What makes a person annoying?

REALITY CHECK

Several years ago, when a young woman moved into Sarah’s neighborhood, talk about her being rather ‘annoying’ spread like wild fire. Sarah was actually warned by her neighbours to mingle with caution.

When Sarah finally met her new neighbor for the first time, she seemed relatively ordinary. However, she did display certain vexing traits. For one, she was incorrigibly chatty, and Sarah couldn’t get a word in during their one-sided conversation. Secondly, her sense of boundaries was blurry as in their very first encounter, she revealed far more about herself than would be deemed appropriate. Despite this, she seemed to be a nice person and Sarah felt sympathetic, for unbeknownst to her, she had been labeled ‘the annoying lady in the neighborhood’.

More often than not, people are unaware that their behavior might be irksome to others. This is partly because humans tend to talk about others behind their backs rather than addressing issues directly. As social creatures, humans are hardwired to be liked and accepted by their community and fear being shunned. If people understood how their negative habits affected others, they would likely be motivated to change.

People would probably try to change if they realized the effect of their irritating habits on others.

Here are some characteristics of people that can be exasperating to others. If you recognize any of these traits in yourself, it would be beneficial to work on improving them.

They talk too much

The number one trait of annoying people is that they speak too much. Listening to endless chatter can be very exhausting; generally people have short attention spans and many things to do.

They don’t listen

They exhibit poor listening habits. Talking to them is like speaking to a wall, as they frequently zone out and interrupt, not allowing you to finish your sentences. Their attention wanders to their surroundings instead of focusing on the conversation, often appearing disengaged or distracted during conversations.

They do not respect boundaries

Coming back to the lady mentioned earlier, certain neighbors complained that she showed up to their house uninvited, strolled right in and made herself comfortable without even being asked to. As most people today lead busy lives, appearing at their doorstep uninvited is a sure way to become insufferable.

They do not think before they speak

You may be familiar with the phrase “Put your foot in your mouth,” which refers to saying something embarrassing or insensitive. Some people have a tendency to do just that, which can make them annoying to others. Whether intentionally or not, they say things without considering the impact it may have on the other person. They might probe about a sensitive issue or crack an unpleasant joke. For example, they might inquire about the obvious acne on someone’s face or ask an overweight person if they are expecting.

They are clingy

They want a lot of time and attention of others and do not give space. The human mind is predisposed to desire what is scarce. When we have too much of something, we do not appreciate it. Unfortunately it is the same with people if they are with us all the time. One must always make sure that their company and presence is wanted.

They ask for too many favors

Did you know that one of the ways to make people like you is to ask them for a favor? The psychology behind this is that when we ask people to do something for us, we make them feel needed and important. However, if your requests become too frequent or too demanding, then you might be quickly boycotted. Sad as it may seem, people who are overly dependent on others for help risk being shunned. The world we live in appreciates people who are self-sufficient and only ask for help when truly needed.

Lack of etiquette

Some common habits that repel people are speaking and chewing loudly, standing too close, being messy, smelly and other inconsiderate behavior that goes against good etiquettes.