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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Agent_of_evil13 on 2025-06-26 02:36:14+00:00.

This happened a few years ago but I saw something that reminded me of it.

I got my associates degree pretty late for reasons not relevant. I had been working in facilities maintenance and as a mechanic for years but I needed that degree to get the next step in my career. So I went to community college at 28 with 6+ years of experience in the field already. That was an interesting experience because 3/4 of my class mates were right out of high-school and the rest were like me, or switching careers.

So, in one class we were doing a hands on wiring of a 3phase motor to a motor starter. Everyone got our own station which was essentially an electrical cabinet with the rails already installed. We had to grab our parts, make the plug, then wire everything up.

I have done this 100s of times already. I started barely paying attention, because this was practically muscle memory. It felt like I was at work, which is where the problem started. The language in an industrial maintenance shot can be… colorful. The team I was working with at the time was very fond of good natured (and not so good natured) ribbing.

So anyway, I got in the zone and I overheard a conversation between a couple of the high-school kids. I don’t remember exactly but it was something like this.

M: “I can’t do this”

C: “What’s up”

M: "What if I did this wrong. I don’t wanna break anything. "

C: “M, you should believe in yourself.”

(My auto snark subroutine kicks on instantly without missing a beat) Me: “Because no one else will ya fucker.”

I looked up from my station and everyone was staring at me. I realized I said that out loud and I wasn’t at work… Oops.

I apologized to him later.

TLDR; I told a kid just out of high-school with confidence issue that no one believes in him.