Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea, trying to figure out what really grinds my gears. I mean, really hates. After some serious soul-searching (and a few rage-inducing incidents), I think I’ve nailed it down to two major things.
The Experiment Begins
First, I needed to identify my potential “hate” candidates. I started by just living my life, paying close attention to those moments where I felt that surge of annoyance. You know, that feeling where you just want to scream into a pillow?
I jotted down everything that bugged me, big or small. From slow walkers in the grocery store to websites that make you click through ten pages just to find one piece of information. My list got pretty long, pretty fast.
Narrowing it Down
Next, I had to categorize these annoyances. Were they related to technology? People’s behavior? My own shortcomings? Turns out, most of them fell into two main buckets:
- Unnecessary Complexity: Things that are way harder than they need to be.
- Disrespect for Other People’s Time: Actions that waste my time or someone else’s.
The Final Two Emerge
After staring at my list for what felt like hours, I picked out the two things that consistently made my blood boil. Drumroll, please…
1.Overly Complicated Processes: I absolutely despise when something simple is turned into a multi-step, headache-inducing ordeal. Like, why do I need to fill out five different forms just to change my address? Or navigate a phone tree with twenty options just to talk to a human being? It’s infuriating!
I experimented by trying to complete some tasks online. And I was reminded how much I dislike over-complication. I wanted to change my password and had to fill out 3 captchas, answer old security questions and use a number generator. I nearly threw my laptop! I tried to keep things simple, and to avoid over-complicated tasks wherever I could.
2.People Who Don’t Value Your Time: This one really gets to me. Whether it’s someone who’s constantly late for meetings, a friend who cancels plans at the last minute, or a company that keeps you on hold for an eternity, it all boils down to the same thing: disrespect. My time is valuable, and so is yours!
I spent an entire day just observing people. I watched in a queue while someone argued with the server about an issue that wasn’t her fault. I noticed people scrolling on their phones while in coversation with others. It was clear that many folks are just not concerned with other people’s time. I consciously made sure to be on time for meetings, and to be ready 5 minutes beforehand.
So, there you have it. My two biggest hates, distilled from a messy list of everyday annoyances. It was actually kind of therapeutic to figure this out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find a nice, simple task to do, and I’m going to do it on time.
