Daily writing prompt

What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?

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Certain people, probably through no fault of their own, have an irrational streak. They occasionally react to something in a way that you just would not expect. That’s a red flag for me. If they react that way to THAT, what’s next? I lose faith in them as rational people.

That is not to say that I don’t like quirky people. Some are fantastic. It’s the person who takes offense at something that 99.9% of other people would not. For example, I work at a merged company. I mentioned to my boss that I successfully completed a project that focused more on one side of the organization (which was entirely appropriate and within my job description) and she said something like “it’s always about the [legacy entity], it can’t always be about them.” What?? Most people would have said “well done.” Red flag.

There was a person in one of the choirs that I sang with who got mad at the director over a changed set of musical instructions. “That’s not what you said” over and over. Red flag.

I realize that some people have mental health issues of which they’re probably aware and may even be trying to address with professional help, but the irrational streak scares me a bit. I keep those folks at arm’s length.