Do Quirky Habits Shape Our Friendships?

[Danger]

are you the butler?

I'll have you know, sir, that I haven't butled since my teen years, and even then not for the likes of you. I'm merely pretending to be your butler in furtherance of my attempt to begin an affair with your wife. That would, after all, cut down on the cost of liver.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

I tried hard to think of quirks, and I really couldn't come up with very much. There are some foods I don't like, like mushrooms and cheese, but everybody has foods they don't like. The only real quirk I have is this:

I usually refuse to enter nice round numbers on a microwave. I'll heat something for 0:23, 1:47, 2:12, etc., but never 1:30 or 2:00. I guess my thought process is that any recommended heating time is approximate anyway, so I insist on only entering "approximate numbers". I'm not usually very discriminate as to exactly which buttons I press, and occasionally I'll enter a multiple of 5 by mistake.

 

[Borek]

As a child I had a thing for the number 4. I'd try to do things in fours, and usually 4 sets of 4s, such as touching each one of my finger tips with my thumbs and repeating that four times.

Why am I not surprised?

My Dad spend almost a year in US at Dumbarton Oaks back in early seventies. Any chances we are half brothers?

 

[S_Happens]

Why am I not surprised?

My Dad spend almost a year in US at Dumbarton Oaks back in early seventies. Any chances we are half brothers?

Not unless he made a return trip in 1983.

I thought of another one too. I like to go up stairs two steps at a time. My quirk is how I take my last step up the stairs. I prefer to end the stairs with the very top being one that I would use when skipping steps (I know what I mean, but it seems hard to phrase correctly). So if there are an odd number of steps I use the very first one and then begin skipping steps (1,3,5...top). It's not bad enough that I count the steps before going up them, so the odd number stair thing only applies to stairs I frequent.

I just assume every set of stairs to be even until proven odd.

 

[Danger]

I also tend to count steps on a stairway, but it's just a habit from home which resulted from me not bothering to put lights on.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

As referenced earlier in regards to my taco making, I like to maximize efficiency for EVERYTHING I do. For example, when I make coffee, I have a very exact sequence of motions that ensure that not one second is wasted. I turn on the coffee pot at a point when I have just enough time to get the filter and pot in place before the water starts to flow. If the filter is in place for more than a second or two before the water flows, I feel like I have failed in my attempt at perfection. Same thing for feeding the cats, cleaning the house or kitchen, shopping, showering, etc.

Since Tsu works nights I often do the grocery shopping. I go late at night so that I can race through the store without interruption - I can spend $300 in less than twenty minutes. If there is no line at the checkout stand, I can be on my way home within thirty minutes of arriving at the store.

For this reason I can't shop with Tsu. She likes to look and ponder things, which drives me nuts!

 

[Borek]

Not unless he made a return trip in 1983.

Hm, so perhaps your Dad visited Poland in early sixties?

 

[Borek]

As referenced earlier in regards to my taco making, I like to maximize efficiency for EVERYTHING I do. For example, when I make coffee, I have a very exact sequence of motions that ensure that not one second is wasted.

To some extent I am doing exactly the same when preparing tea. Then - when going back to my desk - I am stopping at the kitchen table where almost always lies some newspaper, and I lose much more time reading whatever lies on top than I have saved making tea.

I am quite efficient both at saving time during simple chores and losing it without sense later.

 

[Danger]

I don't consider efficiency a quirk. It seems to be something that scientifically-oriented people do automatically. To my mind, it's simply taking the path of least resistance. Being an incredibly lazy bugger, that's important to me.

 

[Brilliant!]

My friend's say that I'm too direct, whatever that means.

 

[S_Happens]

I don't consider efficiency a quirk. It seems to be something that scientifically-oriented people do automatically. To my mind, it's simply taking the path of least resistance. Being an incredibly lazy bugger, that's important to me.

I agree that efficiency is not in itself a quirk. Not to get too far off topic, but in some psychological testing I've done, the idea of efficiency has come up a few times as a "value," or reason that drives a person to do what they do. The value was typically summarized as "getting the most return on an invenstment." I also agree that scientifically-oriented individuals will tend to have this as a main value (in all my testing I did).

I almost mentioned it earlier, and since it is similar to what has already been posted I'll go ahead with it. Everyone has quirks of some kind, but I believe that the same scientifically-oriented individuals will tend to have more numerous and/or "stronger" quirks. It seems to me that the strive for pattern recognition/order/answers manifests itself in these quirks.

 

[Moonbear]

I don't have any quirks, I'm perfectly normal...everyone else around me, however, is amazingly quirky!

Actually, I don't really know what quirks I have. You'd probably have to ask my boyfriend; I'm sure he can tell you.

 

[Redbelly98]

I thought of another one too. I like to go up stairs two steps at a time. My quirk is how I take my last step up the stairs. I prefer to end the stairs with the very top being one that I would use when skipping steps (I know what I mean, but it seems hard to phrase correctly). So if there are an odd number of steps I use the very first one and then begin skipping steps (1,3,5...top). It's not bad enough that I count the steps before going up them, so the odd number stair thing only applies to stairs I frequent.

I do the 2 steps thing, but don't worry about the top step. I do use stairs instead of an elavator for going 2-3 flights or less.

I usually refuse to enter nice round numbers on a microwave. I'll heat something for 0:23, 1:47, 2:12, etc., but never 1:30 or 2:00.

If I need to heat something for, say, 2:30, I'll enter 1:90 instead. Same amount of time.

Also:

I sleep in whatever T-shirt or undershirt I was wearing that day.

Sometimes I'll start responding to a thread, spending a lot of time (10 or 15 minutes) doing google searches or calculations to make sure I have the right information. Then, more than halfway through composing the post, I'll think "Nah, this is not worth responding to" and give it up. If only I'd thought that to begin with!

I also tend to notice spelling errors and have a hard time not pointing them out. But, I'm almost improving at that.

You should not have tolled us that, and will soon rew the day you maid this poast. Realy.

Hyooge misteak Bob.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Actually, I don't really know what quirks I have.

Like I told Tsu in regards to her similar statement, I'll be glad to send you a list.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I agree that efficiency is not in itself a quirk. Not to get too far off topic, but in some psychological testing I've done, the idea of efficiency has come up a few times as a "value," or reason that drives a person to do what they do. The value was typically summarized as "getting the most return on an invenstment." I also agree that scientifically-oriented individuals will tend to have this as a main value (in all my testing I did).

I almost mentioned it earlier, and since it is similar to what has already been posted I'll go ahead with it. Everyone has quirks of some kind, but I believe that the same scientifically-oriented individuals will tend to have more numerous and/or "stronger" quirks. It seems to me that the strive for pattern recognition/order/answers manifests itself in these quirks.

For me the efficiency thing is more a game than a compulsion...I think I do it to entertain myself. But every now and then I do have to remind myself that it is only a game. I can get locked into a mode where I actually feel pressure to perform. However, I think this happens when I fail to separate my personal life from work. Being self-employed and working from home can lead to a sort of 24 hour work mentality.

 

[Moonbear]

Like I told Tsu in regards to her similar statement, I'll be glad to send you a list.

That's okay, I know my boyfriend has more quirks than I do. I provide him with updated lists on a regular basis.

 

[hypatia]

I didn't know I had a quirk, until someone pointed out to me that I put only one sock and shoe on at a time. They asked if I ever put both socks on, then put shoes on, and I said no. They told me that I was odd.

 

[DaveC426913]

I didn't know I had a quirk, until someone pointed out to me that I put only one sock and shoe on at a time. They asked if I ever put both socks on, then put shoes on, and I said no. They told me that I was odd.

That's weird. Do you get tired running between your bedroom and the front door each time?

 

[mcknia07]

I have to have the TV volume and radio volume on an even number, if I am with someone else, I have to ask them, to make it even. I just cringe whenever it stays on an even number!

 

[DaveC426913]

I apparently have a quirk of which I was heretofore unaware:

I have to have the correct spelling in the subject of a thread!

 

[lisab]

I apparently have a quirk of which I was heretofore unaware:

I have to have the correct spelling in the subject of a thread!

Habits.

 

[S_Happens]

I was about to post that. I just finished googling to make sure a nun's habit wasn't spelled with two bs.

 

[Redbelly98]

I didn't know I had a quirk, until someone pointed out to me that I put only one sock and shoe on at a time. They asked if I ever put both socks on, then put shoes on, and I said no. They told me that I was odd.

Does anybody remember the episode of All In The Family, where Archie and Michael got into an argument about this?

 

[Office_Shredder]

Sometimes I'll start responding to a thread, spending a lot of time (10 or 15 minutes) doing google searches or calculations to make sure I have the right information. Then, more than halfway through composing the post, I'll think "Nah, this is not worth responding to" and give it up. If only I'd thought that to begin with!

I've probably lost about 400 man hours doing this.

I'll often start counting modulo 4 when walking up stairs, and at the end start taking them in twos or threes (or walking in place on the steps) to line myself up so I finish off at 0. I then try to remember what number to start at next time so I don't have to do that.

 

[DaveC426913]

Sometimes I'll start responding to a thread, spending a lot of time (10 or 15 minutes) doing google searches or calculations to make sure I have the right information. Then, more than halfway through composing the post, I'll think "Nah, this is not worth responding to" and give it up. If only I'd thought that to begin with!

Guilty.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I apparently have a quirk of which I was heretofore unaware:

I have to have the correct spelling in the subject of a thread!

What the heck are you talking about?

 

[BobG]

Does anybody remember the episode of All In The Family, where Archie and Michael got into an argument about this?

Yes! The one sock/one shoe thing makes sense. If there's a fire right in the middle of putting your shoes and socks on, the person that does one sock/one shoe can hop across a wet lawn and keep their feet dry while the person with two socks will get wet feet.

 

[BobG]

Since Tsu works nights I often do the grocery shopping. I go late at night so that I can race through the store without interruption - I can spend $300 in less than twenty minutes. If there is no line at the checkout stand, I can be on my way home within thirty minutes of arriving at the store.

For this reason I can't shop with Tsu. She likes to look and ponder things, which drives me nuts!

I ran into this same problem yesterday while grocery shopping. I know exactly what I want from the shelf and there's some guy browsing right in front of what I need.

I wanted to shout at him, "Shop like a Man, damn it! Women browse; men visualize what they want to buy as they drive to the store and plot out their exact motions to obtain their desired goods!"

 

[Redbelly98]

I ran into this same problem yesterday while grocery shopping. I know exactly what I want from the shelf and there's some guy browsing right in front of what I need.

I have a master shopping list that I can print out. It's organized by which aisle each item is located in at our usual grocery store. Before leaving, I spend a few minutes at home checking off which items I'll need.

At the store, I'll leave the cart at the end of an aisle. Then walk down one aisle--it's faster than pushing a cart--and perhaps back up the next aisle. I know exactly what I need from each aisle before walking down it, and whether I'll be able to carry everything in my hands before returning to the cart.

 

[turbo]

A friend of mine have to read everything backwards.

When I was writing training manuals and systems descriptions, I read everything backward as part of the proofing process. Spell-checkers couldn't catch jargon or industry-specific phrases very well, and it's too easy to scan right over mistakes when reading front-to-back.