Monday, July 23, 2012


A friend of mine made an interesting observation yesterday. They commented on how the more they get to know people, the more annoying those individuals can become.  That made me laugh, for I knew what they meant.

When we first meet an individual, some of those seem appealing, as if we might really want to get to know them.  With some, that works out just fine.  But with others, the more we’re around them, the more their idiosyncrasies jump to the forefront, blocking out any other redeeming qualities they may have.

Not that I don’t enjoy those who are different.  In fact, the majority of my friends wouldn’t know where to fit on the “normal” scale—myself included.  I embrace differences and things that make folks unique. 

But that’s not what my friend was referring to.  Instead, they meant the annoying habits people have.  Or the way they treat others.  Or how they’re whiney, judgmental or needy.  These idiosyncrasies can be deal breakers when adding new friend to one’s list.  As soon as these characteristics begin to reveal themselves, they roar their heads in front of the person.  As a result, they block out the lesser, possibly more appealing, qualities that end up slipping by the wayside, overshadowed by the annoyances that seem to have grown to monstrous levels. 

The irony is, if we keep our eyes open—truly wide open—and see individuals for what they are rather than what we hope they’ll be, we can avoid having those “annoying” individuals infect our lives with the chaos and drama that seems to accompany them.      

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