Raising Self-Awareness

It’s very common today to raise awareness for causes like cancer or poverty. That’s great but I think lesser-known causes should also get some attention. What we really need today is to raise awareness for self-awareness so people can take a look in the mirror and see how they’re acting. Here are a few people for whom I would like to have fundraisers:

People who have enough self-awareness to realize they’re annoying everyone around them but not enough self-awareness to realize they should knock it off.

Drivers who seem genuinely shocked that people behind them are trying to get home or to work and may not appreciate puttering along in the left lane of the highway because the person in front is driving under the speed limit and braking constantly for no reason.

People who are apparently too entitled or frail to mutter “thanks” when someone holds the door for them.

Starbucks customers who get disproportionately annoyed when the employee writes the wrong name on their cup, as if they’ve just been christened with a name they’ll have to live with forever.

People who carry on like First Amendment political prisoners when someone asks them not to curse around their kid, as if it’s a superhuman act of will not to say the F-word for the duration of a child’s birthday party.

Nosy people who appear to be fluent in English except for the phrase “none of your business,” which is in a completely foreign language.

People who are loud and obnoxious in inappropriate situations and when someone asks them to stop, they stare at that person like he has three heads and just made the weirdest request possible.

Consistently late people who never apologize, assuming everyone finds their lateness a charming aspect of their breezy, carefree personality, rather than the annoying lack of consideration that it really is.

People who are always screwing things up but don’t let any of it get to them, not realizing that they wouldn’t need to have a great attitude toward their incompetence if they let it get to them just a little and tried harder.

Bloggers who are quick to point out others’ failures but have no self-awareness of their own.