I’m 25M and my friend is 26M. We were working together on a flooring project and I needed him to drill into the concrete, which is what I usually do but since I had other stuff to do I let him do it. I do have more work experience than he does as well. Since this is his first time doing this work. I demonstrated first on how to do it and then I walked him through on the second one. While demonstrating I told him while drilling into the concrete do not go in reverse. I told him a couple times and then I guided him through on the 2nd one. He ended up going in reverse and when he did I firmly grabbed his hand to stop him and told him to not go in reverse, he did it again and I firmly told him again to not do it. Well after the 2nd hole was done I told him that if he has any questions or simply anything to ask me. I told him twice and he said he understood. Well 5 minutes in and he broke my bit by going in reverse. I was upset and reminded him that I told him not to go in reverse. He said that when I told him he thought it was just a preference. Although I was stern when I told him to not go in reverse. His reasoning is if I had given him an explanation as to why he shouldn’t have gone in reverse then he wouldn’t have done it. However I told him that an explanation isn’t a valid reason to go against my word. I also felt very disrespected because I was super upset and he was trying to downplay it. We got into an argument about it. I feel like him going against my word is disrespectful, and him breaking it is avoiding accountability by shifting the blame on me for not explaining the reason. I did insult him a little as well by telling him that in the real world when someone tells you to not do something you shouldn’t do it and you’re not owed or expected a reason. A no is no. Am I in the right or is my friend in the right? Also am I the asshole for insulting him out of frustration by telling him how the ‘real’ world works.
ESH
This is your friend, not your work underling, and “do it that way because I said so” is a crap way to treat him.
OTOH, If he wanted an explanation, he should have asked for one. As opposed to ignoring the instruction and then claiming he wasn’t obligated to follow it because you hadn’t explained it.
IMHO, NTA.
You’re right, it’s a job, sounds like cause your a friend he’s just assumed something but if it was a ‘boss’ there’s no way someone does that. And I was getting ready to say everyone sucks here but you didn’t really insult him tbh, you told him reality.
He should have asked if he needed an explanation. NTA
ESH. You are not his boss. It shounds like he was helping you out. You don’t get to boss him arouns and him blindly following what you say without explaining it. He should have asked why you told him to do something if he didn’t understand.
Insulting him was a definite bad move. Learn to communicate better.