How do you not be irritated by everyone??

[Whatevermission]

Is this the curse of being middle aged? Or am I just a miserable old hag? I think I do a pretty good job of containing my seething rage and incomprehension of everyone's idiocy. I smile alot and friendly and chatty. But, wow, it's an effort. I used to love 'people', finding out about them and enjoyed how different we all are. Now I want to live in a cave and never have to have an interaction with anyone I don't already know and like, ever again

Yes to it all!

All the unnecessary crap drives me insane. I switch off to another place altogether when the nonsense starts. Probably makes me look incredibly rude but better than 'would you just kindly shut the f up'?

One up-manship is a bit of a sport where I live too. The nicest of friends can become total wankers in certain conversations, particularly ; Holidays / Cars / How Busy They Are / Home Improvements / Children's Abilities. I have to bite my tongue.

this thread makes me feel so much better.

I’m finding it harder to deal with the ignorance of people who should know better.

Recently I rang our surgery to ask when the HPV vaccine will be available for boys and the NURSE said, “well you wouldn’t want that would you, it prevents cervical cancer?

I had to explain to her FFS.

My go to phrase -

It works well with just about every situation.

I love this!!

How can some people not realise how much they dominate a conversation, or how you lost interest minutes ago or how they've not asked any questions about you or your life and just KEEP ON TALKING about theirs.

People are fucking exhausting.

I'm going to invite a playdate app. Tick the boxes:

Who does your child want to play with? ANYONE

How long do you want the playdate to be? AS LONG AS YOU'LL HAVE HIM

Does this mother owe you a playdate? FUCK KNOWS

Dear parent your playdate with JACK starts in ONE HOUR and you owe JACK's mother a trip to CRAZY GOLF

Omg I'd be a fucking millionaire...

I am 54 and find myself being much less filtered then say, 20 years ago. My new irritations revolve around people walking down the street with their phones absolutely blasting music. I cannot stand loud noises and your continuous stream of hiphopheavymetalreggae gives me the rage.

I was having lunch with a friend at a nice cafe last Sunday. A man two tables over pulled out his mobile and proceeded to play a five minute clip of something very loud for his partner. He was not young. He was probably early fifties. His rudeness was stunning.

My husband. Yes I love him, blah blah. The man has taken to sending me memes! Memes about everything. Memes when we are two rooms away from each other. I don’t like memes. I have told him this. I still get memes.

Human interaction is exhausting.

I’m only 34 and I am increasingly finding everyone irritates me and I don’t have time for shit that doesn’t interest me. I am either too busy or knackered and realised that actually I just can’t be arsed making time for other people to keep them happy when really they are only acquaintances/friends of DH.

Me too, in spades. Most people I can avoid/limit exposure/switch off to. But listening to DP tell one of his long, rambling stories full of endless subordinate clauses, corrections, ums and ahs drives me crazy. When I'm feeling reasonably ok I can say "cut to the chase". But when I'm in my (normal) scratchy mood I have to clench my teeth to stop myself screaming. Even if I pick up a book or turn the volume up on the tv, he still carries on and as he gets older even he can't hang on to the thread.

My God I've been blaming myself,or rather I've been blaming the brain damage I suffered 10 years ago.I've put that down to me becoming a miserable grotchy mare!

I never used to be like it,I was a real people person,people I don't know would seek me out and tell me they're problems and I'd help them without a second thought.I was always surrounded by people,friends/family/neighbors/friends of friends/my parents neighbors but now I find it exhausting I've been so worried that it's the brain damage that's changed who I am as a person and I do believe it has but it does sound as if(after reading this thread)it's to do with getting older as well(I'm 44 this week)I thought it was just me.

I am trying harder now to try and be the old me because honestly this me I really do not like,but it helps to know I'm not the only woman that's feeling this way!

Here too. Current gripes are performance parenting that I witness at every single sodding event I have to take my own children to. And competitive motherhood. Especially the woman whose eldest attends my child's school, who as soon as the forecast predicts temps in double figures, has full tan/shorts/sandals/shades at 8.45am despite having three children two of which are preschoolers/babies. Just fuck off. zips up raincoat

Yeah, I'm not interested in your kids. Fuck, WHO is interested in other people's kids??

I was out for a coffee with 3 friends of similar age to me and we all rolled our eyes and got up at the same time with no discussion when a mum with small kids sat near us who was performance parenting. No discussion needed, new table needed,far away,NOW!

48 here and I’ve found my tribe! Just can’t be arsed with nonsense now...I hear people grumbling about small stuff and have to bite my tongue from saying “you think you have problems?”
I can’t be doing with all the fakery, fake hairy, fake tans, fake nails, fake people! The best company I have is the dog!

We were watching some programme where a bloke was describing how terrible solitary confiment was. DH and turned to me and said you’d love that wouldn’t you. Books, and people bringing you food. He’s not wrong. I probably wouldn’t do a series of murders for a stint in solitary but if a job on a light house comes up I’ll apply.

oh a job in a light house!! does it have internet?

re the fakery

I met someone new at the weekend and her first question to me was "do you have kids". I said "no, do you?"

I hate the question, tbh, so I think asking it back is fair enough, if that's how someone wants to start small talk....

anyway, she looked horrified and said "of course not, I'm FAR too young to have children".

I had to bite my tongue not to say "well, under all that make up, you could be 16 or 60, how the fuck would I know?"

How can some people not realise how much they dominate a conversation, or how you lost interest minutes ago or how they've not asked any questions about you or your life and just KEEP ON TALKING about theirs.

This!! Recent small get together with friends and that is exactly what one of them was like. They did not even draw breath long enough for anyone to slip in and change the subject. Exhausting.

. My favourite pastime is standing in the park and yelling “that’s not 5 miles an hour! 5 miles an hour PLEASE! “ at cars not driving slowly enough

This sounds marvellous!

Scion I can't speak for others, but I'm NOT being light-hearted. I nearly put 'light hearted' in the title and then realised, no, I really DO hate everyone

He told me the car was priced to sell and wouldn't sit long on the forecourt. My reply was "yer arse

😂🤣😂🤣

Yy at performance parenting/grandparenting BUT/AND when they keep looking at you, willing you to comment on how cute/funny/beautiful/clever their child is. Because I just want to tell them, they're not a patch on my kids and NO-ONE IS INTERESTED

ohtheholidays I am sorry about your brain. I keep wondering if I am actually a bit autistic and that is the reason. I honestly think, it is just getting older. And it is exhausting trying to be less annoyed/more interested. I think you go through that phase, late 30s?

I think it's definitely an age thing! I used to be so tolerant, a great listener, a fantastic friend. Now I'm a fairly miserable cow at times

Quite like it that way too. So there.

I'm with you, metaphorically only of course!
I am 49 and increasingly intolerant, even of my friends which in some ways makes me sad but in another it is great to be able to see things for what they are.

I have 2 in particular whose behaviour really saps my energy and I feel wound up and pissed off after a while. It's complicated to drop them entirely so have reduced the contact significantly.

Totally - I've always been fairly intolerant of idiocy (I remember someone telling my now-DH when we were at university that I was not one to suffer fools gladly) but I've definitely got a lot less tolerant over the last few years (I'm early 40s now).

I blame part of it on social media - before I would generally only have to suffer other people's idiocy in person - NOW it is presented to me 24/7 if I so choose, especially bloody WhatsApp. Honestly - people who I are quite like in real life just come across as such smug, idiotic twats.

Some of you are only just getting started

Late 50's and I've hated practically everyone who isn't a very close friend of donkey's standing or immediate family for years. Practice makes perfect