I see the point that a person who complains about complaining may be guilty of the very act she or he is calling attention to. However, whether I agree or disagree that there are "too many" of "bitching" threads, I'm disappointed that for the most part that subject has been changed and few posters to this thread haven't explored the reasons why people "bitch" (complain) on Mudcat threads.

I think such meta (analytical) discussions can be interesting and beneficial-if those discussions themselves don't descend into bitching.

I was therefore interested to read your comments, SharonA, about why some people start "bitching threads" and/or post comments that "bitch" at another person or persons. You wrote that [people] "just wanna blow off steam and relieve some stress by having a good bitch once in a while..."

I suppose the phrase "having a good bitch" is ripe with witty possibilites and my compliments to the wits among us (you know who you are).

But suppose those words were changed to "having a good rant"?

For what it's worth, it seems to me that there could be some merit in posting a complaint or complaints-since no group or blog or person is perfect, and there's always room for improvement.

It also seems to me that people need to have a good rant every now and then as a way of getting it out of their system, or "blow[ing] off steam".

yet I believe that there is such a thing as too much complaining (but what is "too much?"). And I think that there is a lot of merit in refusing to give in to provocation when someone makes the complaint personal.

But maybe I'm seeing the virtue of "playing pass" (ignoring) insults or criticism (constructive or otherwise) and not reacting or responding to provocation or someone else's rant because I'm usually too self-contained to bitch and rant... Maybe it would be good to sometimes let it rip-and diss individuals and complain until my heart's content-and do it online one a public forum so potentially everybody and anybody could bare witness to my letting off steam.

But even when I post something even moderately testy-as I did the other day in an above the line thread, I feel like I failed my test of maintaining my equilibrium and not letting what other people say get me riled up.

I struggled with this post as I didn't/don't want to be confrontational-though I realize that being confrontational has some merits sometime.

I just felt the need to say what I said.

Best wishes,

Azizi