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Original poster

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

957 replies

shehardlysleeps · 20/04/2026 17:18

I’m in a reflective mood, and it’s got me thinking about something I did a few years ago which is probably the thing I’m most deeply ashamed of.

There was a coworker who really rubbed me up the wrong way. I was very unhappy at the time, and going through an awful time personally. She would make snide comments about me, do things with my family members (who were colleagues too) which really got my back up, I felt like she judged me harshly and was pretty rude. Along with another colleague they made three or four very nasty comments which still stick with me.

Instead of raising a grievance, which I should have done, I took to posting about her on another website (along the lines of Mumsnet), not realising she used it too. She saw the posts and reported me, and I ended up facing a meeting with HR and a senior partner of the firm I was working in. It damaged my reputation within the firm forever and I ended up leaving after not being offered a promotion. I still feel ashamed of it now, nearly half a decade on, and feel like it’s tarred me forever.

Whats the worst thing you’ve ever done?

OP posts:
CrispyBeer · 23/04/2026 09:13

The stealing sweets ones reminded me of this.

My friend used to only have them once in a blue moon, never just 'in the home'.

One day I was at hers & her mum popped out to the shop (we were 9) she got out this bag of jellybeans that she'd found hidden & said that it must be her mum's. She said that we could both have 2 but that I mustn't tell (I felt very naughtyGrin)

Afterwards though, she said that we now both had to have mouthwash to disguise the smell. I didn't really want to but she got panicky saying that we must otherwise her mum would smell it. Having never had mouthwash before, it tasted foul to me. I was gagging & said that next time I'd rather not have a sweet if it meant I'd have to have the mouthwashGrin

EvieBB · 23/04/2026 09:10

SerendipityCat · 20/04/2026 18:31

Accidentally killed a duck, or at least contributed to a duck's death. I was about 10, and skimming flat stones across a local pond. I found a perfectly shaped, perfectly weighted stone and launched it with all my might. It skipped beautifully a couple of times and hit an unfortunate mallard drake smack on the back of the head. It gave a piteous quack, its neck fell to the side at an odd angle, and it started paddling in circles. As if I wasn't horrified enough, three or four other drakes immediately attacked it, and pecked it to death.

I still feel guilty nearly 60 years on!

OMG!? What a horrible shock! It's not like you did it on purpose but Christ, what a thing to witness 😱😮 I think you need to forgive yourself though 💐♥️

EvieBB · 23/04/2026 09:02

MycactusandI · 20/04/2026 18:26

Stole from my parents' coin jar and bought loads of sweets. My mum worked out what I had done and the girl i was playing with was banned from seeing me.

I also had lots of dubious hook ups at uni and in 20s. Had a particular thing for attached men. I used to think it was all due to low self esteem, now I think it was more of a dopamine chasing mission (although they prpbably go hand in hand)

Yeah, me and my neighbour's kid used to steal from our (respective) parents coin jars (regularly) and skip down the road to buy sweets (laughing all the way at how sneaky we were) - we were about 9 or 10.... until we were found out!
And yes I think low self esteem and needing dopamine hits definitely go hand on hand x

Clipperchill · 23/04/2026 09:01

newnamebaybee · 23/04/2026 07:15

I did a few bits as a teen - stealing, hitting kids I babysat for ( iwas regularly beaten myself)

But this one was only last week-

I was at mils and she was as usual making digs at me that dh never seems to hear. I went to the toilet and saw her new hand towels that she had bragged about being v expensive. I had a wee and then thoroughly dried my vagina on her naice towel. Felt much better after that.

🤣 🤣🤣

EvieBB · 23/04/2026 08:52

Nollie · 20/04/2026 17:59

I see your 2 men and raise you one man and one woman (separately) on the same day. I wish that was the worst thing I'd done in my life...

Show quote history

Wow, that must've been an orgy situation, yes?

EvieBB · 23/04/2026 08:49

LapisBlue · 20/04/2026 17:44

I slept with two men on one day. On two separate occasions, four guys in total, as it were.

Oh wow - were they the same two guys or 4 different ones? How did that happen?

EvieBB · 23/04/2026 08:43

iamfedupwiththis · 20/04/2026 17:28

Not sure if having a poo outside as I was desperate is better or worse than an affair.

Ha.....oh I've done that more than once (when desparate!) on a forest walk off the beaten track and then covered it up....I wouldn't worry about it....unless it was in someone's garden 😱😂

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 23/04/2026 08:34

Honestly, I could not stay married to someone like that. My nerves wouldn't take it. I'd never be able to go on a night out with him, I'd be a gibbering wreck waiting for signs that it's going to kick off any second. Once could happen to anybody, twice and I'd be arching an eyebrow, three times and I'd be out of that relationship like a shot. But 30? How do you sleep at night when he's out?

Oops, edited to say I meant to quote the poster who said her DH had been in 30 punch ups.

Ladygodalmighty · 23/04/2026 08:06

Erin1975 · 20/04/2026 18:46

Have you been to the cinema to see The Drama?

I watched it last week and this question is the main plotline of the film.

Yes but she doesn't actually do a bad thing, she only fantasised about doing it.

changeme4this · 23/04/2026 07:37

My parents and I were visiting friends of my parents. I would have been around 7 or 8 at the time. anyhow I was left to myself in their garage for a wee while as the friends daughter disappeared.

She had lots of barbie doll type clothes in a wardrobe in the garage (and they weren’t special nor new) but my terrible self wanted some so I stuck what I could in my panties.

apparently she saw me do it and told both sets of parents in front of me. I denied it and we all left. Mum and Dad never saw their friends again after that.

I have no idea why I wanted those items and nor was I lacking in barbie clothes of my own.

it cost my parents their friendship with those people…. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Onefortheroad25 · 23/04/2026 07:34

I was thinking about this thread last night and I’m not sure now that accidentally killing the lovely bird was the worst thing, it’s just the most recent. Worst things have probably been around old relationships etc but I did remember this..
When my brother (RIP) and I were small we used to play this game called meat factory. It involved cutting worms up in to tiny pieces and putting them in our toy cars and driving them around. There was a meat factory near our Aunties house and we were fascinated.
Now I’m the person who would pick a worm up off the road and move him to safety so I’m horrified that I was ever so cruel.

newnamebaybee · 23/04/2026 07:15

I did a few bits as a teen - stealing, hitting kids I babysat for ( iwas regularly beaten myself)

But this one was only last week-

I was at mils and she was as usual making digs at me that dh never seems to hear. I went to the toilet and saw her new hand towels that she had bragged about being v expensive. I had a wee and then thoroughly dried my vagina on her naice towel. Felt much better after that.

x2boys · 23/04/2026 07:04

dentalflosser · 22/04/2026 22:51

Had a boyfriend when I was in my teens and he treated me very badly and then went back to his ex.
He had left some clothes at my house including his favourite waistcoat (it was the 1990s) so one night I set fire to them in the garden, threw water on them so they were toasted but could still be discernible as his clothes and then I marched up to his house under cloak of darkness and hurled them on his front garden.
This isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever done but I dare not write the other in case it is outing!

Im more amused about the waistcoat it was the 90,s it makes sense everyone was wearing them ,i had quite a collection! 😂

ChamonixMountainBum · 23/04/2026 06:42

Not being goady, but how does being ADHD manifest in shoplifting? Is it a common symptom?

ChamonixMountainBum · 23/04/2026 06:40

Beanzmeanz · 22/04/2026 22:19

Had a one night stand with a stag on his stag do

I used to work with a women who had a one night stand with a bloke on her hen bash, stayed in touch with him all through her wedding and honeymoon and then left her new husband for said bloke when she returned from her honeymoon. Absolutely no shame on her part and was happy to brag about it, I found it just it weirdly cold and calculating.

Elanol · 23/04/2026 06:40

Ringthebell26 · 22/04/2026 23:38

@Elanol Genius

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Found the idea on Reddit when I was looking for soundproofing solutions 😁

Napqueen1234 · 23/04/2026 06:30

I used to regularly steal from supermarkets. We aren’t hard up but I have a compulsion to do it. I’m a normal middle class professional otherwise. I know it’s awful 😞 and I’ve made myself stop but sometimes I really want to. I’m another ‘probably have mild undiagnosed ADHD’ and I think this is one of the many ways it shows.

OkimADHD · 23/04/2026 05:59

Ex oartner and bad split. We split because her continually refused to divorce his ex. When i finally got rid of him he met someone 2 weeks later and applied for a divorce and the papers came to our jointly owned home. They went in the bin! I dont regret it!

Myli1 · 23/04/2026 05:57

ForWittyTealOP · 22/04/2026 21:22

I'm really embarrassed about this because I don't know why I did it, it's very unlike me but I was just overcome with rage... One day I was walking past Reform's constituency office and I spat in the doorway. 😳 I'm a respectable middle aged woman who has never spat in public before or since!

Seems quite tame to me! I’d have probably urinated in the doorway! 😀😀

Emotionstorn · 23/04/2026 00:04

Bank fraud.

i was in a financially abusve relationship and scammed people on eBay and gumtree
how I never got caught I don’t know. I did refund the majority of people down the line and it eats me up even to this day.

Birdsongsinging · 22/04/2026 23:51

I have done loads of things that aren't great - none of them terrible but ... I think we need to give ourselves understanding for the things that deserve understanding and take ownership (but maybe with compassion) for the things that we should have done better but didn't for whatever reason.

FettchYeSandbagges · 22/04/2026 23:43

I put soap in my teacher's tea at primary school when their back was turned.

That's your lot.

Ringthebell26 · 22/04/2026 23:38

Elanol · 20/04/2026 17:56

I had a neighbour who slammed his front door. I jumped out of my skin every time. They are heavy fire doors and really loud. Sometimes the vibration ran across my floor.

I made numerous complaints to the management company but he didn't give a shit. Lockdown was awful, he was home all day and never went back to work. One day after 22 (yes 22 not a typo) slams I lost my shit.

I bought a huge pair of trainers in a charity shop so they looked worn. I put them outside my door. Suddenly he could close the door properly. Funny that....

It's a shame it took a threat of violence from the man who fits into those huge trainers to behave decently.

@Elanol Genius

Iwillcomeouttheotherend · 22/04/2026 23:33

liv198288 · 20/04/2026 17:23

Had an affair with a coworker

Show quote history

You say it’s the worst thing you’ve done,
May I ask:
Was he married ?
Was you married ?
How long did it last ?
Was it the worst thing because you feel regret and remorse over hurt it caused or because of reputation etc at work or something else ???
My husband had an affair. I’d be interested to know perspective.

dentalflosser · 22/04/2026 23:13

You have to forgive yourself @DreamyScroller I had a really horrid childhood and it left me with a lot of trauma and mental health issues.
I got hurt easily as I put my faith in men and believed what they said as I was vulnerable. When I hit my 20s I became vile and bitter and broke several Ten Commandments as I was so angry and full of sadness. I took it out on other people when in reality I was hurting my support network. I was out of control but I’ve genuinely tried to make up for it and be a better person.
You’ve certainly done this too, you’ve made amends and are now a different person. It’s time to be kind to yourself otherwise the regret eats you up inside.
Sending you flowers 🌺

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