People I Could Happily Live Without

Let's face it, Sartre was on to something when he wrote No Exit and showed us that Hell is other people. Now, that's not to say that humans aren't social people or that we would be better off living as hermits who only venture from our little worlds to mate and reproduce. (Though the Internet may arguably be pushing us in that direction.)

People are social creatures and do like to clan up, so to speak, but spend any time listening to other people and they'll eventually spout plenty of complaints about their fellow humans. Particularly if you talk to them after driving home in rush hour traffic or pulling a double shift.

What's funny is that different things set off different people. I might listen to a guy spouting out ideas at a local bar and think he's a pompous ass, while someone else might think he's a visionary who's unafraid to tell it like it is.

In general, I think diversity is a good thing and I welcome debate with people who have different ideas... but then there are those things... those certain little behaviors that just make me want to shake a person and shout "Why do you not realize how just plain wrong that is?!?!"

In that spirit, I could happily live without people who...

...give criticisms dressed as jokes.

...do not return their shopping carts to the cart corral.

...refuse to apologize because their offense wasn't intentional.

...use physical force against another person to get what they want.

...steal, anything, ever.

...use etiquette to make others feel inferior.

...drive on the shoulder, stop in the middle of the road, or otherwise intentionally break the driving rules because they missed their turn or simply don't want to wait in traffic with everyone else.

...take credit for someone else's work.

...are cruel to animals because they are "just animals".

...are proud of having never read a book that wasn't assigned reading.

And I would consider adding to the list, people who...

...wave others on at a 4-way stop even though it is clearly their turn to go.

...use Twitter trends to spam about unrelated topics.

...can't see the value of George Carlin or Eddie Izzard.

But that's just me.