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Most of us have a nosy side to us. It can be interesting and even entertaining to hear gossip about what’s happening in the lives of others. However, it’s one thing to be curious about other people’s business, but it’s a whole different ball game to begin prying. We all know people who are unscrupulously nosy. We are related to them. We work with them. We live in communities with them. They relentlessly poke and prod for information that has absolutely nothing to do with them for reasons that the average person will never understand. They make people ridiculously uncomfortable as they ask inappropriate questions and they never seem to notice or care about the fact that they are overstepping their bounds.
These people and their constant need to invade the privacy of others often leave us feeling uncomfortable, violated, and offended. However, regardless of the consequences that they face as a result of their nosiness — whether it be an unpleasant conversation, a damaged relationship, or disciplinary action taken against them at work — it never seems to be enough to truly stop the negative behavior. People with this unfortunate character flaw come from all different walks of life, but there are some traits that they often share. Here are five of them:
They’re very bored
Extremely nosy people tend to be rather bored with their lives — even when they have a laundry list of things going on that actually require their time and attention. Instead of tending to their own business, they spend their days lurking on social media, asking inappropriate questions and digging into the lives of others. They’re are utterly fascinated by the affairs of others. Perhaps it serves as a means of distraction from their own problems.
They compare themselves to others
You may often ask yourself, “What is it to you?” when a person asks an intrusive question. And you’re right to wonder what on earth your colleague has to gain by knowing how much you paid for your home. The truth of the matter is that the motivation behind nosy behavior is often pathetic in nature. They want to know your personal business so that they have something to compare themselves to.
They’re haters
People who are preoccupied with the personal affairs of others typically have an agenda and it’s usually not anything positive in nature. While this is not the case in every situation, people who ask personal questions that make you uncomfortable dislike you. When they go “fishing,” they are searching for negative information that they can either use against you or that will simply make them feel superior or better about themselves.
They think they’re “low”
The funny thing about people who pry is that they believe their nosiness is going undetected. They ask leading questions that skirt around personal information as though you are unaware of what they’re doing or what they’re building up to.
They’re sneaky
Whenever people ask prying questions, always proceed with caution because you never really know what they’re going to do with the information that they uncover and with whom they’re going to share it.
