We might have great imaginations and feel a lot of empathy for others, but to truly understand someone’s struggles and worries, we have to walk at least a mile in their shoes. Either that or (if we’re completely clueless) be taught a powerful lesson, the ‘Malicious Compliance’ way!

A redditor, who works in education and preferred to stay anonymous due to the sensitive nature of his job, shared a spicy story about how he and his colleagues got back at an arrogant educational consultant who had no sense of boundaries and forced them to attend a meeting while on Christmas break. Well, they all quickly solved that issue in a way that made it very clear to ‘the Panther’ that she was overstepping boundaries and making enemies left, right, and center. You’ll find the full story below!

The teacher’s story went viral on Reddit racking up 28.5k upvotes in just two days. A lot of redditors were so impressed by what the education pros did, they also gave the redditor a whole bunch of awards to show their appreciation for sharing such an interesting tale from his professional life.

I reached out to the teacher, who has spent nearly a decade working as an educator, to hear more about his thoughts on why his story resonated with so many people, how to enforce boundaries in professional settings, and what the biggest challenges and upsides of working in education are. He was kind enough to answer my questions and highlighted the fact that he “absolutely loves” this career because of how rewarding it is to work with young people.

“In a service profession, such as education, boundaries are essential. I’ve got a clear policy for myself, during school hours my students and colleagues will get the best version of myself that I can give. After 3 PM I will then leave them behind and give my best to my family. Any work that is not done by 3 will still be there the following day, including emails and grading,” the redditor opened up to Bored Panda about how he separates his professional and personal lives. He also asked Bored Panda to keep his identity fully anonymous.

“I’ve found that in 9 years of teaching, I’ve never missed anything essential by not checking my emails in the evening. The easiest way to make these boundaries clear is to simply be consistent. A call or email will not be answered until the following day. It’s difficult at first but most people understand in short order.” Scroll down to read the rest of the teacher’s thoughts, dear Readers.

A group of teachers had to deal with a very pushy educational consultant who forced them to have a Zoom meeting during their Christmas break

Image credits: Pexels (not the actual photo)

One of the teachers took to Reddit and shared exactly how they made the consultant realize she was making a huge mistake

The author of the post told me that he actually anticipated his story to resonate with a lot of people. The reason for this is because he sees how much “the current workforce is struggling with the demands of being available 24/7.” Naturally, this is causing a lot of burnout.

“Having worked remotely during the pandemic people became more comfortable with having constant access to the workers and now that we’ve returned to some semblance of normal there is a bit of a struggle re-establishing boundaries,” he pointed out to Bored Panda.

The author also went into detail about what it’s like to work in education. The ups and downs can, sometimes, resemble riding a rollercoaster. “Every day is different and can swing wildly from depressing to life-giving. As I’ve said, it’s not the children that bother me (kids will do dumb things, I signed up for that), it’s dealing with the adults that can be troublesome,” he said.

The teacher gave anyone who’s considering a career as a teacher some heartfelt advice. “For someone considering this career I’d say a couple things. First, spend a week volunteering at a local school. See if you enjoy being around children all day and what age group is the most enjoyable to engage with. Second, if you do enter the profession, give it 3 years. The first year or two are overwhelming for all, but by year 3 you should have a good idea if this profession is one you want to commit your life to. If you enjoy it hang in there, if not, get out and find your true calling.”

The redditor added that it’s vital to remember that “everyone has felt an impact in their career due to Covid.” He advised everyone to remain kind to everyone. “Have empathy for those you come in contact with, understand that most people are trying their best and are simply facing circumstances that are bigger than themselves.”

What the teacher’s story teaches us are two things. One, you really don’t want to be the incarnation of a Lawful Neutral character who puts rules and technicalities above human interactions and empathy. And two, boundaries are vital for the success of any relationship. And if they’re repeatedly violated, you have to enforce them, whether we’re talking about a professional setting or the coziness of your own home.

Relationship coach Alex Scot explained to me a few months ago that it’s absolutely vital to establish boundaries even with our closest loved ones, to say nothing of our colleagues. Alex stressed to Bored Panda that it’s not selfish to have boundaries: without them, we’re at the complete mercy of the whims of others.

“Without [boundaries], we live our lives at the expense of ourselves. The mindset for many when it comes to setting boundaries is that they feel selfish, or that they aren’t being a good partner when they implement them, so they avoid doing it altogether,” the expert said.

“This only causes resentment to build and overwhelm to set in both within the individual and the relationship as a whole. Boundaries are there for us to be able to take care of and to protect ourselves so that we can show up and operate within our lives as successfully as possible.”

However, Alex explained that the types of boundaries that we have can differ from relationship to relationship. While it’s suggested to have very clear and strict boundaries in your professional life, when it comes to personal relationships, it’s best to be a bit more flexible. Unlike at work, strict boundaries are unsustainable when it comes to love and romance.

According to the expert, one way to tackle someone constantly ignoring your boundaries is to try and resolve the situation with open and honest communication. Try to be curious about the other person’s perspective and attempt to understand what exactly it is that they need from you. Whether it’s attention, validation, or something else entirely.

Here’s how people reacted to the story that embodies r/MaliciousCompliance at its best

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