1. You thoughtlessly waste other peoples' time. Every time you're late to an appointment or meeting says your time is more important.
2. You ignore people outside your "level." There's an older guy at the gym that easily weighs 350 pounds and understandably struggles on the aerobic and weight equipment. Hats off; he's in there trying.
Yet nobody talks to him. Or even seems to notice him. It's like he's invisible. Why? He doesn't fit in.
3. You ask for too much. A guy you don't know asks you for a favor; a big, time-consuming favor. You politely decline. He asks again. You decline again. Then he whips out the Need Card. "But it's really important to me. You have to. I really need [it]." The world doesn't owe you anything. You aren't entitled to advice or mentoring or success. The only thing you're entitled to is what you earn.
4. You ignore people in genuine need. At the same time, some people aren't in a position to help themselves. They need a hand: a few dollars, some decent food, a warm coat.Though I don't necessarily believe in karma, I do believe good things always come back to you, in the form of feeling good about yourself.
5. You ask a question so you can talk. A guy at lunch asks, "Hey, do you think social-media marketing is effective?"
"Well," you answer, "I think under the right circumstances..." People like people who are genuinely interested in them--not in themselves.
6. You pull a "Do you know who I am?" OK, so maybe they don't take it to the Reese Witherspoon level, but many people whip out some form of the "I'm Too Important forThis" card.
Maybe the line is too long. Or the service isn't sufficiently "personal." Or they aren't shown their "deserved" level of respect.
7. You don't dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun--until it isn't. Yet when the going gets tough or a situation gets stressful, some people just can't stop "expressing their individuality."
Knowing when the situation requires you to stop justifying your words or actions with an unspoken "Hey, that's just me being me" can often be the difference between being likeable and being an ass.
8. You mistake self-deprecation for permission. You know how it's OK when you make fun of certain things about yourself, but not for other people to make fun of you for those same things? Like receding hairlines. Weight. A struggling business or career. Your spouse and kids. Sometimes self-deprecation is genuine, but it's often a mask for insecurity. Never assume people who make fun of themselves give you permission to poke the same fun at them.
9. You humblebrag. Humblebragging is a form of bragging that tries to cover the brag with a veneer of humility so you can brag without appearing to brag. A gal who is a size 14 doesn't want to hear you complain that normally you're a size 2, but you're a size 4 in Prada because its sizes run small.
10. You push your opinions. You know things. Cool things. Great things. Awesome. But only share them in the right settings. What's right for you may not be right for others; shoot, it might not even turn out to be right for you.
I know so many people that fit these to a tea, especially #7. "That's just the way I am" isn't an excuse. Even people's faults are predictable now, how disappointing
I disagree with #6 and #9 to an extent.
Regarding #6 - Sometimes you need to let people know who you are, or they'll walk all over you. I know that from experience.
And the second last one (#9) is ridiculous. I doubt that size 14 girl wouldn't be ranting if she had to wear a size 16 in one store, compared to others.
