How do I work with this person without strangling them?

So I have this coworker, he's a good guy and has a good heart, but holy hell he annoys/frustrates the crap outta me sometimes!!! I have never in my life met such an egotistical narcissistic (no offense to anyone diagnosed with narcissism) person I have ever met! I try to tell myself that he's just young... but he's not that young, nor is he much younger than me (I'm 27, he's 24).

He's never worked in a corporate environment and the environment at our company is fairly laid-back, but his attitude is ridiculous. He thinks that he is better and tries harder than anyone else. He has a sense of entitlement and feels like if he has something to say, he has a right to say it... to anyone, and everyone, anytime, without any form of tact whatsoever. He just acts like a childish, insubordinate brat.

I don't understand how some people don't understand the concept of humility, censorship, and understanding that there's the right time and right place for everything. How can you tell someone the same thing over and over and over and flippin over again and they STILL DON'T GET IT???? It's so frustrating, I want to slap the ***** outta him. Worst part is, I know he's a good person, but if he doesn't learn to shut his trap, he's gonna get himself fired!

Sometimes you just have to let them find out the hard way. When nothing you say makes any difference, then you just have to let him sink or swim on his own.

Unfortunately people like that tend to keep blaming everyone else for their trouble & never listen to what anyone has to say, therefore, they put the blame for what happens to them on everyone else.....throughout their life. If they are lucky, there may be something that gets through to them. Know there was nothing that could get through to my husband....even when I left him he refused to change & he was a good person too. But good doesn't counter the bad sometimes. When you have tried, that's usually all you can do...the rest is up to them.

It sounds like some of your reaction might be yours; your coworker sounds annoying but you sound extremely annoyed, like you might have been similar or wanted to be similar in thinking in your younger years but been squashed by someone?

When a coworker bothers me, I look at myself and my reaction to see what I can learn. So what if they think they are better? They either are or are not, based on what they do. Sometimes other people thinking they are better makes me anxious because I know I'm the best and it's a bit threatening?

Your worrying about his getting himself fired if he doesn't "shut his trap" makes me think of my reaction sometimes to trucks sneaking on the parkway where no trucks are allowed. I use to get all incensed until I realize the signs weren't put there for me or by me and didn't have anything to do with the "rights" of car drivers, were there for the road's sake! The trucks hurt the road, it's not built to take the heavier traffic. So, it's not about the truck drivers versus car drivers at all and I'm not that road's police person in the first place.

Maybe the higher ups see him as "exciting" and full of energy and ideas? Watch the interaction between him and others and see if you can figure out how you can become like someone who doesn't mind this guy? I use to listen to my coworker talk to her mother on the phone; she was so caring and patient and I was a wreck talking to my own difficult mother. I started practicing being like her on the phone and things went much better in phone conversations with my mom and me!

Thankfully the best way is to acknowledge that God made X, Y, and Z people. God even made Hitler, knowing in eternity what's going on at each passing moment of time. He has great love for even the most irritating person. :P To believe in God is to slowly becoming healthier and happier, because you realise that everything must be because God wills it, so you can really hate nothing.

Hello, Starvin4Perfection. Have you thought about using ear plugs or ear muffs or a headset to block out the noise? When you see mr.-I-am-god's-gift-to-the-world approach, hastily put them on a get really busy.

Hey Biz,

The funny thing is, I actually do wear noise cancelling headphones! Hahahaha

Yes, there are some people who can be irritating.
But - this reaction (How can you tell someone the same thing over and over and over and flippin over again and they STILL DON'T GET IT???? It's so frustrating, I want to slap the ***** outta him) kind of concerns me.
It's a violent reaction on your part.

This is a way to deal with difficult co-workers. Focus on doing the best job you can, distinguish yourself as an outstanding employee, if your eval pointed out some things you can work on, do that. It's double digit unemployment, work on preserving your job.
Head down, tail up.