Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Charlatan
Is there something cathartic in complaining? Is there joy in kvetching? What do people hope for when they complain?
Do they want someone to share their issue?
Do they want to get a "higher power" or someone else to solve their issue?
Do they just want to gripe?
What do you think? Is complaining a force for positive change or is negative? Can it be both?
|
As soon as I read this I thought of my grandma. That woman never has a positive thing to say...ever. If she says something positive, it's bookended by negative. I don't know why she's like that or if she even realizes that she does it. I think she is in the thinking of misery loves company and she just likes to gripe.
I think that some people complain to get people on their side. They feel that they are justified in being negative if other people are on board. Power in numbers type thing.
I think complaining can be the beginning of a solution. The place I work for started because 2 teachers were bitching about the system. They were sick of working conditions. After many negative talks, they asked the golden question: Ok, we're unhappy, what are we going to do about it? There solution was to open the first charter school in Arizona. After several years, their solution is thriving and honestly the most positive school I've ever worked for in the past 8 years.
I've done nothing but bitch and complain for pretty much the past 3 years. Once I figured out what the problem(s) was/were, I asked myself the question: Ok, what am I going to do about it? I realized that a change of scenery was what I needed. I was forcing myself into situations that I hated. So, I moved and got a better job and everything is more positive because of that.
Then there are the people, like my Nana, that will complain until their dying day. Those people I try to stay away from if at all possible. I had a friend in college that carried a dark cloud with her everywhere she went. She was exhausting to talk to because of all the negative energy. I cut her off when I realized there was no way to change her point of view. I don't know why people are like that except that they are happier when they're miserable. What a sad way to live.