The Negative Emotional Charge of Complaining

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Willbowin: A complaint is expressing discontent with something. He says there are times when it's okay to use an expletive, such as in Miami traffic. But if you're doing it to get your social needs met, he says, that kind of complaining is bad itself and destructive. "If I stop you on the foot, you're going to curse," Willbowin said.

My flight was awful. The restaurant's service was terrible. The traffic was horrible. My boss is the worst. Our culture is the stupidest.

Whenever we get together with other people, we hear lots of complaints, and plenty come out of our own mouths.

All this complaining may be ubiquitous, but it's not entirely innocuous. Complaining puts us in a negative mood, hurts our health, and damages our relationships.

If you've ever wanted to complain less, my guest today has some advice on how to break the complaining habit and embrace a more positive and proactive life. His name is Will Bowen, and he's the founder of the Complaint Free movement and the author of A Complaint Free World. Today on the show, Will first defines what constitutes a complaint. He then shares the five main reasons people offer complaints, so you can learn to recognize what triggers yours. Will also explains how to deal with being on the receiving end of each type of complaint, so you don't have to listen to the complaining of others.