1. Bloviating
You know when someone is clearly out of their sphere of knowledge but keeps talking anyway? That’s called bloviating. Sometimes the speaker bloviates to show off. At other times, they simply might not have a choice. A good example of the latter is when you’re asked a hard question at an interview that you have no idea how to answer, but you have to answer anyway or you’re screwed.
2. Being Pedantic
You might think that the things you’re whining about are objectively important, but sometimes others just don’t care. Being excessively fussy about little things can get on people’s nerves when they’re trying to do actual work. This is for those people who criticize everyone that comes their way. You think that waiter didn’t smile at you enough? Fair enough. But turning that into a conversation topic amongst your friends at the table might not go so well.
3. Self-Pity
Sometimes you’re going through a ton of crap. Sometimes, it’s enough to make everything seem like crap – it happens. Depression is no laughing matter. That being said, constant self-pity is something that can often get on people’s nerves. Perhaps it’s because they think you have nothing to feel sad about, or perhaps they’re frustrated at how helpless they are in curbing your low spirits. Either way, self-pity, instead of trying to fix or seeking help for your problem, is a quick isolator.
4. Boasting
If you helped the homeless over the summer vacations, or you started a business with your papaji’s “small loan of 1 lakh rupees”, hey, good on you! Bear in mind, however, that not everyone has the capital or the time to invest in endeavors such as these. There are usually people around you who have ideas as good or better than yours but simply have too many responsibilities or not enough resources to execute them. So, get over the self-praise and just keep working.
5. Fishing for Compliments
The oldest trick in the book, and a classic. A loud cry of “I’m going to fail this test!” when you’ve clearly spent a month studying and know your notes inside out. Or a self-deprecating “I look so ugly” just to get people around you to contradict you. It’s a classic archetype. Don’t be that person.
That’s it, mitron. Five qualities that will make people want to slap you. That being said, qualities are ultimately qualities, not crimes. It would instead be criminally hypocritical if we started slapping people being pedantic, when there are clearly worse issues plaguing our world today. Just know that what you say and do has an effect on the people around you; that’s all we’re trying to say.
