His Brother Mocked His Stutter For Years, But One Day He Finally Decided He’d Had Enough
Pexels/Reddit
Family dinners should feel like a safe space to relax, not like walking into a lion’s den.
One man who stuttered had to put up with relentless bullying from his own brother, who made a habit of imitating the way he talked at nearly every family gathering.
Ever the peacemaker, the man always tried to absorb the embarrassment so the rest of the family could enjoy their meal.
Whenever he did bring it up, his brother insisted it was only a joke and that he was being too sensitive. The rest of the family laughed it off or stayed quiet.
But as the jokes went on, the man grew less and less willing to take the heat. Still, every time he considered speaking up, he worried it would only make things harder.
Keep reading for the full story.
WIBTA if I finally call out my brother for constantly mocking my stutter at family dinners
I am thinking about telling my brother that the next time he does that impression of the way I talk, I am leaving the table.
It happens almost every time our family gets together, and everyone just kind of laughs it off.
In the past, he’s always tried to keep the peace, but now he’s starting to lose his patience.
I have never said anything because I do not want to make the whole meal awkward, but lately it has been getting to me more than usual.
I keep wondering if speaking up would be out of line or if I am just supposed to keep smiling through it.
His brother is always quick to gaslight him about the impact of his bullying.
He always says it is only a joke and that I am too sensitive about it.
The rest of the family usually stays quiet, so I am not sure how they would feel if I actually said something.
Now he’s conflicted about how to proceed.
Part of me thinks calling him out might stop it for good, but another part worries it would turn a small thing into a bigger argument than it needs to be.
I am trying to decide if it is worth the tension or if I should just keep ignoring it like I have been.
I am not looking to start a fight. I just want to know if saying something would make me the problem here.
AITA?
Bullying isn’t okay, especially from family.
What did Reddit think?
Bullying isn’t a joke, no matter how much certain people insist that it is.
This commenter shares a similar experience.
Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.
Maybe silence is a secret weapon.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this postabout a man who thought he was staying with his brother for a month in his 1-bedroom Tokyo apartment, then got hit with a list of local hotels.
Bullies all seem to follow a predictable playbook.
This brother has spent years confusing cruelty with comedy, and the man at the receiving end has been the only one at the table paying for it.
It’s really only a joke if both parties are laughing, and that was far from what was happening here.
The brother isn’t the only villain in this story, though. His family’s silence was tough to take, especially considering all the pain the relentless teasing was causing him.
No one is willing to be the butt of the joke forever, and this man is finally finding his voice to stand up for himself.
Enjoyed this story?
Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.
