Saturday, November 16, 2013

Complaint Free World? No Thanks

Okay, I haven’t done a rant in a while (or at least I haven’t bothered to check and see if I have…same dif) so here we go.

I read online about some movement encouraging people to go without complaining for like three weeks. My reaction: sweet lord, NO. What would I tweet about? The only things I do on Twitter are complain and tell people when I’m going to bed so they don’t expect a response from me. Which would be another complaint. Cutting out complaining would basically kill me on social media.

I’m a pessimist. I admit it. I also don’t think this is a bad thing. Being a pessimist doesn’t mean I’m constantly ragging on everything that goes wrong or warning that when things go right it’s only because they’re getting ready to go wrong. It means I tend to see the negative outcomes first and the positive second. The worst thing it does is make me more indecisive. It doesn’t make me a whiner.

I understand that the idea behind the movement is to stop complaining and get out trying to change things, or and don’t whine about the things you can’t, but come on. Yes, doing something is better than saying you want to do something, but sometimes things seem cruddy and you rail against it because you just want to feel heard, even if it’s only by the universe. To me, acknowledging something is the only way to move past it. It’s not giving it power over me. It’s not me moaning and groaning instead of acting (usually it’s me moaning and groaning while I’m acting : ). It’s me voicing something. Unless I’m at it constantly, I don’t see how it hurts anyone or anything.

I’m going to complain if someone stops at the flashing yellow light even though no one is in the crosswalk. Because it’s not a big deal what I do alone when I’m driving. I’m going to complain if I wait a half hour in a restaurant for my meal because they forgot my order. Because I should get the food I order. I’m going to complain if I read a story about a girl getting shot for knocking on someone’s door while she was looking for help. Because I want to remember how awful that is.


If you don’t like it, go complain about it.

6 comments:

  1. I envy you the ability to complain. I find it really difficult to do. I've eaten food I really don't like because I'm too nice to complain at a restaurant when they brought me the wrong meal. I guess that makes me a wimp...

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  2. I'm with you. It's easy enough to go overboard with the complaining, but I don't really start worrying about that until people start avoiding me.

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  3. I find I complain more to myself, for instance if the computer starts acting up (which it's done this morning), I'll be muttering a few choice words that the Sisters Of Little Or No Mercy would not be pleased to hear.

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  4. You should read the book Bright-sided. It's mostly about the negative impact our positive culture has on us as a society. I think you'd enjoy it. I reviewed it a while back if you want to go check that first.

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  5. Complaining might be a good way to vent when things are going wrong, but there comes a point when that's all someone does. I had not heard of this three-week thing. I don't think I could go three weeks. I'd slip up easy. But I understand the idea behind it.

    Try this: next time you feel a complaint, instead of going for the negative, see if you can find something positive about the experience. It might be fun to try.

    Unless the restaurant forgets your order. Then go and complain to the management.

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  6. A three week no complaining campaign? I could do that. Then again, I'm something along the lines of an optimist, so that would be cheating. Is there a prize involved? I wonder who would complain if I won? :)

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Please validate me.