“Weak people who are surprised by temporary strength”: Reddit post about standing up to bad bosses goes viral, netizens react

A viral Reddit post has sparked a discussion about toxic workplace culture and the fragile egos of authoritarian managers. The post recounts an incident in which an employee was able to keep his toxic boss in check simply by standing firm and asserting boundaries.

According to the post, the employee made it clear from the beginning that he would not tolerate abuse and, if necessary, would use his “connections and financial resources” to retaliate — even though he had neither. This assertive stance reportedly kept the manager’s toxic behavior toward him in check, even though others in the workplace continued to be harassed.

The Redditor wrote: “Recently, my friend was working in a toxic workplace. He made it clear to his toxic boss from the beginning that he would not take in his toxic waste, and if necessary, he would use his relationships and finances to make his life hell. As a result, this manager did not behave badly to him, but he was still nasty to others. In fact, my friend has no such relationships or financial resources.”

The user added: “We have to realize that these toxic managers are weak people who are dazzled by temporary power. Suddenly, they feel like a hero in a movie because they have never received this much respect in their lives. The only thing they forget is that they are also replaceable and there is nothing outside the corporate walls.”

The discussion resonated with many users online, who shared similar experiences about workplace toxicity and the importance of standing up to abusive authority figures.

“It’s all mind games in the end, nothing called work and productivity in the Indian workplace to get the monthly pay cheque,” one user wrote.

“True. The weak and the venerable always take the hit. Plus in the office, the more you engage in written communication the better. Even if there is a verbal discussion, immediately send an email like ‘To be on the same page, this is what we discussed..’ Example: If there are multiple tasks on board, mention that via email and ask for prioritization. Make managers do things for their pay.” Also make sure that meetings take place across the calendar. Otherwise the time will never be tracked,” said another user.

“Yes. People like these managers have very low self-esteem and therefore use cheap tactics and abuse of power to get an ego boost on a daily basis. There is no need to be the source of that, you have to stand up for yourself when you feel someone is behaving inappropriately. It is very similar with animals as well. It is kind of a rule of thumb among wildlife explorers that if they are attacked by a bear or a lion etc., the best Your bet is to look dominant, in control, and basically look big. This will 99% of the time scare the animal. Humans are animals too, but in a different way (sic),” a third user wrote.

“Don’t do this unless you have a non-task backup,” another user commented.