I'm human. Sometimes I'm the good guy, sometimes I'm your worst nightmare of a bad guy.
I prefer being the good guy, but don't shy away from being the bad guy when the situation demands.
I embrace all aspects of my humanity.
this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2026
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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I constantly feel as though I’m a bad person. It’s my Catholic upbringing haunting me, mixed with my anxiety. I try to remind myself that I’m not awful as I think I am.
Yes, more when going to bed than waking up though.
Let me introduce you to "I'm The Villain In My Own Story": https://youtu.be/UhzN7SfnNeY
From the excellent (though sometimes emotionally heavy) show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It's certainly not the best song in the show, but the most relevant.
And in the artery to that vein, let me present "I'm A Good Person": https://youtu.be/O4hh1YhDfbA
(Edited to clarify these are not the best songs in the show, there are better songs and in a wide variety of genres!)
Kid: Always analysed things pretty neutral and not afraid to question myself.
20’s-30’s (in a xtian cult): everyone is the worst all the time but Jesus …(blablablabla)
Meanwhile internally: IM GONNA DIE AND BURN FOREVER!!!! FFFFUUU…..
40’s (10 years an atheist now): I’m ok. I may not have been perfect so far and I’ll never be. But that in itself is how it is and it should be. I live as loving and compassionate as I can and that’s all I can expect from myself and others.
( /s I mean think of all the times I didn’t take someone else’s life)
If you’ve never asked yourself this question you’re doing it wrong
An unexamined life isn't worth living. ~ So-Crates
We all play in the villain in someone's story....
I feel very bad for whoever considers me a villain in their story.
Like not to belittle them or their struggles, but uh.... gestures to self just look at me...
I had a man point at me and angrily go “that’s her!” to his companion while passing me.
I work at a bakery and give this motherfucker a free roll and a decaf every day because he’s already on the street when I get there at 4 and he needs to eat. We didn’t have decaf that morning, so I just gave him a roll, because I don’t know why he drinks decaf and I’m not trying to give him a heart attack. He thought it was aggressive of me.
O'Brien. You are an excellent officer, husband and father. A true credit to the Federation.
Emotional Abuse will get you thinking all sorts of things about yourself, even when there isn't anything to it.
Lemmy seems obsessed with "good people" and "bad people".
People are complicated and full of nuance.
Someone may have done something that wasn't great for you, but does that make them "the bad guy"?
More likely their intentions actually pretty vanilla and the outcome was less than ideal due to pretty understandable reasons.
Yes, there are exceptions but you don't encounter them often enough to worry about.
I think it's also important to realize that there's a difference between being hurt and being wronged. Sometimes someone can do something that hurts you but isn't wrong, morally, ethically, or legally. It might even be the right thing (ie, breaking up a relationship if it just isn't working out). It might hurt you, but it didn't wrong you. And then some people wrong you, such as committing crimes against you, being abusive, or shitty to you, and that's not ok.
Someone may have done something that wasn't great for you, but does that make them "the bad guy"?
Yes?
More likely their intentions actually pretty vanilla and the outcome was less than ideal due to pretty understandable reasons.
People die from neglect. Should we not punish and rehabilitate those responsible despite whatever their intentions were?
I didnt say we shouldn't punish people.
I don't know if this counts, but I've reflected more on my past recently and realized that sometimes I was kind of a turd. Never egregiously so (I hope) but I was often regarded as the quiet nice kid and I think that led to me believing that and probably overlooking some of my less favorable moments or behaviors that people didn't see as often. I don't hate myself now or think I'm the villain or anything like that, it's just been an interesting slow process of reflection as I've gotten older. It's good to be honest with ourselves and realize everyone has their bad moments. We're not only who we are on our worst day, but also our best, and all those in between
I answered that question with a yes a few times, and eventually quit my job over it. Much happier now. Self-reflection is good and worth it.
Right and wrong are not absolutes. The world is not black and white. People of good conscience are always asking themselves if they did right and how could they have been better. Life is not a purity test. The "good people" aren't without error, mistakes and regrets, sin. They just try overall to do more good for others and our systems than for themselves.
If you never ask yourself if you are a good person, you most likely aren't.
I always tell people that about parenting. Generally, if you're worried about not being a good enough parent, you probably are a good parent.
Counterpoint, if you question yourself whether your actions make you a "good person" you're self aware enough to worry about being a" bad person"
if you were a "bad person," you probably wouldn't give a shit in the first place...
That's not a counterpoint. It's THE point.
I did nearly daily untill I got my meds in line.
Bipolar is no joke.
Yes. I'm a bad guy for YouTube because I block their ads and I'll keep being the bad guy.
Oh I've done a lot wrong
We all are the bad guy at some point but you always have the opportunity to let that go.
I often think of myself as a fuckup, especially lately as I am unemployed.
But when I look at my life honestly and with open eyes, I know I am a decent person who has grown and tried to make up for my past wrongdoing.
And I don't know that there is much else to ask from anyone except that alone, to continue to try to grow and be better in some ways.
I can always beat myself up with would'ves and could'ves, but I can't redo.
The only chance I have to do things differently is now.
It's a thought process worth exploring, and one necessary for self-actualisation and prosocial living. It can't be examined in an ideological vacuum though: what are your values and how and when have you gone against them? What's the intensity and periodicity? Are you truly that far away from righteousness (and panicking a little bit in this case is warranted) or are you an overall "decent" person that needs to uhh round out their corners?
When I discovered that I am autistic, and probably have ADHD, I realised that I really had been the weird bad guy all my life.
I discovered it when I was an adult. But in my case it was the opposite, it was a "oh... so I wasn't the bad guy, I was just being weird to them and they were being dicks about it".
I discovered it when I was an adult
Me too, only a year or so ago. I’m 58
Absolutely.
I think this moment happens for everyone, because we don't always realize how our behaviors affect other people negatively, but it's a sign of growth and maturity when you hit the point where that level of empathy kicks in.
No. Generally I don't do things that I feel are wrong or unethical, and I know that there are plenty of people doing bad things in society right now and that I'm not one of them.
Yes and the answer was yes, and still is on a bad day.
I literally am. I'm more on "now what am I gonna do about it"
Sounds like there's something you feel guilty about