“Don’t Call Me Mom In Public”: 50 People Share The Cruelest Thing Someone Has Ever Said To Them
I have a terrible memory, but I could tell you every single time that someone made me feel inferior. In fact, I could easily repeat what they said verbatim. I will never forget when my high school acting teacher told me I had “creepy old lady hands,” and I’ll never be able to erase the memory of my grandmother commenting on my weight.
Unfortunately, the words we’d most like to forget are often the ones that stick with us forever. Redditors have been recalling the cruelest things people have ever said to them, so we’ve gathered some of their most heartbreaking stories below. It might not be easy to read through these replies, but if you have similar stories of your own, know that you’re not alone.
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#7
Not said to me directly, but I was a few feet away. My son had a liver transplant and has huge scars on his belly. He was playing at our local park where they shoot up water. Great summer fun for young kids. Another parent says, "They should cover that kid up so we don't have to see it." Thankfully, another parent spoke up snd said, "Just because that kid's gone through a lot doesn't mean he has to stay hidden to make you feel comfortable." I started to breathe evenly and smile.
Funny thing is, when kids asked him about his scars, my son would just say, "I had surgery." Then they would continue playing. Adults were more cruel.
#8
After discovering a past failed s*****e attempt, my parents said “How could you be so stupid? Do you know how bad that makes us look?” without once questioning how I got to that point. Maybe not the cruelest thing in the thread but it made me realize that my parents cared very little for me.
Edit: Thank you all so much for the kind words. I wanted to reply to everyone individually but I’m finding myself lacking the mental wherewithal right now. This incident was just shy of 10 years ago, and I’m in a much better place now, both literally and figuratively.
#9
I crashed my motorcycle quite a few years ago now. I was being stupid and didn't have my gear on. So I have some very extensive scars on my arms and legs.
I'm super insecure about them. I've worn long sleeves since they've healed.
Last summer I was feeling good about myself and not caring. So I went to the beach in a bikini. I was sitting there reading a book when a group of girls behind me starts talking about me.
There were several comments about my appearance but the one that really stuck was, "God, she should just k**l herself so we don't have to look at her."
Yeah so much for self confidence that day.
#10
My biological father came back into my life when I was 14 and had a girlfriend. Everything was great for a year until she made him choose between his new family, and me. I got a text message on Christmas Day saying "Father and daughter relationship not working out, all the best for your future. Please dont call me, it will cause me problems". I was devastated, but my Stepfather has been my REAL dad since I was 3 years old, and he was the best dad in the world - we lost him to Cancer in December. He was the best best man and I miss him very much.
Edit: I woke up this morning to so many lovely and kind comments and DM's about my Stepdad and I'm kind of overwhelmed by your lovely words. Thank you for letting me talk to you all about him, it means alot to be able to share the kind of man he was. I've really been struggling since he passed away, talking about him here has helped. The world was a better place when he was here with us. Thank you all :).
#11
When I was 16 and looking to apply at Boston Pizza which had just opened up in our town, my dad said “don’t you have to be pretty to be a waitress?”
I’ve always been complimented on my looks by others, but dad’s comments have long stayed with me and I never feel pretty enough sadly, regardless of who tells me I am beautiful.
Parents, am I right?
#12
In middle school a girl found out I had a crush on her and decided that best way to go about dealing with that was telling everyone at lunch how ugly she thought I was because I had acne at the time. Which really sucked. Because I was already *super* self conscious about it and kind of just a shy person in general.
Was made even worse because it was a small private school. So everyone knew everyone's business and there was no getting away from it. I stopped eating lunch in the lunchroom for all of that year. It sucked and the whole thing honestly made me feel like s**t for years.
As we got older and were in high school, I think she tried to get back on my good side. But she never actually apologized and honestly, that ship had already sailed for me. Too little and *way* too late.
On the last day of senior year I let all the air out of three of her tires.
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This happened to every "unattractive" girl i went to school with. Im long out of school and stuff like that. But anyways.
It was a thing in my school where guys would go up to an "unattractive" girl in a group, infront of everyone, and ask them on a date. Just when the girl would start to believe it was real and give a response, the guys would all start laughing and the one who asked would tell her it was just a joke and that "no one would ever wanna go out with something like you". And yes. They would say something. Not someone... It hurts yeah. But its not the worst, just something i thought people should hear i guess.
#16
My mother told me once that no one nice or decent would ever want me/be able to love me. Crazy how much stuff like this sticks on your relationships
Edit: you guys are amazing people to be willing to share your stories--I'm so sorry all of you have had to experience this nastiness. I hope you're all currently doing well and I appreciate all of you <3.
#17
“All girls take it too far with guys sometimes.” -my mom after finding out I was r**ed.
Edit. My mom and I years later talked it out and she apologized. We’re good now. But that comment will always be with me and I still have a hard time not blaming myself for what happened.
#18
Me: Korean American, US army veteran
You are stealing jobs from hard working white people, you should be ashamed of yourself.
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This will get buried but mine was hands down when a co-worker/decently close acquaintance told me to my face that maybe if I had prayed harder and put more faith in the lord my son wouldn't have died. B***h had worked with me since before I got pregnant, through the genetic dx while still pregnant, his birth, multiple surgeries etc. and knew damn well what the f**k happened and still had the gall to say that s**t. Mind you this was also like 6 years later and I'd already had two more children, countless hours of therapy, and with one statement she stabbed me in the heart all over.
In a horrid twist of fate - the eldest of her two children was k*lled in a motorcycle accident about 18 months ago. My heart broke for her and I did reach out to offer my condolences, no parent should ever experience that kind of loss.
But I would be a lying hag if I didn't admit that a hateful little voice inside me whispered to my soul 'maybe she shoulda prayed harder'.
#22
The worst was probably in fifth grade, just after my dad died. The whole school knew, and everyone was being really nice to me except one girl. I believe the exact quote was “go suck your dads d**k. Oh wait you can’t, he’s dead”.
It didn’t even hurt my feelings, more of just bewildered me like who says something like that?
#23
"Guys our age"
Dude was atleast 20 years older then me.
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Had a huge crush on a friend in high school and asked her to a dance, she said no which was fine. Nothing was weird.
Then about a week later she started telling me how upset she was that no one had asked her to the dance and when I brought up I had her response was:
You don't count
Apparently she thought I had just asked her to be nice or something. When I told her that wasn't the case she still said no but apologized for saying it. Still really hurt though.
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"You're awkward" - coworker to me in my nervous first few weeks at a new job.
It was small but confirmed my fears that I might not fit in, the anxiety to follow was crushing.
Ended up making plenty of friends at my new job, he isn't one of them.
#29
“You look just like your uncle”
I spent my entire youth scared to death that I would end up like my uncle.
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When I was 12 my family and I went to a farmer's market. This couple was handing out samples and the husband said
"Let the boys try some."
I said "I'm a girl."
The wife then yelled at me saying "Well grow some f*****g tits, then you'll look like a girl!!!!!"
Ouch.
#32
My mom told me she was worried I would abuse her and my dad when they got old because I was abusive as a teenager. I agonized over that for a couple years before I finally convinced my parents to go to a therapy sessions with me, where I found out the teenage "abuse" she was referring to was, according to her, me pushing past her roughly once as a teenager and getting too many parking tickets.
I lived to please my parents for most of life, so hearing her accuse me of abuse when I'd sacrificed my own integrity for a long time to make them happy...that really hurt me.
#33
My brother told me he wished I was stillbirth instead of his twin and that nobody in our family wants me
#34
Me severely depressed
My boss: “Happiness is a choice.”.
#35
You’re a mistake and an embarrassment. You are a disgrace to this family. -My older brother in a restaurant with my parents watching. They said nothing to this but when I tried to tell him to just shut up I got yelled at. Yeah not only do I make better grades than him I also don’t ever get in trouble anywhere except for at home unlike him who is the exact opposite.
#36
"I'm so disappointed in you. It's like I don't even know you anymore."
-my mom, after she discovered I had online friends... who I had known for 4 years. God forbid I take a road trip to see them, I guess...
#37
"Your freckles look like you stood behind a screen door and had s**t flung on you." This was a neighbor who was looking to hook up. It never happened and I quit talking to him.
#38
"No one will love you like I love you, because you're uninteresting, boring, & annoying."
Getting past it a day at a time, but I do occasionally find myself apologizing my husband for being "boring/annoying.".
#39
I struggled with anxiety caused bulimia a few years back... One of my best friends ( who has some self consciousness issues so she likes unhealthily skinny bodies.) told me after I recovered and gained my healthy weight back that I "Looked better when you were bulimic".... That made me feel so small and empty.
#40
My stepson told me he was glad that my husband and I have fertility problems.
#41
My mom told me once after a teenage fit I had: "go live under a bridge, we'll see how long you last". That stuck with me even through adulthood. Sometimes mothers just know what to say to totally destroy you and make you and the same time. Love ya mom!
#42
Made fun of my dead grandmother
That fat c**t can burn in hell.
#43
7yo cousin: Hey derp, how old are you now?
me: I just turned 26
7yo: You're not a man!
Wtf kid....
#44
"I hope that someday you'll hate someone as much as I hate you.".
#45
"You've always had some excuse for why you did poorly in school" - my dear old mother
I'm 21 years old & only now getting diagnosed with ADHD because she never believed me. Thanks mom, almost getting kicked out of university was really great.
#46
Telling doctor "I have a new pain-"
Interrupts me right there with "It doesn't matter"
Being told you don't matter is cruel!
#47
Bully ones said to me "im glad your grandpa died of cancer"
to this day i still regret not punching him to the floor for saying that.
#48
I was 13 when my mother called me a monster, a failure as a son, and herself a failure as a mother. What did I do that was so wrong?
Told the priest I believed that gay people deserve equal rights. That was in 2007.
#49
Person next to me on a plane claimed I was faking having a panic attack which only made it worse.
"It's a good thing you can't have kids, you would make a terrible mother."
Also:
"You won't be a real woman until you have children.".