The Big Bang Theory began with a rather promising premise. A group of incredibly intelligent friends with a passion for all things nerdy see their lives changed when an attractive woman, wanting to become an actress, moves in next door. We witness their lives, go through thick and thin with them, have a good laugh at their expense, and discover more about science and pop culture in the mix. Many may have made fun of the show, but for a lot of people, it became another favorite to add to their most-watched sitcom list.
Whether you like the show or not, everyone knows Sheldon. The quirky scientist with irrational fears of change, and an expert in many fields, Sheldon is someone who brings most of the humor to the show while also being one of the most annoying characters of the bunch. Sometimes we forget just how annoying and unbearable he truly is.
For fans and haters alike, here are the 20 sketchy things about Sheldon everyone just seems to ignore but are truly some of the reasons that make this an unforgivable character with a strongly difficult personality.
20
Several Celebrities Have Restraining Orders Against Him
Sheldon is a big-time fanboy of anything related to sci-fi, comic books, video games, etc. During the show, he has the honor of meeting quite a few famous celebrities, from Professor Proton, to Stephen Hawking, and even Stan Lee. The latter filed a restraining order against him for entering his home unsolicited, following the footsteps of other celebrities such as Bill Nye The Science Guy, Carl Sagan, and Leonard Nimoy. Yikes.
19
He Expects People To Take Care Of Him When He’s Sick
When Sheldon gets sick, the entire world has to stop and tend to his needs. He goes into full baby mode and expects his friends to take care of him, from rubbing vapor rub on his chest, to making him a special soup just like his mom used to, and even singing him “Soft Kitty.” His mother in Texas used to do all of this for him and now, as a grown adult, he expects everyone to do it as well.
18
He Feels Threatened By A 15-Year-Old Prodigy
Sheldon loves to tell (and show) everyone how smart he is. However, he’s also very insecure, especially when someone with an equally brilliant mind comes to tear his crown down. That’s exactly what happened when 15-year-old prodigy, Dennis Kim, showed up. He felt threatened and annoyed by him, to the point where he annoys his friends into ruining Dennis’ life. They are, in the end, successful, leading Dennis to throwing everything away for a girl. It was sad to see Dennis at the end, drinking with his girlfriend and her friends, now far from a successful and rewarding career.
17
He Doesn’t Respect Howard
Howard is the only one in the group (besides Penny) who doesn’t have a Ph.D, but he’s also the only one that has gone to space. However, Sheldon always belittles and reminds him of his lack of doctorate, insulting his career, his knowledge in engineering, and even his love of magic. For a man who loves trains and still wants to be sung “Soft Kitty” when he’s sick, he really shouldn’t go as far as insult someone like that. When Howard goes to space and later even becomes a father, Sheldon stars gaining respect for him.
16
He’s Ashamed To Work With Bert
Sheldon believes Physics is above any other field of study, such as Neuroscience (his girlfriend’s field of work) and, perhaps the most hated of the show, Geology. Bert is a lovable man who specializes in Geology and is looked down on by Sheldon, even going as far as mocking his job. When Bert wins an award for his job, he’s furious and jealous, but Bert, in his innocence, doesn’t even acknowledge this and actually wants to work with Sheldon. Sheldon agrees but keeps it a secret, ashamed to work with him, worrying it might hurt his reputation.
15
He Belittles And Mocks Penny
Penny has, since the beginning, been something an outcast in the group, mostly due to not having the same nerdy knowledge or scientific comprehension as the rest of the gang. However, she is, undeniably, the one with the most street smarts and the glue keeping the gang together. Sheldon being Sheldon, doesn’t stop himself from mocking her and putting her down, assuming she doesn’t know even the simplest of facts, and doubting her skills in just about anything, even when it comes to acting. Later though, he understands just how important she is and they become great friends.
14
He’s Jealous Of His Friends’ Success
Remember when Raj stroke success and made it into People‘s 30 under 30 List? You must also remember just how jealous Sheldon was, to the point where he couldn’t even fake a smile to encourage his friend. This happens later, too, when his girlfriend Amy feels she can’t even tell him about her own successful studies or career. In Raj’s case, it’s true that it gets to his head and everyone is on Sheldon’s side by the end of it, but still… what a horrible trait to possess.
13
He Isn’t As Smart As He Thinks
We’re always reminded of just how much of a genius Sheldon is, especially when he ends up winning a Nobel Prize with his girlfriend Amy, but the immense ego he has due to his intelligence quickly becomes annoying when you find various occasions when he doesn’t showcase as much intelligence as he thinks he has. He can’t drive a car, he can’t use Internet Explorer, he makes mistakes in the metric system, ruins his discoveries, and he even spells “fusion” wrong in his whiteboard! Not so smart now, are we Sheldon?
12
He Takes Games Way Too Seriously
Let’s not even mention the debate over PS4 and Xbox One, where Sheldon becomes obsessed with making the right choice and ends up not making a choice in the end at all. Instead, let’s mention that time when his World of Warcraft account got hacked back in season 4. He calls the police to report the online robbery, and makes it his and his friends’ mission to get the items back. Penny is the one that solves the issue in the end, but we find out just how obsessed Sheldon is when it comes to gaming— no matter how irrational it is.
11
He Holds A Grudge Against His Childhood Best Friend
Young Sheldon shows us a glimpse of Sheldon’s childhood life, from his insecurities and his family, to his best friend and growing obsessions. We even get a glimpse Sheldon’s childhood in the main show, not only when he goes to Texas to talk his brother into attending his wedding, but when his childhood best friend Tam comes to visit Sheldon. It’s revealed Sheldon holds a grudge against him for not following him to Caltech and staying in Texas instead. Tam fell in love, got married, and started a family— and Sheldon is furious he made that choice.
10
He Turns His Friends Into His Personal Chauffeur
In the first few seasons, Sheldon doesn’t drive orhave a license. He may be good at many things, but driving is most certainly not one of them. As in good Sheldon fashion, he always demands his friends to drive him around wherever he wants to go, from his work to the comic book store. He expects nothing else but a personal chauffeur.
Later on, he ends up actually getting a license. But guess what? He still expects everyone to keep driving him around and he doesn’t even tell his friends he has his driving license until it’s forced out of him.
9
He Doesn’t Understand Sarcasm
Although he has an incredibly high IQ, Sheldon doesn’t understand many things, from social interactions or sarcasm. Ironically enough, he’s very sarcastic, and that’s not even his way of being funny, it’s just naturally how he speaks. He doesn’t understand sarcasm to the point his best friend had to literally write down “sarcasm” on a sign during a situation with an angry Penny. He’s much better at sarcasm as the seasons go by, starting to learn about how to identify it properly— and we’re very proud of him for that.
8
He Treats His Best Friend Horribly
What started out as a roommate/partnership quickly became a friendship, despite Sheldon’s annoying behavior. Leonard has been there for him through thick and thin, mending his life according to Sheldon’s needs, and tending to his every whim, even helping him through any problem he may have. However, Sheldon doesn’t always redistribute on the friendship part, forcing him to follow ridiculous rules, becoming furious with him if he ever makes a tiny mistake, and even ignoring Leonard when he has a problem or needs a friend.
7
He Doesn’t Treat His Girlfriend Deservingly
Sheldon and Amy are adorable, even if a little bizarre. Although we’ve grown incredibly fond of Amy, it’s painful to see Sheldon be mean to her, treating her badly while neglecting her emotional and physical needs. Even when Will Wheaton was rude to her, he didn’t stand up for his girlfriend and instead took his side, only standing up for her in the end after much persuasion. Granted, he gets better at becoming a good boyfriend (and husband in the end), even going as far as sharing the credits of a scientific finding and Nobel Prize with Amy, but we can’t really forget or forgive just how toxic the relationship was at the start.
6
He Has Irrational (And Strange) Fears
Sheldon doesn’t like change, we know that much, and he feels uncomfortable in any situation that doesn’t go according to what he wants. He’s irrational and illogical sometimes, far from what he would like to be, making him deathly afraid of birds, dogs, and butterflies. Harmless puppies freak him out of his mind. He even has his girlfriend check for birds before coming out on the roof. Anything innocent and harmless, you can be sure Sheldon will be scared of it.
5
He’s Vengeful
Sheldon is known for his obsessive nature and it’s no surprise that he also has a vengeful and petty streak. Even when it comes to his friends, he has a three-strike system that everyone must follow. Three strikes and you’re out of the group, or you can take a class with him to earn your way back into the gang. This is shown in season 2, when Penny touches his onion ring – strike one. Of course, she fights back, making Sheldon furious to the point he bans her from the apartment. Penny ends up calling his mother and telling on him.
4
He’s Manipulative
Sheldon’s very manipulative. That’s exactly how he gets what he wants. One example of that is when Leonard is dating Priya, a very smart lawyer that quickly sees flaws in his beloved roommate agreement and tears it apart. Sheldon feels powerless and feels the need to come up with an evil plan. He sets up a countdown that forces Leonard to sign the new contract or he will send an email to Priya’s parents telling them about their relationship. This quickly escalates into a fight between Priya and Leonard, ruining their relationship.
3
He’s Incredibly Controlling
We all know Sheldon likes to be in charge, sometimes to the extreme. He only wants to watch movies he likes, he doesn’t let his friends eat what they want, he doesn’t let anyone sit in his spot, and let’s not forget the fact he even controls his best friends’ bathroom time. He follows a strict schedule in his everyday life that leaves no room for change. He makes everyone follow the same routine he does, regardless if they want it or not.
2
He Can’t Accept Change
Sheldon is the kind of person that takes “I’m not fond of change” to the extreme. Every day has an assigned type of food he and his friends will eat, he doesn’t allow anyone to sit on his spot because he physically doesn’t feel comfortable sitting anywhere else, and he doesn’t allow anyone else to mess with the thermostat. That’s just a few of the changes he can’t handle. From big to minor changes, anything that will ruin Sheldon’s perfect routine is a no-no for this neurotic character.
1
He Is Extremely Self-Centered
We’ve already pretty much established just how self-centered Sheldon is, but let’s focus on that for a second. When Bernadette and his sister give birth, all he cares about is the germs; when his best friend Leonard needs comforting when faced with a problem, all he cares about is how Stephen Hawking stopped playing a game with him; when his girlfriend Amy gets them a special romantic dinner on a train for Valentine’s Day, he spends the entire time chatting with another train aficionado. Just how self-centered can one person be?
Source: thetalko.com