stop bugging me!

everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.- carl jung

checking out 'speaking of the mbti', i ran across that quote from carl jung.  and you know?  it's true.  it makes me crazy that it's true.  i don't exactly love that it's true.  but it is.  you know that person in the next cube who has been driving you absolutely insane?  you know, the one who is too terribly particular about things.  the one who talks too loud (and too much).  the one who just doesn't get it.  that person, it turns out, can teach you a whole lot about yourself. 

too often for my liking, the things you can't stand in others tend to be things you really can't stand about yourself.  sure.  sometimes there are other lessons, like learning patience or tolerance.  (maybe that person in the next cube really doesn't get it.  and maybe you do.  that is entirely possible.)

but just like difficult times are usually what propel us to growth and change, people who get on our every last living nerve tend to teach us more about ourselves than those who don't.  this, of course, depends on us paying attention to those lessons though.  we've got to be aware, and think about these things before just automatically making it all about the other person.

so who's bugging you today?

all the best!

deb

Comments

[Wally Bock]

Great post, Deb. Another aspect of this is learning to mix with others in a relationship. In those contexts, sometimes that thing that bugs us is the part of the other person that most complements us. One thing my wife and I have learned is that she's definitely a "go with the flow" person, whereas I am firmly in the "stick with the plan" camp. That can be wonderful or awful, depending on how we handle it.

[deb]

mix with others in a relationship?
well that could be dangerous! (ha!)

and yes. going to the next level and learning how to work with those who are opposite of us....that can be glorious or...um...challenging, eh?

thanks, as always, for the comment wally!
all the best!
deb