Sometimes, you just can’t help but laugh.
Even when things aren’t remotely funny, possibly even as bad as they could possibly be, sometimes we simply can’t find anything else to do but laugh.
Cathartic as this experience is, it isn’t always greeted with respect and understanding by others who witness it.
Especially if we’re laughing about a situation involving them.
Redditor Admirable-Coconut844 was on the phone with her sister, who was complaining about her current relationship status.
While the original poster (OP)’s sister was looking for a sympathetic ear, the OP’s gut reaction was simply to laugh at her sister’s predicament.
A reaction the OP’s sister did not appreciate one bit.
Worried she was being insensitive to her sister, the OP took to the subReddit “Am I The A**hole” (AITA), where she asked fellow Redditors:
“AITA for laughing at my sister’s relationship troubles?”
The OP explained why she couldn’t help but laugh at her sister over the phone:
“So, I (28 F[emale]) have a younger sister, Emily (25 F), who was with her high school sweetheart, Jake, since she was 14.”
“They dated all through high school and college, and honestly, they were the epitome of a perfect couple.”
“Jake was always so thoughtful—he’d surprise her with gifts, plan elaborate dates, and he literally lit up whenever she was around.”
“They even talked about getting married.”
“Fast forward to a few months ago, Emily cheated on Jake and broke up with him to be with her affair partner, Mark.”
“Since then, she’s been complaining to me about how Mark doesn’t do any of the romantic things Jake used to do.”
“Apparently, he doesn’t surprise her with gifts, and their dates are pretty lackluster compared to what she had with Jake.”
“Last week, while I was on the phone with her, she started venting about how she feels unsatisfied in her new relationship.”
“I don’t know what came over me, but I just burst out laughing.”
“I mean, she cheated on the guy who literally worshipped the ground she walked on, and now she’s complaining about the new guy not measuring up?”
“It just sounded so absurd to me.”
“Emily got really upset and told me I was being insensitive.”
“I tried to explain that I wasn’t laughing at her pain, but it felt like poetic justice given how she treated Jake.”
“Now she’s barely talking to me, and I’m starting to feel bad.”
“AITA for laughing at my sister’s relationship troubles when she cheated on someone who treated her like a queen?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
- NAH – No A**holes Here
The Reddit community resoundingly agreed that the OP. was not the a**hole for laughing at Emily over the phone.
Everyone agreed that this was simply a delicious example of karma, and there was clearly no other more appropriate response than to laugh at Emily’s misguided self-pity after she saw the consequences of her poor decision-making.
“NTA.”
“She destroyed a near-perfect relationship to be with someone who barely cares.”
“She brought this upon herself.”
“It sounds like poetic justice to me too.”- ExistenceRaisin
“NTA.”
“Womp womp.”- aspentheidiot
‘NTA.”
“She chose where to be.”
“She chose to cheat.”
“She chose her actions.”
“You simply found humour in a dark scenario.”
“She gets to decide how to act in her relationships and whether to whine about not being with Jake when she treated him she like did.”
“Not your fault.”
“Hers.”- DetectiveQueasy1711
“Call me too woke but if my sister was a cheater (for no reason), I would constantly bring it up whenever she complained.”
“‘Mark doesn’t bring me gifts, it’s so frustrating’.”
“‘Sucks that you cheated on the guy who did, huh?'”
“‘Mark doesn’t understand me, I have to constantly remind him of what I like’.”
“‘Well that funny, cuz you did have a guy understood you but well you CHOSE to f that up’.”
“NTA.”- AnnBlinks3002
“NTA.”
“Karma bit her in the a** big time and she’s responsible for her own actions.”- NumbersGuy22
“NTA.”
“I would give so much to be with a guy like Jake.”
“She needs to realize what a f’ing terrible decision she made… omg.”
“I feel bad for him, actually.”
“Hope he finds someone who deserves him, and it isn’t her for sure.”
“And as for her, what comes around goes around.”- abatate
“NTA.”
‘Whining to your sister that the new guy isn’t as good as the old guy she betrayed.”
“She’s lucky you don’t call him up.”- Night-Ridr
“NTA.”
“She found out the grass isn’t greener, not your fault you find it absurd and comical.”- _my_other_side_
“She cheated on and dumped the guy who gave her everything for a fling who probably treats her like JUST A FLING.”
“I’d laugh too.”
“I’d also tell her off.”
“She doesn’t get to have a pity party for her actions.”
“If she wants that, she can go to someone who will be her yes person.”
“But it won’t change the fact that SHE DID THIS TO HERSELF.”
“NTA.”- Devegas49
“NTA.”
“Wait until she finds out that Mark is unhappy too and dumps her, she will miss her past relationship even more.”- Varkyvark
“NTA.”
“This is a classic case of ‘you made your bed, now you can lay in it’.”- Over-Ad-6555
“NTA.”
“Her affair partner is getting what he wants.”
“Your sister got played.”
“Sucks for her.”- Awesome_one_forever
“NTA.”
“How we treat people matters.”
“Cheating is bad.”
“I don’t think karma brings balance, but it sure will bring punishment.”
“Even if she went back to her first love, she would find that he would be different.”
“That joy of love was destroyed and she is likely to never experience that again.”
“Very few people ever have it to begin with.”
“Allowing yourself to express this, even with laughter, is fine.”
“She is not being honest with herself.”
“She is not taking a true inventory of her emotions.”
“She is not taking responsibility for her outcomes due to actions.”
“Give yourself a break for finding the humor and not allowing her to lie to you.”- thequiethunter
“NTA feel free to keep laughing.”
“Your sister gave up 90% of what she had in her relationship to gain the 10% she thought she was missing.”
“I guess in her rush for that ‘new relationship energy’ she never considered what she’d be giving up.”
“To the new guy, she’s just another chick, not a cherished partner, and this is a lesson she needs to learn and grow from.”
“I just hope Jake learns his lesson as well and isn’t fool enough to take her back if she changes her mind.”- East-Salamander-8816
“NTA.”
“She’s in her ‘find out’ era.”- Psychological-Bed751
“Hell, I laughed at her just reading this.”
“NTA.”- LawyerDad1981
“NTA.”
“Cheaters are never happy, in few months she will find a new guy, and the cycle of cheating/changing boyfriend/complaining and comparing the new with the past one, will continue.”- Bacteria_Friend
“NTA.”
“People should have to endure mocking when the consequences of their own actions hit them.”
“Hope Jake is doing OK now.. hopefully, it would aid his recovery to know that Emily finally regrets her betrayal of him.”
“Just hope he is strong enough not to take her back, should she try and crawl back to him!”- Brutal_De1uxe
“NTA.”
“I don’t think you are ahole for laughs.”
“Next time when she vent about her boyfriend again, tell her she is the one who chose him so she needs to live with it or break up and find her new romantic boyfriend.”- Mysterious-Bag-5283
“NTA.”
“She cheated.”
“She’s getting her just desserts.”- artic_fox-wolf1984
“NTA.”
“She is getting what she deserves.”- Old-World2763
“NTA.”
“and honestly I wouldn’t have the guts to call you insensitive after cheating on someone.”- june_So2003
“NTA.”
“I’d laugh at cheaters too.”- Jadedslay03
“NTA and I hope Jake finds someone who appreciates him.”- dirtyhairymess
“NTA.”
“Your sister is a case of self-inflicted FAFO.”
“She cheated on Mr. Perfect and decided to be with the hot new dude.”
“Hot new dude is not crazy into her but tough, that’s the guy she chose.”- katbelleinthedark
“NTA.”
“Does she seriously expect sympathy for hurting someone?”- littlebitfunny21
“NTA.”
“she ruined the best relationship many MARRIED PEOPLE would prob never have.”
“Personally I would’ve started rolling around on the floor.”- Heavy-Information467
“NTA.”
“Your sister got what she deserved.”
“Poor Jake.”- WomanInQuestion
“NTA.”
‘All you did was laugh at her ridiculous whining.”
“She did a horrible thing and honestly, complaining when a guy loved her a lot after what she did sounds like she’s entitled.”- crimsonraiden
“NTA.”
“All you did was laugh at her ridiculous whining.”
“She did a horrible thing and honestly complaining when a guy loved her a lot after what she did sounds like she’s entitled.”- crimsonraiden
It isn’t polite to laugh at someone, plain and simple.
However, the trickiest thing about laughter is that it’s ultimately not in our control.
Perhaps after some pause and reflection, Emily will come to realize just how ridiculous she sounded talking to the OP.
And possibly even come to realize that if the tables were turned, she would have probably laughed herself.