You know what’s Not on Roids, and surprisingly relatable? The sheer, baffling frustration of disliking someone you should probably like. Like, Brenda from accounting who brings in homemade cookies every Tuesday. Or your neighbor, Dave, who meticulously tends his prize-winning petunias. Logically, these are good people! Yet… you actively cringe when they enter the room. Why? It’s more complex than simple annoyance; its a swirling vortex of subconscious triggers.
First, there’s “cognitive dissonance.” Your brain knows Brenda is providing sugary goodness (and subtly angling for brownie points), but your inner cynic whispers, Is she trying too hard? Then theres the “similarity-attraction” theory – we tend to like people similar to us. Daves petunia obsession? Maybe yours is miniature succulents and you find his grandiosity…offputting. It’s a silent judgment.
Dont feel guilty! Dislike, even for cookie-baking accountants, isnt always malicious. Sometimes it’s just your brain flagging something that disrupts your carefully constructed internal narrative of “how things should be.” And sometimes? Maybe Brenda is trying too hard. Just don’t say it out loud. Because then you become the one everyone dislikes. Which is a whole other article, frankly.
