When annoyed by others’ bad habits,

We need to be sure we don’t have the same ones. 

The sad reality is that we often notice annoying habits in others because we have the same ones. We just don’t notice them when we’re the perpetrator. It’s so much easier to see them in others! Perhaps the person is offering his thoughts. On everything. Okay, let’s stop right here. This may be a habit indulged in by a fair number of people, including us.

Voicing an opinion may stem from the person’s (our) sincere wish to be helpful.

Or from an honest belief that they (we) know the answer to a question someone asked at dinner.

Whatever the reason, the person’s seemingly endless stream of replies bothers us. And then one day, we overhear someone mutter to themselves “the world according to….”  And they then say our name, with frustration in every syllable. Wow! Speak of the proverbial bucket of cold water—we too have fallen into the habit of trying to be helpful, informative, etcetera.

And apparently failing. So we, also, are annoying others.