Work. It’s meant to be a constructive, creative, and gratifying experience for most folks. A place where you get to share your knowledge, hone your skills and connect with like-minded people who can help you grow and move up the corporate ladder. But sometimes – however unfortunate – things don’t go as planned (or as we would hope them to). Bosses are mean, colleagues are annoying, and hotheaded coworkers are shaking your view of humanity to its very core. We’re not the ones to judge – no one should have to suffer at the hands of problematic individuals, but oftentimes speaking out doesn’t do much good. So sometimes, a little bit of gaslighting can help put these despicable people back in their place – even if it is a tad bit petty.
One coworker’s petty revenge leads to the man’s bad reputation due to his anger issues

A different approach was taken to mitigate one coworker’s petty revenge and combat this man’s bad reputation for emotional outbursts.

Coworker’s petty revenge scheming to shift a colleague’s reputation from strong to weak

A coworker’s petty revenge leads to a bad reputation for a man with anger issues

Coworkers start gossiping, giving one man an undeserved reputation for his emotional outbursts.

One coworker’s petty revenge causes a man’s anger issues to get a bad rep

An emotionally charged debate between coworkers becomes a battle of wits and feelings – who’s in the wrong?

A coworker gets petty revenge, shifting his colleague’s reputation from domineering to emotional
A coworker got petty revenge on a colleague with anger issues. Instead of raising his voice and getting up close to people’s faces, he was batted down, with comments like “Wow, it’s crazy how emotional Jay got” and “I really can’t talk to you when you’re being this emotional” and “dude, you look like you’re on the verge of tears.” His colleagues even started calling him emotional, which angered him. Despite feeling like a bit of an a**hole, it mostly worked. In this section, we’ll discuss reactions to the story.
NTA for calling out a macho man’s ’emotional’ outbursts

The comment on the Reddit post highlighted the fact that the man was ‘overly emotional’ and that nothing said was an exaggeration or a lie, except the tears bit. The replies suggested that this should be the standard way to deal with people who have anger issues and that even though men are considered ‘too emotional’ when they have valid concerns it is still an emotion. Everyone agreed that the poster was Not The A**hole.
NTA. Got a better way to handle Jay?

OP suggests a better way to handle Jay’s outbursts, by suggesting that he step outside and collect himself. Replies suggest considering if Jay might be affected by his body’s inability to handle caffeine or blood sugar spikes, or to use the same gendered words that men have been using on women to suggest a chill pill the next time he has a tantrum. OP is praised for their suggestion and advised to use the tool sincerely and not in a mocking way.
Scripts flipping

The commenter is NTA and says that if the man in the article were a woman or femme presenting person, they would receive much harsher criticism for their outbursts. Replies to the comment point out double standards in gender and the workplace, with one reply mentioning a personal experience.
It is okay to be angry

The comment ‘NTA. Anger is absolutely an emotion. And there are consequences for everyone else when someone gives themselves permission not to control it.’ this suggests that it is okay to be angry and that there are consequences to dealing with it. The comment replies discuss a coworker’s anger issues and how people should stop telling men to stop being emotional, as anger is a valid emotion.
Anger issues + revenge = outbursts

The commenter is not the a**hole here as they’re providing an accurate description of the situation: the man has anger issues and is failing to manage his emotional reactions, leading to outbursts. This particular section also discusses how the coworker’s petty revenge led to the man getting a bad reputation. The replies provide additional phrases to accurately describe the situation and discuss how management is not taking it seriously.
NTA ✅️ Anger is an emotion
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The comment acknowledges the original poster (OP) isn’t the a**hole (NTA). It understands that anger is an emotion and the coworker’s senior management is being unhelpful. There is fear that their plan to rename the coworker’s anger may not be enough. Replies suggest that it might get him fired, that the term emotional is dismissing and to let him blow.
A woman stands up against anger issues ♂️

The commenter is NTA, standing up against the double standard between men and women, which requires women to be more emotionally regulated than men when it comes to anger. The commenter and replies discuss the idea that the man in question needs therapy, and that he might have had a bad upbringing and never learned to control his emotions.
Women’s workplace privilege:

The commenter is NTA, as there are no men asking if they’re the AH for calling a woman emotional. A reply argues that women do have an advantage in the workplace and that it is interesting to think about the difference when the genders were reversed in the same scenario.
Changing perceptions with NLP.

The comment states that NTA – not the a**hole – for using reframing, an NLP technique, to deal with the problem. The comment applauds using words such as ‘volatile’, ’emotional fragility’, and ‘hostile’ to accurately describe the issue. One reply suggests that the comment is advertising for a ‘cult’.
Empowering women in the workplace

The commenter is not the a-hole (NTA) because they understand the difficulties women face in the workplace when they experience ‘hormonal cycles’. The commenter highlights how men are taught to ‘man up’ and only show emotion through anger, which is not a good trait to have in the workplace.
NTA: Emotional shifts

The commenter believes the man is not the a-hole as his anger and volatility are an emotional response, and approves of the shift in language to reflect this.
Anger issues and coworkers’ petty revenge ♀️
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The commenter is not the a**hole in this situation and suggests using a specific method to deal with the man with anger issues, who is being emotionally reactive.
Don’t bully the , NTA for calling out unprofessionalism!

The comment expresses that the poster is Not the A-hole (NTA) for calling out unprofessionalism and shaming someone who is coddled because of their seniority. The comment reflects on the unprofessionalism of this person by referring to their outbursts as tantrums.
NTA – ✊
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The commenter is not the a**hole and finds the situation amusing. They draw on personal experience to suggest that anger management is often a sign of strength and that those who are difficult are often not as tough as they think they are.
Anger is an emotion

The comment acknowledges that anger is indeed an emotion and that the commenter is NTA. A reply agreed with the comment and added that anger is often used to cover up another emotion.
A funny story of how broken someone can be because of emotional outbursts

NTA, the comment discusses a funny story of how a man’s bad behavior has led him to a broken emotional state. One reply to the comment explains that the man is upset that his behavior has been called out, as he has been using his intimidation for a decade and does not want to change.
NTA ✅ ✔️

The comment expressed empathy for the subject’s anger issue and suggested that anger should be treated as an emotion.
Drawing a line between right and wrong in the workplace

The commenter NTA states that the coworker’s behavior is unacceptable, and it’s further unacceptable that the boss just shrugged it off. The commenter recommends creating a paper trail in case the coworker’s outbursts escalate and someone gets hurt.
Dealing with anger⚡

The commenter is NTA (not the a**hole) and found the comment funny. They congratulate the person for having found a way to deal with their anger issues. Someone replied by saying that people who tantrums give off ‘weak sad baby vibes’.
Empathy and understanding

The comment suggests a few more accurate, yet embarrassing ways to deal with emotional men, such as offering time to settle down or encouraging a deep breath. It encourages not treating them like men treat women, but rather like toddlers – with compassion and understanding.
NTA but watch your reaction

The comment states that the poster is Not The A**hole, but cautions to watch their reaction. A reply suggests that instead of having an emotional outburst, the poster should make an attempt to have a reasoned exchange about the topic.
An intern’s secrets exposed

Someone questions if the person in the article is an intern or just making up stories. Replies suggest that the person must be an intern for the company, or just picked up a job to make extra money for the summer.
Revenge is sweet!

The commenter expresses admiration for the story, commending the protagonist for taking revenge. They also plan to use this story to teach a lesson to those who deserve it.
How to deal with big man anger?
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A comment suggested using a gentle approach when dealing with anger, saying that it’s similar to speaking to a toddler. The comment was labeled as Not The A**hole (NTA).
NTA: Call it like it is

The original comment states that the person is Not The A**hole and implies that the situation should be called for what it is.
Emotions and anger

The commenter doesn’t think the man is an a**hole, as anger is simply an emotion. No other comments were made on the matter.
An empowering solution

NTA and the commenter found an empowering solution to the problem at hand. They plan to “borrow” it and put it to use, without letting the coworker’s petty revenge get in the way.
NTA: Help yourself!

The commenter states that the man with anger issues is not the a**hole, and suggests that he take responsibility for his actions since management won’t help him by doling out consequences. The commenter also clarifies that a fit or a tantrum would only be relevant if the man actually turns red, yells, or gets in someone’s face.
Tantrums from grown adults ✔️️ Turning gendered norms upside-down ✔️ Brilliance ✔️

The comment states that the person is not the a**hole for punishing toddler tantrums in grown adults, and suggests that by doing so, gendered norms can be turned upside-down and reversed. This is considered brilliant according to the comment.
NTA. Transformation ✨

The comment applauds the transformation of Jay, the person with anger issues, due to the framing of his behavior correctly. It states this is fantastic and encourages the commenter to be appreciated for it.
Bully or Victim?

OP paints a complicated picture of a workplace dynamic between his coworker with anger issues, the manager, and the other man, culminating in the conclusion that everyone sucks here (ESH). One reply suggests that OP is also a bully in this situation.
A savy Lifehack idea!

The comment declares that this situation would belong in the subreddit r/LifeHacks and congratulates the person on a savvy idea with flawless execution. According to the comment, the person is Not The A**hole.
NTA: ✊

The commenter applauds the protagonist for making the work environment better and makes a statement regarding the emotion of anger.
Tension in the workplace

One comment highlights that the person in the article is being overly emotional and having fits, indicating that their outbursts come from anger issues.
Genius moves

The comment acknowledges the situation and states that the person is not the a**hole (NTA).
College life hilarity

Commenter questions if the original poster of the story just graduated from college days ago.
Calling out toxic masculinity!

The comment recognizes the double standard of toxic masculinity, labeling the man’s outburst as anger issues, and the woman’s as hysterical. The comment praises the original poster for flipping the script and calling out the double standard.
Not the a**hole

A person is commending the person who handled a situation with anger issues in a good way, indicating that they are not the a**hole in this situation.
The ultimate revenge!

The commenter commends the coworker for their revenge, calling it perfectly managed with a *chef’s kiss*.
No revenge here

The commenter expressed their approval and showed that they are not the a**hole (NTA).
Heroically standing up

The commenter spoke up in defense of the man with anger issues, calling them their hero. No replies were found.
Difference between♀️anger and temper tantrums⚠️

The comment states that anger is an emotion that society doesn’t deem it to be and suggests that if someone can’t behave like an adult, they shouldn’t be treated like one. It ends with the acronym NTA, meaning not the a**hole.
NTA: calling him works

The commentator states that they love to call a man in the midst of an angry outburst ‘hysterical’ in order to show them who is in control. They claim it’s one of their favorite power moves.
Strive to be a better adult !

The comment advocates using positive peer pressure to help people gain control over their emotions and be successful adults. It states that if someone had done this, the person in question would have been a much happier adult. The poster concludes their comment by saying that the person in question is NTA (not the a**hole).
Female engineer ✊ calls out anger issue

A female engineer voiced her opinion on the situation and encouraged the commenter to call out the person’s inappropriate behavior every single time. She also took inspiration from the comment for future use.
Is it déjà vu?

The commenter is questioning if the post is coming from the same person who had a vacation disaster a week ago, and if this is a déjà vu situation as to why they are having another AITA moment so soon.
NTA and a great idea!

The commenter appreciated the idea shared in the original post and agreed that the protagonist was not the a**hole in the situation. They also shared that they work with a few people with similar issues, and even their Dad, and will start to use the suggestion.
NTA: taking action

The comment acknowledges that the man with anger issues is not the a**hole, and suggests that he should take action if he doesn’t want to be called out on his behavior any further.
NTA ✊

The comment commends the subject of the article for their handling of the situation, saying that they are ‘not the a**hole’. No replies were found.
Man’s anger not unjustified!

The commenter doesn’t think the man’s anger is unjustified and believes it’s a valid emotion.
A gender equality comparison

The comment criticizes the commenter’s treatment of someone with anger issues by comparing it to how companies treat women, noting that the commenter is not the a**hole in this situation.
No a**hole here!

The commentator acknowledges that the man in question has anger issues, but believes that they do not justify a bad reputation. The commentator believes that the man is out of control and his reputation is undeserved.
Petty revenge ♀️

The commenter declared that they are Not The A**hole and that they will be borrowing the technique of the person who got revenge on the person with anger issues.
The ~*chef’s kiss*~ revenge

A woman shares her opinion on a man’s anger issues, condoning an act of passive revenge consisting of mentioning the man’s ‘time of the month’ during his next outburst. NTA.
NTA: ♂️ Revenge

This commenter thinks the coworker’s revenge was petty, and it’s not the man with anger issues’ fault. No one is to blame here.