Life

Why You Should Never Put Up With Anyone's Bullsh*t

by Kat George

There's a lot to do in life. There's a lot to say and a lot to feel. A lot of places to go, a lot of people to meet. And the more your schedule piles up and the more experiences you'll accumulate, the more you'll realize that there are just simply some people in life who want to make things difficult. These people might not even be consciously aware that they're the kind of people who enjoy making things difficult, but they keep doing it because it nourishes them in some weird way. Sometimes, great people will be full of shit. Sometimes your mum, your SO, or your best friend will be entirely full of bullshit, and you put up with it — and that's totally OK. When there's give and take in a mutually beneficial relationship, sometimes you have to take someone else's lumps, or at least help them take their own.

But mostly, you should never need to put up with anyone else's shit. Your extended friends, family, co-workers, people you're dating — it doesn't matter who is it, there's no reason why you should allow yourself to become mired in the crap of someone else's "woe is me" existence. It's important to be able to identify someone who is raining down shit for shit's sake, and someone who genuinely needs help. In my experience, these are pretty easily discernible from one another, as shit-stirrers generally have a continual pattern of dramatics. Here are 7 reasons you don't need to put up with that.

1. Because other people are stupid

This is not objective, but rather, you'll find (especially as you get older) that you find most people around you to be very stupid. I often wonder if the people I think are stupid think I'm stupid, and then I think that would be pretty stupid of them, so I still win. The point is, people are stupid, so their shit is probably stupid, so you don't need to deal with it.

2. Because sometimes people just want to bring you down

Some people just want to watch the world burn. Giving and having shit is like constantly orgasming to them. They thrive off putting you in a position where you're at their emotional mercy, and are only happy if they can make you as unhappy as they are. You obviously don't need to stand for that.

3. Because it's okay to put yourself first sometimes

There are times when you should put yourself first. If a person is constantly giving you shit, or forcing you to deal with their baggage, then it's okay to put up a wall and take a breather for yourself. It's not healthy to let someone else dictate when and how you feel things, and what issues you prioritize.

4. Because it doesn't make you a bad person if you can identify crap

Look. Sometimes people don't even know when they're being ridiculous shit heads. If you can identify what issues people have, which ones are worthy of time and energy and which are fleeting dramas in a cycle of shit that doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you practical, and probably really good to have around to mitigate a non-crisis.

5. Because you have enough of your own shit

As if you don't already have enough of your own crap to deal with, you don't need to add someone else's to the shit heap.

6. Because life is short

There's literally one hundred things you could be doing at any given moment that don't involve putting up with someone's shit. All of those things would be more productive/fun/rewarding.

7. Because you can't be responsible for everyone

You can't heal the world. You're but one tiny person. You can be kind to those around you, but you can't fix everyone. People need to take responsibility for themselves sometimes, and you pandering to them doesn't help them get there. Meanwhile, spending time dealing with someone's constant shit means that you don't have time to deal with your own shit, or the shit that actually matters in the lives of people you really care about. Let your bleeding heart rest a while, and ignore everyone else's shit, because you can't help them regardless.

8. Because do you think RBG puts up with shit?

Of course she doesn't. She doesn't even put up with an entire nation's shit.

Images: Charlie Foster/Unsplash; Giphy (8)