Thursday, January 18, 2007

Difficult

How sad is it that when I read something like this, I find myself trying to figure out what category I'm in, rather than the people around me? I think "Hostile-Aggressive" was the only one I could definitively rule out - I'm more "Hostile-Passive." I guess I don't really have to worry about being "Super-Agreeable" either...

There are people that annoy me, but what annoys me doesn't really fit into any of those categories.

10 comments:

spork_incident said...

I'm merely vaguely off-putting.

[shrug]


.

karmic said...

When I saw the paper this morning, those were my exact thoughts! I am not sure I fall in any category though, I am so protean ;)

Eli said...

I'm merely vaguely off-putting.

But you're so *good* at it!

*pats spork on the back encouragingly*


I am not sure I fall in any category though, I am so protean ;)

I'm multitasking.

V said...

I'm intimidating. I think people perceive me as being hostile, without my being actively hostile.

Their categories are ass. I don't believe in labelling people, but if I had to mix their labels around to suit myself, I'd say I'm a Silent-Super-Hostile. And also a bit of a nihilist, but they don't mention that one.

But this assumes that I'm a "difficult person" which I really don't think I am. A misanthrope, yes, but I'm able to function within normal social parameters.

Eli said...

V. is a Hostile-Aggressive Category Disparager.

V said...

I cannot deny this.

Also: my verification word is MDKEA. Is this where doctors go to buy scandinavian flat-pack furniture?

Eli said...

Either doctors or serial killers...

Rick said...

...something that the victims of the difficult don’t want to hear: they might be the problem.

Damn straight!!

Interrobang said...

"They might be the problem." Yeah, classic "blame the victim" strategy. Instead of urging people to let go of their legitimate gripes, why don't they actually present some strategies for effectively negating people's abhorrent behaviour or at the very least getting them to stop?!

I'm thinking specifically of my landlady, who gives me a severe pain in the kishkes. Her particular kinks are coming over here and dropping in unannounced (illegal according to this jurisdiction's landlord-tenant act), moving my roommate's and my personal possessions around (not illegal, but aggravating, because she doesn't live here, and I resent having to do extra work to put it back), and doing various bonehead stupid things during the course of (ostensibly) renovating, like painting over switchplates and outlets, painting over the bathroom tiles with acrylic paint, and painting over the bathtub with the same (water-based) acrylic paint.

What do you do about someone like that, especially since what drives her isn't some sort of general displeasure with the world; it's a well-meaning sense of entitlement (in that she thinks she should be able to fix anything and everything), coupled with a complete absence of intelligence or pragmatism (or, dare I say, that mythical beast known as "common sense").

Damn, self-help-book dudes.

Eli said...

moving my roommate's and my personal possessions around (not illegal, but aggravating, because she doesn't live here, and I resent having to do extra work to put it back)

Well, except for the fact that she can't do it without first being in your apartment illegally...

What does she say when you complain and tell her she's not legally allowed to do that? Is there any kind of housing agency/renter's organization you can complain to?