People should be careful about looking down on others.

This woman narrates a story about how his partner spent years hearing snide remarks from a relative.

The relative looked down on him for going to university and getting a degree.

But with time, his partner earned not only a degree but a lot of achievements at work, too.

Read the story below for all the details.

A Useful Degree of Pettiness

This story is my MIL’s. We’ll call her Jane.

My partner is from a respectable working-class family.

My FIL’s sister married an architect who we’ll call John.

John and Jane always had what Jane describes as “a bit of friendly bants” between them.

This woman’s partner was mocked when he went to university.

But, I gather that he needled her about their jobs and for working for the NHS.

When my partner went to university, he made a snobby comment.

He said that university has been a trade school until fairly recently.

He also rubbed in the universities that his children got accepted to and the degrees they were doing.

He got a degree and is now using it at the NHS.

Now it’s 20 years later, and my partner is the only one of the kids that’s actually using their degree.

Incidentally, it’s at the NHS.

Every time Jane speaks to John, she asks after his kids.

And then gently rubs in my partner’s degree and achievements.

He also got a lot of achievements in his work.

Unfortunately for John, my partner is living the:

“I accidentally made myself important at work and now it’s ruining my life” meme.

And there are a lot of achievements to rub in.

Let’s see how others reacted to this story.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

This is something to celebrate, says this one.

Here’s a valid point from this one.

This person shares a fun memory.

Finally, another sensible insight from this one.

Never underestimate hard work and talent.

It just keeps on giving.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.