13 Stories That Prove the Road of Kindness Isn’t Always Full of Flowers

We often believe that kindness brings warmth and appreciation, but reality doesn’t always match that expectation. Sometimes, a good deed is met with confusion, rudeness, or even anger. The stories in this collection reveal the unexpected challenges of trying to do the right thing. Yet, despite the setbacks, they serve as a reminder that kindness still matters—not for the recognition, but because it makes the world a little better, no matter the outcome.

• A guy snatched the purse of a very pregnant woman and took off running. Without thinking, I sprinted after him for 2 blocks and caught up. I returned the purse to the woman.
  But instead of thanking me, she started screaming and shouting at me and said, ''Are you stupid or are you blind? He also pulled off my diamond necklace! Why didn’t you bring that too?''
  I was already out of breath, but her reaction left me completely stunned. I just stared at her, speechless. Without another word, she slung her purse over her shoulder, turned away, and walked off without looking back.
  For a long time, I regretted helping her. But now, I take comfort in knowing that at least I stopped a thief that day. Maybe, just maybe, he thought twice before stealing again.

• When I was in college, we had to do a software development assignment. This was for an electronics engineering degree, and most people weren’t that interested in writing software. I loved doing that stuff, though, and was good at it.
  So, I ended up doing the assignments for six different students in class. I changed them all slightly so it didn’t look like they were just copies.
  I ended up with the worst mark on my own assignment. The other six students who handed in my assignment all got better marks than me. The professor said that he marked me down because it was obvious that I’d copied someone else’s assignment. © saugoof / Reddit

• This middle-aged lady asked me for directions while I waited for the bus, and as I pulled out Google Maps, the bus we both needed to get on drove by, stopped for a sec, and then sped off without us. It was a weekend, so the next bus wasn’t for an hour and a half... I ended up walking twenty minutes to the subway in the cold. © ponponponzu / Reddit

• I decided to edit someone's profile page in a wiki because it was filled with grammar errors, and I wanted to help out. Some time later, the edit got reverted, and the page got locked. © MonochromeLimbo / Reddit

• I was returning a pair of earrings I'd bought for my wife. I'd ordered them online but was returning them to the store. The young lady started processing my refund without objection but was about to refund me more than I'd paid (something like the full price instead of the sale price, I think), so I corrected her. This led to the system being confused beyond her abilities, so she had to fetch a higher-up.
  This lady flat-out refused any form of refund, as apparently, they don't refund earrings (which I'd never heard of before this day). She wouldn't believe me when I said they'd never been worn. So, I was stuck with earrings instead of free money. © Georgeisthecoolest / Reddit

• I typically don't do the whole Black Friday thing because of the crowds. But one year, I was feeling particularly bad for all the retail workers who had to work it. So, my brother and I had this idea that we would make little goodie bags with candy in them, go out to an area of town we knew would have a huge turnout (a shopping center with a Walmart, Target, and several clothing chains), and hand the bags out to the employees working.
  Turns out, it's very much against store policies for them to take things like that from customers. © badw0lfbae / Reddit

• When I was in high school, I passed a house with a little puppy out front. After a few minutes, I felt something run into the back of my legs, and it was the puppy. So, I picked it up and brought it back to the house. I said, "Excuse me, your dog was following me down the road. Here he is," and handed him back to her.
  She looked at me and said, "Do you make a habit of walking onto people’s property without permission?"—because I had walked up her driveway to give her the dog back. © Pied_piper_of_Canada / Reddit

• My second year in grad school, I was walking upstairs with a female professor and a female graduate student. I got to the double doors first and held a door open for them. The professor rolled her eyes, looked at the female grad student as if to say, "See what I mean?" and then, ignoring me completely, took hold of the other door and opened it.
  They both walked through that one, leaving me standing there holding my door open, feeling completely awkward. © Unknown author / Reddit

• A lady with a cane and I were crossing a busy intersection during a rainstorm. I offered to cover her with part of my umbrella so she wouldn't get soaked. Instead, she grabbed the umbrella and walked away with it—cane in one hand and umbrella in the other. © Unknown author / Reddit

• There is a homeless woman who stays in my neighborhood often. I saw her sitting on a bench on a freezing cold day sometime after Christmas. (As a teacher, this is a time I often get 20 Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards.) I never go to Dunkin’, and I had a $25 gift card.
  I pulled over my car in the snow and walked over to her, wanting to give her the gift card because it was freezing, and Dunkin’ was up the block. I figured as a customer, she could get a hot drink and stay warm inside for a while.
  I briefly introduced myself and asked for her name. Then I handed her the card with a smile and said, "I have an extra one of these. Dunkin’ is up the road—you should go warm up; it’s a cold day." She looked at me... took the card... threw it on the floor... and stomped it in the snow... © Unknown author / Reddit

• I liked a girl, and I decided to try to be friends with her friends, figuring that could help me out. But I was a bit too, like... "friendly" with them, I suppose, and they thought I was hitting on all of them. I didn't mean to do it, but I did. They all hate me now, which is reasonable. © zalechrollo / Reddit

• I dated a woman who had a 19-year-old daughter. The daughter was living with a guy who was awful to her. I confronted him to protect her. Well, he broke up with her over it.
  Then the mother broke up with me. She said I had no right to interfere. I don't think I was wrong, and no one is going to change my mind. © SH378 / Reddit

• I'm an amateur artist, and last year I painted a birthday card for a co-worker who is an amazing mentor to our entire department (40+ people). A week later, I was reprimanded by my supervisor because I hadn't made her a birthday card too, even though her birthday was a month before the first woman's and no one even knew it had been our supe's birthday because she didn't tell anyone. © CarlSpencer / Reddit

We work hard for our money, but not every purchase is worth it. Sometimes, what seems like a great buy turns into a major disappointment. This collection shares stories of unexpected money-wasting moments—some frustrating, some amusing, but all offering valuable lessons.