We learn to be considerate at an early age. When someone is sleeping on the couch, we go by them on our tiptoes. When someone is crying, we comfort them. When we see a piece of trash on the sidewalk, we pick it up.
Yet not everybody does that, and this list is about the people who don't. They are what we would call selfish and inconsiderate. Or, to put it more plainly – being jerks. These pics are brought to you by the folks who weren't afraid to call them and their jerk behavior out, but they all beg the question: why would you do this?!?
#1 Cyclists Riding On Road, Next To Bike Lane. I Hate These Cyclists That Take Up Space On The Road When They Have A Solid Bike Lane Next To Them
Image credits: Deep-Impact5595
#2 People Have No Respect For Nature
This is at the US botanical gardens in DC. Very annoying.
Image credits: WanderingCocoon
#3 Leaving This Stuff Around Store For Employees To Clean Up
Image credits: e_mueller_156
"Treat others as you would want them to treat you" is the timeless golden rule. And it's not just a famous saying – most people actually do expect others to behave like they do themselves. A 2023 study found that selfish people punish generosity and reward selfish behavior. And, in turn, generous people tend to reward generous behavior.
"If everyone around me is selfish, then I'm going to learn to accept selfishness and behave accordingly," one of the study's authors, Paul Bogdan, Ph.D., commented on his and colleagues' findings. "We show that your judgments of other people's behavior really depend on how you behave yourself."
#4 Went Hiking And Came Across The Aftermath Of A Gender Reveal
Image credits: Steamedcarpet
#5 If This Is How You Treat A Fitting Room You’re A Jerk
Image credits: stucky387
#6 A Bunch Of San Francisco Students Wrote 2023 Reflections On Plates And Smashed Them In A Public Dog Park
Image credits: heyspencerb
The researchers also found that people didn't give in to social pressure when it came to punishing either generosity or selfishness. Participants were guided by their own behavior rather than the pressure to conform. As the co-author of the paper Professor Florin Dolcos explained, we filter information about the world through our own filter.
The study also proves that we are drawn towards people who are more like us. As the participants offered to split a pot of money with each other, those who would give generous offers tended to accept offers from like-minded folks. And those who put their well-being first preferred to share the money with more selfish individuals.
#7 This Lady, Who Insisted On Being The Only Person Standing At The Concert
Image credits: alejandroacantilado
#8 Gee Whiz, I Sure Hate Being Able To See Anything At All While Driving At Night So Thanks For Illuminating My Visibility To Zero!
Disclaimer: photos taken safely at a red light!
While no picture can capture the essence of this somehow not illegal car lights, I feel like the literal twinkle streaks is a good indicator.
This person was behind me (and several others) most of my commute. Lights like this clearly aren’t for the driver’s visibility benefit since many are affixed to trucks requiring a miniature ladder to hop in, so what is the point other than Main Character douchebaggery?
Image credits: g0ldilungs
#9 If You Are The Type Of Person To Blast Your Own Dj Set At The Beach, No One Likes You
Image credits: kkkilla
If this list is making you lose all faith in humanity and its generosity, don't be alarmed. Some research suggests that altruism is intrinsic in our brains. In 2016, researchers from UCLA found that people might become less giving if an area of their prefrontal cortex is affected.
#10 Well, There Goes A Parking Spot
Image credits: ch3ych3y
#11 These Folks Walk Four Across Every Morning And Don’t Check Behind For Cars
I never want to be the jerk who honks but they don’t hear/notice me until I’m right up to them. Just trying to go to work.
Image credits: PrestigiousBee2719
#12 Come Out Of The Grocery Store To This Car On The Right
Image credits: Ivan_Jerkoffski
We also might assume that selfishness leads to earning more money and living a more comfortable life. It's logical: you dedicate more time to your career, have no children, and focus on your work, and voila – you're on top of the food chain. However, science says otherwise.
#13 Some Idiot Ruined A Bruce Lee Painting In My City
Image credits: Moon-Runner
#14 My Neighbor, Everyone. He Parks Like This When His Wife Isn't Home And Moves It Back When She's Back So They Can Both Park On One Of The Few Spots With Shade. This Has Been Happening For Months Already And The Administration Doesn't Do Anything About It
Image credits: reedtheraccoon
#15 Standing On Petroglyphs. 10 Ft Away From A Sign Explaining How Fragile These Particular Ones Are
Image credits: LimpSasuage
A 2020 study by a team of researchers from Stockholm University found that selfish people have fewer children and earn less money. While the public opinion remains that successful people are selfish (68% of the respondents said so), the data actually disproved this. People with selfless attitudes had more children and higher incomes. As they stated in the title of their paper, "Generosity pays."
#16 My Future Sister-In-Law Infuriates Me So Much
Image credits: Joanna_Valdes
#17 I Let My Colleague Borrow My Laptop Charger For A Meeting. This Is How He Returned It
When I mentioned it to him, he told me it was “clearly an accident” and said I can “easily buy another one.”
Image credits: CowboyLikeMemes
#18 My Neighbour Think This Parking Spot Belongs (It Really Doesn't) To Him And Does This To Everyone Who Parks There.. This Time He Did It To Me, Because I Had Nowhere To Park Yesterday, So I Woke Up To This And I Don't Think He's Gonna Leave Any Soon. Should I Take Action?
Image credits: AnnieCactusCz
So, if altruism and generosity are natural to us and benefit us more economically, why do we act like jerks? Psychologist Lisa Marie Bobby says that such behavior is a sign of low emotional intelligence. "One symptom of low emotional intelligence is the tendency to be self-absorbed, or exclusively concerned about what you're thinking, feeling, needing and wanting, instead of the thoughts, feelings, needs and desires of others."
#19 My Sister Saying " Who Cares? Can You Still Drive The Truck!?" To Her Bag Scratching Up The Glove Box Of My Car
No, it doesn't hinder the car's performance. How about I scratch something of yours with my framing hammer and see if you're annoyed?
Image credits: the0utc4st
#20 Aisle At My Local Thrift Store
Image credits: theModestConArtist
#21 This Is My Son's Insanely Expensive Gene Therapy Medication For His Rare And Permanently Life Altering Genetic Disorder. And They Also Knocked My Plant Out Of Its Pot. Just For An Extra "F You"
Image credits: reddit.com
Bobby explains that such behavior is often the product of upbringing. Those whose emotional needs weren't met in their formative years might grow up to be selfish and inconsiderate as adults. Those who are empathetic as adults, in contrast, grow up with their thoughts and feelings reflected back to them. "Thoughtful and compassionate people are not born, they're made," she observes.
#22 A Girl In Front Of Me Kept Pouring Out Her Ice Cream That Was In Her Cone Until She Made A Swirl She Liked. There Was No More Chocolate Ice Cream Left
Image credits: reddit.com
#23 Went To A Concert Last Night. This Was My View For 3.5 Hours
Image credits: gippersmom
#24 The Manager Would Throw Away Cookies Every Saturday Instead Of Giving Them To The Employees
We threw away 55 cookies. The managers didn't let us take any home because they thought it might "encourage us to purposely make extra".
Image credits: Irick050
When evaluating our own selfishness, our memory often works against us. As research by the psychologists at Yale University and the economists at the University of Zurich shows, we tend to misremember our selfish deeds. That way, we maintain our self-image. "The desire to preserve a moral self-image can be a powerful force and not only motivate us to rationalize our unethical actions, but also 'revise' such actions in our memory," senior author of the study Molly Crockett said.
#25 This Is The Second Time A Police Officer Has Been Called To My Apartment. The Down Stairs Neighbors Think My Toddlers Footsteps Are Too Loud
Image credits: _Whoreton_
#26 Motorcycle Always Parks On Sidewalk
Every morning the sidewalk is blocked by a motorcycle. The SUV on the left has lots of passive aggressive stickers, this family has made motorcycling their identity and can’t be bothered to park their bike on the street or in their driveway.
We then walk baby and stroller into the street to get around.
Yes we take a different route to avoid this now.
No I haven’t knocked on the door to ask the adult to practice basic motorcycle etiquette.
Image credits: Nutsnboldt
#27 There Are No Assigned Parking Spaces At My Parents Townhome Community, People Park In Front Of My Parents House All The Time. I Woke Up To This
Image credits: SumOMG
Other researchers say that we ought to cut selfish folks some slack. Oftentimes, their behavior is the result of past mistreatment and betrayal. "We are quick to judge people and label them, especially when they behave in a way that appears unacceptable to us," Dr. Jerabek, president of PsychTests, says. "Maybe that person who cut you off in traffic, that customer who was rude to you, or that nitpicky colleague has more going on in their life than meets the eye."
#28 Saw A Guy Putting His Filthy Shoes On Patio Furniture Today
Image credits: AdinaGreen
#29 Someone Tried On All These Shoes And Left Them On The Floor
Image credits: Elsekiro
#30 Because It's Someone Else's Job To Clean Up. Rather Than Believe That You Should Use The Trash Cans Located Throughout The Facility. Bring It In, Bring It Out
Image credits: maisydaisy108
We've got many more examples of people being inconsiderate in this series of ours. You can find the previous iterations of lists where people are being jerks here, here, here, here, and here. And, in the meantime, stay empathetic and considerate – you never know what the other person is going through, even if they're acting like a jerk. The world could always do with more kindness.
#31 Someone Stole My Fig Tree
Image credits: hobowithadegree
#32 Literally Watched My Uber Drive By Without Stopping. The Ride Was Cancelled By The Driver & I Was Sent This
Image credits: dukerdoo
#33 It's Always When You're Late For Work When This Happens
Image credits: reddit.com
#34 I Was Dining By Myself And The Servers Took Everything When I Went To The Bathroom
I still had food coming, and they cleared everything off of the table! I mean, I left my keys on the table for exactly this reason! It sucks to eat out alone.
Image credits: AlloyComics
#35 Group Of Boys Decided To Recline Every Seat In An Auditorium The Last Round Of The Night. We Had To Manually Reset All Of Them
We crossed paths in the hallway beforehand and they had the audacity to say, “bye, have a good night.”
Image credits: Diligent_Kick_8448
#36 Why Do People Do This? An Entire Huge Waiting Room Is Empty And This Lady Decides To Sit Right By Me Hacking Up A Lung. Like What Is With People? I Moved Away
Image credits: Environmental-Emu942
#37 People Who Think Towels Are “Reserve Tickets” At The Beach
Putting towels down on a bunch of beach chairs and then leaving for a few hours.
Image credits: fanglazy
#38 Jerk Steals And Opens All The Packages From Apartment Mail Room Including My Birthday Present My Mom Sent Me
Image credits: bigbingusidiot
#39 Coworker Keeps Avoiding To Pay Me Back After She Conveniently Forgot Her Wallet At Dinner
A few weeks ago I decided to grab some dinner with a coworker. I rarely if ever go out to eat as its so expensive these days but I finally decided to treat myself one night. My coworker ordered appetizers for herself, multiple drinks, a larger dinner and even dessert. When it came time to pay we were each going to just pay for our food but she conveniently forgot her wallet and just kinda sat there staring at me. I’m an awkward person and I really didn’t want to even cover her food in the moment because it was more than I could even afford but it was such a weird situation and she promised to pay me back so to just end the evening I covered her bill expecting to get reimbursed. Now that was weeks ago and she keep posting on insta and snapchat about going out to fancy restaurants or weekend trips but she always has an excuse when I ask to be paid back. I BARELY make a livable wage and being in the red because of her has caused me so much anxiety, I feel like such an idiot.
Image credits: reveal_time_bfedit
#40 Some Jerk Keeps Eating My Food At Work
This is the third time now, they eat it even out of my own containers. I have no idea what to do anymore the manager won’t do anything about it.
Image credits: Euphoric-Practice423
#41 This Guy Used A Laptop Throughout A Movie Last Night
I was on the other side of the theater but noticed he was on one when I came in.
It was a pretty big theater and I could see a faint light once the movie started but I kind of thought it was just an aisle light.
When I went to leave I noticed he was still on it. Took this as the credits rolled.
Note: he also had earbuds in but took them out right before the picture.
Image credits: ItsDomorOm
#42 I Lost My Dad Last Year So My Mom Moved In With Me In My Condo And Has Made It Her Personal Project/Therapy To Beautify My Building’s Flower Beds. Except Some D-Bag Keeps Stealing Them. Some Don’t Even Last 2 Days Before Being Ripped Out. She’s About Ready To Give Up
Image credits: Silveeto
#43 Kids Had A BBQ In The Field Behind My Garden Last Night And Left This
Image credits: reddit.com
#44 Bike Got Stolen.. Bought A Lock For The New One.. They Sawed Through The Post
Image credits: jakelo4
#45 Staying In A Hotel With Weight Sensors That Charge If You Even Move The Drinks, And They Went The Extra Step Of Making The Waters Block Part Of The TV So You Will Be Promoted To Move Them
Image credits: SModfan
#46 Finished Work And Two Cars Have Blocked Me In. No Other Way Out And You Could've Fit 2-3 Cars To The Left Of Mine No Problem. Knocked On The Airbnb Door And No Answer. Wtf Do I Do Now?
Image credits: diddyd66
#47 Came Across This Today And Was Absolutely Dumbfounded
Image credits: CrabmanKills69
#48 At The Gym During The Busiest Time Of Day
There were no free squat racks and this guy would do 3 reps then walk around and talk to other people for 5 minutes before doing another set.
Image credits: 4ArgumentsSake
#49 My Cousin Told Me He Took Up Guitar And My Grandmother Suggested I Lend Him One Of Mine. Got It Back After A Month And Noticed Something A Bit Off
I honestly had been avoiding her suggestion because I didn’t wanna risk something like this happening but she put me on the spot at a cookout and I said screw it.
He openly was bragging about getting drunk and destroying his Xbox/PC/ and some windows at my aunt's house after I had given him the guitar so I can’t say I’m surprised I got it back like this.
Image credits: MikeyOTB
#50 Someone Had Attached A Padlock On My Bag Resulting In Me Having To Wrench Out Of It Mid-Class
I literally did nothing to anyone this entire month, I didn't even speak to people, I ate my pizza in peace and I came back to this horrible solid metal contraption parasite latched onto my bag.
Image credits: Traditional_Cook9126
