Has a friend’s opinion ever triggered a deeper response in you?

Imagine having a friend insult something you like, something you actually enjoy doing yourself, something you consider yourself pretty good at.

Would you take the insult personally, or would you separate your own hobby and pursuits from the friend’s insult?

In this story, one Redditor wrestles with her gym buddy’s opinion on female singers.

See the story below to find out what went down.

AITA for arguing with my friend at the gym after he dismissed female singers?

I (F41) have been friends with a (M51) for about ten years.

We see each other at the gym regularly, and outside of workouts, we’ve also bonded over music.

I’m a singer, he plays guitar, and we’ve had jam sessions together over the years.

That’s when this man revealed his opinion on female singers.

Music is a big part of our friendship, so when he brushed off all female vocalists as “overrated,” I felt like he was undermining my musical craft too.

I was still buzzing from a weekend concert during our Monday lifting session.

The female lead singer had delivered a powerful performance, but she was slightly better at their last concert in 2024.

It started with the woman saying something she noticed at the concert.

I told A, “She sounded incredible even when she looked wiped out.”

He rolled his eyes and said, “Female singers are overrated. The only one worth a damn is Stevie Nicks.”

They did not respond well to this.

My shoulders tensed. “That’s a pretty unfair opinion,” I shot back. “You’re cutting yourself off from half the talent out there.”

Inside, my pulse was racing, and I felt personally attacked.

I tried to pivot the conversation and asked, “What about Janis Joplin? She fronted Jefferson Airplane on the song ‘White Rabbit’.”

Now, this is where things get intense.

A smirked. “You sure [you] know your stuff?” he asked, and corrected me: “‘White Rabbit’ was Jefferson Airplane, and Grace Slick was the singer.”

His tone felt condescending.

The hangout…didn’t end well.

I snapped, defense mechanism kicking in, and we both doubled down. Finally, A threw up his hands: “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I’m out.”

I muttered, “Fine. I’m working on triceps,” and stormed off.

A left the gym shortly after ignoring me. I stayed to finish the session, simmering in humiliation and hurt.

And then, they decided to research what she had brought up earlier.

When I got home, I looked it up. Yep, and I was wrong.

I felt ashamed and texted A: “Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. I wasn’t proud of the way I responded.

I felt overwhelmed and didn’t know how to de-escalate in the moment. I could tell you weren’t happy either, and I let my frustration get the better of me.

I truly didn’t mean to come across so harshly.”

I still wonder: was I the jerk for reacting so strongly, or did his blanket dismissal of female singers trigger something more profound in me?

Was this about the fact that they got a musical fact wrong?

Or was this about the man’s opinion on female vocalists?

Let’s read the comments below to see what everyone else thinks

Redditors said “NTA” to her response.

…And that included men.

People said she was right to feel undermined.

And finally, one person said his opinion was downright hateful.

She shouldn’t feel the need to apologize.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.