Sheldon Cooper is arrogant, conceited, more than a little childish, and insensitive throughout The Big Bang Theory. He struggles with adhering to social codes, empathy, and relating emotionally to others. While it adds a lot to his character in terms of charm and comedy, he wasn't always the easiest person to get along with.
With that being said, Sheldon matures in leaps and bounds in terms of caring for his loved ones, being emotionally present for his friends, and thriving in his romantic relationship. Like his friends, however, that does not mean that he doesn't have his slip-ups.
Updated on September 13th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Sheldon is one of TBBT's more complex characters. He was strong in his convictions, brilliant beyond compare, and obnoxiously confident. Friends of Sheldon's knew what they were getting into when aligning themselves with Sheldon, but newer characters in their friend group were always confused by his personality. As the series went on and Sheldon became closer to Amy and Penny, he changed for the better. He had sweeter moments and showed a level of compassion that he didn't normally.
Sheldon's Most Annoying Moments
He Insults Amy Throughout The Early Stages Of Their Relationship
Throughout the series, Sheldon has demonstrated difficulty, not only in understanding his emotions but in expressing them. Despite making progress over the years, his emotional difficulties have landed him in hot water.
Amy became frustrated by Sheldon's lack of interest in the future of their relationship. She broke up with him because she needed time to think. Sheldon had a hard time accepting the breakup and made some cruel remarks about her biological clock ticking and that she couldn't afford to be single if she was looking to get married and start a family. Amy was infuriated by his comments and it justified her breaking up with him.
Sheldon Makes Leonard’s Switzerland Trip All About Him
When Leonard is invited to go see the CERN laboratory in Switzerland, he thinks it’s a prime opportunity to bring Penny with him since it would be over Valentine’s Day. However, once Sheldon caught wind that Leonard was going to see the CERN laboratory, he did everything he could to get Leonard to choose him over Penny.
Leonard stood his ground in wanting to take Penny, but Sheldon didn’t take no for an answer. He made this excursion all about him and guilt-tripped Leonard into taking him on the trip once Penny got sick. Everyone was annoyed by Sheldon’s whiny behavior because he didn’t stop until he got his way.
Knowing All About Leonard’s Personal Life Through Beverly
Beverly wasn’t the easiest of characters to get along with on The Big Bang Theory. She was cold, uncaring, and uninterested in most things Leonard told her. The only person she got along with well was Sheldon.
Sheldon and Beverly had a lot in common, which irritated Leonard. When Beverly first came to visit Leonard and his friends, he found out she and Sheldon were far closer than he realized. Sheldon knew about the death of Leonard’s dog and the inner-workings of his family — all before Leonard. Leonard hated how close the two were, and it bothered him that Sheldon didn’t recognize it.
Sheldon Tries To Steal The Lord Of The Rings Prop
Some of Sheldon's more prominent personality traits are arrogance and entitlement. And he is not shy to cross social boundaries to get his way. When the men get their hands on a real prop from The Lord Of The Rings set, Sheldon immediately claims it, despite his friends' protests.
But it doesn't stop there. When he doesn't get his way, he goes to extremes to steal it, including attempting to steal it off of a sleeping Penny and attempting to pickpocket Leonard. As a rule-abiding person, it didn't make sense that Sheldon was so forceful with stealing the prop.
He Cleans Penny's Apartment Without Her Knowledge
Social boundaries and codes of etiquette have never been Sheldon's strong suit. And it causes him to do very questionable things, particularly with those in his circle. For example, when he discovers how messy Penny's apartment is, he sneaks in during the night to clean it.
Upon discovering what Sheldon (and Leonard) have done, she erupts at them and demands her spare key back. Since they were newer friends at this time, Penny felt violated. Even though Penny and Sheldon became great friends on TBBT, this is a classic example of Sheldon wanting to impose his view of the world on others.
He Expects Others To Care For Him When He's Sick
Whenever Sheldon gets sick, he makes it clear that he hasn't completely grown out of his childhood. Not only does he demand that Leonard or Penny serve him soup and look after him, but he also wants them to sing "Soft Kitty" to him — the lullaby that his mother would sing to him when he was a child.
Penny helping Sheldon when he's sick is one of the sweeter things she's done, even when he didn't always deserve it. However, his behavior has gotten so bad that his friends have gone to extremes to avoid him.
He Criticizes Bill Gates' Focus On Charity
Sheldon's world revolves around him and his needs, causing him to be insensitive to others in many instances. For example, Leonard reveals that when Bill Gates did a talk at their university, Sheldon went up to him and criticized him for focusing on charity work rather than working on software.
The result? Gates punched him in on the nose. Those who were bothered by Sheldon found the incident humorous, but it didn't make much of a difference in Sheldon's life because he still believed Gates spent too much time on other things than on software programming.
Sheldon's Sweetest Moments
When He Tells Amy He Loves Her
As turbulent as their relationship is at times, Sheldon cares deeply for Amy. She has brought him out of his shell, taught him to be truer to his emotions, and has overall been a good influence on him.
When the friend group decides to re-enact their proms, Sheldon experiences a lot of stress over the event. When Amy comes to comfort him, he finally admits that he loves her. Although it causes Amy to have a panic attack, it's a sweet moment that was needed in their relationship. Sheldon's quote on love showed a new side to him that fans haven't seen before.
His Proposal & Wedding Vows
Longtime fans of TBBT were proud of Sheldon’s growth from season 1 to season 12. He learned so much from his friends and Amy that he became a well-rounded and beloved friend and partner.
Viewers were shocked when Sheldon randomly proposed to Amy, but were pleased with his behavior on his big day. Sheldon could have easily said a quote from Star Trek for his vows, but he instead had beautiful things to say about his feelings for Amy and how much she meant to him. The exchanging of their vows was one of Sheldon’s sweetest moments.
Sheldon Found It Hard Separating Himself From Leonard
Sheldon gets a bad rep sometimes, but he’s a good friend to Leonard. When push comes to shove, Sheldon did what he could to protect Leonard from harm (especially against another heartbreak from Penny).
One of Sheldon’s sweetest moments was when he and Leonard were separating and moving on with their adult lives. Sheldon was moving across the hall to have a fresh start with Amy and Leonard was finally going to live alone with Penny. In a surprising moment, Sheldon looked downcast and was sad that he wasn’t going to share the same space as Leonard. It proved that the two were great friends despite all the ups and downs they faced.
Sheldon Purposefully Loses To Will Wheaton
In season 3, Sheldon enters a Mystic Warlords of Ka'a competition at the comic book store to confront Will Wheaton. Will became a beloved secondary character on the show, but Sheldon and him got off on the right foot. He is hoping to get his revenge on the Stark Trek actor for not showing up at a convention he attended when he was a child.
When the two finally face off, Wheaton reveals that he missed the convention because his grandmother had died. Touched, Sheldon lets him win. Although this turned out to be a ruse on Wheaton's part, it is a rare moment of kindness for Sheldon.
Sheldon Comforts Howard After His Mother Dies
Sheldon has shown that he is more perceptive to people's emotions than he lets on (although it's taken a lot of growth). In season 8, Howard's mother unexpectedly dies. Howard and his mom had some of the best scenes on TBBT. Instead of making an insensitive comment, Sheldon surprises everyone by saying: "When I lost my own father, I didn't have any friends to help me through it. You do."
It's a rare moment of empathy for Sheldon, and it demonstrates just how much he cares for his friend, despite how he treats them.
He Cares For Penny After She Dislocates Her Shoulder
Despite wanting constant care whenever he is sick, Sheldon has shown that he is capable of providing that same care to his friends. When Penny slips in the shower and dislocates her shoulder, he helps her get dressed and takes her to the emergency room.
Not only does he fill out her medical forms for her and reacts positively to Penny asking him to be more comforting, but he also tucks her into bed. She even gets a special rendition of "Soft Kitty." This was one of his sweetest moments.
He Buys Amy A Tiara As An Apology
Throughout the series, Sheldon learns how to listen and not be as self-centered. As a result, he can tune into his loved ones' emotional needs. This has helped him a lot in his relationship with Amy.
After Amy's research is shown off in a prominent science magazine, Sheldon gets into a fight with her after he disrespects her accomplishment. As an apology, Sheldon buys Amy a tiara. Judging by Amy's reaction, it is very appreciated. It shows that Sheldon, despite his arrogance, can admit to his mistakes. It was one of Sheldon's best episodes because it showed growth.