Why Complain?

“No” is a word parents dread their children learning. It is a statement of defiance and a statement of free will. “No” is followed by an act of resistance. “No” is a disagreement to the plan laid out and ready to operate. “No” is disruptive, and “no” is the basic level of a complaint.

“I don’t want to do this”

“This is not fun”

“This is too hard”

“It’s too hot outside”

“Why do I have to do this?”

“I did it last time”

The number and variation of complaints are endless. The list is infinite for why we decide to display and voice our negative thoughts via the form of a complaint. Complaining is a common habit but it is a negative habit.

Lack of perspective is a reason why we complain. We let tunnel vision cloud our judgment. We become inseparable from our own lives and feel like we have all of the world’s problems. When we are so narrowly focused it is easy to find things to complain about. It is easy to say you do not want to get up early when you work from home and can simply wake up and turn your computer on to work. What about all of the people who work multiple jobs and barely sleep because they have to be up as the sun rises, do you think they complain about their lives? What situation would you rather have? You are lucky to be in the position you are if you do not have to worry about getting enough sleep or where your paycheck is going to come from. Seek the perspective of others before you complain about minor inconveniences. Your situation could always be worse. Appreciate your life and the blessings you have before slipping into the negative context of a complaint.

Complaining to complain does nothing more than make a negative feeling a reality. Negative thoughts when voiced become more real. Saying something is too hard out loud tells your body that it is too hard. Saying the weather is too uncomfortable makes your body feel the discomfort that much more. Saying you are bored makes the time go that much slower. Complaints that are voiced change how we perceive the outside world around us.

Complaining ultimately does nothing to change your current situation. Action is what will. Complaining is not acting, complaining is an attempt to avoid. Absorb perspective prior to complaining. You find more blessings in your life when you view the perspective of others. With these blessings you find yourself complaining less. You stop yourself from feeding the negative when you choose to stop voicing meaningless complaints. The next time you find yourself voicing a complaint, ask yourself what the complaint will do for your situation. The answer will probably be meaningless, just like your complaint.