In an ideal world, I wish for my thoughts, experiences and beliefs to remain in a continuous state of refinement and renewal.  I would frequently be exposed to new and interesting people and situations, and I would constantly discover and enhance new aspects of my emotional and intellectual life. I want to stay relevant. I have purpose.

I’m not cut from the same cloth. I WILL think differently.

However, this is rarely how life progresses (least not mine). For many, situational repetition is the norm. My life’s observation so far has led me to believe that these people seemingly want to be stuck in their own ways. I find these people insufferable because they become the product of their own doing. They create their own demise whether they consciously know it or not, slowly but surely.

Their inability to get out of their comfort zone.

Embarrassingly, we all have a natural (and often useful) tendency to stick with the familiar in life and avoid situations that make us uncomfortable. This is a good way to stay out of sticky situations, but same holds true if we get in a rut and stay there. It is so easy for these people to become disillusioned – shrinking their awareness and understanding of their surroundings. When will they stop burying their heads in the sand, to see the light?

They feel threatened when ‘fresh thinking’ is on the table.

They love to hang out with like-minded people – many times I have championed this as a good thing, but in this instance, these people use the opportunity to hear constant reinforcement of their own thoughts and beliefs. They are too consumed mentality that things are tried and tested; therefore it is the case, forever and ever. It is easy for them to fall into “groupthink” which makes it more difficult to see (or acknowledge) faults, shortcomings and falsehoods of their own. How do you tell them that time has moved on yet they’re still stuck in the past?  It’s time to get a new perspective!

Lacking thereof to no self-awareness. 

These people are afraid of acknowledging and exploring their own thoughts and emotions, choosing instead to focus on life outside their own skin – constantly judging, criticising others, while completely oblivious to the bull they believe and sell. They become so self-absorbed they are as good as living in a bubble. There’s little you can do or affect but only resort to hope that they will come around and want to change, for themselves.

Do you know people like this? Are you like this?  In a life that is mortal, the secret to longevity is staying current.

If you want to be interesting, be interested. – David Ogilvy