Often, I hear complaints from others about other people. This person is influenced by so and so. That person favors or protects Sarah. They always complain and see only the negative side of things. He never takes anything seriously. John doesn’t do in his personal life what he supports in our meetings at work. It’s hard for her to focus on two things at once. He gossips too much. They put all of their life on social media –why would they do that?
The sentences are endless. All spoken with emotion. Revealing the frustration we have with others. Endless hours of what amounts to an emotional release without any constructive outcome.
Why does human nature annoy us? All of the tendencies we don’t like in others simply happen because they are human just like us. Without seeing our own tendencies that annoy others, it’s hard to be tolerant of others.
All of what you might hear, as shared in the first paragraph, lead so many conversations that I have had with persons in both formal and informal leadership positions. They get mad at me when I tell them “I don’t care about any of this, this is simply human nature.” Shortly thereafter, I follow with the words “deal with it”.
All leverage in life depends on whether or not we can get past our reactions towards dealing with what we are faced with. Our reactions weaken us. They tie us up in knots leaving us motionless. Pushing past our feelings and reactions gives us the leverage to focus on what to do next to overcome this frustration towards a desired outcome.
It’s easy to walk away from others so as not to get frustrated. As your world expands, you will interact with more and more people of diverse backgrounds, interests, and idiosyncrasies. All rich with their own unique human nature. Making it imperative to discipline yourself to not focus on others’ human nature but rather on the task at hand. With empathy and skill to respect the other person along your journey.
Make being human a celebration of life rather than a frustration. However imperfect, giving each of us the opportunity to find common ground amidst our differences for the good of everyone involved. Giving us the opportunity to discover the power of human connection in building meaningful lives.