Adapt to quirks and thrive
Adapt and thrive
Everyone has their own peculiarities that can sometimes seem annoying to others. It can be a problem if you let these idiosyncrasies get to you. For example, I recently worked with an associate who had a habit of explaining things to others as if she were a school teacher talking to her less intelligent pupils. She over explained things and dragged out the points she was trying to make. I found myself getting irritated during our conversations. Was it her problem or mine?
It was mine. I was allowing her quirk to put me off and become a barrier in an otherwise profitable business relationship. After thinking it through, I realized it would be to my advantage to accept her communication style and not allow myself to be bothered by it. Rather than resent her for something she was unlikely to change, it made more sense to appreciate the fact that I was definitely getting all the information I could potentially ever need, and to focus on her other good qualities.
When you become aware of what bothers you about others, you can learn to adapt to their style and accept them for who they are. You move beyond getting hung up in their quirks and are able to interact with them on a more substantive level.
A principle in biology is that the organism that can adapt the most to its environment will thrive, and an organism that cannot adapt will perish. The same holds true for us. We sometimes think, “Why should I adapt to their style? Why don’t they adapt to me?” The answer is, because by adapting, you will not just survive, but thrive.
What quirks are challenging for you?