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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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#1
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.
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#2
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'.
Rayne OfSalt 5 months ago
I would have slugged her in the face, so the redditor is a better person than me.
#3
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.
#4
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.
#5
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 :).
#6
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?
#7
My mom said that her life would have been better if I never existed.
#8
Me: Korean American, US army veteran
You are stealing jobs from hard working white people, you should be ashamed of yourself.
#9
Ex-wife once told me that she wished my mom had died of the breast cancer that she beat when I was in 2nd grade. Shes been in remission for 20+ years now and has always been a sweet, thoughtful and smart lady. I had to leave the house to calm down - and luckily i left the relationship eventually.
#10
There were years I worked multiple jobs to help support us while my ex was working on her doctorate. Once she had herself a tenure track university position, she let me know I wasn’t “educated enough to be married to a professor” like herself. I have my bachelor's degree. Well, I found myself sleeping on the sofa for about a week, while looking for an apartment so I could move out. During that time, every morning as she’d greet me with the phrase “Why haven’t you k*lled yourself yet?” I'm so lucky I'm out of that marriage.
#11
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.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
You don't need to forgive that girl. Just keep on going about your life and leave her behind.
#12
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?
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Who says something like that? A damaged person. A person who was treated badly in life and hurt over and over. But she made the decision to take that out on others instead of turning that internal pain into external kindness.
#13
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.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Gay guy here. I couldn't think of anything more inspiring than what you said to the priest.
#14
“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.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Really? REALLY?? How could anyone think that, let alone say it...
#15
Asked a girl out and just got "ew" as a response. So that was cool. A no would've been fine.
#16
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.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Hey, it's alright, whether or not it's "the worst", it's still hurtful and your feelings are valid. I hope they get what's coming to them.
#17
Don't call me mom in public, call me by first name.
Sue Denham 5 months ago
WhenI was seven my mother told me I was too old to call her "Mummy" anymore so I asked if I should call her "Mum". She said that was too common and never came up with an alternative so I never had a name to call her by after that.
#18
I was in a car accident, no harm to me at all.
Told the story to a couple people.
One Litterly said, and I quote “I wish you would have died in the accident”.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
F*****g hell, this thread is making me so angry. I don't know how much more I can take. I'm sorry to everyone here, you all deserve so much better.
#19
When I was a kid, my best friend was always kind of mean or standoffish with me at school but we hung out a lot just the two of us. At some point I confronted him and said "you keep doing this, are you embarrassed to be my friend?" and he just said " Yes. ".
Sue Denham 5 months ago
He wasn't your friend. I hope you found some better people to be with after that.
#20
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.
#21
Was approached by a modelling agency once in a shopping centre with my best friends. I was very shocked as I'm quite self conscious at 5ft 11" and very curvy, so it was extremely flattering. Didn't have enough confidence to do anything about it so just left it as a nice memory. My best friend was bragging on my behalf to a group of kids in school the next week and one girl just looked me up and down and said "Oh I didn't know the menswear department of 'Middle aged clothes shop' were looking for models?'... I was 15f and it k*lled my confidence for years...
#22
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.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I was always labelled 'manipulative' for standing up for myself, so I know how it feels.
#23
Nothing. When my best friend of 20+ years ghosted me, that was the cruelest thing.
#24
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.
Anna Ekberg 5 months ago
I really despise parents that have favorites and show it, the whole "golden child" concept should just die out.
#25
"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.
#26
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.
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Even after all I've been through, it still seriously blows my mind that a parent could say/do things like that.
#28
"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.".
Ash 5 months ago
This is heartless and cruel to say:(( it's horrible how seemingly grown up people refuse to take any responsibility for their words and allow themselves to bombard other people in worst ways because of their own insecurities. I had been told "Maybe you should give birth to a child and probably THAT would teach you to be capable of loving anybody" .
#30
This wasn't really said to me, but it was said to my mom about me. I had admitted to my grandma that there was a girl that we both knew that I had a crush on (I'm a girl). I said it quick so I didn't think she'd catch it. But she did. A while later, she looked my mom dead in the eye and said something like, "It's such a shame. Your daughter WAS so pretty. Such a WASTE." So I'm a shame AND a waste... And if you think she ended there oh hoho!!! You're wrong!!! She later called my sister EXTREMELY FAT in front of me (I went up against her for that one). And right after we shunned her from our family, I found out there was a chance that she was "watching" my big bro because he, "Reminds her of her dead husband." She did way WAY worse than that to my mom. Even calling my mom a parasite in the middle of a restaurant. I'm glad she left. We almost got kicked out of our home because of her f*cked up lies.
#31
Telling doctor "I have a new pain-"
Interrupts me right there with "It doesn't matter"
Being told you don't matter is cruel!
Mystery Kitteh 5 months ago
Yeah, I've been dealing with this the last 5 years. I'm afraid to actually talk to a doctor anymore
#32
"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.
#33
My brother told me he wished I was stillbirth instead of his twin and that nobody in our family wants me
#34
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.
Doctor Strange 5 months ago
Been there too. Just a few weeks ago, had a girl complaining about how she was never anyone's first choice and couldn't find anyone. I didn't say anything, but I wanted to go "I asked you out. You shot me down because I wasn't good enough."
#35
“Your friend deserved to get stabbed.” (Friend got a knife pulled on him in a fight at a party, stabbed him 7 times, critically wounded him and partially paralyzed him for life).
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
Whoever said that should experience it for themselves, it might change their mind.
#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
"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.".
#38
"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.
Alexandra 5 months ago
There you have it in a nutshell. There was nothing 'wrong' with OP: he just was in the wrong place with the wrong people. If you don't fit in or feel you don't fit in, that doesn't mean you're not able to fit in anywhere else: it just means that this environment does not suit you. Go and find the place that's right for you. If you have a toxic family, find another family: they dont' have to be blood-related. If you have a toxic spouse who makes you feel small all the time? With the right partner you have a chance to bloom. People are like plants: they will flower given the right conditions.
#39
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.
#40
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!
What do you think ?
Alexandra 5 months ago
When I read posts like this I am left feeling mankind should just declare bankruptcy. I just can't wrap my head around how people can be so malevolent, stupid, ignorant, selfish, malicious and without any idea what their words do to other people, the havoc they create by their mindless garbage.
Sky Render 5 months ago (edited)
We are gifted with the advantage of amazing complex brains capable of such fantastic feats of reasoning and logic, and cursed with mouths that utter complete garbage on a whim without consulting with those amazing brains of ours first. We also lack basic protocols for those brains to prevent them from becoming loaded up with delusions in place of actual knowledge.
Load More Replies...
Moosy Girl 5 months ago
How about some kittens and puppies, BP? I think we could all use them after this. :p
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
"If you were a better son, your father would be alive right now" That one hurt.
Alexandra 5 months ago
When I read posts like this I am left feeling mankind should just declare bankruptcy. I just can't wrap my head around how people can be so malevolent, stupid, ignorant, selfish, malicious and without any idea what their words do to other people, the havoc they create by their mindless garbage.
Sky Render 5 months ago (edited)
We are gifted with the advantage of amazing complex brains capable of such fantastic feats of reasoning and logic, and cursed with mouths that utter complete garbage on a whim without consulting with those amazing brains of ours first. We also lack basic protocols for those brains to prevent them from becoming loaded up with delusions in place of actual knowledge.
Load More Replies... Moosy Girl 5 months ago
How about some kittens and puppies, BP? I think we could all use them after this. :p
Ranger Kanootsen 5 months ago
"If you were a better son, your father would be alive right now" That one hurt.
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