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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/minhphuongleo297 on 2023-07-06 08:26:21+00:00.
I was reminiscing after I made the poor nurse shudder after cracking my knuckles at my doctor’s appointment. It reminded me of a funny story with my mom.
My mom absolutely loathed whenever I cracked my knuckles around her. I can’t help myself, it’s a bad habit and once I start I have to do all of them. She would constantly yell for me to stop. She would tell me it’s bad for me and that I’m gonna get arthritis from doing that.
One day at home I started making my fingers into rice crispy treats; snap, crackle, pop. Mom had enough and snapped herself.
“I want you to write a 2 page essay about cracking your fingers including about arthritis. No more than double space, 12 point font and all of that. I don’t want you trying anything funny.”
… Well of course I’m going to try something funny. We wouldn’t be here if I didn’t… so cue that malicious compliance.
I sat at the computer and pulled open google and typed in “how cracking your fingers does not cause arthritis”. Turned out that was correct. I had plenty of sources including one guy who cracked his knuckles regularly on one hand and not at all on the other. The other hand got arthritis and the cracking hand did not. I included that, a few other truthful things like it does cause loss of grip but ultimately it was about how it helped prevent arthritis in the long term.
She took the essay without a word, skimmed it and called it good to my surprise. Couldn’t believe I got away with it.
But
I also remember that it got brought up in a conversation in my adult years before cancer claimed her.
Mom: what did I tell you about cracking your knuckles? I had you write an essay on that and everything!
Me: you… didn’t read that did you?
Mom: what makes you think that?
Me smiling like a fox in a hen house: cause I wrote it on how it prevents arthritis
Mom with surprise Pikachu face: no you didn’t!
Me: Cited sources and everything!
Mom: you brat!
Me: Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
I loved my mom…