The term “moral compass” is generally used to refer to some basic, innate ability for a human being to consistently align themselves with at least generally moral things, or to experience guilt and regret when they fail to do so.
It’s such an intuitive concept that when we see it being apparently broken, it stops us dead in our tracks.
What was a disturbing sign that your friend might have a broken moral compass?
byu/ErrForceOnes inAskReddit
So what did Reddit witness that led them to believe someone they knew didn’t quite grasp right from wrong?
Fair warning – some of these stories are disturbing.
1. The Story Stealer
This isn’t as “shocking” on the broken moral compass scale as others but it was crazy to me.
I had a good friend from growing up but we drifted apart. It sucked as I got the impression that he was purposely freezing me out.
Anyway, a couple of years ago I threw a party at a bar when I took a new job and invited him. At one point in the evening he told this hilarious story about some shenanigans from back in college. Everyone was laughing….except for me because I know the story and it’s my f**king story! He wasn’t even there.
We didn’t go to college together and the story includes details specific to my college town. He’s heard the story before and at some point he just substituted me out of the story.
– M-Test24
2. The Worst Mom
When she screamed expletives at her elderly dog for being “gross” he wasn’t gross, he was just old. He’d come over to her for pets and she’d shove him away and scream at him. I always gave him extra love when I could.
Our friendship ended when we were 16, haven’t seen her since I was 20, almost 7 years ago. She killed her 2 month old baby a little over a year ago. So glad that friendship ended when it did.
– -teaqueen-
3. The Affair
Bragged to me about having an affair with an engaged guy because he was kind of famous.
I still see her post Instagram stories of her acting buddy-buddy with the dude’s now-wife and it gives me the heebie jeebies.
– analognewb
4. The Perv
I had a best-friend break up in middle school that ended because he kept talking about how hot a third grader was (we were in eighth) he ended up getting arrested later I’m sure you can guess why
– unstable-Equinox
5. The Zealot
“But if you don’t believe in God, what stops you from stealing things or committing murder?”
What stops me is an understanding of right and wrong, not a fear of divine retribution.
This is especially concerning in a person who seems to be losing their faith.
– JackofScarlets
6. The Barf Bro
Not a friend but a coworker back in college. He was bragging about how wasted he got one night in his dorm and ended up vomiting on his math book.
“But that’s okay! I went to class the next day and sat next to some guy, and just when class was letting out I switched my book with theirs. Isn’t that funny?”
Yeaahh… Some random student paid $140 for a textbook and ended up with one with your biohazard all over it? Good one, “bro.”
– Von_Moistus
7. The Thief
We were shopping at the mall. We went into a little store and she asked if I could hold something in my bag for her. Thinking it was her wallet or something, I said yes.
I turned around and realized she was asking me to put stolen merchandise in my bag.
I immediately closed my bag and left her there with said item.
There was no way I was getting caught with that s**t on me and getting the blame.
I ended that friendship then and there.
– ithasanidea8597
8. The Cat Killer
It was a childhood friend who I lost contact with, but she and her family had a cat that they often allowed to get kittens. We asked her once what they did with the kittens when they were older and she told us “daddy either sells them and those we can’t sell, we drown in the fish pond”
As a kid, I didn’t fully understand what she meant with that (I was very little and couldn’t imagine someone doing this) but my parents didn’t let us go over there that often after that.
– Lark1987
9. The Instability
She and her then husband took their two young sons with them to an o**y at their clients house.
After she divorced husband, she got with a mentally unstable alcoholic-as-f**k dude that pulled a loaded gun to her head in front of her son. He’s arrested, she dumps him til he’s let out of jail and gets right back with him.
There’s a lot more insanity but those were the two things that made me step away from that person. F**kin yikes
– yellowlabbies
10. The “Joker”
He made crude comments to a woman walking alone around 11pm. He had a couple of beers in him and we had left the bar to walk to another one about five blocks away. We are at a darker area of the walk and there was no one nearby, at least not in front of us.
She went real quick from greeting us to getting a scared look on her face. I apologized for my friend, told him to shut his d**n mouth or I would deck his a**. We never even went to the other bar. I was just so p**sed at him for needlessly scaring that poor gal.
I talked to him the next day about it, he didn’t see what the big deal was as she should have known he was joking. That was it after that, never really hung out with him again.
– mayoroftheed
11. The Rocker
My cat was sleeping under a rocking chair with her tail under one of the rocking legs.
He said it would be funny if someone sat in the chair and rolled over her tail. I asked if that was supposed to be a joke and he started to reach for the chair to give it a rock.
I’ve never kicked anyone out of my apartment faster than I did that day.
– angry_centipede
12. The Psychopath
When she sided with my abusive bf at the time, and would say things to try to get us to fight.. and talk about how she recommended us having a threesome even though I stated I’d be too jealous, and she brought it up again later. & when she told me how when she was a kid the counselor diagnosed her with psychopathy.
Then when that bf cheated on me and we broke up, she told me that he was her friend too and acted like I was crazy
– MysteriousTraining72
13. The Manipulator
Whenever he talks about work or some sort of side project, he never fails to bring up his love of money.
He’ll also interject how good he is at “persuading people” (aka, manipulating them) whenever the topic of business comes up.
He’s also flat out said how good he is at being fake towards people and has clearly stated he doesn’t care about others as long as he gets what he wants.
To make a long story short, I only ever talk to him when I can’t physically avoid him.
He’s honestly a very off-putting person that used to be my best friend.
– Ghostinthemachinima
14. Upstairs/Downstairs
My friend has separate utensils and crockery for the working staff at her apartment. Like the security guard, housekeeper, cleaning lady and gardener all have separate utensils kept near the “servants restroom”.
Once I made tea for the guard and poured in the same mugs as us and she lost her s**t. Her explanation was that we don’t use the same things as our workers who are below us and gave a totally out of context bible verse to explain slavery and how it’s important to keep the working class below us.
After that incident me and my friends avoid hanging out with her and go to her apartment.
– Raphael63
15. The Abuser
When he started openly abusing his girlfriend and insulting her because she was bisexual, as well as just how he treated women in general.
It just became clear he was a massive sexist but it only came out in high school when he actually got into relationships.
– tetsuneda
If you see any of this: r u n.
Have you had these sorts of experiences with people? How did you react?
Tell us about it in the comments.