People love talking trash. I’m not sure why this trait is embedded in us, but somehow it’s there. Some talk more than others, some use it to bond with their friends, and some love to just listen to an angry rant. First of all I’ll be the first to admit that I’m totally guilty of this sin and would like to take my own advice and shut my trap (and/or ears).
I left Bahrain at the tender age of 15 and found myself a freshman in college at 16. I spent the next five years jumping from one university to the next, and from one country to another. I’ve been exposed to thousands of people from different cultures and unique backgrounds. Hundreds of them are still my friends today, and being extremely social has given me a magical insight into the cultures of our myriad planet. Every person I met rubbed off a little onto me, and that personality (however little) remains embedded in my soul. I’m a soul eater, and my belly isn’t full yet.
“This soul eating capability has clearly shown me that we have a strange bonding ritual that begins by finding a common element, complaining about it, saying ‘oh well’ then continuing with our conversations.
This soul eating capability has clearly shown me that we have a strange bonding ritual that begins by finding a common element, complaining about it, saying “oh well” then continuing with our conversations. We may complain about the weather, politics, the market, or even breakfast. I’m not sure if we inherited this from our ancestors or if modern life makes us grumpy a lot of the time, but if you keep your eyes and ears open you will notice this strange phenomenon.
Cultural quirks are normally replicated (and sometimes amplified) by the younger generation. I can see this acceleration on social media: In the beginning most posts were normal, neutral, and essentially ambivalent. Today the ferocity and anger that resounds on Twitter and other forums gets my blood boiling pretty quickly. Is this trend on social media a reflection of our quirky culture? Is it a reflection of politics and general sentiment? Did people just fall into a pattern of ambivalence followed by frustration and anger? I’m not really sure, but I would like to find out what’s going on someday.
“Is (attention sucking) technology limiting our capacity to be patient?
Do we feel obligated to vent anger because of our primate nature of “monkey see monkey do”? Is (attention sucking) technology limiting our capacity to be patient? Could claustrophobia and a bombardment of information be a contributing factor? Could life-style pace have anything to do with it? I feel there is more than meets the eye here. A general complaint about the weather is common conversation everywhere in the world, but what follows is what really matters. Negativity breeds negativity, and positivity breeds awesomeness. I wanna be awesome.
Both (negative & positive) emotions are contagious, and it’s our choice to project whatever kind of energy we like into our work, companies, families, society, and lives. Let’s leave the negativity to the negative, and keep positivity for ourselves. If you’re not a happy kinda person then fine; just remember that positivity can translate directly into more profit for your company (or job) if nothing else. So please be sure to taste your words before you spit them out, cuz I don’t like getting crap on my t-shirt.
