11 Struggles Only Type-A People Will Truly Understand
We get shit DONE.
Jacob Lund / Shutterstock Some people may find "Type A" people too high-strung or overachieving, but the fact is, Type A people are brilliant, too. Yes, we may end up with heart issues before Type Bs, but the pros to being a Type A include:
- We get stuff done.
- We don't stop fighting for what we believe in.
- We hit every nook and cranny.
- We remember what you say and listen.
- We play hard and party hard.
Of course, being a Type A, there are certain struggles we experience in our bold, high-achieving, and sometimes stressful lives that other folks simply won't get.
Here are 11 struggles only Type A personalities will truly understand:
1. Waiting is the equivalent of torture.
Waiting for you to figure it out or finish a task is painstaking. We could do it faster than you could, or more efficiently. Plus, other people who aren't Type A don't do the same kind of job we will with the same kind of urgency.
2. Laziness isn't in our routine.
Are you just going to sit there all day? How can you possibly do that? Don't even let us witness this; it makes our skin crawl.
3. We have no tolerance for people who wear pajamas everywhere.
Pajamas are great when you're home or in bed, not when you're out in public. The Type A person likes to look presentable, because hey, opportunities can arise at any time.
4. We're unable to play games in relationships.
Just cut to the chase: Are you interested or not? We're efficient and have goals. Your game-playing infringes on those goals. It's so juvenile that we can see right through it. Your game-playing isn't entertaining. No one likes games, but a Type A person? Well, we abhor them.
5. We understand the importance of an RSVP.
If we can't properly RSVP due to a situation outside our circumstances, we're ready to flip our load. We feel awfully rude and unsociable — and worse, disorganized, which gives us shivers.
6. Clutter is a big no-no.
Over my life, I have collected lovely friends who are neat and who are horrifically messy, and I truly love them all. But if given the chance, I would go to my messy friends' homes and tidy them. Of course, they would make it messy again, but I still love them to pieces.
In our own abodes and resting places, a Type A person could have a panic attack over clutter. It feels way too chaotic. In fact, many people have noted that I'm creative yet very Type A. People think the two cannot exist because by nature Type As love routine, but creativity is the place I can "clutter and work" with the messy thoughts that haunt me.
7. We absolutely hate people who do things at the last minute.
We all have a friend who never knows what he or she is doing until that very second. Those people make us irritated to no end and the only way to love someone like that is to have a long-term friendship and understand that this person is a free bird at all times. Still, this person annoys us.
8. We do a busboy's job for them.
Raise your hands, fellow Type As, if you've ever gone to a restaurant and watched in horror as people leave their tables a wreck. You want to chastise them, don't you? Enough said.
9. We loathe procrastination.
People who procrastinate or people who never try? We can't fathom it. How did you not plan something amazing from beginning to end?
10. Accomplishing nothing is heartbreaking.
What did you do today? Oh nothing, said a Type A person NEVER. In fact, those words moved me to tears. Telling people, "I did nothing today" are the saddest four words I can think of.
11. We don't like to lose.
Losing stinks to anyone, but to a Type A person it feels like a major injury. Losing is awful. Have you ever seen a Type A person intentionally lose a game to a child? No, you haven't. And if you say you have, you saw a ghost.
Laura Lifshitz is a writer, former MTV personality, and Columbia University graduate who writes about divorce, relationships, women’s issues, and parenting for The New York Times, Women’s Health, Working Mother, Pop Sugar, and more.