I don’t know about you, but people are driving me mad these days, including:
- anti-maskers,
- election deniers,
- conspiracy theorists,
- white supremacists,
- all who abuse power, and
- many others too numerous to mention.
I don’t like being mad, so I just googled “people who drive you mad” and found this quote:
” People can’t drive you mad unless you give them the keys.”
Also, I found this 2014 online article “4 Ways to Cope With the People Who Drive You Mad” by Thomas G. Plante at psychologytoday.com. Far fewer people were driving me mad in 2014 than are driving me mad today, but Dr. Plante’s suggestions might still be helpful:
- Maintain realistic expectations.
- While you can’t control the behaviors of others, you can control your responses to it.
- Let go, while keeping the big picture in mind.
- Ask yourself if you’re just being too demanding.
If it’s driving you mad that I’m not giving more details about those four ways to cope, you can find the full article here.
Can you find any people who drive you mad in these recent images?
Many people drive Harley mad, and there he is maintaining realistic expectations and controlling his responses to the behaviors of others.
Did it drive you mad to notice that my top song of the year, according to Spotify, was “School Days” by Stanley Clarke, during a year when school days drove people mad?
It could drive me mad that I don’t agree with Spotify that “School Days” was my most played song of 2020, but I am not going to give Spotify the keys.
What are your ways to cope with people who drive you mad?
One of my ways to cope is to focus on gratitude, so thanks to all people and cats who helped me create today’s post, including YOU.
Here’s to taking the keys away, Ann.
This comment is key, Mark.
I try to think it as I just don’t get them and maybe never will. or feel the need to. I can go about my life without engaging with them. I do like the form of mad as in ‘mad about you!’ not so much ‘mad at you or mad because of you.’
you never drive me mad, beth, and I am mad about you.
Nothing to do with anyone making me mad, but on January 18th 1967 I wrote:
I am mad
but I am glad
I am not sad
I’m happy
That was the eve of my 19th birthday.
I am glad, not sad, not mad, and happy that you shared that, Peter.
You know what gets me mad? When someone is nasty to me, and I don’t know how to react- then after, the right words come to mind when it’s too late. Have a nice day, Ann
That drives a lot of us mad!
I’m pretty sure that the first time I ever heard “School Days” was today, Ann.
I think my most played song of this year might have been something sing by Chrissie Hynde. Just a guess.
Thanks for playing, Maureen!
I feel a bit mad for not listening to Stanley Clarke before. I shouldn’t be too mad at myself, though.
Thanks for the drive, Chris.
My way to cope with people who drive me mad is to think of Harley’s cool!
That’s a good way to cope!
I’m already there, so they won’t get anywhere 🙂
I’m mad about you and this comment, my friend.
I, too, have been finding myself intensely irritated by many of the people you mentioned, Ann, and what’s worse is that some such are in my immediate family! 🙄 Have been trying hard to stay in my happy place and as you suggest, not empower others to ruin *my* mood, but man, there are days….
Thanks for making my place happier, my friend.
You bring up a question, Ann. You and I think SO similarly, I wonder if we lived nearby and could visit more often, would we encourage each other to “cope” with the feelings, or would we egg each other on and encourage being angry and frustrated. I’d love you to be closer so we could find out how to answer my question. 🙂
If we lived closer, I would drive over there, masked, and hang out with you, Debra.