50 Times Partners Took ‘Clueless’ To The Next Level

The same poll where people said that their partner is the most annoying person on the planet revealed the most annoying habits people cite their partners having, too. The most common pet peeves people mentioned are snoring, passing wind, loudness, messiness, and rudeness.

The less common offenses include never listening, talking through TV shows, being bad with money, leaving crumbs on the kitchen counter, using their phone mid-conversation, and tossing their dirty clothes onto the bedroom floor. Despite that, 41% of the respondents said they secretly love these bad habits and wouldn't have their partner any other way.

According to Mary Jo Rapini, M.Ed, LPC, the bad habits our partners have aren't the problem. We are. "Everyone has blind spots and what annoys you in others is often a reflection of yourself," she writes. She claims that we project our controlling needs onto our partners, be it about a pristine kitchen or a clothes-free bedroom floor.

"If you're honest with yourself, you should be able to see flaws or weaknesses within yourself," she observes. "No one expects you to be perfect; thinking you are superior or better than others is not mentally healthy. Living a life where you see flaws in everyone but yourself will lead to a very lonely and limited life."

A 2003 study suggests that men and women find different things annoying in their partners. What annoys men are things that threaten their autonomy, for example, jealousy, their partner's moodiness, etc. For women, in turn, it's about the behaviors that threaten the relationship: condescension, aggression, being emotionally distant, and so on.

In a previous interview for Bored Panda, clinical psychologist Forrest Talley, Ph.D., offered some advice on how to differentiate between bad habits that are just minor annoyances and those that are deal-breakers. First, consider whether your partner cares about the impact their bad habits have on you. Maybe what you're calling an infuriating bad habit is just a personal quirk.

Second, consider if your behavior is reasonable. Echoing what Mary Jo Rapini said about projecting your controlling tendencies, Talley, too, suggests that it may be a "you" problem. "Let's be honest; all of us are capable of overreacting," he told Bored Panda.

However, perhaps the most important thing to ask yourself is whether you can live with these "quirks" or "bad habits" long term. "For example, if every time he eats something, the love of your life smacks his lips loudly and slurps, can you imagine sitting across the table listening to that for years upon years?" Talley recommends asking yourself.

Relationships are about choosing your battles, Talley told us back then. "If the behavior appears innocent and harms nothing other than your sense of annoyance, try to let it go. No relationship is perfect, and every good relationship is packed to the brim with compromise and forgiveness."