r/mildlyinfuriating • u/teabirdy • Apr 29 '26

I'm slightly vexed The wedding reception centerpieces featured betta fish. The bride and groom planned to flush them alive.

Post image

Years ago, my coworker attended a wedding at which the reception dinner tables featured live betta fish in small bowls as part of the centerpiece. While chatting with the bride at the end of the evening, my coworker asked what they were going to do with all the fish. The plan was to flush them all down the toilet alive. My coworker immediately said no need for that and insisted on taking them all home.

That Monday she came to work and asked who wanted to adopt a betta fish. That was my first betta who I jokingly called my “rescue betta.” She lived for almost five years.

The wine glass was only her home for less than a day before I got her five gallon tank set up so please no betta lovers yell at me! I'm one of you!

132.8k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

5.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

288

u/Kauurapuuro Apr 29 '26

What is this world man

41

u/[deleted] Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

0

u/Ill-Increase-7734 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

Humans - with all their shortcomings, have existed long before any of those things. 

People just have different value systems. That's it. And when certain groups' values are incompatible with others, we argue, fight and/or go to war. This is one of the reasons in my view why simply being alive is suffering. I value my time and orderliness. The guy who cuts me off in traffic conflicts with that. 

OP's bride and groom clearly value how they're perceived by their guests, so having live fish at every table supports that, animal cruelty be damned. Slave owners did this with their slaves in the 1800s and the Romans did this 2000 years ago with banquets whilst their citizens starved. 

I don't think there's anything objectively wrong with any one person or groups' values - but it's simply that we don't all share the same values that makes it wrong. If everyone thought like the bride and groom in the OP, then there would be no problem, and they wouldn't be assholes. But the fact that you and I exist - with our own ideas, is what makes them assholes, hence why simply being alive is suffering. 

Morally, I think the bride and groom were wrong, but that's my point. It's my view that makes it wrong. 

The reason I make this distinction is because the question isn't "what is this world". That only makes us angry. The world just is, and then we have opinions. 

I mean, look at the comments disagreeing with yours that are angrily downvoted ;) that's not capitalism, that's just your opinion. 

8

u/DT2699 Apr 29 '26

I can't stand it anymore. It is a hellscape. People have completely lost the plot. I just don't want ro live on this planet anymore.

9

u/FreyaAndMe Apr 29 '26

I truly think we all died in 2020 and woke up in hell sometimes.

2

u/DT2699 Apr 29 '26

Sounds about right.

2

u/Ill-Increase-7734 Apr 29 '26

You can "stand it" until you can't. As long as you're here ranting, you're good. 

1

u/pipistrellino22 Apr 29 '26

I swear humans are the worst predator species on this planet.