A real-life Bartleby, except an asshat.

I always wondered what the american variation of a Hikkomori would look like.

Not really a Hikkomori, I think the Japanese analog isパラサイトシングル (Parasaito Shinguru).

there but for the grace of whatever gods. I watch anime, read, play games, & generally avoid social interaction. I only go outdoors if where I'm going is mostly devoid of people (yay hiking & hole-in-the-wall eateries). i go to work, but I can literally go days without speaking to coworkers.

Only thing that keeps me from being a full blown hermit? The wife.

I'm sort of like you, except I'm not married, don't go hiking, and don't go out to eat.

Maybe I'm missing some of the story, but I think a lot of the blame also lies with the parents. As a parent, you need to give kids chores and let them get a job when legally able to. When you have a 30 year old man child roommate, you must realize that you've made some serious mistakes raising your children.

I also have a problem with an adult son (25). He's a nice guy when he's sober, but is a straight-up liar and loses self-control when drunk. Never holds a job for more than a few weeks, as it gets in the way of his drinking.

After several stints in rehab (see John Oliver's recent story re how terrifyingly useless this is), we've had enough. He's been in our condo (cozy, cheap, but nice), which we bought expressly as a last-ditch effort to help him after his latest stint (there's no way he'll ever live in our house again because a family of raccoons would keep the place better than he did). Charged him about half the going rate, with an extra $100 rebate if he kept it clean on our monthly inspection visits. We don't need the money; he needs the discipline. Lasted 1 month.

It's heartbreaking to myself and my wife that he no longer even tries. He's out on June 1st (to his credit he's not fighting it). I told him I don't want to see him again until he's sober.

Walk a mile in my shoes before you blame the parents. There's nothing harder in this world than to give up on family, but that's where we are.

This is the worst.

I'm kind of sorry everyone is calling your post "sad". It's also very insightful.

Everyone's experience is different, but I can think of at least two examples of exemplary parents who did everything in their power to nurture good kids, sacrifice for them, and did nothing to engender, nor deserve, the ungrateful, truculent, and unpleasant children that were the result.

Good people can have unbelievably trying, unsympathetic, children, through no fault of their own.

Through no fault of their own. Love it.

I dunno, my parents were conservative Christians who through no fault of their own ended up with a lefty pseudo-anarchist atheist kid, so I can totally relate to people putting their hearts into raising a child who turns out to be tnt exact opposite of what they intended.

It's #2 on my list of reasons why I won't have kids (#1 being I fucking hate children): if any child of mine turned out to be a cheerleader or a day trader or whatever, I'm pretty sure I lack the gene that would make me keep loving them anyway.

New guy in the neighborhood rented an apartment from a friend of mine, I met the guy, started out with small lies that grew outlandish. Paramedic, former marine, trained by one of the few real ninjas that live in the united states, bedded Mandy Moore and had a secret bastard child. That kind of weird shit.

When he finally blew out of town after using up every iota of goodwill my buddy looked over the apartment. Hoarder. Needed new drywall, new flooring, new toilet, new stove. He got in contact with the new guys dad, since he was the one sending the rent checks. The dad gave a well rehearsed apology, didn't blanch at the damage, wired the money immediately.

The dad clued in my friend. That's the kids entire life. He drifts from town to town, trashes apartment after apartment, and the dad just pays for it all. Because there's nothing else to be done. The family wants him gone, but not dead. So they pay for his extended summer break.

For just a moment, I said to myself "I want this guy's life." Then I realised that I don't want to cause that much pain for other people...

Make a baby, raise an adult, cultivate your caregiver.

Is it superficial to note that the guy just straight-up looks like a complete turd?

I pity whoever becomes this fellow's next landlord because he reads like a manipulative sociopath more than a slacker.

Dude fathered a kid 8 years ago, has no custody, doesn't work and complains if he did then he loses "his ability to waive court fees."

This guy reads to me as self-immolating-monk-level passive resistance. Do-nothing as aggressively as possible.

Do nothing as aggressively as possible.

Now there's a tagline if I ever saw one.

"resorted to legal action after a series of notes..."

So the whacko fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.

Ah, so that’s where Saint_Marck has been.

Nope, you're still here.