LIFE is full of little irritations – but are you one of them?
New research found we rate stealing from a communal fridge, others eating stinky food and talking loudly on speaker phone as the most annoying office habits.
But it’s not just at work where people wind us up.
Take our fun quiz and check the results on the right to find out if you might be part of the problem . .
1. You are in a meeting and your colleague mispronounces a word in a presentation. What do you do?
A. Immediately interrupt to correct them
B. Don’t say anything, but make it the first thing your tell them afterwards
C. Ignore it, it’s no big deal
2. How long does it take you to reply on WhatsApp?
A. Anything from three hours to a day. Often I open messages then forget to reply so I leave my pals on read
B. I prefer to reply with voice notes, so whenever I’m going for a walk and have plenty of time to record a nice long reply
C. Within the hour, earlier if it looks urgent
3. Your colleague looks busy but you need to ask them a question. What do you do?
A. Strike up a long conversation with them about your weekend because once they’re distracted from their work they’ll respond better to your question
B. Pull up a chair close to their desk and sit and stare silently until they seem ready to talk
C. Send them an email asking when would be a good time to chat
4. A story about a celebrity is going viral. What do you do?
A. Relate a long anecdote about yourself that is vaguely related, ideally on Twitter
B. Loudly announce to everyone who will listen that you are “obsessed” with it
C. Smile to yourself and move on
5. You’ve run out of teabags, but your colleague has a whole box on their desk. What do you do?
A. Pinch one from your colleague’s stash, they’ve got loads, they won’t mind if you just take one
B. Ask for one nicely and promise you’ll replace it – at some point
C. Go out and buy a new box
6. You made a delicious fish curry last night and have plenty left over. What do you do?
A. Bring the rest to the office and heat it in the microwave, eat at your desk while chewing loudly
B. It would be a waste not to bring it for lunch, but you make sure you eat it away from where people are working
C. Save it for dinner, no one needs to smell that
7. You are on the bus and your best friend calls you on FaceTime. What do you do?
A. Answer it, this journey is boring, it’s the perfect time for a catch up! Never mind that you don’t have your headphones
B. It’s annoying when people are on video in public so you call your pal back and have the conversation over the phone instead
C. Text them and say you will call them back once you’re home
8. Your partner puts on a movie that you have seen and you know there is a scary twist. What do you do?
A. Tell them straight away what’s coming so they don’t get a fright
B. Say there’s a twist. You don’t give any details but you do point out all the clues they need to pay special attention to.
C. Sit back and enjoy the film letting them experience the thrill for themself
9. Are you often late?
A. I don’t think I’ve ever been on time.
B. Sometimes, but I’d never be more than half an hour late if meeting a friend
C. I’m always ten minutes early, I hate to keep people waiting
10. You are meeting a group of friends at a restaurant and when you look at the menu realise there is nothing you want to eat. What do you do?
A. Drag your mates to another restaurant where there is something you fancy
B. Call the waiter over and give him detailed instructions for something specific the chef could make you that’s not on the menu
C. It’s just one meal, you’ll just have some chips or something
YOUR RESULTS
MOSTLY A: You’re a human pothole, more than a mild inconvenience, and your behaviour is actively day-ruining for others.
Take your feet off that train seat, stop pushing into the queue and please stop talking so loudly. Put yourself in the shoes of those around you and try to adjust your most irritating habits.
MOSTLY B: Most of us are a little annoying sometimes, and you’re no exception.
Maybe it’s more by accident than design, but you’re definitely guilty of being a little self-absorbed.
You most likely have enough good qualities that your friends and family will put up with the odd faux pas, but remind yourself good manners don’t cost a thing.
MOSTLY C: You’re one of the good guys! If the world was full of more people like you, we would all be a lot less stressed.
You put others first and are hyper conscious of the impact of your behaviour on the world around you, but make sure it doesn’t come at the expense of people taking advantage of you.
Remember, it’s OK to be a little annoying . . . sometimes.
