#5
Everyone knows that sound- maybe you're in a public place, transportation, or perhaps even in your own house, and then it pierces your eardrum:
"WAAHHHHH!!"
The unending wails of an infant.
Some people were simply born to be mothers; I have a friend who is obsessed with children and wants to have about ten thousand babies. That is all fine and good.
However, I am not one of them.
It's true, babies do look cute sometimes, staring up at you with wide eyes that still can't see properly, gaping toothless mouth open, snub nose perky and, most of the time, perfect. But by god, the moment they open their mouths to scream, I want to punch them.
Please, don't read this and assume I am going to hurt your children. I would never strike a child, much less a baby. But don't tell me you've never been so upset with someone that you wished you could hit them.
I understand that babies need to scream for attention, assuming they can't talk (which, let's face it- most babies just can't).
Still, I don't know if it's an instinct that makes most people want to coddle an infant, but I guess I just don't have it. A whining, wailing baby is of no use to me besides a stress instigator.
If you think about it, babies are just like pets. They can't talk, but can only make simple gurgles and sounds, need to be cleaned up after, fed/watered/etc, ceaselessly want attention and, as previously mentioned, scream and whine if they don't get it. In fact, one could argue that babies are not even as good as pets because they don't do tricks, can't even walk, and are not furry and cuddly (though they are, indeed, very fat).
Basically, I really don't like babies. To put it mildly, Mr. Swift made me laugh and I enjoyed reading 'A Modest Proposal' more than most people ever should. Don't let them scream around me, please. I have little sympathy for that.
#4
Expectations are crucial to our lives. If we were not expected to do anything, we would likely sit at home and rot all day. We need a standard to live up to in order to engage ourselves and create a potential we can all reach. However, it reaches a point to where we drain ourselves, day in and day out- even as children now- and the expectations for some, maybe even most, are reaching all-time highs.
Note to reader: It's about to get exceptionally personal and whiny. Consider yourself warned.
My mother is a fine example of someone who is overexpectant. Especially when it comes to academics, she is consistently harping down my neck, complaining to me that my grades are not good enough, saying she doesn't know if my GPA will get me anywhere but a crappy college-if any college will take me at all-or saying I need to work harder and apply myself when actually, here's the truth- I AM DOING MY BEST!!
I really, truly hate it when she uses negative ideals and comments, thinking that they'll somehow make me a better student, more productive, and whatever she wants me to be. Honestly, it just makes me want to disobey her more.
According to her, f I get less than an A+, I did not study hard enough. Stupid mistakes don't exist; I just didn't put effort in. I need to get 5's on my AP tests (hello there, comp...) and ace my finals. If my grades aren't shining, I lose privileges (including volunteering in the community) faster than Chase Sampson lost on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' (if you don't know what I'm referring to, please slap yourself several times across the face for missing out on funny moments, then visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMriTkE3igY ). Sorry if I was a bit pretentious there...anyway...I hope my mom doesn't somehow find this and read it....
Long story short, yes, I know I'm not perfect, specifically academically. However, I am willing to sacrifice that for sleep and periods of relaxation and enjoying social interaction so I do not simply have a seizure, curdle upon myself, break in half, deteriorate, and die one day. I know there are students out there with more sever situations than myself, but I was told to complain so here I am, and here you go.
#3
IGNORANCE! Very near the pinnacle of all obnoxious, venomous and even hazardous things lies this trait.
The narrow- and closed-minded people of the world are actually the cause of what I would personally say about 90% or more of the discord, tension, and illegalities that occur around the globe.
Think about it- for example, let's say Johnny just got murdered because he's a homosexual (this really happens. Just in case you didn't know...). The murder/s committed a hate crime against the LGBT community- they do not understand what it's like to be a homosexual, they somehow conclude that gay people do not deserve the respect or consideration that any other person does, and they somehow arrive at the idea that, hence, the LGBT must be annihilated.
The underlying (or perhaps not so much) factor? IGNORANCE! People are overly willing to judge others and make presumptions based on themselves and their perspectives, instead of opening their minds (and ears) to those around them. Everyone has something important to say, but nowadays, people have little respect for anyone but him/herself and his/her own thoughts. It's a sad, sad world out there, friends.
#2
Selfishness. Is it fair to say that it makes its appearance more often now, as well as too often? I think so.
I feel like these days, people are increasingly insistent about putting their needs (or wants, I should say) ahead of others' needs.
My brother, I will honestly say, is sickly full of himself. He doesn't care about anyone in my family and is entirely self-centered. Even my German exchange student has told me: "He is so in love with himself, and don't care about anyone. Don't he make you want to punch him in the face?" Yes, actually.
Just the other day he and I were driving home from school and while in our neighborhood, when we saw a dog whose ball had gone into the middle of the road and couldn't go get it. I asked him to stop so I could throw it at the exceptionally patient dog, and what was his reply? "Go ahead, but only if you walk home." All because he didn't want to wait 15 seconds for me to get out and back into the car.
I guess I could actually turn this complaint into my brother specifically. He refuses to listen to anyone, and he's exactly what all my complaints have been about so far- he whines like a baby, holds everyone to higher expectations than himself (though that's hypocrisy, I suppose), is blatantly ignorant and rude to everyone I hear him talk to (surprisingly enough, my parents are included), and is blindly selfish. He trashes my car and makes up excuses to leave it that way, and has no respect for anything anyone says. It's just he, himself, and more of him.
I think because I live in such close parameters with someone who is so absurdly selfish, in my perspective, makes me realize just how much I really hate this trait. It's not the people that I despise, but this specific ideal is one with a severly negative connotation with me. Not going to lie- I'm really hoping my brother cleans up his act. Still, he's not the only one- people all around us sacrifice the greater good- be it honesty, trustworthiness, or simply a needed benefit for another human- for solely themselves.
#1
The absolute worst out of any of these perhaps at first doesn't seem as bad, but oh, it is.
APATHY.
Cold, unheartened, apathy.
That drives me the craziest, without a doubt.
According to dictionary.com, apathy is the:
(noun:)
1. absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.
2. lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.
In short, it's when people JUST DON'T CARE. To me, that's worse than anything previously mentioned: worse than self-absorbed individuals that can't possibly suck themselves out of the mirror, worse than purposefully ignorant and fervently self-enthusiastic personality traits, worse than the grade expectation, worse than screaming babies.
The big problem I see with not caring is not that apathees are necessarily ignorant, narrow-minded, or perhaps even selfish- it's that they know all the information, know what has to be done, yet, all the same, don't care. Whether the excuse may be "It's not MY problem" or "Well, gee, I'm just too lazy", it gets to me all the same.
A great, screaming example of this is in reference as to what we're doing to the earth we live on and share. Whether or not global warming is really there doesn't matter- there is no one that can deny that our planet doesn't need help. For example, I recently read that CO2 emissions are causing seawater to have increasingly high pH levels; if they keep going up, it's eventually going to simply dissolve the sea creatures that live in those waters.
Still, when I see people throwing recyclable cans in the trash or preforming some other anti-Eco-friendly move, the two most common reasons I hear are: "It doesn't make a difference, it's just one blank." and "I don't have to worry, I'll be dead by the time there's a real problem with this stuff." I really want to scream at them: SERIOUSLY? Quit isolating yourself in a world where nothing really matters to you!! It's not just for yourself; it's for the people around you, and those that will be coming into the world long after you!
Perhaps the worst part about apathy is once someone is rooted there, he or she almost never leave that terrain. You can give him/her the most logical argument, even yell at him/her, but you can't just eradicate the apathy.
Talk about a depression fest.
Talk about a depression fest.
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