Domestic Habits That Annoy Women.

In one of my previous postings, I mentioned about my revisit to a website that was my favourite back in 1999. Last night, after blog-hopping, I decided to go back there. I was in search of some thing I could blog about.

One thing that always intrigues me is human behaviour. I believe there is always a reason behind why people behave the way they do. So, as I browsed around articles relating to relationships, iVillage linked me to a website that brought me into a man's world. No. It was not a porn site. It was a website that deals with regular everyday issues. Some of them are issues that men in our lives seldom want to talk about. A few articles are answered seriously while the rest are handled playfully.

One article that caught my attention was about men's habits. Ryan Murphy at AskMen came up with Top 10 Domestic Habits That Annoy Women. He said:

"According to estimates, there are over 50 types of domesticated animals in the world. With enough training and patience, man might someday be one of them. When it comes to shacking up with our significant others, we almost invariably revert back to our primitive, knuckle-dragging ways. Maybe it's our way of silently protesting our captivity, or maybe it's just the way we're genetically programmed. Whatever the reason, we have a unique and sometimes gleeful way of irritating the ones we love most."

Here we go, the top 10 habits that annoy women ...

Number 10 - We leave a wake of empty containers

"While we have no problem taking out our trash, we will go to almost superhuman lengths to avoid having to fill them up in the first place. We'll pour water into near-empty shampoo bottles to maximize whatever's left; we'll leave behind a thimbleful of milk in the carton instead of throwing it out. Heck, we'll even leave a toilet paper roll with one square remaining and wipe with our shirts if we have to. So long as there's just a teeny, tiny bit left, we won't be the ones responsible for disposing of it and, more importantly, buying a replacement."

Number 9 - We splash the mirror when we brush our teeth

"Let's face it: We're territorial creatures at best. If it were socially acceptable, we'd pee on all of our possessions just to scare away other men (maybe not on our supply of beer, but you get the idea). Therefore, leaving behind a little white glob of toothpaste after we've brushed is just our way of marking our territory. It says, "I've been here and I'm cavity-free."

Number 8 - We leave hair in the sink after shaving

Why do they do this? The author says this: 'While we might like the result of a clean, smooth face, all men hate the actual process of shaving. It's time-consuming, painful and a miserable way to start the day. Therefore, as a sign of protest, we elect to leave our pesky little beard trimmings in the sink to show 'em who's boss. Women might hate it, but it's our way of celebrating victory in the battle against unwanted follicles."

Men with beard or goaties? They still need to do some kind of upkeep. Yah! We are going to find some kind of hair in the sink. By the way, I find my hair there too. The difference is, I clean up after myself.

Number 7 - We use 10 drinking glasses a day instead of one

"When asked about his habit of taking baths, Winston Churchill once replied, "Why stand when you could sit?". The same rationale applies to the use of multiple glasses. Why use the same dirty, germ-ridden glass time after time when you could enjoy a crisp, sanitized one whenever you like? Not only is it healthier, but using different glasses for every drink helps us calculate if we've consumed our recommended eight daily doses of water. Besides, what fun is there in having possessions if you never use them?"

Luckily, my signficant other does not do this. He uses one mug for coffee, and one glass for other beverages. The glasses in my cabinet are under-used! Not complaining here.

Number 6 - We pee on the toilet seat

"Granted, this is one of our least pardonable offenses, but it wouldn't have to be if women simply left the toilet seat up in the first place. Ladies claim that it's good etiquette to leave the seat down, but the opposite is actually true. Consider this: Since women need to sit down to relieve themselves, it's easy for them to bring the seat down with them in one fluid motion. We men, on the other hand, have to bend down, lift the seat, begin peeing, and then bend down again to return the seat when we're done. We go to the washroom to pee, not to perform calisthenics."

It is not a problem with me. When I need to use the toilet, I will put the seat down myself. That way, it saves me the trouble of wiping the seat.

Number 5 - We litter the ground with laundry

"A place for everything and everything in its place," they say. Well, that's a nice idea, but who has the time? It's far more fun to throw our clothes here and there as if a bomb went off in our closet. Not only is it faster to treat the floor like a giant laundry basket, but we can amuse ourselves for hours afterwards as we dodge and deke our fallen clothes while moving from room to room."

Some habits just can't be changed .... or can they?

I read a story about two college room mates - Jim was the neat one and Sam, the untidy one. Sam always left his clothes around. In the beginning Jim always picked up after Sam. One day, clearly exasperated from Sam's behaviour, Jim warned Sam that if he does not start picking up his clothes and putting them in its place, he is going to burn all of Sam's clothes. Sam thought Jim was joking and continued to leave his clothes where he took them off. The next day, after lectures, Sam found Jim standing in front of a bonfire, near their dorm. He asked Jim, "What cooking?" Jim answered, "Your clothes". That cured Sam's habit.

Number 4 - We don't do housework

"When it comes to home repairs and renovations, men are king. We're unequalled in our ability to fix basement steps, patch up aluminum siding and build spice racks. When it comes to cleaning, however, we're lowly paupers without the faintest inclination to pitch in. We'll lift our feet if we have to, and we'll even move the odd piece of heavy furniture, but our contribution ends there. Hey, if God had wanted us to sweep and dust, he would have given us feathers instead of fingers."

Number 3 - We burp & fart indiscriminately

"Scientists and academics often comment upon what a shame it is that we use only 10% of our brains. For most men, the same reasoning applies to our sphincters and throats. Like any other part of our body, these muscles need to be kept in shape. And there's simply no better way of doing it than burping the alphabet or heating up a "Dutch Oven" under the sheets. Women needn't be disgusted by our behavior. In fact, they should be flattered that we're comfortable enough around them to risk sharting ourselves. At the end of the day, isn't that what love is all about? "

Number 2 - We develop a martyr complex when we get sick

"When women get sick, they take the appropriate medicine and bivouac themselves in bed with a hot compress and a good book. When men get sick we go into a Shakespearian death throe, certain we're on the verge of sputtering out our last breath. We collapse wherever is convenient, be it on the bed or on the front lawn, and mutter, moan and groan until we've scared off every living creature (and turned on every male dog) in a six-mile radius. It's not subtle, but more often than not it gets us the attention we crave. "

.. And should a man find his unwell partner lying in bed reading a book or magazine, it doesn't mean she is feeling better. She could be waiting for the medicine to take effect.

Beware! Asking for anything at that moment may result in an end to some of your privileges.

Number 1 - We channel surf rapidly (and seemingly aimlessly)

"As King of the Castle, we consider it our right to rule the remote control with an iron fist. For women, that means having to watch an endless parade of sports highlights, monster movies and home renovation shows. Making matters worse is the lightning-fast speeds at which we flip through the channels -- so fast as to trigger epileptic seizures seven households away. Hey, it's not our fault there are 501 channels. "

Personally, I don't think this is the number 1 problem. Actually, it all depends on the woman who is reading it and what irks her the most. Regardless of what score this point deserves, I agree that this is one of the habits that annoy.

While most of these points are true, I don't believe that all men possess these habits. Everyone, men and women, are made up differently. No one is perfect. While some men uphold a few of these rituals, there is a fair share of them who don't. In fact, I dare say that some women have these habits too.

I think, as annoying as some of these habits are, some actually become a norm. If he does not keep up with a certain habit, his partner will think something is wrong.

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Ryun

Next posting - Top 10 Annoying Things Women Do.