Pam is one of the most beloved characters on The Office. She’s often the moral compass of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Pam is a great lady but she’s only human. She’s made her fair share of mistakes. She hasn’t always been the most honest employee. She even invented a position for herself at the company. Pam’s hijinx are often forgiven because deep down, she has a good heart. Here’s a list of some of her worst gaffes.
Sabotaging Jim And Karen
Pam has made so many mistakes when it comes to her relationship with Jim. Pam had her chance with Jim and she passed him over for Roy. That in and of itself was a massive mistake. Jim had moved on and seemed happy. She really owed it to him as a friend to just be happy for him and walk away. Instead, she made her feelings known which put a lot of distance between Jim and Karen. We could all learn to be more direct and decisive while watching Pam waffle over Jim.
Getting Close To Brian
There are many forms of infidelity. What’s considered cheating is different for each person. Finding out your spouse has given a part of themselves to someone else can be really painful. Pam made a huge mistake when she let herself get inappropriately close to Brian from the documentary crew.
Pam got inappropriately close to the boom operator and it seems like she may have known it. While things never got physical between them, Brian clearly had feelings for her. Jim is a great guy and deserves so much better. This mistake is a reminder to never take your relationships for granted and to protect them with your behavior.
The Lice
Among the sins one can commit against their coworkers, infecting the entire office with a parasite has got to be one of the worst. Not only did Pam bring lice to work from her daughter CeeCee but she lied about it and let Meredith take the fall. Poor Meredith shaved her head out of shame. When she realized it was for nothing, she was furious with Pam. She had every right to be. Every person in the office had to endure a disgusting mayo treatment. When they found out Pam had lied, the betrayal they felt was obvious. Don’t infect your friends with parasites. If you do, at least be honest.
How She Handled Her Parents Divorce
Pam was understandably upset when she found out her parents were going to get a divorce. It doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s always shocking when your family is rocked by such a big change. Pam had asked Jim to talk to her dad to see if he could sus out the issue in her parents’ marriage. When he found out that his future father in law wanted a divorce, Jim asked if he could hold off announcing it to spare Pam’s feelings. Pam immediately assumed Jim was behind the split when she finally found out. A great reminder not to jump to conclusions.
Holding Jim Back
When you truly love someone you want to see them succeed. It’s easy to compromise and sacrifice for their well being. Love is often described as putting someone else’s needs before your own. Jim was ready to leave Scranton and find a new career. He went all-in on a sports marketing startup with his old college buddies then told Pam how he felt. Her response was less than supportive. She asked Jim to commute back and forth and spend large amounts of time away from his family. Jim had outgrown Dunder Mifflin. It was time to go. Pam really put the breaks on his career by refusing to go with him until it was almost too late. Use Pam as a cautionary tale to always support your spouse’s career.
Being A Bad Friend To Andy
Andy may have been obnoxious but no one deserves what he went through with Angela. Andy was so eager to settle down and start his new life with his tiny bride. Little did he know, everyone was keeping a secret from him. Pam knew before anyone else and stayed mum. Angela was having an affair with Dwight, one that Pam knew all about.
She may have chosen to stay out of it because she felt it wasn’t her business but was she really being the best friend to Andy? Someone could have warned him before he had his heart crushed. Pam reminds us to be a loyal friend and to tell the truth when it matters most.
Pretending To Love The House
Jim has made plenty of his own mistakes. Not many men would buy a house without asking their wives first, but that’s exactly what Jim did. He bought his parents’ house to surprise Pam. She said she loved it and even burst into tears. When it was finally time to say goodbye to Scranton, Pam revealed how she really felt. She put the house on the market without telling Jim. When they got an offer he wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave but she revealed that she hated the house and was ready to move on. When it comes to relationships, especially marriage, honesty is the best policy. Lying about something that big reminds us all to be honest about what we want and need.
Breaking Up Her Mom And Mike
Pam’s mom made an unusual and brave choice. She decided to date Michael Scott. A move few women had ever made before. Pam saw that both her mom and her boss were happy but that wasn’t good enough for her. She was so uncomfortable with the relationship that she intentionally sewed seeds of doubt and broke it up. Let this be a lesson to us all, if your mom is happy dating your goofy boss, just let her be happy.
Not Reigning In Mike When He Quit
It’s unclear how she ended up in the role but somehow Pam became the official voice of reason for the office. While others stood back in fear while Michael plotted horrible decisions, Pam was never afraid to jump in and keep things from going too far.
There was one instance when Mike took things too far and his trusted confidant didn’t slow him down. In fact, Pam jumped on board the bad ideas train with him. When Mike quit Dunder Mifflin to form the Michael Scott paper company Pam walked out with him. If you know you’re the responsible friend, don’t encourage shenanigans.
Doubting Jim With Kathy
Pam knows she’s a lucky girl. Jim is funny, intelligent, well mannered and adorable. When he was sent to Florida on a Sabre business trip his new coworker Kathy was on his tail. Pam saw Kathy’s attraction to her cute husband and was obviously jealous. Nothing happened on the trip because Jim is the ultimate gentleman. Pam stands as an example that we should have more faith in our partners.
