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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think I’m not a nice person?

819 replies

He1h · 14/08/2025 19:25

I CAN be nice but overall I don’t think I am. There are genuine sentiments I feels where I want to do the right thing or where I feel genuine empathy towards someone. Mainly family or close friends which I guess is normal.

But there’s so many things I hear about where I basically can’t understand how anyone could be bothered… examples…

Stepping on a snail or killing a spider in your home. I feel nothing, maybe a mild acknowledgment that it’s a bit cruel but a few seconds later I’m over it.

My friend’s family pet died when she was in her late twenties and she was devastated for around 3 weeks. I thought it was ridiculous (I didn’t say that obviously).

People getting bothered when they’re above the age of 18 and their birthday can’t be celebrated on that specific day.. who cares?!

Gender reveals… I literally could not give a fuck what gender your baby is, I do not want to have a ‘reveal’ because I am simply not interested.

When someone’s child is crying at a park of soft play because they want the toy my child has…I have zero compassion and just want said child to go away.

Whoever is about to cross the road and I could slow down and stop, I don’t, even if elderly. I simply don’t care.

If my toddler needs to use the disabled bathroom when we are out, and the baby changing is in there, I will actively rush past a wheelchair user on their way in (if I can manage it in a socially acceptable way). I don’t care that they may need it more than me/DD.

There’s lots more. I can be very kind and considerate but largely I think I’m mostly about myself/immediate family and couldn’t care less about anything else. I often think I will make up for this shitty behaviour later on in life. Then of course I don’t. How awful are these things? Am I just a bit shit?

OP posts:
Loullybelle · 17/08/2025 15:36

I think you are possibly displaying sociopathic tendencies.
Sociopathic tendencies, often associated with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), involve a consistent disregard for the rights and feelings of others, a lack of empathy, and a tendency towards manipulative and deceitful behavior.
Do you think this applies to you?

AngelRoja · 17/08/2025 14:56

He1h · 14/08/2025 19:32

@Enigma53 if there was alternative baby changing I would use that though

You wait until AFTER the disabled person has used it. The baby can wait 5 more minutes and so can you. They might not be able to. That is real assh*le behaviour.

woolydd · 17/08/2025 14:55

You are clearly a nasty person! One day you will need the help of others...let's hope Karma comes back to bite you.

Unverified · 17/08/2025 14:54

Imagine being on a train with your mum (the Op) and she slings her feet with shoes on, on to the seat opposite. Like a twatty rude poorly brought up 14 year old.

LittleMG · 17/08/2025 14:08

Op I think you k ow these things are wrong so stop doing them. How would you like to
be stepped on by a giant person who does GAF

Noshadealltea · 17/08/2025 13:59

He1h · 14/08/2025 20:24

@Teanbiscuits33 i really really want to change it. I never used to be like this. I used to be really generous and kind and understanding of others.

Make a start by not actively trying to beat a disabled person to the disabled toilets.

DD will be fine for 5 minutes whilst the person that actually has no other choice but to use the disabled toilet does so.

Really gross behaviour from you, and your daughter will pick up on it & emulate it. Then I guess you’ll have a couple of feelings - embarrassment & shame.

Noshadealltea · 17/08/2025 13:58

He1h · 14/08/2025 20:24

@Teanbiscuits33 i really really want to change it. I never used to be like this. I used to be really generous and kind and understanding of others.

Make a start by not actively trying to beat a disabled person to the disabled toilets.

DD will be fine for 5 minutes whilst the person that actually has no other choice but to use the disabled toilet does so.

Really gross behaviour from you, and your daughter will pick up on it & emulate it. Then I guess you’ll have a couple of feelings - embarrassment & shame.

Mummamap · 17/08/2025 13:39

UANBU in your assumption that you are a horrible person or at least you are making yourself sound horrible for the sake of this post.

Tweetypie1st · 17/08/2025 13:22

WhereIsMyJumper · 17/08/2025 13:13

Probably because you haven’t bothered to read OP’s posts - specifically the ones that says that she does stop at pedestrian crossings - she was talking about people trying to cross at random places.

Some people really enjoy the opportunity of kicking someone else when they’re down - as evidenced by this thread. Ironically to try and demonstrate how ‘nice’ they are.

I said that because a while ago I saw a documentary of a woman who spoke about how she felt indifferent to a lot of scenarios, lack of empathy giving lots of examples and she went and got help and now although she knows she is a sociopath, she can manage things. What's wrong in saying that's what came to my mind. If OP seeks help and can manage it better, isn't that good?

anitarielleliphe · 17/08/2025 13:17

He1h · 14/08/2025 21:08

@Greengagesnfennel i feel rubbish about myself. I don’t have pride in myself anymore I’m just trying to get through the days.

This might be the first promising thing you’ve said about yourself. You are showing feelings of guilt and shame for your behavior, and above that you recognize the bad behavior itself to begin with.

I would guess that you grew up in a household with either parents that modeled the type of behavior you describe, or you experienced neglect.

You are not a lost cause if you start doing the right think. Rewire your brain through repeatedly following through with choices that reflect who you want to be.

And for every time your natural instincts rise to take away this attempt to better yourself, then employ your creative mind to imagine the consequences of your actions for the other person(s) involved. Imagine the worst outcomes and play out the scenario in your head.

get into therapy as soon as possible. A parent who has underdeveloped empathy, who models unempathetic behavior to children could cause worse behaviors to develop in their own child, especially if there is a strong genetic trait passed down.

WhereIsMyJumper · 17/08/2025 13:13

Tweetypie1st · 17/08/2025 13:07

This is exactly what came to my mind.

Probably because you haven’t bothered to read OP’s posts - specifically the ones that says that she does stop at pedestrian crossings - she was talking about people trying to cross at random places.

Some people really enjoy the opportunity of kicking someone else when they’re down - as evidenced by this thread. Ironically to try and demonstrate how ‘nice’ they are.

Tweetypie1st · 17/08/2025 13:07

MrsTWH · 14/08/2025 19:29

Have you considered that lacking so much empathy could indicate sociopathy? Particularly the not stopping at pedestrian crossings!

This is exactly what came to my mind.

PoddleOn · 17/08/2025 11:06

You don’t sound like a very nice person.
There could be a lot of reasons for this, perhaps you have an undiagnosed mental health condition or maybe unresolved trauma.
You have two options. If it bothers you, seek counselling and take steps to improve yourself.
The second option is to just accept you aren’t good person and carry on the way you are. If that is what you choose to do then you also need to accept all the potential ramifications of that. For example, not having friends, potential future estrangement from your children and loneliness in old age, a bad reputation and being widely disliked.
Are you a spiritual or religious person? How does your behaviour align with those beliefs? If you believe there is an afterlife then what you do in this life will have very long lasting consequences!

Derrygeel · 17/08/2025 10:31

I think most are understandable. I grew up on a farm. There was no mercy for pests and no regret, although we were told it was unlucky to kill a spider.

Not slowing down, I'm on the fence about. It depends. I guess each case is different.

The one that concerns me is indulging your toddler holding on to something someone else wants. Turn taking is a social skill. Lack of social skills will cause friendship problems. Lack of turn taking could lead to a sense of entitlement. Would you feel able to say, "You have it for ten more minutes and then let XXX have it." In fairness these soft play areas are hell.

DarkerBerry · 17/08/2025 10:24

He1h · 14/08/2025 20:16

@Redflagsabounded life has been a bit shit in the last few years really. Let down by people and work been pretty awful. Very competitive environment and after having dd I just see misogyny everywhere. I feel defensive and like people are out to get me all the time

Many people feel this way (myself included) but it doesn’t mean you should take it out on disabled people who need to use the facilities specifically made for them and not you. It may not sound fair but you need to strive to maintain consideration of others in face of experiencing the opposite from the situations you have described, work, etc. No one is asking you to be Jesus, but the disabled toilet thing is quite serious.

Have you ever thought about saving your ‘not-nice’ behaviour solely to those who are not nice to you and spare everyone else?

Plus, people don’t actually care about gender reveals. They are only an excuse to celebrate with family and friends. You would have been invited because you’re important in some way to the expectant parents. They only care about a having a healthy baby at the end of the day. The point is that you’re just there to add to the celebrations.

Have you noticed over the past few years that you’re slowly losing friends? Or has there been no difference?

Do you even want to change?

Mmc123 · 17/08/2025 10:22

"Nice" is not a very specific word ...I don't think you sound very caring, thoughtful or compassionate...they are all things you could choose to work on if you wanted.

DrNo007 · 17/08/2025 10:17

OP I do relate to many of your examples, not because I am like that now, but because I was like that when a kid/adolescent. I remember being pleased when I heard on the news about people dying in some catastrophe as I felt people were a blight on the planet and on the environment and pretty much irredeemable. I think if I hadn't intervened in my own development, I probably would have ended up with a similar 'what's wrong with me?' list to you. The exception was that I always cared a great deal about animals and the environment -- plenty of compassion to spare there, just none for my fellow humans.

Quite dispassionately I decided I did not want to go through life like this.

Then, for unrelated reasons, I learned meditation (not to 'fix' my sociopathic tendencies but out of curiosity and to try to fix my crap sleep!) and as an unexpected side benefit, I started to develop compassion generally. I actually felt my heart sort of opening up, to everybody, not just my nearest and dearest. Now, that sociopathic kid that I used to be seems like a different person.

I don't tell this story to boast, but out of gratitude that something turned me around and put me on a different course. Feel free to direct-message me if you want to know more. But in the meantime, thanks for being honest and I suspect that you (and 'kid' me) are not alone. But I do know that things can change, sometimes intentionally but sometimes not (directly) intentionally.

smithsgj · 17/08/2025 10:16

This is a "reverse", of a sort: not an individual, but it's what Most People in society are like. Right OP?

CptnJaneway420 · 17/08/2025 09:50

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OneAzureHam · 17/08/2025 09:42

I think there’s more to this, I don’t think you’re just a “horrible person” I don’t believe in that dichotomy - go and see someone non judgmental and explore it further.

Thehandinthecookiejar · 17/08/2025 09:18

Doodleflips · 17/08/2025 07:04

There are some absolutely massive hypocrites on this thread. Making nasty, spiteful and judgemental remarks about someone who is clearly struggling, and trying to understand is awful.

Yep.

Troodledoodle · 17/08/2025 08:46

You do sound a bit odd. Get some counselling to understand why you behave this way. It will bite you on the arse on day…

kerstina · 17/08/2025 08:35

I have come back to the thread and read your replies. You didn’t actually push past a disabled person who was waiting in front of you so it sounded worse than it was.
you had empathy before but have had a tough few years. I think you are either on medication for depression which numbs your feelings or you are suffering with depression. It can make you more self absorbed. Have a chat with your dr. Are you getting any joy out of your life? I am sorry my first post was unkind.

SparklesGlitter · 17/08/2025 08:08

WhereIsMyJumper · 17/08/2025 08:06

Also this - the amount of times I’ve had to slam the brakes on because someone in front of me has done the same to let someone cross the road in busy rush hour traffic and they’re not at a pedestrian crossing. That’s why we have pedestrian crossings!

Indeed and when someone is let across the road the driver can’t assume they’ll look for traffic the other way

WhereIsMyJumper · 17/08/2025 08:06

SparklesGlitter · 17/08/2025 08:03

You’re not meant to just stop randomly though as that is also dangerous

Also this - the amount of times I’ve had to slam the brakes on because someone in front of me has done the same to let someone cross the road in busy rush hour traffic and they’re not at a pedestrian crossing. That’s why we have pedestrian crossings!

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