How Not to Be an Asshole: A Field Guide for People Who Think They’re Fine (But Probably Aren’t)

We all know  those people.

The driver crawling in the left lane like they’re on a scenic tour. The grocery shopper who builds a cart barricade in front of the pasta sauce. The neighbor who thinks 7 a.m. is the perfect time for a leaf-blower symphony. It’s easy to spot them – the rude, the oblivious, the inconsiderate – and even easier to believe we’re nothing like them.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we are all the problem.

How Not to Be an Asshole is a brutally honest, hilarious, and surprisingly insightful field guide to modern life – and the millions of tiny ways we make it harder for each other without even realizing it. From driving and parking to shopping, scrolling, posting, and sharing public spaces, this book holds up a mirror to our daily behavior and asks the uncomfortable question: Are you really as considerate as you think you are?

Through sharp wit, relatable stories, and a refreshingly self-aware voice, authors Jessica Ipena and Benjamin Frazier take you on a tour of everyday assholery – the selfish habits, small hypocrisies, and petty choices we all make. You’ll meet the Left-Lane Philosopher, the Cart Abandoner, the Comment-Section Crusader, and countless other characters you’ll recognize immediately – because you’ve probably been one of them.

This isn’t a lecture. It’s not a scolding. It’s a conversation – the kind you’d have with a brutally honest friend who calls you on your nonsense but still buys the next round. Along the way, you’ll laugh (a lot), cringe (probably), and start noticing the little moments where you could suck slightly less.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• Why “asshole behavior” is rarely malicious – and why that makes it more dangerous

• The psychology behind our worst impulses (and how to catch them before they spiral)

• How tiny, self-centered choices ripple outward to create chaos on the road, in stores, online, and everywhere else

• Simple, practical ways to be a little less terrible – without turning into a saint

You won’t walk away perfect. You’ll still forget your turn signal, block an aisle, or say the wrong thing online. But you’ll notice when you do – and that small shift in awareness is where real change begins.

How Not to Be an Asshole is part self-help, part social commentary, and part comedy special – a guide to being a better human that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Because the first step to not being an asshole is admitting that, at least some of the time, you are one.