45 People Post Things That Annoy Them More Than They Should

Interestingly, science writers Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman have even published a book, trying to explain the reasons behind our frustrations. In Annoying, they say that it's really difficult to find a universal formula for what is, well, annoying. Not every trouble is to terribly unpleasant, at least not when experienced one at a time. Rather, it is when these annoying problems are repetitive and unpredictable that they get under our skin.

A random firework might take us by surprise, it can even frighten us, but it won't instantly become annoying. Our neighbor's loud music, however, played over and over and over again, is very annoying.

Paul Garrity, however, believes he may have found the evolutionary seeds of annoyance, in the reactions to one of nature’s most annoying creatures: the fly. The associate professor of biology at Brandeis University has devoted his time to studying the fruit fly. It has an ability similar to our own to sense potentially dangerous chemicals as well as pressure and temperature changes. That skill, to perceive possible dangers, may be the origin of the annoyance we feel today, he said.

Apparently, we can train ourselves not to get annoyed by the small funny problems. Well, at least some of the time. Have you ever noticed how childfree people get more impatient with a crying or misbehaving kid than parents do? Michael R. Cunningham, a psychologist at the University of Louisville, told The Boston Globe that, "You can leave the environment, you can change the environment, or you can do something inside yourself to change your reaction." That could mean changing behaviors, for example, doing deep breathing, counting to 10, or taking a walk every time you're stressed out. It could also mean deliberately changing your thoughts about the situation - deciding, for instance, to view it as quirky instead of annoying.

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