An ode to complaining

 Complaining is America’s underrated pastime. It is an easy enough thing to do:  you find something that is dissatisfactory to you in your environment, figure out how to vocalize your complaint in a way that makes you seem insightful, observant, and just the right amount of sassy and finally, find somebody who is  willing to listen. Bibbity bobbity boo. However not all complaints are the same, and not all people complain with the same intentions. There is a difference between somebody voicing their dissatisfaction with the unfair treatment of people working in the textile industry and some chick being annoyed about how cold it is in her chemistry class. And yet, they are both connected at their cores as being something so instinctually human that it is often trivialized. Picture this: two men are standing outside waiting for something neutral---let’s say a porter potty, and they have been in line long enough for their silence to be awkward. Man #1 looks up at the sky and finds it to be cloudy and grey. “This weather really sucks” man #1 says, not necessarily to man #2 just sort of to the air. Man #2 takes the bait and responds with “sure does, it's been gross all week”. And violá, dialogue is born. This little scenario represents the conversational complainer, somebody who complains not because their negative opinion is necessarily relevant, but because they simply have nothing better to say. Complaints serve as wonderful seeds for banter because it's easy to find neutrally bad things in any given environment and if one person has noticed it, chances are that everybody else has too which gives people something to bond over.  And once one tiny complaint has been released into the wind, dozens of others often attach themselves to its wings until it takes flight into an actual conversation. These kinds of complainers are harmless and a dime-a-dozen, especially in public spaces where people live under the same repetitive seven hour schedule for nine months straight. The second type of complainers are not as innocent. They complain not out of desperation but in order to fuel some sort of discourse. To light a flame in an otherwise mildly tempered place. To stir the pot of a relatively stable dish. The list of metaphors go on and on, as do these people even after the rest of the group voices no agreement with their statement. They exist in the same spaces as the first type, but the main difference between them is that type one has nothing else to talk about and type two ignores everything else and focuses on what’s wrong---with no intention of doing anything about it. They groan about how hot it is but don’t take off their sweatshirt, they babble about how poorly they did on this or that test but fail to consult the teacher about the material, they consistently choose the easier alternative to taking action because talk is cheap and in their minds they only have pennies to spend. Everybody falls subject to this type of complaining every now and then because it's a simple way to express frustrations, however they stay meaningless unless they  transform into some sort of active search for change. Enter the third type of complainers, those who complain not only to bring awareness to issues that surround them but make an effort to remove them also. These people can be seen all throughout history in our civil rights activists, our scientists, and our leaders at large.  They focus on rallying people together and communicating to those in power with passion and purpose. Some of the most necessary members of our society are those who are brave enough not only to articulate their dissatisfaction but to come up with innovative ways to resolve it also. Complaining is human nature. It’s easier to focus on the bad rather than the good and most people are more inclined to speaking out instead of staying silent. And although they oftentimes are trivial and annoying, when utilized correctly they can make a real impact on society.