20+ infuriating comments from bosses, teachers, and other authority figures: 'So I pay you all this money just to push a few buttons'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
May 5, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Everyone has problems with authority figures at some point in their lives. It could be your parents when they tell you to eat your vegetables. It could be your teacher when they give you a hard time in class and assume you're not trying hard enough. Later in adulthood, this person is often your boss, who could be reprimanding you for not doing your job adequately or for not going "above and beyond." 

In some of these scenarios, the authority figures in question claim to have your best interests at heart. They may expect too much of you, but it's often because they want you to succeed and live a fulfilled and healthy life. That being said, there are other instances when these folks simply are there to remind you that they are in charge and deserve to be worshipped. These are the insecure authority figures who sense that you may be questioning their leadership. It is out of that insecure place where authority figures are wont to spew out infuriating nonsense.

Keep scrolling below for these top frustrating comments people shared from various authority figures in their lives!

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  • 01
    ON Time Object Within Infor
    via Centre for Ageing Better

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    This teacher clearly never grew up!

    Longjumping Affec... 6h ago • In 5th grade, I complained to a teacher about being b . She told me, "You'd make more friends if you got your nose out of that book every once in a while." Ah yes, let's discourage that nasty reading habit so that the mean girls will treat me better.
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  • 03
    azzi008 6h ago . I once got told I was not allowed to drink water in class. Their reason "because then I would have to let everyone do it". Yea you should let everyone do it.
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  • 04

    If that comment isn't dehumanizing, I don't know what is!

    Common-Ad6470 6h ago Boss was observing me one day while I was busy working and said, 'So I pay you all this money just to push a few buttons' He was referring to my keyboard, so I fired back, 'Yes, but it's knowing which keys to press and when that's important.....
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  • 05
    Scarletmittens • 6h ago "You have the potential to be a good nurse". After being a combat medic, paramedic and now a nurse for 8 years. Get out.
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  • 06
    zerombr 6h ago "I don't give full stars because you can always improve". I replied, "then it never matters how hard I work for you, because you just said it doesn't matter"
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  • 07
    Pristine-Goal-92 6h ago When I was 17 I was working as office assistant - doing mail, typing, watching reception, making deliveries;
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  • 08
    stuff like that. We also held weekly fancy lunches for up to 12 clients for which I collected, plated and served the formal catering (three courses then coffee) and cleaned up afterwards (which could take hours in a tiny kitchen sink). The boss.
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  • 09
    came into the kitchen after one of these lunches to get a drink from the fridge and asked how I was doing. I said "we need a dishwasher". His response was "that's what you are".
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  • 10
    • jojodolphin 6h ago · Edited 5h ago The assignment was to circle or underline any words we didn't know from a two or three paragraph short story (6th grade). I read the story, then approached the teacher's desk and said that I understood everything. She told me it was impossible and to go try again. I'm in my thirties now and this still makes my bl d boil
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    Cheezburger Image 10501144320
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 12
    RepresentingJoker • 6h ago My manager: "We're not that far behind. You and [coworker] just need to work harder" This was a year ago. And we're still behind.
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  • 13
    Sad_Moment6644 · 6h ago • My boss told me "you need to dress more appropriately, I'm sure Male colleague one and male colleague two appreciate it but I don't."
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  • 14
    I was 29, she was nearly 50 and I was wearing regular shirts to work, absolute basic office wear. I came home and cried for hours because I couldn't afford to buy new clothes and I didn't understand why she'd said it as you couldn't even see a bit of cleavage (and I didn't even HAVE cleavage to talk about then)
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  • 15
    I went to HR the next day and told them what she'd said. I remember the HR lady going "WHAT?!" and her eyebrows almost disappearing into her hairline. Within a week was moved from her dept. She then told everyone I'd accused her of being a b so she'd had me moved (lies) and was a complete b to my replacement too.
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  • 16
    14 years ago and it still makes me mad she thought it was an acceptable thing to say to me.
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  • 17
    4lfred 6h ago As a server, a restaurant manager overloaded me (and my colleagues) with too many tables, I told the hostess I
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  • 18
    couldn't take another until I at least got the order in for a 12-top...he confronts me and says "when you're given a table, you have to take it!"
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  • 19
    To which I try to reason with him by asking if I should let my other tables wait unnecessarily long to have. their orders taken, and he interrupts me with "you take the tables, end of story! End of story!"
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  • 20
    Service suffered that night, and many more nights under his supervision. He was eventually fired for his incompetence.
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  • 21
    Mr... • 6h ago Edited 4h ago. . Management wanted us to report everything and be very mindful of health and safety and keep accurate paperwork.
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  • 22
    I did and always reported everything to auditors as I am required. Management later fired me for gross misconduct
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  • 23
    without warning. I hit and exceeded all my targets and even helped out other departments regularly once | had the time.
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  • 24
    I did not interact with other employees or behave inappropriately either. They just hated my reporting and I blew the whistle on them doing illegal practices. We made fire doors for reference and the big boss. only cared when his boss stopped by and saw us do it.
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  • 25
    Anxious-Routine-... 6h ago • "Don't write it down!" My boss, after yelling/demanding to know why I was submitting 2 hrs of OT every week for over a month.
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  • 26
    I was having to stay late every day past my shift (more than 2 hours weekly) because my coworker was at least 15 minutes late to work every day and I wasn't
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  • 27
    supposed to leave until they showed up. Rather than tell my coworker to come in on time, he opted for me just working and not getting paid OT.
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  • 28
    I told him, "No problem." From that day on, I simply left on time regardless of what was happening. A month of that, and suddenly,
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  • 29
    my boss found a way to tell my coworker to get their a in on time so shifts were completely covered.
    via remaking_old_events

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Tags

authority school entitled parents toxic-workplace work teacher toxic-boss mildly infuriating Horrible Bosses Terrible Teacher entitled people toxic-work-environment
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