Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, bsc

You’d think that after everything life has thrown at me — grief, motherhood, widowhood, indie publishing, mental health degrees, book launches, witchcraft rituals, Amazon categories that gaslight you — I would have reached some kind of enlightened state where small things no longer bother me.

Absolutely not.

I am a calm, grounded, emotionally evolved adult…
until someone triggers one of my pet peeves and suddenly I’m a raccoon flipping a trashcan.

So today, for the sake of honesty, comedy, and emotional release, I’m naming my top three pet peeves.
The Mount Olympus of “why is this my problem today.”
The Holy Trinity of “no thank you.”

And yes, they all come with deeper meaning, because I’m incapable of writing anything without emotion and existential undertones. Occupational hazard.

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Pet Peeve #1: People Who Take Pride in Not Reading

Let’s start strong.
If you want to instantly unhinge me, simply announce:

“I don’t read. Never have. Never will.”

Ah yes.
A red flag wrapped in a personality trait.

It’s the bizarre pride that gets me.
Not “I’ve been busy.”
Not “I struggle with attention.”
Not “I prefer audiobooks.”
All understandable.

I’m talking about the chest-puffed, victorious tone people use, as if reading a book is a moral failing or contagious disease.
As if proudly choosing ignorance is an Olympic sport.

This pet peeve hits deep because books saved my life.
Books held me through grief.
Books raised me.
Books taught me how to mother, how to heal, how to rebuild.
Books made me a writer, a therapist, a creator.

So when someone brags about not reading?
My brain immediately goes:

“Ok, but… why say it like that? Are you trying to impress me with your void?”

The deeper meaning:
We live in a world desperately in need of empathy, imagination, and perspective.
Books cultivate all three.
So maybe don’t brag about avoiding them like tax forms.

Soft reminder: If reading is hard for you, you are welcome here.
If you’re proud of not reading?
My blog may not be your spiritual home.

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Pet Peeve #2: People Who Speak in Motivational Slogans Instead of Human Words

If you want to see my soul leave my body, hit me with this classic:

“Everything happens for a reason.”

Sure.
Tell that to anyone who has lived through actual loss, chaos, trauma, or real-life adversity.
Tell it to anyone who didn’t choose the things that shaped them.

Another favorite:

“Just stay positive.”

I will not.
And also: no.

Life is not a vision board.
Healing is not an aesthetic.
And emotional bypassing is not therapy — it’s just avoidance in glitter.

What bothers me isn’t optimism.
Optimism is lovely.
Hope is necessary.

My pet peeve is the refusal to be human.
The refusal to sit in reality.
The insistence on responding to complexity with a sticker slogan.

Because here’s the truth:
People don’t need polished positivity.
People need honesty, softness, connection, and permission to feel what they actually feel.

The deeper meaning:
When we respond with real empathy — not slogans — we hold each other in a way that actually heals.

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Pet Peeve #3: The “We’ve Always Done It This Way” Brigade

If there is one sentence that can instantly turn me into a villain origin story, it’s this:

“We’ve always done it this way.”

Ah yes.
The anthem of stagnation.
The lullaby of mediocrity.
The battle cry of people who panic when asked to update a PDF.

This pet peeve shows up everywhere:

• schools refusing modern solutions
• workplaces treating burnout like a personality issue
• older generations questioning why younger people “change things”
• outdated systems clinging on like decorative mold
• publishing rules from 1998 being applied to 2025
• people who lose their minds over pronouns, diversity, or anything not carved in stone

The emotional root? Fear of change dressed up as tradition.

But here’s the thing:
All growth requires discomfort.
All healing requires evolution.
All creativity requires innovation.

“We’ve always done it this way” is a sentence that stops worlds from growing.

My entire career — therapy, writing, publishing, parenting — is built on the opposite belief:

“We can do better.
We can think differently.
We can evolve.”

If you’re in my world, you’re someone who chooses curiosity over rigidity.
You question things.
You adapt.
You grow.

And honestly?
You make life more interesting.

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So What Do These Pet Peeves Say About Me?

They reveal something important:

I like people who think, feel, reflect, and stay awake in their own lives.

I like readers.
I like humans who question things.
I like emotional honesty.
I like growth.
I like messy, evolving, self-aware, hilarious, imperfect people.

That’s who my blog is for.
That’s who I write for.
That’s who stays in this space.

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A Tiny Unexpected Bonus Pet Peeve (Because I Can’t Help Myself):

When someone says:

“I didn’t like your book, but don’t take it personally.”

You know what?
I’m fine.
You’re allowed to dislike my book.
But don’t pretend a book isn’t personal.
It’s literally my heart in paragraph form.

Anyway.
Moving on.

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The Truth: Pet Peeves Are Just Windows Into What We Value

My three big ones point to this:

• I value curiosity.
• I value empathy.
• I value growth.
• I value authenticity.
• I value brains, feelings, and humor coexisting in one human body.

And if you’re here reading this post?
You probably value the same things.

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And you know what….

If you enjoy brutally honest, slightly sarcastic, emotionally intelligent articles like this — welcome to the blog you didn’t know you needed.

There’s more where this came from.
Stories, craft talk, witchy wisdom, indie-author reality, cozy chaos, personal insights, and the occasional rant that turns into life philosophy.