18 Universally Infuriating Things That'll Undeniably Make You Cringe
Aug. 30 2018, Updated 9:40 a.m. ET
We've all been there. Having an absolutely carefree day, enjoying the cloudless sky when the smallest thing makes us tick, and suddenly the whole world has exploded into shambles.
For me, it's being at a dinner party, enjoying my meal and the company I'm in when someone cuts their steak too aggressively and their knife grazes the plate just so — resulting in the shrill sound I can only compare to a nails-on-a-chalkboard moment.
Whatever minor misfortunes annoy the hell out of you, you can be sure, thanks to the internet, that you're not alone.
Below, 18 of the most universally infuriating misfortunes that'll be sure to give you a panic attack. Or at least make you really, really cringe.
1. The classic link click.
"When you go to click a link, but something further up the page finally loads and shifts everything, so you click on the wrong thing."
This reminds me of the good old days of online streaming when one erroneous click would lead to 15 new windows simultaneously opening on the screen.
2. This tears me apart.
"Those bags that certain foods come in where you have to tear off a strip which doesn't come off straight. Then when you try to close it with the zip-lock it won't seal."
Absolutely insane-making.
3. How low can you go?
"When my pen rolls off and then under my desk, forcing me to either scrape blindly with my foot or get down on all fours and scrabble under the furniture like a goblin."
I always get down on all fours like a goblin, and get too comfortable to leave the ground by the time I've found my pen.
4. BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP BEEP!
"Smoke detector batteries only go dead in the middle of the night while you're peacefully sleeping."
I've truly never seen or heard a smoke detector go off at a relatively convenient time. It's always right before I've fallen asleep or as I'm about to wake up.
5. OTHER. DRIVERS.
"You're driving down a road. There is nobody behind you. At an intersection there is a car waiting to pull out. Does he pull out when you're 500 feet away? No. 250 feet? No. 100 feet? He goes for it, pulling out in front of you, going slowly and forcing you to brake despite the fact that had they just waited another second, they could have pulled out AFTER you and had all the time in the world to get up to speed."
I've been a city girl all my life and just recently got my license. I'm quickly realizing the scariest part about driving isn't that I'll make an error, but that someone in a rush is going to try me with their crazy maneuvers and I won't be able to react quickly enough.
6. It's called fashion, try it sometime.
"When my backpack slowly starts pulling my shirt up my back and I constantly have to do the "stop-jump-pull" shirt adjustment"
It's like stop, drop and roll, but for the sartorially inclined.
7. First-world problem, but STILL.
"When my Bluetooth speaker fails to connect automatically to my phone, forcing me to open the Bluetooth menu and go through that whole process."
Back to being a new driver, it's debilitatingly annoying when this happens and I have to do a one-eyed, one-handed reconfiguration WHILE trying to keep my eyes on the road so that I can see where Google Maps wants me to go.
8. Cringe can't begin to cover this.
"Stepping in unknown wetness while wearing socks. Even if it’s known wetness it’s still infuriating."
I feel like I'm literally puking in my mouth.
9. Toilet woes.
"When I don't hold the toilet handle down long enough, so it doesn't flush properly, and I have to wait for the tank to refill before I can even try to flush it again."
If I had a dime for every minute I've wasted waiting for the tank to fill so I can try my hand at flushing again... Oh, and this always happens when you're at a guest's house and everyone is waiting for you to sit down for dinner, or something.
10. When you're REALLY trying your best.
"Dropping wet clothes on the floor as I switch them from the washer to the dryer."
- TinyUSB
Laundry is already such an epic chore that you want to feel proud and accomplished halfway in. But then this happens and you have to debate whether to start all over or pretend nothing went wrong, while knowing deep down that your Downy-smelling sweater is actually filthy from the communal laundry floor.
11. Patience, people.
"That moment when you eat something and realize it's too hot and have to awkwardly find a way to position it inside your mouth that doesn't burn."
If this ain't me, tho. Which kind of psychopath actually waits for their food to cool before shoving a humungous bite in their face?
12. This could be an ad for those bluetooth earbuds.
"When you walk past a door with headphones in and the door handle rips them out of your ear."
- some-dev
Allow me to add that when this happens on a packed subway, it's five times worse.
13. It's not just you.
"Aluminum foil tearing unevenly, or tearing as I'm trying to place it properly for cooking. Similarly, plastic wrap stretching when I want it to tear. In my 40s, and I have not mastered this skill."
- kxb
In other countries, they don't even have ridges on the box to make the tearing possible. Talk about a fool's errand.
14. Will we ever outgrow this phenomenon?
"Putting a fitted sheet on bed and having one edge come off while trying to put on another edge."
This has been a problem for me for as long as I've been making my own bed... Does anyone have a life hack?
15. Disastrous AND humiliating.
"Throwing something in the trash and juuuust missing it. You have to bend down to get it and throw it again, while thinking of the shame you bestow upon yourself."
- thatdani
Or you just leave it and walk away confidently, like you were trying to miss all along.
16. I would like to meet one person in the world who remembers their password every single time.
"Incorrect Password
(retypes password)
Incorrect Password
(retypes password slowly and precisely and double checks username)
Incorrect Password
(Angrily retypes password one letter at a time making sure to forcefully press each key while muttering obscenities under your breath)
Incorrect Password
F--k it. I will just reset the password.
New password can not be the same as previous password
NOOOOOOOOO"
The internal monologue is really, really evocative of a #MOOD.
17. Stairway to hell, for real.
"Trying to make another step on the stairs just to find out there is no more, either walking up or down the stairs equally horrible."
PREACH!
18. #SelfCareProblems
"When my fingernail gets a tiny little crack in it and starts catching on every single cloth thing it comes into contact with. It always happens when I don't have clippers or a nail file near to fix it."
This is the actual worst.
Were you able to make it through this list without having a full-blown panic attack? If so, congratulations to you, Zen master.
