What’s annoying you?

No one likes to be annoyed.  Yet, everyone from time to time gets annoyed by someone or something.    

It's just like magic. When you live by yourself, all of your annoying habits are gone. ~Merrill Markoe

Once your brain recognizes an annoyance the seed has been planted.  Sometimes the annoyance grows into nothing and quickly leaves your mind.  Other times it grows into something so large it blocks you from seeing anything else. It consumes you and interferes with all other thoughts.  

I prefer a pleasant vice to an annoying virtue. ~Moliere

Some annoyances, such as a baby’s cry are instinctual.  Others are triggered simply by personal feelings or experiences.  Not everyone considers the same traits/behaviors annoying.  However, research has showed that some traits are more commonly considered annoying than others.  The top trait that annoys most people is, ironically,  people who are always annoyed.  I agree, few things are more annoying then people who are always annoyed.  It seems that some people can never be happy or just let things go.  I’m sure we all know someone who is always bothered by something!  The next two traits that annoy the most people that are those who are arrogant and picky.  

The fellow who thinks he knows it all is especially annoying to those of us who do. ~Harold Coffin

Here’s some things that really annoy me:

• When someone doesn't cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze (If you haven’t already read... check out this post: http://goo.gl/qQp70)
• When you hold a door for a stranger and they don’t acknowledge the effort.  
• When someone just leaves a shopping cart randomly in the parking lot.  Unless you are pregnant or handicapped you have no excuse.  I don’t care if it is late and raining... you have no excuse!
• People that don’t catch on to basic body language.  If someone keeps changing the topic and is clearly trying to get away... STOP TALKING!    
• Someone who offers suggestions but never offers to do any of the work.
• Packages that are not opened correctly.  By opened correctly, I mean the item appears to have been open by a human not Coco the monkey.
• When someone is crossing the street and they don’t show any effort to cross the road quickly.  I don’t think anyone should be run over with a car BUT I could understand how it could happen.

Everyone gets annoyed by something.  I did some research to find out how to not be annoying.  Here’s some of the tips I found: respect boundaries, be humble, be polite, and don’t argue.  I guess they make sense but how am I to know the person’s boundaries?  Sometimes a person can be too humble and that is annoying.  Sometimes polite doesn’t work and you need to argue.  One site suggested asking a close friend if you are annoying.  What could go wrong there?

People have always found me challenging - I don't know why, when I am only being myself. I don't understand why they find me so annoying but they do. It is pity, but that is how it is. ~Ian Hamilton Finlay

Let’s keep this real simple... are you annoying? YES.  Am I annoying? YES.  Sometimes there is nothing you can do about it, it is what it is.  My advice...try your best to not be annoying in general, but give special effort to avoid annoying your spouse, your boss and anyone who can beat you up.  Outside of that, just live your life and try your best.