Nobody wants to think they’re annoying the people around them, but despite our best intentions, we can irritate others without being aware of it. "The definition of rudeness is being uncivilized. Lack of manners. I think sometimes that, in and of itself, can be contagious," clinical social worker Sandra Raichart tells NTNV. "Rudeness is contagious, and the world actually will get worse if we don't change it. And we really and truly can start to diminish the rudeness by being mindful and reducing our transgressions towards others.” Self-awareness is a good place to start—here are 11 ways you may be annoying everyone around you.
RELATED: 31 Things Guaranteed to Annoy Your Husband.
1. Excessive Selfies
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There is no need to take pictures of yourself throughout the day, and especially when you’re causing inconvenience to others (no one needs a selfie in front of the Mona Lisa. No one.). “If you’re posting more than three times a day on Facebook, you’re going to irritate people,” cyber etiquette expert Julie Spira tells the New York Daily News. “If one friend is hogging your entire feed, you might unfriend that person because that’s not why you joined.”
2. Smoking
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Your friends won’t say it but constant smoking, whatever the substance, can be very annoying. There are respectful ways of partaking without driving people around you nuts (stick to the open air vs closed spaces, and never near children, etc).
3. Texting During Social Time
ShutterstockTexting while in the company of people you are supposed to be spending time with is incredibly rude and irritating. Nothing is more annoying than trying to talk to someone distracted by their phone.
4. Playing Music Without Headphones
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Try to control mindless leg-shaking. "Shaking your legs while sitting sends a giant message to everyone around you about your inner feelings of anxiety or irritation or both," says Susan Krauss Whitbourne PhD, ABPP, via Psychology Today. "Your legs are the largest area of your body, so when they move, it's pretty hard for others not to notice."
5. Jittery Legs
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Try to control mindless leg-shaking. "Shaking your legs while sitting sends a giant message to everyone around you about your inner feelings of anxiety or irritation or both," says Susan Krauss Whitbourne PhD, ABPP, via Psychology Today. "Your legs are the largest area of your body, so when they move, it's pretty hard for others not to notice."
6. Knuckle Cracking
iStockIt’s very annoying. Stop doing it. “Knuckle cracking is a common behavior enjoyed by many,” says Robert H. Shmerling, MD, via Harvard Health. “It can become a habit or a way to deal with nervous energy; some describe it as a way to ‘release tension.’ For some, it's simply an annoying thing that other people do.”
7. Interrupting Others
ShutterstockInterrupting others is rude and inconsiderate, but many people have no idea they are doing it. Let people finish what they have to say.
8. Borrowing Without Returning
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Rude, rude, rude. Don’t become the person people don’t want to lend things to because you never give it back.
RELATED: The Most Annoying Zodiac Sign.
9. Constantly Being Late
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Nothing says “I have zero respect for your time” than constantly being late. It’s inconsiderate and even if the people affected by it say it’s ok, it’s really not. Make an effort to be on time.
10. Complaining All the Time
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No one wants to be around someone who is constantly whining or complaining about everything and everyone. That sort of energy is exhausting for others to be around, and be very draining. If you need to vent, get it off your chest and then let it go.
11. Canceling At the Last Minute
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Canceling plans last-minute is incredibly annoying for others. Of course emergencies and unforeseen things happen, but if you are constantly flaking on people, it’s just rude.
