Behavior Guaranteed to Antoganize People and Encourage Them to Avoid You

If people tend to avoid you, you may have already mastered most of the techniques listed below.

Cultivate the "I Syndrome".
Insert as many personal pronouns as possible into every paragraph that you write or speak. Try to work them all in whenever possible: I, me, my, myself, mine.

Seek every opportunity to turn an intelligent debate into an antagonistic argument.
If it's not what you want to hear, make stuff up! Challenge fact with factoids. Disregard what has actually been said or written and deliberately misinterpret or misrepresent another's viewpoint.

Make every conversation about you.
Feign interest in what others are saying, then expound upon every remarkable or unremarkable feat you have ever performed or intend to perform someday, maybe.

Permit no aliment, injury or terrible experience to be worse than yours.
If someone breaks a bone, provide gruesome details about the compound fracture you once suffered. If they have a headache, complain that you suffer from chronic migraines. If someone has been in an automobile accident, describe how your car was demolished and that it is a miracle that you are still alive.

Seek sympathy at every opportunity.
Should someone mention a recent social activity, sadly state that you seldom get to go anywhere. If a neighbor buys a new car, complain that you can barely afford basic necessities. If an acquaintance is excited about an upcoming family gathering, exclaim that your family members apparently don't care enough to visit very often.
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Published on November 29, 2015 07:53
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message 1: by Alicia (new)

Alicia Ehrhardt Good post, Jim.

Some of these are a little hard when the other person is doing that to you!

But, in general, if conversations don't go both ways, there isn't much incentive to continue them.

And the kicker: I already know all about me, so if I talk about me I don't learn anything new. I prefer to learn about you.

How are you doing? Did something in particular prompt the post, or is it a good general observation about life?


message 2: by Jim (last edited Nov 29, 2015 10:01AM) (new)

Jim Vuksic Alicia wrote: "Good post, Jim.

Some of these are a little hard when the other person is doing that to you!

But, in general, if conversations don't go both ways, there isn't much incentive to continue them.

And..."


Alicia,

The inspiration for the post was derived primarily from watching the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidate debates.

Thank you for taking the time to view the blog and commenting.

Jim Vuksic


message 3: by Alicia (new)

Alicia Ehrhardt Ah, politics. I stay completely away because I really have nothing to contribute to that conversation, but I do keep an ear open for the more egregious utterances.

And two or more of these people will run for the highest office in the USA. And at that point I will vote and choose and cross my fingers.


message 4: by Christine (new)

Christine Hayton You're a brave man, Jim. It's wonderful you feel free to put these narcissistic antics into point form and publish them. You know the offenders are not listening. Thanks for the smile today.


message 5: by Jim (last edited Nov 30, 2015 12:23PM) (new)

Jim Vuksic Christine wrote: "You're a brave man, Jim. It's wonderful you feel free to put these narcissistic antics into point form and publish them. You know the offenders are not listening. Thanks for the smile today."

Christine,

Since it made you smile, this blog post has achieved at least one worthwhile accomplishment. Unfortunately, as you point out, those who routinely demonstrate such behavior are the very ones who will more than likely ignore or not even be aware of it.

Thank you for once again viewing the blog and taking the time to comment.

Jim Vuksic


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