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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask whether anyone else has noticed this phenomenon?

28 replies

proximalhumerous · 30/05/2025 18:09

Whereby someone posts an AIBU thread and another poster comes along with a tenuously-linked scenario in which they are clearly not being in any way unreasonable and proceeds to get very offended, indignant and self-righteous.

For example:

OP: AIBU to think you shouldn't buy a pet if you are not able to look after it?

Outraged Poster: Well we bought a dog to have as a family pet and we loved it very much, but then my husband had a freak accident at work and all his fingers and toes fell off, and my DS developed a life-threatening allergy to dogs and then my MIL, my best friend, my next-door neighbour and my beautician passed away, and I was diagnosed with acute housemaid's knee in both knees so I couldn't walk more than half a dozen paces, but if you want to judge us for not coping and for asking my sister to look after DDog for two weeks while I recovered then you go right ahead!

Or something to that effect...

OP posts:
Original poster
proximalhumerous · 30/05/2025 18:22

Feelingdownbutnotout · 30/05/2025 18:17

In the example you give the poster is really just saying if people get a dog then their circumstances can change and they can become unable to look after it through no fault of their own. Which I think is a fair enough point.
And posters often tend to process an OP in the light of their own experiences and this influences their answer.
Given all the nasty replies on MN I think you are being very unreasonable and critical of posts which the OP, and anyone else that wants to, is free to ignore.

Of course it's a fair enough point. And clearly not remotely what the OP had in mind!

I hope it's clear that I'm only specifically criticising a post that is entirely made up...

OP posts:
Overtheatlantic · 30/05/2025 18:19

Internalise, exaggerate, shut down the other person. Because they can’t handle the truth.

Feelingdownbutnotout · 30/05/2025 18:17

In the example you give the poster is really just saying if people get a dog then their circumstances can change and they can become unable to look after it through no fault of their own. Which I think is a fair enough point.
And posters often tend to process an OP in the light of their own experiences and this influences their answer.
Given all the nasty replies on MN I think you are being very unreasonable and critical of posts which the OP, and anyone else that wants to, is free to ignore.