Number Six: A Ranting RANT

Cue theme music: “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, Tears For Fears

I like ranting as much as—and possibly more than—the next person. Unfortunately, there’s a point past which other people get really sick about hearing the same gripe rehashed over and over and over…and that point is usually before I run out of steam. I’m getting better, I think. After all, I’ve recognized that this could be a problem, right? Heh. I’ll hang onto that. But besides the annoyance of others, there really is a good reason to stop b****ing and do something. After all, b****ing is only valid (as opposed to simply aggravating) if you have a complaint that nothing more can be done about.

Some people will say that you have a right to b**** while in the process of doing something about the situation, and I suppose they have a point, but only if it doesn’t interfere with accomplishing your task. And if you’re bugging the heck out of everyone around you, that usually hinders just about anything. I grant that the right of the underling is to gripe about that which comes down from on high, but if all you’re doing is working yourself and your compatriots up about something you can’t do anything about, then you might as well sit down and shut up…and put that energy to better use figuring out how you can either live with the situation or prove to the powers that be that whatever is getting your goat is a Bad Idea. Proof of that sort generally requires proof that you actually tried your best and could not get the Bad Idea to work. If they still stick to their guns then I’ll grant you b****ing rights without reservation.

In short, venting is fine, venting is great, but if all it’s doing is making you happily grumpier instead of motivating you to DO something about it then stop. We don’t need to hear it anymore, and neither do you.