You know whats Not on Roids, but is absolutely pumped up with rage? My nervous system every time I encounter a pet peeve. Now, according to the official definition, a pet peeve is just something that a particular person finds especially annoying. But let’s be honest: especially annoying is a polite way of saying it makes you want to launch yourself into the sun.
Let’s talk about the office, a veritable goldmine of irritation. In 2020, American employees identified the top three offenders as malfunctioning or slow software, coworkers who forget to wash their hands after using the restroom, and people who bravely decide to bring their contagion-filled bodies into the workspace. Truly, nothing says team player like hacking up a lung while your computer takes six minutes to open a PDF.
Then we have the sonic nightmares. Some people have misophonia, causing them to feel enraged by repetitive eating sounds. I dont need a medical diagnosis to know that listening to someone aggressively crunch an apple or slurp soup is a form of psychological warfare. And dont even get me started on the human drummers—those people who relentlessly tap their pencils, pens, or feet. For the love of all that is holy, stop tapping! Your rhythm is not a gift to the world; it is a distraction to my well-being.
Then there are the social criminals. We all know the One-Upper, the person competing in a race that literally no one else is running. Or the Interrupter, who decides your third word is the perfect time for them to start a new monologue. And if you’ve ever sat across from a partner at dinner while they stared at their phone the entire meal, you know the special kind of resentment that comes with being second-best to a glowing screen.
The experts say we should be mindful, remind ourselves the person isnt doing it on purpose, and be polite if we confront them. Fine. I’ll be polite. But just know that inside, I am screaming.
