There's this thing that happens in life that you'll see time and time again, where you meet someone in a position of authority and can't help but wonder how in the heck they got there. Maybe they're not necessarily cruel (though that's usually the case), but they'll be so obstinate and incompetent that you can't help but be surprised that no one else noticed.

When someone uses the phrase “So sue me,” they're really saying, “I know you're not going to sue me, so you might as well just deal with my terrible behavior.” What they often don't realize is that you might actually want to sue them

This first-class internet tale is a literary masterpiece, complete with classic themes of right and wrong, unstoppable forces, agents of chaos, and a savvy professor teaching his students the rewards of critical thinking—complete with the bad guys getting their just deserts in the end. It has echoes of some of the greatest literary classics and is one of those stories, an almost urban legend, that you hear a version of every now and again passed as something that happened to a friend of a frien…

Few things are more sinister, in an everyday sort of way, than those people who try to pass damaged goods off as being without problem, preying on the trusting, unsuspecting, or unlucky in order to turn an incredibly unscrupulous profit. These used car sellers, house flippers, and scam artists can be found hiding in plain sight—trying to pass some painted cabinets, cheap laminate wood flooring, and a sloppier paint job off as a “full renovation”—or selling a car “without issue” on Marketplace o…

When living in one flat with several roommates its is so important to keep a somewhat pleasant environment in the household. To keep the peace, there are a few thumb rules that everyone should know before moving in with someone else. The first rule of thumb would be never to take your roommate's belonging with out their permission (even if you are just ‘borrowing’ it). The second rule would be to always clean up after yourself. And lastly, well, when ‘entertaining’, always let the others know t…

There's nothing quite as classicly infuriating as being stuck in traffic, sitting trapped in your little steel box in a sea of other little steel boxes, unable to move, go anywhere, or even stretch your legs. You're feeling claustrophobic, probably running late for something , even if you thought you had left with plenty of time to spare.

This must be one of the most subtly infuriating revenge stories, and it's truly ingenious. Living with someone inevitably exposes you to their idiosyncrasies, those small habits that can seriously grate on your nerves. It could be the way they tidy up, their pillow arrangement, or the way they always leave their toothbrush out – the seemingly trivial things that still drive you mad. In this father-son dynamic, the father finds himself unable to tolerate the disorderly way his teen leaves everyt…

The shenanigans our classmates orchestrated under the supervision of unfortunately unaware substitute teachers are something that we're likely to remember many years afterward. It's one of those things that are such a universal experience that long ago worked its way from real life over into becoming a trope in popular culture. The greatest example I had of this was in 8th grade when my Advanced Geometry teacher had a few weeks off work, and we, of course, were to be taught instead by a substit…

Trying to wrest your deposit back from a surly landlord is like trying to convince a dog to give you a share of his dinner. It's not like your landlord is going to growl and potentially bite you… but it's also not entirely out of the question. Regardless, good luck getting much from either; your landlord considered that “deposit” to be his as soon as it hit his bank account. Never mind the fact that the place was in a state and no cleaning was done before you moved in… or the fact that he proce…

Renting a home is a challenging experience, living in a place that isn't really your own under some degree of scrutiny from a landlord whose asset you're paying off for them… and that's the situation in the best of circumstances. There are plenty of landlords who won't uphold their basic obligations of maintaining their property to liveable standards, charging you more and more in rent—yet, regarding their tenants as an unfortunate inconvenience to their “investment”—refusing to fix anything wh…

Honesty and sticking to your word are important, and while you might get away with being dishonest for a while, sooner or later, it's going to come back to haunt you.

Renting a house from a third party has benefits and drawbacks. Of course, maintenance is one of the apparent benefits, but no matter how lovely or cozy the apartment is, the drawbacks, depending on how severe they are, can make or break a transaction. In the story below, OP is working at the job of his dreams. His employer has ensured that he would be as comfortable as possible in his new role by arranging for the necessary accommodations beforehand. Theoretically, everything could not have gon…

Who doesn't love an epic revenge tale 32 years in the making? This woman got back at her ex-fiancé, who once took advantage of her fear of mice. Well, as it turns out, he was not exactly immune to the same fear. Now, there are far too many people I wish I could get even with, but I simply do not have the pettiness or energy to follow through. In fact, it took me several hours of talking myself up just to convince myself to confront an ex about him using my family's cable subscription. If I had…

We're silently judging each other all the time. Like it or not, it's a part of being human. Most of the time, these are calculated judgments, and they're made for good reason in order to avoid conflict and preemptively determine whether or not it is a good idea to broach particular topics of conversation with the person you're talking to—like deciding whether or not a political conversation is appropriate at your family's Christmas gathering. Even the most tolerant saint-like individuals among…

It's not personal; it's just business—a phrase you'll hear only when someone has decided to treat you quite poorly or has gone back on their word and is hoping that these simple words will prevent you from retaliating. The more accurate truth is that business is personal—it relies on trust and established relationships. And when you've established that you can't be trusted and have a habit of disregarding your relationships —well, don't be surprised when people no longer want to do business wit…

Should your boss suddenly decide to screw you over by reducing your hours… you'll seldom have the chance to settle the score. But, as we've learned many times on the internet, you should never backstab someone who knows where the skeletons in your closet lie; after all, it's pretty obvious that they'll just go ahead and expose them in retaliation. We're not saying that the path of vengeance is one that you should decide to take; you'll live a better life by just walking away in most of these si…