Complain or Compliment – You Decide

“Untold suffering seldom is.” – Franklin P. Jones

I love this quote…because whether we like it or not, we hear it.  Complaints.  Expressions of unhappiness, dissatisfaction. 

We all have them.  And we all complain.  Take a day or two and pay attention to what you say – odds are a complaint or two (or twenty) leaks out.

I get it. I truly do.  Because complaining seems to be part of our makeup.  Probably because we as people tend to focus on the bad and not the good, the lack instead of the abundance. 

The funny thing is, none of us really likes a complainer.  There’s a repulsion we feel towards those that bemoan their fate or the fate of the world constantly….frankly, they can be a big downer.

What we complain about can be outright silly.  In my job, I deal with “customers” (or rather viewers) on a daily basis.  The things they object to are, in my mind, so un-important in the big scheme of things.  Sometimes I want to shake the phone and strongly urge them to let it go – to spend their time volunteering or taking a walk and breathing in the crisp air.  I want to remind them that complaining about something that truly doesn’t matter is a waste of their precious energy and life force.  Please sir, hang up the phone and we’ll pretend you never called clearly upset that your favorite episode of Family Guy didn’t air.

I don’t mean to belittle people’s need to express their opinions.  I am a big ‘freedom of expression’ advocate (as I’m doing right now.)  What I’m trying to point out is that expression is not something that should be squandered away on the mundane.  Wouldn’t it be better spent in highlighting the positives in life?  Isn’t it funny how sometimes when someone offers up a compliment instead of a complaint we are taken aback – even mildly confused by the kindness?  I know I’ve had several experiences where I’ve been shocked by someone’s praise – thinking wow, wasn’t that nice of them?  It say’s a lot about what we expect…developed over time from the cacophony of common complaints.

Certainly it’s ok and even good to complain once in awhile…to get things off our chest.  But complainer on your calling card – not so welcome. – BB