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UnsplashGenerally speaking, I try to focus on putting positivity into the world (or at least not bogging it down with any more negativity — there’s plenty of that out there). However, I’m also somewhat of a secret misanthrope, especially because people are so annoying on a daily basis and get on my last ever-loving nerve. If you’re like me, you’ll no doubt be able to relate to the fury these obnoxious human behaviors can erupt inside you.
1. They have no spatial awareness.
There’s nothing worse than people who bumble about acting like they’re the last surviving human on earth and therefore need to have no spatial awareness whatsoever. They stop in the middle of the pavement to check their phone, manspread on the subway or use the seat next to them for their bags during rush hour, the list goes on and on. The fact that people don’t even bother to look in front of them while walking down the street (usually because they’re too busy staring at their phones, but more on that in a bit) drives me up the wall. Other people exist in the world!
2. They have conversations on speakerphone.
I used to think this was just an annoying Gen Z habit, but I’ve seen people of all ages pulling this move. They literally walk down the street or even get on public transportation while BLASTING their phone calls on speakerphone for all to hear. They don’t seem embarrassed or shy about it, and they don’t even seem to tailor their conversation to the fact that there are dozens of other ears listening. No, we just have to listen to them going on and on and on because these dingbats don’t want to hold their phones to their ears or hook up their AirPods.
3. They think the rules of the road don’t apply to them.
Is it just me, or have the roads become lawless since the pandemic? It’s like no one could take their driving test for two years, so we have tons of unlicensed drivers on the road along with people who really couldn’t care less about any of the rules and best practices stated in the Driver’s Handbook. That’s cool, you go ahead and cause a three-car pileup because you were texting your buddy about going for a drink while swerving into three other lanes and completely ignoring oncoming traffic. Nice one.
4. They speak before they think.
As a mature, intelligent adult, you’re meant to mull things over in your head for at least a minute or two before you start flapping your gums, but oh no! So many people react rather than respond, oftentimes flying off the handle for no real reason or saying things that are uneducated, uninformed, and just plain dumb. If they took the opportunity to think things through before opening their mouths, a lot less idiocy would be floating around.
5. They literally can’t get off their phones for five seconds, no matter what they’re doing.
This is a biggie, and has to be one of the most annoying habits people have these days. I went to see Beyonce’s “Renaissance” movie last night and some girl was LITERALLY sat on her phone throughout, flipping back and forth between Snapchat (sending photos she’d taken of the screen?), Instagram, and TikTok over and over again for nearly three hours. A month or so ago, I went to see Ellie Goulding in concert and when she started singing one of the hits, everyone whipped out their phones in unison and instead of watching her sing it in the flesh in front of them, they watched it through their phone cameras. It’s a serious problem — I feel like I’m living in a “Black Mirror” episode half the time.
6. They think their wants/needs are more important than everyone else’s.
This isn’t just annoying, obviously — it’s also incredibly selfish and self-absorbed. Don’t you love when someone cuts in front of you on line at the grocery store because they “just have somewhere they need to be” or they try to slide in with their friends while waiting to go through airport security last minute? It’s like no one else a) has their own wants and needs or b) took steps to ensure they got those needs/wants met without inconveniencing everyone else around them. Argh!!
7. They comment on stories they haven’t even read.
This is a major bugaboo for me, I have to be honest. So many times, I’ll go on Facebook or even on a news site that has a comments section and I’ll see some ignoramus there going, “I didn’t read the article but…” and then spouting off about something either completely unrelated or disputing something the article doesn’t even say. How do you comment on something you know zero about because you were so lazy that you couldn’t move your eyeballs back and forth for a few minutes and read? God help me, people are annoying!
8. They act like the world owes them something.
Nope, nope, nope. There are some seriously special snowflakes out there who have such a deeply held sense of entitlement that they literally become enraged when the world isn’t handed to them on a silver platter. They may have been taught by their helicopter parents that the sun shines out of their backsides, so they believe that everyone else should feel that way too and as a result, they’re completely insufferable.
9. They don’t pick up their dog’s crap.
This is less something that annoying people do and more something disgusting people do. A whopping 40% of people don’t pick up their dog’s mess. FORTY PERCENT! If you have a pet, you should be cleaning up after it. However, time after time, I have to feel like I’m on an old episode of “Double Dare” (dating myself there, I know) and having to sidestep piles and piles of dog excrement left behind on the pavement by some cretin (who probably doesn’t keep their dog on a leash, either). Disgusting!
10. They treat the streets like their own personal garbage can.
It’s not just delinquent pet owners that make the list of annoying people, it’s also those who see littering as their own personal Olympic sport. Just ate a McDonald’s cheeseburger but the trash can is 10 feet away? Ah well, crumble up the wrapper and throw it out your car window, why not? Just bought yet another disposable vape on your walk to work and can’t be bothered to hold onto the packaging while you puff away? Just drop it, no one will notice. Why are people the worst?!
11. They remain willfully ignorant so they don’t have to change anything in their lives.
Nobody knows everything. In fact, most of us know very little in life, but we continue to learn as we get older and we adapt our mindsets and our lives accordingly. However, there’s a massive difference between a lack of knowledge and willful ignorance. So many people bury their heads in the sand in order to avoid having to change their lives in any meaningful way. They want it cheap, fast, and convenient and they don’t care who it affects. Lovely.
