I came across this web site when I was searching for information on complainers. Seems that I am not alone in the belief that complaining in our society is chronic.

If complaining is so negative, why would so many people be willing to fall into the habit? I mean we are talking about complaining about small stuff like, “not another day of rain!” to complaining about the economy or fellow workers.

Complaining has reached an all time high. I do notice when I watch the news I hear the voices of the commentator speaking in a state of urgency and stress. Many times reporting on inane news. Like who cares whether President Elect Obama wore his shirt surfing in Hawaii or not? What is that about?  Maybe it’s true that our society has become so bored from all the automation that the trivial things of life become important. That story of Obama was CNN top news for a few days. What! Who wears their shirt surfing in Hawaii? That is so insane!!!

And as I listened to shows on TV, conversations around me and the news I found it everywhere. Just yesterday I was taking my morning walk.  As I passed a neighbor I said, “good morning” and in reply he said to me, “I am tired of these cloudy mornings sure wish the sun would come out.” But it was balmy and well, nice. I live in the south for Pete’s sake, it is in the 60′s and 70′s right now how much nicer could we have it!

Then there are the expressions people use. I have noticed that if you don’t swear you can’t get a proper expression across. Like what the h…? See what I mean. And! And! If you are don’t complain or swear you are considered some kind of naive sappy sweet cake no one wants to be around.

I am not saying I’m above complaining but it wears me out to hear complaining all the time. I actually know some chronic complainers and I have tried everything to get them to buck up.  My attempts to cheer them up are met with a sarcastic: “so you think your Miss Suzy Sunshine or what?”  Suggesting reasonable solutions or telling them to pull themselves together doesn’t work either.

I even tried to ignore them, and then tried to complain along with them, but neither of these tactics worked out very well either.  I just ended up in a negative frame of mind, exhausted from the misery.

The irony?  Here I am complaining about the complainer!

So what works? I don’t know nor do I know if there ever will be a way to stop the pandemic complaining we are doing these days, but I for one, am really tired of it.

I do know that the complainer usually feels that their subject is something very important, and they want to be acknowledged.  The complainer believes that they have valid reasons to complain–and sometimes they do.

Okay I guess I have made my point here.

If I can’t stop the barrage of misery that comes my way, I can at least work on trying not to “own” the complaints of other people.  In fact, I’m making it a resolution for the new year. How about you?