In almost every single scenario, telling the truth is the right thing to do. It may not be easy, and it might not be what others want to hear. But telling lies to impress someone or spare their feelings is likely to come back to bite you.
That’s why one man refused to go along with his girlfriend’s plan to lie to her parents about what he does for a living. But now, he’s wondering if her idea to bend the truth is signaling the end of their relationship. Below, you’ll find the full story that the author posted on Reddit, as well as some of the replies that invested readers shared.
This man loves his career and is proud to be a graphic designer
Image credits: Camandona / Freepik (not the actual photo)
But his girlfriend is pressuring him to lie about his job to impress her parents
Image credits: Antoni Shkraba Studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Independent-Web-3138
Later, the author responded to several readers and shared more information
Meanwhile, many readers pointed out that his girlfriend was exhibiting major red flags
Then, the author shared some brief updates on his situation
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
He also confronted his girlfriend and detailed how she responded
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Independent-Web-3138
Finally, the author joined in on the conversation in the comments again
Image credits: Toa Heftiba / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The vast majority of workers don't really enjoy their jobs
While most of us dream of finding a job that we’ll actually enjoy, plenty of us end up settling for something that will pay the bills, even if we’re not particularly passionate about it. In fact, a whopping 85% of employees admit that they feel disengaged at work. So if you can manage to find a job that you enjoy, even if it doesn't come along with a massive paycheck or prestige, it’s only natural to be proud of it.
A 2023 YouGov survey found that half of Americans would rather take a job that they actually like than one they hate with a higher salary. Meanwhile, young people, in particular, feel the need to take pride in their work. EBN reports that 31% of employees under the age of 30 would remain loyal to their current company if they felt proud of it, even if they were offered a bigger paycheck elsewhere.
As far as what brings employees pride in their work, EBN notes that being consistently recognized can go a long way. It’s also important for company leaders to have ethical values and transparent communication if they want employees to stick around.
In this particular situation, however, the author doesn’t have any problem finding pride in his career. It’s really his girlfriend, and perhaps her family members, who have a problem with being judgmental.
Unfortunately, many people know what it’s like to be judged for what they do for a living. Whether you work in a fast food joint, as a custodian at a high school, or as a criminal defense attorney, people might make assumptions about you when they find out about your career. You might hear, “Wow!” if you tell someone that you’re a surgeon. Meanwhile, a mechanic likely won’t be met with the same enthusiasm.
Image credits: Kate Bezzubets / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
It's common for people to make assumptions about others based on their profession
According to a chart created by Susan Fiske, a psychology and public policy professor at Princeton University, some of the jobs that make people immediately assume that a person is competent are engineer, doctor, scientist, lawyer, accountant, professor, nurse, and CEO.
Meanwhile, some of the jobs that make people assume that a person is warm are teacher, nurse, child care worker, doctor, farmer, professor, writer, actor, researcher, and secretary.
On the other hand, some of the jobs that cause people to be perceived as less competent are dishwasher, fast-food worker, garbage collector, cashier, maid, food service worker, taxi driver, truck driver, and laborer. And careers that tend to be seen as the least warm are lawyer, politician, garbage collector, taxi driver, banker, salesperson, dishwasher, and mechanic.
Whether we like it or not, we’re all met with immediate judgments and assumptions when we tell someone what we do for a living. But the one person who should never make you feel inadequate is your significant other.
As many readers pointed out, the girlfriend in this story clearly had a problem with her partner’s career; otherwise, she would have never felt the need to lie in the first place. Perhaps she was feeling embarrassed or ashamed. But regardless of her reasoning, she made the wrong choice by pressuring her boyfriend to lie.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have reacted if you were in the author’s shoes? Then, if you’d like to check out another article from Bored Panda featuring similar relationship drama, look no further than right here.
Many readers warned the author that it's probably time to end his relationship for good
