he and I first started dating he had to have emergency gallbladder surgery. It was the first time I was going to meet his siblings and was super nervous but excited too. His parents were awesome so I thought his sister above him would be too. I was 100% wrong. I walked up and introduced myself. She then spent the entire time he was in surgery talking down to me and calling me names. I was a rebound chick and wouldn't be around long so she didn't need to know my name. And it got worse from there. I was crying by the time he was in recovery. And she has been that way our whole relationship. After his mom passed away about 10 years ago I refused to ever speak to her again and I haven't. He made it till we moved to another county and hasn't spoken to her in 9 years.
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26points
#34
A co-worker’s married son (who also worked at the same place) was hitting on me at a work outing and asking for bra and panty pics. I told her about it and that it made me and my SO uncomfortable. She said “ohhh he’s just messing around, him and his dad do that all the time.” Apparently to “stir the pot” since my SO was there.
I never looked at her the same again, that woman was a monster (and for many, many reasons, not just this incident. It’s just what opened my eyes to her shittiness).
I never looked at her the same again, that woman was a monster (and for many, many reasons, not just this incident. It’s just what opened my eyes to her shittiness).
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26points
#35
They were driving while under the influence ran into someone's parked car totaled it and then said they asked god for forgiveness and then proceeded to cover it up and used religion as a blanket because god forgives all...
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26points
#36
When I found out other parents didn't leave pets behind when they moved.
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25points
#37
For years I thought my father rescued some puppys from a canal. I mentioned it to my mom a few years ago and she said I had it wrong, he threw a bag with our dog's puppies into a canal.
He did bad things to me and my mother when I was growing up but that was when I finally checked out.
He did bad things to me and my mother when I was growing up but that was when I finally checked out.
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25points
#38
Saw some kids fishing off a bridge throw a live fish into the road and laugh their heads off when it got run over... :(.
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24points
#39
Years ago I had been friends with my then best friend for over a decade. But his behavior started becoming more and more right-leaning/conservative as the years went by. That and he constantly committed infidelity and boasted about it, making me realize that he was a bad person. After an online fight over politics I finally ghosted him completely and severed ties with him for good. Bullet. Dodged.
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23points
#40
I realized it when something bad happened to someone in our group and instead of showing even a little empathy, they were genuinely enjoying it. They were smiling, making jokes about it, and acting like it was entertainment. That moment made me understand that some people don’t just lack kindness .. they actually feel good when others suffer. After that, I slowly distanced myself.
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23points


