There’s a limit to everything in life and patience is in no way an exception. Even the most tolerant of us might not have enough composure to repeatedly deal with certain aggravating situations.
Surveys suggest that nowadays people’s supply of patience is very limited. For instance, they can only keep calm for 16 seconds if the webpage doesn’t load and are only willing to sit still for around 14 minutes waiting for their food to arrive in a restaurant.
These are just a couple of examples of how impatient we get for one reason or another; and there can be thousands of them. Redditor u/SpicyHashbrowns was curious to learn what is something people no longer have patience for, so they turned to the ‘Ask Reddit’ community with the question.
Fellow redditors described plenty of things and situations they can no longer bear, which you can find on the list below. Scroll down to see if any of them stretch your patience to the limit as well.
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Evangelicals or pretty much any kind of religious fundamentalists that believe that other people having rights somehow infringes on theirs.
People who litter.
Keep your s**t to yourself. I always hated it. Even as a child already. When I was like 12 - 14 years old, I had this fantasy that if I could conjure things like a wizard, I would make the trash they left somewhere magically show up in their own house, and if they would throw it out on the streets again, it would show up again in their house. Just as long until they got rid of it in the proper way.
Waiting on people who are constantly late to plans. I will wait 15 minutes then excuse myself.
Working outside of work hours. I used to go above and beyond, now I only put in what is required. Life is too short to live only to work.
All the money in the world is useless if you have no time to spend it.
People being on their phone while in a conversation with you. Seriously. Put your phone away!
Bad manners, unkindness and general rudeness. It costs nothing to be a nice person and from someone who works in a customer facing industry, attitudes, sadly, appear to be getting worse. It really makes me cross.
That's such a tell, how people treat others when they don't *have* to be kind. Kindness is free. But also gets taken as zn invitation. Balancing personal safety with societal requirements. That being said, people who are rude to servers/staff drive me nuts. I'm ex customer service, I always make sure to be pleasant, and gauge if they want friendly chat or not (culturally normal here)
Having to guess what people REALLY mean by something they said. I take everything people say at face value now and don't replay conversations in my head to find out the real meaning anymore. Be passive-aggressive if you want to but talk to me like an adult if you really have a problem.
S****y people getting a pass "because they're family."
Enabling in general, no matter why, also blaming the victim of nasty behaviour for calling out the person who behaved badly and accusing them to have caused a scene or ruining an event. No, the person calling out wasn't ruining anything. The misbehaving person did. Stand behind the victims, don't enable A$$holes!
People who constantly blame others for the situation they are in.
Medicine commercials with worse side-effects than the thing being cured
Small business owner. People who threaten bad reviews unless you give them free s**t or discounts. Had some dipsh*t who couldn’t figure out our mobile chat and blamed our “garbage tech” and then insisted we give him 50% off for his 5 minute inconvenience (because he couldn’t find the x on the chat box? WTF). No, Joe, I’m not giving you 50% off because you don’t know how technology works and fine, Joe, knock yourself out with a “bad review.” So sick of these bullies thinking I give a f about their opinions.
I hate seeing managers, owners and the like caving to these pricks. I'll read reviews. Got 75% high/5 stars/etc and 20% medium, 5% low? Take your one rubbish review and shove it. Anyone who is swayed by one bad review isn't worth thinking about.
Now that I’ve spent three years working very effectively from home, the insistence that I have to spend a minimum amount of time in the office.
My wife's story exactly. She works from home since the Covid crisis, but since half a year or so her presence at the office is required (eventhough it's just one day a week, she hates it). While at home, it's not just that she feels more relaxed, but she's also way more productive and less distracted. But you know, bosses being bosses...
Identity politics of any kind.
People so entrenched in a position that they refuse to concede even when provided with straight facts from a reputable source.
The working world. My life doesn’t revolve around working here and it never will. It will never be a part of my identity. I come in, do the job, make money, go home. Don’t expect me to come to all the work happy hours so I can pretend how much I love working here.
“friends” who aren’t friends. I used to go out of my way to stay in contact with people. Try to grab a coffee with them or hang out. I’ve basically lowered my friend group to three people IRL. There are other folks who I used to consider to be friends, but I’m only going to ask someone so many times to hang out and being rejected before just letting that ship sail. We make time for what’s important to us. If someone doesn’t text, call, or make an effort, I just consider them gone.
True friends neither need nor expect daily or regular contact. True friends are people you don't see or speak to on a regular basis. They are the people who carry on the last conversation you had with them like it was yesterday. True friendship transcends time and distance.
People with inflated egos. Car dealerships, salesmen, etc. im blunt with them now
Corporations understaffing to make a higher profit. Looking at you f*****g Walgreens. How is every line at all your locations 5 deep, always? F**k you for charging me my time so you make more, especially when you have the exclusive Blue Cross Blue Shield contract in Illinois. So obnoxious.
Ugh, CVS is my BCBS provider and I hate it! Mine has one woman in her 80s stocking and checking the whole store out. And the pharmacy takes 10 lifetimes to fill a prescription, even if it's a prepackaged Rx that they literally just need to stick a label on. Please hire more people!
People who can’t mind their f*****g business and are always worried about what other people are doing. If it doesn’t effect you, f**k off.
It’s literally free.
Hey, isn't that the same guy in the photo as the "identity politician" from before?
People and groups of people that only talk about other people.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Going to places I know I wont be comfortable. Before if I had a party and I was unsure whether to go or not, I made myself go anyway. Today, I will definitely not go any place I am not sure I will have a nice time.
Eh, I understand but at the same time my good coworker is celebrating her 21st at a gay bar and I, a socially awkward introvert (as is the birthday girl), who have never been to a bar much less a gay bar, will still be going to support her because a couple other coworkers I get along with will be there.
Other people's fragile egos. Yes your insecurity sucks, but also it's not my fault or my problem, nor is you s******g on me going to solve it.
The good news and bad news about resolving insecurity is that it's 100% self directed.
This is a touchy subject, but it has to be said. Children raised by really insecure people that are constantly insulting and blaming themselves for everything DOES affect the children's happiness and self-esteem, frequently leading to mental health problems. At the same time, don't make insecure people feel worse. I have a very deprecating sense of humor (towards myself and others) and I intentionally refrain from making those jokes towards people I know are insecure or have expressed that they don't like it.
someone in front of me chit-chatting with the cashier.
just pay for your s**t and quit holding up the line.
I no longer have patience for slow Wi-Fi. Life is too short to wait for a buffering video or a webpage that takes ages to load. I mean, come on, it's 2023, I expect my internet to be faster than a sloth on Xanax. If my Wi-Fi doesn't get its act together, I might have to resort to carrier pigeons for my internet needs.
Streamers screaming, losing their sh*t, breaking things, and having tantrums."
I used to think this was so funny now I just can't stand it; I can't even watch a streamer if I notice they're not using their normal talking voice.
I lost my patients for all streamers in general. I used to think ok this is neat. Then I’m like, why am I wasting MY time just watching you do whatever you are doing.
Slow walkers, and most people in general.
Delivery timelines. When I was a kid, "allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery" was a normal phrase to hear. Now if it's not on my doorstep in 2 days or less I'm irate.
Mass shootings and no action. It's so normalized now, it's not even on people's radar enough to make a list like this.
Just you guys in the states, sorry to say. And the rest of the world watches with a sigh like there's severe governance problems there but there's nothing we can do except watch you implode and leave you to it.
Load More Replies...Influencers. People need to stop giving them free stuff, money and time. What they are is a bum with no job.
Mass shootings and no action. It's so normalized now, it's not even on people's radar enough to make a list like this.
Just you guys in the states, sorry to say. And the rest of the world watches with a sigh like there's severe governance problems there but there's nothing we can do except watch you implode and leave you to it.
Load More Replies...Influencers. People need to stop giving them free stuff, money and time. What they are is a bum with no job.