“Weak people who are surprised by temporary power”: a Reddit article on resisting toxic bosses goes viral, Internet users react

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

According to the post, the employee made it clear from the start that he would not tolerate mistreatment and, if necessary, would use his “connections and financial resources” to fight back — even though he had neither. This strong stance would have kept the manager’s toxic behavior toward her in check, even though others in the workplace continued to experience harassment.

“Recently, my friend worked in a toxic workplace. He made it clear from the start to his toxic manager that he would not put up with his toxic bullshit, if necessary, he would use his connections and financial resources to make his life hell. As a result, this manager did not behave badly to him BUT he was always bad to others. In reality, my friend has no such connections or financial resources,” the Redditor wrote.

“We need to realize that these toxic managers are weak people who are amazed by temporary power. Suddenly they feel like heroes in a movie because they have never received so much respect in their lives. ONE thing they forget is that they are also replaceable and nothing outside the company walls,” the user added.

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

“At the end of the day it’s just mind games, there’s nothing called work and productivity in an Indian workplace to get that monthly paycheck,” one user wrote.

“It’s true. The weak and the old always take a 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 get on the same page, here’s what we discussed…” Example: If multiple tasks are in progress, mention it via email and ask for prioritization. Get managers to do things for what they are paid. Also make sure that meetings are done via the calendar. Otherwise, time is never tracked,” a second user said.

“Yeah. People like these managers have very low self-esteem and therefore use cheap tactics and power triggers to boost their daily ego. You don’t need to be the source of it, you need to stand up for yourself when you feel someone is acting out. It also works very similarly with animals. It’s kind of a rule among wildlife explorers that if they are attacked by a bear, a lion, etc., the best thing is to look dominant, commandeering, basically, look big. This will scare the animal 99% of the time. Humans are animals too, but in a different way (sic),” a third user wrote.

“Only do this if you have a backup other than a job,” another user commented.