Can
you imagine a world without complaining, gossiping, criticising? Me neither ;)
But
there is an interesting project called “a complaint free world” started by Will
Bowen that encourages us to make a new habit and for 21 days stop complaining,
gossiping and criticising. An average
person complains 15-30 times each day. Maybe the world would be nicer if we don’t? :)
To start your makeover, you need to get and wear a purple bracelet. You can purchase it on a website (all money is donated to other non-profit organizations). But in my opinion you can use anything to track your progress :)
Having
a bracelet is very helpful, because anytime you
say something forbidden you need to move the bracelet to the other arm and
begin again. So every time you criticise or complain,
you have to start counting the days from
the beginning.
The
boundaries are not that stiff, you can decide what is forbidden and what’s not.
The first rule is that you are not punished for
anything you think, but for what you are saying, especially to other people.
When it comes to criticising – only “negative” criticism is punished.
Constructive criticism is fine :)
What
do you think about this idea? Do you think the world would be better if people stopped complaining,
gossiping or criticising
that much?
I
think it is a very interesting concept but on
the other hand sometimes I just must complain a little bit. It helps me share
bad thoughts and “clean” my mind. But maybe it is a good trigger to stop?
Comments
Of course it would be better if people stopped comparing, gossiping and criticising so much, but it is hardly possible. Even in some people will succeed, other people will change their’s good habits into bad ones again. Why? Because you will be tired of listening to them. And they will sooner of later influence your willingness. Sharing bad thoughts is good idea, we should not keep our anger and frustration inside.
Also, if you think about it, complaining can be motivating sometimes. If we wouldn't criticize things that we don't like, there would be no change.
I can agree that pointless complaining isn’t helpful for us or others but criticism on the other hand can be very constructive and is a way to show our opinions and evaluate ideas. I think that people are more and more afraid to criticize because of all the hyper sensitive “triggered” people. I don’t claim that people with real trauma can’t be triggered but I hate the notion that this word has became because of all the people that simply just can’t stand criticism or even people that just think differently.
Here is a video I saw this morning, it’s a bit over the top but it’s an interesting idea to show the way in which our society is supposedly heading:
Link
Anyway I think that of course complaining doesn't bring anything new and obviously acting is better than pointless nagging. But criticism is valuable and unfortunately some people don't see the difference.
Very nice observation with the fact that we don't like to criticise and we are afraid that we offend someone. It is very important to let somebody get better. But you have to admit that you can criticise sam thing in 2 different ways. The one that is destructive and I don't really feel like it can be a nice trigger for a person to change(and this one is forbidden by this technique), and you can do it in a pleasent, nice and accurate way, that is better for both option -– the one is no aggressive, try to hold back bad emotion and angryness, and for another is just nicer to hear and to improve.
And thank you for your link. Very interesting point of view! Sometimes I feel like we are living in society when you can't say what you think because somebody will overreact, because he or she misunderstood you... Maybe not that much like in the movie haha :D
Heh an average person complains 15-30 times each day but how often complains statistic Pole? Apparently we are the acrimonious nation.
Generally I think that it is good idea and it may be good fun.
On the one hand we may delude that the world will be better without our complaining, gossiping and criticizing but I think that often is better when we relieve emotions.
I wrote it and I read last part of your article ;)
I totally agree with it. sometimes I also just must complain a little bit.
I don’t like these opinion/idea wrist bands, so I won’t consider getting one, but generally it is a good concept and the world needs more kindness.
I would like to show you a new trend that I found out about yesterday. It is a part of reddit called “roast me”, where you upload your photo and are criticized hard for how you look like. You may roast others as soon as you get roasted yourself. People there actually enjoy being called names and laughed in their faces and mocking others. I hate this idea. Whet do you think about it?
After all the rumors and negative criticism are really bad things. Such things can ruin someone's life even if some person is mentally weak.
I think a good idea would be telling each person you meet on a day something nice.
Even such small compliments and kind deeds make someone's day gets better and when we do these things also we make us feel better, so it's a mutual benefit :)
And yes, I even read an article about women that we are so brought up, that we are taught not to brag (not in a directly way).
I absolutely agree that hearing a good world from a stranger, not maybe complete but someone you kinda know and respect but is not your family :D is great thing. I also am trying to do so, I think this is so cool to find good things about another that doing an opposite.
According to reddit's "roast me" i have never heard about it, but it sounds and looks really awful... But you know, it's crazy to read a comment, but why do these people post their photos? They know what it would look like, don't they?
In general, there are so many BAD places in internet, it is so painful when you read all these stupid comments, written by haters, I wonder why do they do it? Besides it's stupid it's a giant waste of time :/ And I am not only talking about these 'roast me' thing, but also about many other places in internet that you just get cancer from reading all these stupid comments :D
I love the idea :) Even something small can brighten somebody's day!
by complaining we realise that something's wrong in our live and small revolution is needed. Following this logic - there are positive aspects of complaining, so why should we fight it.
Gossiping is our cultural tradition. It's unchangeable. There's no better way to recognize trust worthy person than checking whether he or she is gossiping. So once again, as a tool of bad people recognition,
gossiping got positive aspects.
It's hard to draw a line between positive and negative criticism. Harsh words always hurt. The ability to criticise without hurting is great skill hard to master. Probably empathy is a key. But again this is crucial aspect of learning process and we cant stop doing it.
It seems to me that in fact the world would be more beautiful if people stoped complaining because positive thinking infects. On the other hand, we should not stop complain completely because like any positive or negative feature, is it that we need - to motivate themselves to change their conditions. In line to thinking if something doesn't suit us and if we complain for something we will try and want to change it.
I think it works because, if people focus on good things and actions they are more happy and relaxed.
If you complaing and do nothing about it, it makes you feel worst, because you will think that you have problem and it's only growing. So if you want to complain about something, think what you can change to make it better or how you can deal with it, so you dont have to complain about it again.
Besides, I don't know about you, but I know a few people who are such anti-complainers (for the lack of better words) that they annoy people around them even more than people who complain. You know - the ones who always discredit anything bad that happened in your life, telling you it's not a problem and that you should look on the bright side and that life is beautiful and there's no need to worry? :D
But I'm talking about thing that depends on me or happened by me.
Anyway, I think it is a very interesting project and it may help people that want to finish complaining, gossiping or criticising
In my opinion life would be too boring without complainers.
A bracelet is a nice idea, but I don't see why it can't be something else - like a simple note or whatever object a person likes. It's a clever way to sell a product, I agree with Paulina on that. ;) Nice initiative though, something positive for a change.
Whenever we tried to explain to him that, for example failed our supplier, he claimed that we, Polish people, were constantly complains about various things that are independent of us. I do not know if he already knew the idea of Will Bowen, but his comments for me has helped to fight, at least a little bit, that our Polish manners.
Honestly, this is one of the things that annoy me the most about Poland, or maybe rather Poles in general - and also one of the biggest differences that hit me when I was in the States. People out there are just so much more positive and happier about their lives as a result - realizing this changed my life in a way.
I recall there's been a similar initiative supported by Jurek Owsiak some time ago called "Nie mam focha" - I used to have their t-shirt. Have you ever heard of it?
Of course World would be better if people stopped comparing, gossiping and criticising. However, it is impossible to achieve.