Forest Gump said it best – “Stupid is what stupid does”. Some say you can’t fix stupid. If that’s the case then maybe it’s time to thin the herd. There might be something to be said for the survival of the fittest. Now I’m not really advocating that we start rounding people up but you must admit that some people say and do the dumbest things. Their elevator isn’t going all the way to the top. If we were counting bricks they’d be a few short. I’m not talking about those that have a medical condition or are mentally challenged. I’m talking about people who are smart enough to know better. It’s time to start thinking people or put on a dunce cap and go sit in the corner. For most of us being stupid is a choice – so stop playing dumb.

Here’s a partial list of my pet peeves. They appear here in no particular order. Feel free to add yours to this list.

1 – People that state the obvious. (Excuse me do you work here?) I guess wearing a company uniform wasn’t a big enough clue for them.

2 – People that walk into a store and stop at the front entrance to have a conversation or look around – blocking everyone else from getting in or getting out.

3 – People that maintain the speed limit in the passing lane, oblivious to the miles of traffic behind them.

4 – Truck drivers passing other trucks on the highway. One driver is doing 60 – trying to pass a truck that’s doing 59 miles an hour.

5 – People who wait until the cashier has rung in all their purchases and bagged the items before they start looking for the money to pay for them.

6 – People who hold up the line looking for exact change to pay for their purchase – usually all in coins.

7 – Sales people who say “no problem” instead of “my pleasure” when I thank them for helping me. I know it’s not a problem – that’s why you’re there.

8 – People who haven’t figured out yet why popular fast food restaurants post their menu over top of the order taker. They wait until it’s their turn to order before looking over the board and deciding what they want.

9 – People who ask a question and then appear not to be interested in the answer. They seem to be paying attention to everyone else in the room but you.

10 – People who bring a cell phone onto the golf course and hold everyone else up while they take a call. (It usually rings in the middle of your back swing)

11 – People who carry on a cell phone conversation loud enough so everyone in the restaurant can hear.

12. People who haven’t figured out yet what turn signals are for or they know but decide not to use them.

Copyright (c) 2014. Brian Smith-PLD. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you or someone you know looking for a speaker who can entertain and inform on a variety of soft-skills topics including communication, time management or dealing with difficult people and challenging situations better? To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization visit http://briansmithpld.com – You’ll be glad you did.