Understanding Myself: Complaining, Whining, or Just Venting?

I complain a lot, about a lot of things. That’s one of my traits, I think. It’s a part of my shtick. I don’t know. Maybe I don’t complain a lot, maybe my friends would see it another way.

Maybe it’s not so much complaining as it is venting. I tend to vent a lot. Or, does venting a lot equate to complaining? Where does one draw the line? I guess we could take a moment to examine the word more closely.

So, when we complain, we are expressing grief, pain, or discontent. I like that Merriam-Webster uses the Oxford comma. I feel like the definition should include a stipulation about it being with a whiney tone, or overly unnecessary expression. I feel like that’s the connotation that the word has in English.

Perhaps I’m describing whining. I don’t think I’m quite to that extreme. I think we should examine the differences between the words “complain”, “whine”, and “vent”.

Complaining, whining, and venting are three different ways of expressing dissatisfaction or frustration, but they differ in their tone, purpose, and often in how they are perceived:

1. Complaining: This is a more straightforward expression of dissatisfaction with a specific situation, often with the intention of seeking a resolution or change. Complaints are typically directed at a specific issue and are communicated in a clear, concise manner. The focus is more on the problem rather than the emotional distress it causes.
2. Whining: Whining is often perceived as more annoying or irritating than complaining. It is characterized by a high-pitched, repetitive, and often emotionally charged manner of speaking. Whining may lack a clear purpose or solution and often focuses more on the discomfort or displeasure of the individual rather than the problem itself.
3. Venting: Venting is the act of expressing emotions (often frustration or anger) to relieve stress or tension. It’s less about seeking solutions and more about getting feelings off one’s chest. Venting is typically done with someone the individual trusts and is not necessarily aimed at resolving the issue, but rather at managing the emotions associated with it.

In summary, complaining aims at resolution, whining is often repetitive and emotionally charged without seeking a solution, and venting is about emotional release rather than problem-solving.

I think what I tend to do falls more in line with venting. I vent a lot. If complaining requires the intent to resolve an issue, what do I complain about the most? I guess that would have to be my current situation. My current situation is a challenging one, but I’m working on changing it. Sometimes when things aren’t going my way, I might complain to my great-aunt or a friend, in hopes that they can help me brainstorm a solution.

There are situations that people are in that are worse than mine, certainly. However, I feel like the majority of people who are in better situations would complain about the situation if they were in my situation. I’m grateful for many things, like the ability to stay with my great-aunt while I get my situation figured out. However, it isn’t ideal. If I think about the ideal, very few things in life are ideal. Does that mean that there’s a lot to complain about? That may be one of the reasons that so many people keep a blog.

Perhaps the act of complaining is one of the driving forces that makes humans social creatures. We need to complain to accomplish some things. Not everything needs a complaint, but I think everybody would agree that there are specific things that require complaining in order to resolve. I think if you have ever dealt with the government in any capacity, you will be familiar with what I am talking about.

Speaking of complaining, there are some calls I have to make to some organizations today. It’s already 11:30 AM and I feel that I haven’t accomplished nearly enough in my day. That’s another thing, time goes too fast. I don’t think it’s something one can complain about because I’m sure there are little in the way of resolutions. So, I’ll whine about it instead.