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Excuses people make that you hate and/or get annoyed by...

AGXStarseed

AGXStarseed

Well-Known Member
I was watching a video recently about "20 excuses that need to die", which covered 20 excuses that - while taking into account some flexibility with using them - many people use as a way to get out of doing something they don't want to do; maybe because they don't like what they have to do, maybe they think it's too hard, etc.

I can't post the video as the guy in the video (a retired First Sergeant in the US Army with 33 years of experience and three awards) swears a lot, even putting a swear word in the video's title, but here's a rundown of the 20 excuses from the video - with all of us having used at least one of them in our lives.

1. "I don't know!"
2. "I'm not ready for that!"
3. "They're all gonna laugh at me!"
4. "It's too hard!"
5. "I don't know if I can do it. I don't know what's gonna happen!"
6. "I'm waiting for the universe to give me a sign!"
7. "I don't have enough time!"
8. "I'm just not motivated!"
9. "I don't want to do that - it's gonna hurt!"
10. "I'm not good enough!"
11. "That isn't important to me!"
12. "I need more information!"
13. "I can't!"
14. "I'm not talented enough!"
15. "I came from a poor background!"
16. "I don't know where to start!"
17. "I don't have permission!"
18. "I can't do that - people will think (insert reason here)!"
19. "That's way too risky!"
20. "That's not my job! / That's not my lane!"

Do you have any excuses you hear other people make that just really grind your gears, so to speak?

For me, my brother used to make a whole load of excuses when he didn't want to do something like a chore or when he was too lazy to make himself a cup of tea, etc. - with the excuses including "I'm too tired!" and "My back's aching!".

UPDATE:
Just to clarify, these are excuses you hate when you know the person making them is lying to avoid doing something and/or trying to avoid trouble.
 
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"It's tradition"

"But we've always done it that way"

"I'm too old to change"

"If it was good enough for my grandfather, then it's good enough for me."

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"

"You never heard of people like that when I was a kid, so I don't see why I should have to accept them now"
 
Why can't people have excuses? I recognize many of them you listed, but so what? I don't have to be annoyed by someone just being human. And defense mechanisms (and excuses) are human characteristics.

I'm sure I make a lot of excuses myself, and if someone wants to be annoyed with me, then that's their choice.
 
I'm not going to respond to this one because I just don't have an answer. But don't feel bad, that's just who I am. :)
 
It's lies I despise. One I've copped lately is "I don't know anything about it!" (When I know full well they did).
It's ignoring facts, because they don't suit their narrative, that grinds my gears, worse.
Lying to my face is one of the worse things you can do to tick me off, whether by omission or admission.
Excuses, if they are valid, I don't mind, made up "excuses" for manipulative purposes, no, just no, that grinds my gears.
One can't always tell, what is what, but when you get to know someone, it becomes clearer and clearer.
 
GadAbout said:
Why can't people have excuses? I recognize many of them you listed, but so what? I don't have to be annoyed by someone just being human. And defense mechanisms (and excuses) are human characteristics.

I'm sure I make a lot of excuses myself, and if someone wants to be annoyed with me, then that's their choice.
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tducey said:
Yeah, I don't mind excuses people have. People have their reasons for not doing stuff. I don't fault them for that.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about ones where people make excuses just out of pure laziness or when you know the person making them is lying to avoid doing something and/or trying to avoid trouble. If they have a genuine reason for not wanting to do something, fair enough - we all do that. I've made excuses for not wanting to go to certain events because the crowds overwhelm me and that's accepted.
However, say you ask someone to help you sort out a job and they immediately claim "I can't" or "It's too hard" and then can't give you a legitimate reason for why, that's what gets on my nerves.
 
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I don't really believe in Pure Laziness. I think that's a tough call to make about someone else and their issues.

Why not offer this same thread about phrases people use when they're being judgemental?
 
I too think "pure laziness" is an impossible call to make. Most people who are willing to make excuses are not lazy per se - they put immense effort into some things in their lives, just not the things they refuse to accept or adapt to.
I think most people would accept "I cannot do..." for a valid reason, however "I cannot" becomes an excuse when it is a substitute for "I am unwilling" or "I cannot be bothered".
 
Nauti said:
It's lies I despise. One I've copped lately is "I don't know anything about it!" (When I know full well they did).
It's ignoring facts, because they don't suit their narrative, that grinds my gears, worse.
Lying to my face is one of the worse things you can do to tick me off, whether by omission or admission.
Excuses, if they are valid, I don't mind, made up "excuses" for manipulative purposes, no, just no, that grinds my gears.
One can't always tell, what is what, but when you get to know someone, it becomes clearer and clearer.
Click to expand...

I agree @Nauti, lying is my biggest bugbear.

I'd rather someone provide a truthful reason rather than lie. The reason may irritate me, but lying causes a far worse reaction than mild irritation. I DETEST lies.

The listed excuses - I'm sure we've all used at least a couple of them from the list :cool:

AGXStarseed said:
For me, my brother used to make a whole load of excuses when he didn't want to do something like a chore or when he was too lazy to make himself a cup of tea, etc. - with the excuses including "I'm too tired!" and "My back's aching!".
Click to expand...

Faced with that, the person would just remain thirsty unless I was making myself a cup of tea at that time.
 
Juliettaa said:
Faced with that, the person would just remain thirsty unless I was making myself a cup of tea at that time.
Click to expand...

Well with my brother, if I refused to make him tea or do something for him he'd just get violent with me - which always had me thinking to myself "You claim you're in pain or too tired, yet you're perfectly able to come and start effectively swinging at me when you don't get what you want".

Thankfully, my brother has since 'grown up' and matured a lot.
 
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