In each of the three locations I've settled into (Sacramento, Alpaugh, Vaughn), there has been consistent complaing amongst local residents. Actually, I have experienced excessive amounts of whining since Americorps started. Now that I think about it, whining is the culture within Americorps. Everyone has something to lament about. 5 thoughts on this matter:
1. America has actually become a nation of compulsive complainers who can comprehend when they are being slighted but not when they are being benefited. Complaints help us fit in, to feel connected with others. Whining about all our problems is a great way to feel better about ourselves, to convince us that it's not our laziness or incompentence causing the problem, but another faction. We're all screwed.
2. My team, more than most, is compelled to complain about the program, supervisors, living arrangements, etc., skewing my judgment on complainers.
3. The regions we have sojourned to are particularly barren. Residents are thus justified in complaining, because no matter their actions no changes to their towns or statuses are made.
4. The west coast is filled with a bunch of pansy asses.
5. I may complain more than anyone else, and am not helping my cause by writing a blog complaining about how other people complain too much.
I guess my point is this: Everyone complains. It's become part of our culture, but I don't think it has to be. If we stopped looking at everything from a purely selfish viewpoint, I think we'd see how many of our complaints are simply structural, a part of living in a society with so many intricacies and different personalities. Sometimes it helps to just grin when that urge to inform others of your mistreatment takes over. Trust me, they usually don't care anyways.
But seriously, today I tried to use the printer, and guess what? The camp director said no! She is such a...
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Complaining is something used to project yourself to the top of the group you're complaining to, or to find sympathy. Meanwhile the group accepts your complaint only because they would like to reciprocate with a complaint of their own, in hopes of one-upping your complaint. It becomes a battle of complaints, who has it worse? When you think about it, neither of the complainers have it worse. They have it the same, because they both are conditioned to think complaining about problems is a better solution than accepting the situations they complain about, or fixing them. Embrace every situation for what it is, and learn as much as you can from it. BTW, you're not a complainer, you're a descriptor, of the complaints, lol.
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