Is There Anything that People Won’t Complain About?
Seriously. Anything? Especially online?
I’ve seen comments lately (and long before lately too) from people that complain about things that really don’t have the slightest bit of anything to do with them. I’m not talking about any place specifically; I’m talking about a number of sites I visit online.
It’s like if I painted a room in my house green. It’s one thing to say that you prefer blue or that you would have painted it white with green accents. There’s no real issue if you want to express your opinion.
It’s if you want to complain, and bitterly complain, that I painted a room green because you think I should have painted it ochre. Or to complain that I painted the room at all because I should get new carpeting. Or whatever.
Especially if you’ve never been to my house, you haven’t loaned me money for the paint or paint brush and you’ve really had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my house, my room or my painting of the room green.
It’s like there are people that live to complain about things.
The real problem is that this sort of attitude permeates our society. And the complainers are often the loudest voices while they are also often the most irrational. And then, if you complain about the complainers, you’re labeled no better than them.
Except the difference is that while their gripe was illegitimate because what you did had nothing to do with them, your gripe is perfectly legitimate because their complaining may be hurting you. But, now you’re the bad guy.
And that’s because the chronic complainers get the attention. They’ll write letters. They’ll annoy people. Then there will be people that will step up and lend legitimacy to the complainers by arguing that, though some of them may be extreme, it’s perfectly reasonable to argue that painting a room in ochre is a better choice than green because it brightens the place up better.
And that makes people happier, which makes them more productive, which makes things better for society.
And, studies released by the paint companies that sell ochre paint confirm those findings.
And then the politicians decide that no one should paint their rooms green and that they should be painted ochre.
And then soon all of us are painting our rooms ochre because of a few complainers that had nothing better to do than to complain about something that didn’t affect them at all to begin with.
Ha Ha You are preaching to the choir. I hate complaining- I wish that meant I never complain but I do. Two weeks ago I read Complaint Free Relationships: How to Positively Transform Your Personal, Work, and Love Relationships by Will Bowen. The gist is to go 30 days without complaining about anything!!! Hard to do- I imagine. I haven’t committed to any thing like that yet.
The problem with complaining is that people believe venting makes them feel better and helps- in reality studies have shown that people who complain the most and vent the most are very, very unhappy. I agree with you- people will complain about everything and most of it is very unhealthy stuff.
I am definitely NOT a big complainer and those who are are flat out miserable people. Id rather find the funny than wallow in anger!
I know that’s right Meleah.
I had to tweet this today.
You rock Michelle!