Definition: Given a real-life anecdote of a complex ethical situation, generate a suitable title that describes the main event/root cause of the situation. Imagine that the given text is a social media post, and you have to write the title of the post, so the users can decide to read the main text or not.
Input: There’s a lot I could say about this, but I know this isn’t an advice sub, so I’m going to keep it short. A friend that I used to be close to but haven’t hung out with in two years reconnected with me recently. We’ll call him Alex. I originally distanced myself from Alex because he has some mental health issues that he refuses to get help with. I felt like a therapist, as did two of our other mutual friends at the time. He was completely reliant on other people for his happiness. Personally, I just couldn’t do it anymore, and he would not listen to anybody’s advice. 

I was going to give him a second chance after we reconnected (I ran into him at a bar), but later that night, he sent me a long-ass text in which he essentially explained to me how difficult the past two years have been. The things he told me he’s been through since we last spoke, I am honestly astounded that he still refuses therapy. To each their own I guess, but not when it means thrusting your emotional problems onto others. Anyways, somewhere in the middle of this long-ass text, he told me that if we don’t hangout while he’s home from school, he will never speak to me again. 

Now, the problem here is that I went to a very small high school, and many of us still see each other. There is no way I’ll be able to get around not seeing him again, unless I plan on turning down invites to future social events that he may be at. His younger brother and my younger brother are friends, too, and often times they all hangout together in a small group.  This is where I’m questioning if I’m the asshole. My brother seems to think that if I don’t hangout with Alex, it makes things weird for him as well. While this may be true, there are a lot of other reasons not listed here to help explain why I don’t want to see him, and I don’t feel as though I should have to associate with someone just so that things won’t be ‘weird’ in the future — especially when that person only brings negativity and drama into my life. Him threatening not to speak to me ever again is what really sealed the deal for me. To me, that’s just not something a grown adult should be saying. 

What do you guys think? Am I being an asshole by not reaching out to him?



not wanting to see a friend that is threatening to never speak to me again if I don't hangout with him