Why are some people impossible to tolerate? Today, I’ll be exploring the karmic role of an annoying relationship in our life, both spiritually and psychologically.
If it’s someone at work or school, sure, you can still deal with their less-than-healthy behaviour and manage the situation to an extent. But sometimes those people can have an unavoidable role in our life, like our children, partner, or parents. Then what do you do?
And you can’t just go around blocking everyone – you would have nobody left.
It’s easy to become defensive and say “I don’t need anybody”, but that’s just the ego-mind talking from a place of self-protection. In order to be healthy and truly happy in this human life, healthy relationships are non-negotiable.
So, to expand your understanding of the spiritual implications of difficult karmic relationships, and facilitate true inner change, here are a couple of perspectives I’d like to share today.
#1 – The more someone pushes your buttons, the more tightly-knit your spiritual bond is.
Every single person in your life is there for a very specific reason, and even the irritating ones are NOT by chance.

The people you resist the most can also teach you the most about your own shortcomings. They bring many deeply-affecting lessons, like learning how to surrender and not always get your way, or opening up to the possibility that other ways are also right.
Who knows what you could heal, if you stopped resisting and started searching for the wisdom hidden in these karmic roles?
You see, even the most annoying people have “soul contracts“ to treat you in a certain way. Which means, even though we don’t remember this, we’ve signed up to be around them and learn certain spiritual lessons from them.
They are the best possible candidate at this moment to stir you awake, based on their own spiritual evolution! It all works out beautifully to help you heal parts of you that are getting triggered right now when they so-called ‘push your buttons’.
#2 – You can escape the relationship, not the lesson.
You can abruptly end one relationship, but if you don’t deal with the lessons it brought, that behaviour will keep resurfacing for you.
There’s a reason why people now have even 2 or 3 divorces, as an example. There’s something within their story that they are unwilling to heal, because of which it keeps coming back with a new face.
However, if you still want to consider ending the relationship with someone, check this video out first, called Should I Break Up?
#3 – Sometimes, different relationships at the same time of your life will have similar patterns and themes.
That means, you might be facing the same issues over and over again, with different people at the same time. While the reason may be different on the surface, if you look closer, the core lesson will be the same.
For example, you might have a boss that makes you work on weekends and a partner that seems to never get enough of your time. Both people can seem invasive in different ways, but maybe the karmic lesson is for you to learn how to respect your time and create healthier relationship boundaries.
If you don’t get that lesson, you might want to constantly jump from job to job or relationship to relationship.

Some other patterns that often show up in challenging soul contracts include the side effects of being a people-pleaser, or not being able to accept people without judging them. You might constantly find people around you who stun you with their weird behaviour – maybe all they need is for you to be more open-minded?
Or learning how to not give unsolicited advice. You might find your child refusing to listen to you, because you might be required to let go of the dogmas and opinions that limit you and other people around you.
#4 – In an annoying relationship, YOU may have a karmic debt to this person.
It can seem that some souls have a tougher time living the human experience than others. They may be physically unwell all the time, or have a lot of emotional and mental disturbance. And so, they need help to get by.
Sometimes, we sign up for caretaker roles in others’ lives.

Our contribution is larger than what we are getting in return, it seems. But what does this teach us? This karmic role helps us understand the importance of giving back, without always being able to receive anything in return. This is a great and tough way to experience the law of Divine Compensation.
#5 – At a soul-level, nobody is really a bad person.
As difficult as that is to believe when a relationship is so annoying, it gets on your nerves. But, just think of it. We are the sum of everything that has ever happened to us. Nobody is the way they are without a reason.
We learn from our parents, society, personal traumas etc. When hitting your head against the wall about why someone treated you in a certain way, think from THEIR perspective. If we can stop taking things personally, we will be able to react a lot less.

Of course, you may question the heinous acts of crime and how can anyone hold compassion for such people? The truth is, several studies at this point indicate that in the eyes of the wrongdoer, such a heinous act was actually of service to the betterment. The way their minds function (or dysfunction) prevents them from seeing the grossness of what has happened.
Even the most intense courts and jurisdictions like death-row offer a “meal of choice” to the prisoners before their death sentence. Why is this compassion necessary?
Because true spirituality runs with the belief that even the worst of crimes don’t define a person. Every person is capable of dropping a behaviour because they are better than that. Having compassion is a way to have hope and prayer for them that they understand, that they are better than that.
As spiritual seekers ourselves, we have to stop feeling threatened by people and cultivate the space that lets us treat others with compassion even in ugly situations. Which brings me to my next point.
#6 – Someone’s behaviour isn’t about you, it’s about them.
What you are feeling as a consequence of their behaviour, is about you. In this way, they are acting like a mirror to you, to show you what’s inside of you (in a blown up way so you don’t miss the lesson).
For example, whenever you’re on social media, you might find certain people to be superfluous and this might bother you beyond necessary. Every time you look at their photos or activities, you get all charged up with emotion.
In this situation, it helps to understand why you’re triggered. Was this situation even about you? Or was it something you judge in yourself, that you’re judging the other person for? How can you use what you’re seeing as a mirror into your own wounds?

In the same capacity, understand that everything people do is about them, and we really don’t need to take things personally. The more you’re able to do that, the easier it becomes for you to be around even the most odd souls, because you finally get the karmic role they’re playing for you.
So start using the emotions that arise in you to heal your deeper-rooted wounds. Instead of focusing on the question why are they doing this to you, determine why it’s affecting you.
#7 – People’s inability to love you back doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.
It doesn’t mean you deserve this perpetually.
It also doesn’t mean you love ‘too much’.
A relationship where you feel like you’re losing out, is simply an invitation for you to go within and ask yourself why you’re seeking love from that place? Why is your love dependent on external validation?
What would your life look like if you could give yourself that love now without waiting for that “loveless person” to love you back?
We actually wait for love because so many of us think we aren’t worthy of it. When we can use the rejection from certain people as a redirection to loving ourselves more, it becomes easier to heal.
Otherwise, we keep holding on to and hoping so much from people that can’t love us back. We choose them over and over again, hoping for a different outcome. Why not give ourselves that permission to experience love NOW, from within, to ourselves?
Concluding Thoughts
All this being said, the conclusion is that an annoying relationship can have a huge karmic role to play in our life. And as long as we can remember that everything happens for our spiritual growth, we don’t have to feel stuck or helpless in these relationships.
At the end of the day, we can either be fussy and bitter about it, or we can become accountable and rapidly change everything for the better by understanding and applying the ideas mentioned above.
What choice would you like to make?
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Vasundhra is the Founder & Writer of My Spiritual Shenanigans. After seeing 11:11 on the clock one fateful night, her life turned around. Ever since, she has been blending modern psychology and ancient spirituality, to help herself and people around the world elevate the quality of their lives.
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This post has been thought provoking. Somethings you said need me to introspect a little more. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure ♥️
I came to realize that as soon as I try to look at things from the other person’s perspective, I find it very easy to deal with even the most intolerable people. Thank you for this post.
Life is too short to be around toxicity or whats not working for you. Its important to develop healthy relationships!
You said it!
“The more someone pushes your buttons, the more tightly-knit your spiritual bond is.”
I have to share this one with my mother. No matter how much my dad pushes my mom’s buttons, they are really happy with each other.
Aw, bless! This put a smile on my face 😊
I really like this article. What a fresh perspective you offer on relationships and spirituality!
Number one is quite shocking to me even though my husband and I have two different faiths
I find the quote about behaviour on the spot because I know some people who got distracted on the process of a breakup that they forgot about why it happened at the first place.
This has some very good points! I like the point about people’s behavior is not about you but about them. Sometimes it’s hard to people in hte heat of the moment!
Great points!! Loved the article.
There is a lot of fantastic insight here, this was a great article to read and I agreed with many of your points.
I don’t think I could have a relationship with someone that annoys me. I wouldn’t be able to stand it. I think both our lives would be miserable.
Their behavior isn’t about you, it’s about them. That is a good one to remember!
This article really hit home for me. I liked the first point – that the more someone pushes your buttons the more tightly you are bound spiritually. It always seems the people closest to me can push my buttons the hardest! Even if it took you a couple years to put the post up, I’m glad you did. Thanks, again!
Aw, I’m glad! Being able to look at our relationships as a Spiritual opportunity to grow, can really bring a paradigm shift 😊
I am going to have to share this with my husband. Very thought provoking and I think he needs to read this.
“The people you resist the most can also teach you the most about your own shortcomings.” I’ve been learning this lesson more and more here lately. Very insightful.
Number six was definitely an eye opener. This whole blog was really insightful, and I don’t see much blog posts like it!
I love that reminder that, at a spiritual level, no one is bad. I think we judge people based on what we see and the experiences right now in life, but we fail to look past that… to look deeper.
Absolutely! Glad you resonated. Thanks for stopping by, Britt 😊
Wonderful post! Very thoughtful
I definitely think that when people test our patience and we either lash out at them or choose to be the bigger person and ignore then says a lot more about us than we’d think. Sadly, there is no escaping “annoying” people, but if we learn how to deal with them (or not deal with them at all, at that) we will be much happier.
Used to shy away from the effects of annoying people, thinking just like my parents all over again, nothing to do with me!. Now I see people as teachers and look to their effects and what is this trying to teach/show me? Received some eye opening answers sometimes. If they have nothing to teach you, you won’t be annoyed. Funny that!
Beautifully said, Susan! People bring out the best and worst in us – and all of it is a gift for our spiritual evolution!
Personally I sometimes struggle to understand karma. One really valid point I agree with you on is that no one is bad person. I believe this myself wholeheartedly that at the deepest level the essence of every person is compassion.
I can understand the confusion in conceptualizing the complexity of karma. Glad some of the points resonated with you – we’re ultimately ALL here for our evolution. No matter how fast or slow.
This is such an interesting post. Found points 2 and 6 especially thought-provoking. Definitely agree with the whole not giving unsolicited advice. That hit a nerve – not helpful!
This was a very intetesting post. I have to say I agree with all you have said. I love the way you explain and love this post all together. Well done!
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that 😊
This is absolutely worth the read… it took a short time to hear, but it has taken a lifetime to understand (still not there yet). Thank you for taking the time to put it all down in words. Peace.
My humble regards! Let’s spread as much awareness as we can around the deeper values of Karma 🙏