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August 27, 2012

Bitching

Work has started again and all my friends are back, which means life is falling back into a routine. The routine consists of work, followed by laziness sprinkled with lots of bitching about work. A lot of the complaints blame the specific school or the culture of schools here or the culture of here in general. And while there are definitely some valid reasons to blame each of those scapegoats, I also think people just enjoy a good bitch session.

I would elaborate on the bitching, but it's probably against the confidentiality clause in my contract.

I do think that it's detrimental though. I noticed it a lot last year because once I got fired, my friends and I were bitching about different schools, people, etc. And since I no longer had personal investment in their issues (beyond general empathy, which, let's be real, is a department where I'm lacking) I could see these "issues" objectively. Which meant I could see how redundant the complaints were and how there was zero accountability in the bitching and how it never seemed to help the situation.

Is it going to be mean when I start pointing this fact out? There's probably great therapeutic reasons for bitch sessions... Maybe... I would like someone to find cold hard facts to back that theory. Then I will be all for it.

4 comments:

  1. I'm pretty sure that complaining is theraputic and did a Google Scholar search for it. I didn't do my usual citation chasing, but I believe that a bunch of psychologists studied complaining a while back if you're interested: http://psycnet.apa.org/?fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/0033-2909.119.2.179

    I can't get onto my campus IP right now, so I don't have access to the full article. I don't know if there are any schools or universities nearby that would have access to it.

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  2. Sometimes it's just good to let it all out, though. Obviously not when you're constantly bitching about something to the point where it's like you have no other setting than to bitch about X, Y or Z, but every now and then it's good for you. Or so I like to think, because of course I am guilty of it from time to time!

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  3. I think complaining and whatnot helps sometimes. Hm, maybe I can add it to my blog topic idea list. :P

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  4. OK, there are two things to think about when considering yourself as "bitching". I have several employees that "bitch and complain" every single day, but it makes a difference.

    Employees have a right to have their own opinion. However, when you want to rant all day and not do your work (sit on your ass all day) then that's totally not acceptable.

    On the other hand, ranting all day, but getting your work done is totally on a different level. At least you are willing to take full responsibility and earn your money at the same time.

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