6 annoying things in men that drive women up the wall

by Chaitra Ramalingegowda · September 17, 2014

We have talked about the qualities of women that men like, and the qualities of men that women like. But that is only half the story.

Nobody is perfect. Although it might seem like you’ve found your “perfect” match, almost nobody ever is. All the quirks and idiosyncrasies that you initially found endearing and adorable, start to annoy you no end, as time passes. And the initial temporary blindness to annoying habits or quirks of your significant other can be attributed to the “Halo Effect.”

Suggested read: Things that women do that annoy men

Everybody possesses one habit or the other that others find annoying, regardless of their gender. Some habits annoy more than others. It’s just a matter of which ones you can ignore and which ones you simply can’t abide by.

This below list is dedicated to all the significant others of the male persuasion. You’ll know what habit of yours annoys the heck out of your partner, and hopefully, try to do something about it. Fingers crossed!

1. Physical quirks

Many men don’t blink an eye picking their nose and/or teeth in public, or releasing gases from different bodily orifices, or scratching their armpits and/or … um … junk for all the world to see, or worse yet, doing all of the above. Shudder! Sometimes these might be out of one’s control, but for god’s sakes, find a private place to do it, no pun intended. Explaining to your significant other that it turns you off when they do any or all of the above might be a safe bet, as nobody wants to be shown their flaws. That you’re turned off when they subject you to this, might go over well with them, rather than telling them point blank.

2. Indifference

During the initial days of a relationship, your significant other is all ears and eyes for you. But eventually though, this constant attention dwindles and sometimes even becomes selective. And when you try to share something important with him, without even listening fully, they simply give a crappy stock reply like, “You’re overreacting,” or “It’s all in your head,” or worse yet, he tunes you out and watches TV instead. One way to tackle this might be to agree at the beginning of a conversation that it’s really important for you to have his full attention, and that you value his opinions and thoughts on the matter.

3. Being a sexist

Men have an over-inflated sense of ego – this is a universal truth. But what they don’t understand is that they can’t win all the time. Because sometimes when you’re trying to make a point by having a healthy debate, they accuse you of being a drama queen, or ask you whether it’s ‘that time of the month.’ What, women can’t be upset or get frustrated without being accused of having PMS? Grow up, guys. Sometimes women are just that passionate. Deal with it.

4. Being a slob

Men and women have different perceptions of cleanliness and neatness. If this perception aligns, then it’s a match made in heaven – two clean-freaks or two messy slobs, either option is a win-win. But the problem arises when opposites attract, with you being the former, and him being the latter. Days-old dirty dishes in the sink, soiled clothes on the furniture, shoes strewn about in the living room – this is the standard M.O. for some guys. They don’t see anything wrong with this. And that’s when you get the job of cleaning up after his mess simply because you can’t stand it anymore. A discussion about the amount of messiness you’re willing to put up with, might be in the best interest of the long-term survival of the relationship.

5. Forgetfulness:

Let’s be realistic – men are the worst when it comes to remembering things. They forget birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and sometimes even to call you when they say they would. Hmmph! This might be dealt with the help of a calendar app. You could key in all the important dates and events, so that the ball is in their court to do the rest, i.e., buying presents or planning a dinner or a date!

6. Emotional wasteland

Speaking broadly, women are emotional creatures, while men are more pragmatic. While some men are confident enough in their masculinity to show their sensitive sides to their partners, others are stoic (all the time), much to the annoyance of their significant others. Talking about it might be helpful, but it’s not a cure-all. The thought that ‘men don’t cry’ is drilled into the impressionable psyches of children, and the same ingrained thought is visible in the adult male as well. It might take a lot of time for them to come to terms with the fact that it’s okay to show emotions, that they’re not any less manly if they show their sensitive sides to their partners – at least in certain situations.