To get someone to stop a behavior, politely tell them that it bothers you the first time someone does something that irritates you. The longer you wait after that first offense, the harder it’ll be to manage the “politely” part of this step. If, after politely requesting they stop, the offender continues their behavior, politely remind them again, perhaps pursue a compromise, politely of course. It may sound obvious, but it’s easy to get sucked into ceaseless volleys of passive-aggressive Post-Its and venting sessions with third parties without asking yourself the simple question: Have I made my wants and needs sufficiently clear to the people in my life. Unless you’re a high-ranking Buddhist monk, it’s only human nature to get irked when the routines of those we love harsh our collective mellows. Generally, when you dig for the origin of these heated disputes, you find a pretty standard history: a period of silently waiting for the offender to correct his behavior, a bout of frosty silence, an extended period of passive-aggressive sniping, leading to months or even years of moaning to innocent bystanders. There’s often one step missing: politely letting the offender know that they’re actually, y’know, offending you.