Black-list

My husband recently made a list entitled, "Top ten things you can do to get on my blacklist". This made me think of making a similar list of my own.

Top 10 things that irritate me:
10. Tardiness
9. Know-it-alls
8. Arrogance
7. Manipulation
6. Greed
5. Self-absorption
4. Ostentation
3. People who take advantage of others
2. Waste
1. Inauthenticity, or insincerity

As I thought about what annoys me about others, I was compelled to make another list of things about myself that might irritate others. I tried to get some input from friends and relatives for this list, but most were reluctant to contribute for some odd reason. So here are some bad habits that I have that may irritate others... (in no particular order)

I can be bossy, judgmental, stubborn, inflexible, possessive, controlling, opinionated, and loud. I tend to interrupt people when they are talking, and I try to fix every uncomfortable situation.

When I look at the two lists, I see some commonality. Some of the things that irritate me are just different variations of my own weaknesses. Somehow, these negative characteristics, which seem subtle in me, appear magnified when I face them in others.