# What stresses you out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924 "2026-11-12T20:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/1 "2026-11-12T20:23:55Z")
It has been quite a while since we had a thread on this topic. For me, it is being the only one who can prevent forest/wild fires. You? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/2 "2026-11-12T20:32:32Z")
“And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! There’s one thing I hate! All the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!” Particularly floo-floobers, tar-tinkers, and whoo-whoobers. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/3 "2026-11-12T20:42:22Z")
Trying to be on time for something (flight, dinner, show, etc.) and your partner, friend, in-law, etc. that is going with you will not get their shit together. And if you dare say something you are being the biggest a-hole in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/4 "2026-11-12T21:33:19Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “And then! > Oh, the noise! > Oh, the noise! > Noise! Noise! Noise! > There’s one thing I hate! > All the noise! > Noise! Noise! Noise!” Yup. Who knew the Grinch was so relatable? I’m assuming the OP would like an itemized list, but I don’t have that kind of time. One of the things that stresses me out the most is my plans changing at the last minute. If those plans change from “I wasn’t doing anything” to “I’m doing a thing, and there will be people. Surprise!” I do not react well. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/5 "2026-11-12T21:55:19Z")
No itemized list needed. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/6 "2026-11-12T22:06:04Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Trying to be on time for something (flight, dinner, show, etc.) and your partner, friend, in-law, etc. that is going with you will not get their shit together. And if you dare say something you are being the biggest a-hole in the world. Beat me too it. If I make a 6:00 PM reservation at a restaurant, for example, I want to be _on time_. I think being late is inconsiderate, rude, and selfish. My wife couldn’t care less about being late (for anything), and it aggravates me to no end when we need to leave the house ASAP and she needs “ten more minutes.” (And I inform her hours beforehand on the time we need to leave.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/7 "2026-11-12T22:32:15Z")
Ah, yes. The time to be there, the time to go and the time to get ready to go are all the same thing to them. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/8 "2026-11-12T22:43:40Z")
Relationships. There’s always some sort of drama involved. Then again, the saying is that the person complaining about drama is the common denominator, so who knows, maybe I’m causing a good chunk of it. I will say, though, that I seem to attract more mentally-ill women than the average man does, not sure what I’m doing that causes it. That and also that I’m turning 40 soon. I know I’m young compared to the average Doper but I don’t like leaving my 30s. I still feel 32. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/9 "2026-11-12T23:39:38Z")
Oh god. What doesn’t? (For me) ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/10 "2026-11-12T23:52:11Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > If I make a 6:00 PM reservation at a restaurant, for example, I want to be _on time_. I think being late is inconsiderate, rude, and selfish. My wife couldn’t care less about being late (for anything), and it aggravates me to no end when we need to leave the house ASAP and she needs “ten more minutes.” (And I inform her hours beforehand on the time we need to leave.) All that, but made worse for me whenever the foot-dragger trivializes my concerns of being late, or worse yet attempts to gaslight me into believing we’re _not_ late and telling me to _“re-laaaaxx”_ in a condescending tone. Now I’m _more_ stressed. It comes down to two favorite methods used to bullshit me: - Saying “we have plenty of time” by underestimating ( again! ) a travel time known very well to me. - Saying “we have plenty of time” and in the ensuing back-and-forth whereby I ask her to basically show me her math uncloaks the argument to really mean “It’s OK to be a little late”. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/11 "2026-11-13T00:02:48Z")
And even worse, when you do manage to arrive in time despite her being late, she then says “See? Being late wasn’t a problem.” You need to find some time to strategically let her miss an appointment or two. Not very important ones, but enough to let the consequences sink in. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/12 "2026-11-13T00:06:06Z")
Or get in the car and leave. Worked like a charm on my middle daughter who dragged her feet. She got left, next time she sped up her routine to get ready. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stresses-you-out/1034924/13 "2026-11-13T00:18:24Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > - “It’s OK to be a little late” The way I look at it… it’s usually not a problem to be a little late to a friend’s house who is hosting a barbeque. But a restaurant is a _business_, and late-arriving reservations can screw up their scheduling and ultimately hurt their bottom line.