Everyone is different, and we all have our own unique quirks and idiosyncrasies that make us who we are. There are some of us, though, who get inordinately irked by things the vast majority don’t have any problem with.
Someone asked the internet, “What’s a completely normal or minor thing that irrationally gets under your skin, but most people don’t seem bothered by it?” and the community didn’t hold back. Why, however, are some folks so sensitive? Let’s dive right in!
More info: Reddit
#1
Music so loud in a restaurant that you can’t hold a conversation.
Image credits: AvailableBreeze_3750
#2
Speakerphone in public.
Image credits: prefix_code_16309
#3
Multiple sources of noise at once. For example- tv is on, and someone also watching videos on their phone in the same room. I can’t breathe.
Image credits: Automatic-Increase74
Some people’s brains are wired to process sensory input like sound, touch, or smell more intensely. This can make everyday stimuli (chewing, pen clicking, humming) feel unbearable. In extreme cases, this is known as misophonia, a condition where specific sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses like anger or panic. To someone with heightened sensitivity, what others call “background noise” feels like an alarm bell going off.
Certain behaviors (like interrupting, humblebragging, or repeating stories) act like “social allergens.” You might tolerate them at first, but over time, they become increasingly irritating. This can be worse when you can’t “tune out” the behavior or aren't able to habituate (get used to) it the way others do. So, while you might not notice your co-worker’s constant throat clearing, someone else is barely resisting the urge to explode.
#4
Loud motorcycles. Why? There's no need for them to wake me from a sound sleep from a quarter mile away.
Image credits: Calm_Body_8763
#5
Morning people moralizing it.
Image credits: tasteitshane
#6
"Unexpected Item in Bagging area". Starting to lose my s**t just typing that.
Image credits: California--Sober
Emotional bandwidth shrinks under stress. When we’re tired, anxious, or overwhelmed, our brains perceive even neutral stimuli as threatening or irritating. Something you’d normally ignore (like a foot tapping or someone breathing too loudly) can feel like an attack. It's not about the act itself, but the state of mind of the person reacting. Think of it like an emotional splinter: tiny, but painful under pressure.
People who score high on conscientiousness often have a strong preference for order and routine, which makes unpredictable or chaotic behavior irritating. Those with neuroticism may feel more emotionally reactive in general. Plus, people who value personal space or quiet time can feel overwhelmed by those who are loud, tactile, or overly expressive—behaviors others may see as totally normal or even friendly.
#7
People who don’t move when you say ‘excuse me’ and then get upset when you shove past. After that idgaf I gave you a chance to be polite.
Image credits: Super_un_stable
#8
Songs on the radio that are allowed to have police or ambulance sirens on them.
Image credits: Important_Money_314
#9
Stopping in the middle of foot traffic to look at your phone/take in the view/pick your nose. Even if I can go around you, the sheer lack of consideration for others drives me insane.
Image credits: Flurb4
What's considered "normal" varies widely between cultures and families. For example, direct eye contact is respectful in the U.S. but can be seen as aggressive in some Asian cultures. Someone raised to value modesty might find confident self-promotion off-putting, while others see it as self-assured. These ingrained standards shape how we interpret “everyday” behavior, so what’s bizarre in one culture might be commonplace in another.
Annoyance often builds like pressure in a soda bottle. Someone might tolerate a small irritant once or twice, but after five, ten, or fifty times, their patience runs out. This “stacking” effect can be subtle; a squeaky shoe might go unnoticed on Monday but drive someone up the wall by Friday. The irritation isn’t about the event, it’s about how many times it’s happened, and whatever else they’re dealing with.
#10
Not using indicators when other cars aren’t near but would still be of use to pedestrians.
Image credits: Keelan_____
#11
I cannot stand the sound of someone chewing loudly, especially when their teeth clack together or they slurp soup. Like… why is that even legal 😩.
Image credits: Odd_Breakfast5012
#12
People dropping by unannounced. .
Image credits: wolofancy
People often rely on “unwritten rules” of behavior, like not talking on speakerphone in public, or leaving personal space in line. When someone breaks these social scripts, it causes discomfort. Even if the action is harmless, it feels like a disruption of the social contract. The tension comes not from what’s being done, but how off-script it feels.
Finally, people often don’t realize how their behavior is being received, or how it lands in different contexts. That friend who monologues without listening may not realize it’s draining. Or the coworker who hums while working may not notice others struggling to concentrate. The mismatch between intention and impact leads to friction, even when no one’s being malicious.
#13
Kids running around without their parents in stores and restaurants.
#14
The overuse of the words “narcissist” and “projecting.” It’s TikTok pop psychology and more often than not used incorrectly by people who have a tenuous grasp on the concept in general.
Image credits: Shoddy-Ad7306
#15
Dumping liquid in a trash can.
It's gonna leak, my guy.
Image credits: RhysOSD
In short, we’re all shaped by different life experiences, temperaments, and expectations. What seems harmless to one person might hit a nerve for another, and vice versa. The key isn’t to assume people are being difficult, but to understand why something might land differently for them.
What do you think of the things in this list? Irrational, or totally normal? Upvote your favorites and don’t forget to leave a comment on the ones you found most relatable!
#16
People with 0 spatial awareness. I became more cognizant of this during the pandemic, but some people really seem to walk around as if they have universal right of way and that no one else's personal space should be respected. Stopping in the middle of a busy walkway to stare at a wall. Walking slowly in the middle of the sidewalk and not giving way to someone walking or running by. D**n near running me over with their shopping cart when exiting an aisle instead of waiting 1 second for me to pass by. Breathing down my neck while waiting in line. Nearly stepping on my toes while I'm sitting on a bench even though there's plenty of space to give me breathing room. Its not just the egregious violations of personal space that gets me, but its as if some people arent even aware of or respect the people around them. Drives me nuts.
Image credits: BlackBoiFlyy
#17
Off leash dogs when there is an applicable leash law. Then the unleashed dog runs over to people with a leashed dog while the owner is yelling at the unleashed dog.
Image credits: Silver-Commercial728
#18
People coming into work when they are sick. Especially if they are going to sniffle and cough the entire day.
Image credits: Appropriate-Beat5774
#19
Getting too hot, and not being able to cool down.
Image credits: Fuzzy-Ad1788
#20
Headlights that are too strong or not dipped and always shining into your eyes.
#21
Spelling lose as loose.
Image credits: odoylessister
#22
People crowding around the luggage belt instead of stepping back so everyone can see what’s coming around them.
Image credits: Ok-Satisfaction-733
#23
Co workers getting smoking and vaping breaks when non smokers don’t. F**k right off.
#24
I work from home, so people asking for a Teams call to explain in 20 mins what could be much more transparently and traceably explained in a 20 word email.
Image credits: ResponsibleDemand341
#25
Not shutting off alarms when they go off.
My wife can hear her alarm, get up, get dressed, and head down to start breakfast and the blaring alarm doesn't bother her enough to turn it off.
Image credits: Thundersalmon45
#26
A wet sleeve.
Image credits: -BananaLlama-
#27
Confusing i.e. and e.g. I know it’s petty and a totally stupid irritation, but it makes me nuts.
Image credits: Competitive-Fee2661
#28
Picking up an item in the supermarket and it's sticky.
#29
Leaving time on the microwave.
Image credits: jx218
#30
Water droplets on kitchen or bathroom floor when I'm in socks.
Image credits: -BananaLlama-
#31
Bottles rolling around inside a plastic bag while a car is moving.
Image credits: Aran909
#32
Crowd participation.
Image credits: Worldly-Time-3201
#33
The toilet paper being backwards, but i have a feeling this is not a minor thing in many people's eyes...
#34
When people say "exspecially" instead of "especially".
#35
When people step on the back of my flip flop accidentally. I don’t know why is triggers me so bad 😩.
Image credits: StrategyLive625
#36
Being inexact in wording.
I can’t stand being misunderstood, it makes me feel like an idiot.
I hate it when I say something to someone and they misunderstand and I realise it was because I wasn’t clear.
Find it hard to properly articulate some times.
Image credits: Savengillier
#37
When someone opens something that has plastic but doesn’t take the plastic all the way off.
For example, sour cream. My gf will open the tub and peel back the plastic almost all the way, but then smooths it back down and puts the lid back on.
#38
When I have a water bottle in my bag and I can hear the water sloshing around.
