A man turned to social media to talk about his girlfriend’s “joy for little meaningless things up to 5 times a day.”
Posted in Reddit’s AITA thread, the man, 33, wrote that his girlfriend, 27, was “tiring.” He elaborated by saying they then went hiking, and the girlfriend “was obviously having the time of her life.”
She talked about how the grass is tall, told him to look at baby ducks, and pointed out to “breathtaking” panorama.
But the man was unhappy about it since “she made 3 or 4 comments about nature, and it always included the imperative to look.” He said he wanted to “exercise and get the hike done as quickly as possible.”
The man then said that her whole family has a positive outlook on life and even made fun of their enthusiasm.
During the hike, he told his girlfriend, “Please. Please let me walk in peace and stop asking me to admire all this stuff. I don’t want to!”
Though he said, “I didn’t want to silence her,” that’s exactly what happened. The girlfriend was upset and quiet for the rest of their hike.
After they returned to their apartment, she was still upset, asking the man, “So what else am I supposed to talk about?”
The man concluded his writing by saying, “I think she got me wrong.” Then he asked the infamous question of whether he was the a…hole.
Almost all comments pointed to him as an a…hole, with many telling the man, “Bro, let your girl be happy and enjoy nature!”
The same Reddit user also wrote, “It doesn’t seem fair that you get to complain both when she is happy and when she is not.”
Another Reddit user shared a similar experience, “I dated a guy who did this. The happier I was, the more it annoyed him. So I see this and think he’s trying to dim her light and squash the joy out of her. For what? Because it annoys him? “
Then the same poster said that the relationship “changed me permanently” since the person “spent too much time trying to tamp it down so as not to upset him.”
One person raised a valid argument, writing the two “should probably break up because they don’t seem compatible.”
Another echoed this sentiment, “Frankly, it sounds like you’re not a great match.”
Many said to the original poster, “don’t ruin a good, wholesome woman.”
Others made jokes about the man, writing, “My girlfriend is happy and enjoys life! It’s ridiculous, and I hate it! Damn ducks! Stupid fresh air!”
Others wondered, “seriously, who doesn’t like ducks?! That’s just madness.”
While some pleaded, “stop wasting this woman’s time,” others pointed out that he is the one with issues, with another Reddit poster saying, “Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean you should bring her down.”
A person did not hold back, “Please consider leaving this wholesome woman and go be a miserable old cow by yourself.” Another called him a “mean and bitter person.”
While many were quick to make witty comments at the original poster’s expense, one person asked, “Do you have depression?”
Another added how it is difficult for men to talk about mental health, but they, too, wondered if the original poster had depression.
Despite some raising concerns about the man’s mental health, one person made a comparison that is hard to forget. They wrote, “What are you, a Care Bears villain?”
There are those who suggested couples counseling, as well as some who believe the original poster needed a therapist.
To make matters worse, many posters shared how they were once bubbly, cheerful, and outgoing. After dating someone similar to the original poster, they never bounced back fully.
What is your take on this situation? Are you the bubbly or the grumpy one in a relationship?