Do You Complain Too Much?

Do you complain too much? Well who doesn’t, right? Life is full of nasty little surprises and frustrating circumstances. Some complaining is just human nature, but at what point do we cross the line from normal ‘venting’ to an unhealthy and negative amount of whining? How much is too much?

The thought occurred to me after reading this article about the book A Complaint Free World by minister Will Bowen. The article goes over the steps readers take to stop their complaint-ridden ways (including transferring rubber bands from one wrist to another every time they fall off the ‘complaint-free wagon’) and I couldn’t help but wonder: is a world without complaints really possible? And is that even a goal to go for? (In an “aim for the moon, land in the stars” kinda way?)

I have to say, no complaining at all sounds like a lot of pent-up people walking around with no way to vent their frustrations. The article (warning: it’s a long one! Over 6 pages…) basically agrees with me, saying that complaining can not only be a useful way to release frustrations and express ourselves, but also for bonding socially with each other (i.e. complaining about the workload to a coworker).

The key is not to let a negative attitude become the ‘norm’ in your life. A little whine here and there never hurt anyone, but a constant negative attitude equals an unhappy, negative life. If you train yourself to always see and dwell on the bad stuff, you’ll end up missing out on a lot of great stuff.

Plus you’ll be no fun to be around.

(Photo courtesy of a God’s Child on Flickr)