Reddit is the Internet’s basement and is in the cases of most basements, it’s always full of precious things once you rummage around enough. In this particular case the gem it coughed up is the r/AmItheAsshole, a 600,000 subscriber strong subreddit where users can query the most mundane to the most profound moral questions.
In the subreddit’s description it states that it’s:
“A catharsis for the frustrated moral philosopher in all of us, and a place to finally find out if you were wrong in an argument that’s been bothering you. Tell us about any non-violent conflict you have experienced; give us both sides of the story, and find out if you’re right, or you’re the asshole.”
It’s an amazing place to take the temperature of humanity in many ways as well as a place to compare your own coping mechanisms and expectations from a safe distance and behind a screen.
And the stories (as is often the case on Reddit) are mind-blowing! In order to understand the subreddit’s lingo and acronyms such as AITA (Am I The Asshole) or WIBTA (Would I Be The Asshole) – the first of these to query potential assholery of the past, the latter concerning potential assholery of the future. NTA means Not The Asshole and Asshole, well you get it…
The subject matter ranges from profound to ridiculous can be quite staggering at times, as can be people’s difference of opinion.
Take for instance the latest question posted today. “AITA For Refusing To Support My Wife Through Her Diagnosis After Her Infidelity?” which received considered and heavy answers the like of: “NTA You are right that you don’t have any obligation to her after her choices. Personally, though, I couldn’t imagine caring for someone, loving them for years, and then completely turn my back on them if they had cancer. I imagine I would be filled with such regret if I didn’t try to be there for them in the ways I could be, as a friend, especially if they died.” Holy Moly!
But on the other end of the spectrum we have the likes of: “AITA for taking my girlfriend’s lasagna home when she said I could?” (Verdict was Asshole); “AITA for talking my bonus and creating a ‘secret’ room in my house (complete with bookshelf door)?” (Verdict was Asshole); “AITA for repeatedly correcting my teacher on the pronunciation of my name?” (Not-The-A-hole); “AITA for dancing around naked instead of having sex with who was supposed to be my hookup?” (Verdict was Asshole).
In a weird way r/AmItheAsshole is one of those rare things, a corner of the internet that’s about people with different moral codes debating and ultimately reiterating the universality of human experience – a universality that suggests we are all at times the Asshole.
