Do you find complaining cathartic on British subreddits?

Posted by Interesting_Net1297@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 23 comments

If you’ve had a bad day, week, or year do you find either reading comments complaining. or doing it yourself helps your mood?

I understand people need an outlet, but frankly me and other people being sad, or frustrated makes me feel gloomier.

These posts get a lot of traction, so maybe it isn’t the case for everyone.

Would love to hear other people’s thoughts.

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PKblaze@reddit

An ironic comment BUT I find it really tiresome. There's just so much of it.

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Asleep-Software-4160@reddit

I find it wearying and kind of pathetic. We get it, chocolate is more expensive now and it tastes bad. Stop buying it then, you don't like it!

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At least I know that people here will get complaints from a British perspective. Complaining in general subreddits loses that cultural understanding, so you get advice that does not not translate over here, or they do not really understand why your problem is a problem.

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Polz34@reddit

Sometimes, but some threads just become all negative and it's like, jeez I came online to escape reality not just to feel depressed and angry!

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cbawiththismalarky@reddit

I would be more sympathetic if it wasn't the same complaints daily and once there's a narrative set it's difficult for people to escape from it, and I feel a lot of it is performative

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And_Justice@reddit

The echo chamber effect on here is a fucking nightmare, you can tell when interacting with these people that there's a feeling of "I don't need to critically analyse my views because everyone else agrees"

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cbawiththismalarky@reddit

Once you agree everything is shit, then it is, I don't want that in my life

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AmayaSmith96@reddit

How many more posts about the elderly shopping at the weekend rather than in the week can anyone else take?

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Puzzleheaded-Web1519@reddit

We all post our moans but don’t post about what is acceptable or makes us happy. Bad news/sad news appears to sell, not many appear to search out reading about happiness.

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Opposite_Funny9958@reddit

Not here so much, but on Nextdoor I have a long list of blocked local miserable bigots. It’s become a much nicer local resource as a result!

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PrincessPK475@reddit

Short term gratification but long term counterintuitive effect. Behaviour breeds behaviour.

Like addiction feels good in the moment but leads to a vicious downward spiral. The brain is going to latch on more easily to negative thinking patterns because it feels like it's crucial knowledge for survival...

The entire premise of CBT is acknowledging the thoughts, feelings and emotions as they come up but knowing when to tell yourself "that's enough" and breaking the loop with positive and healthy distraction and action and refusing to give it more breathing room after you've validated the thought and nothing can be done to actively address or change or fix it.

(The above paragraph alone could someone thousands in therapy/painful waiting lists)

That and "you can't change other people, you can only change yourself.... But if you it can force how people have to respond to you"

(My main takeaways from many years and thousands in therapy. These were the things said in my last sessions and I didn't need to go back after hearing and internalising them.... Though they perhaps prepared me to hear and accept those truths to begin with)

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JorgeIcarus@reddit

I thought that's what Reddit's for?! Isn't it?!

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And_Justice@reddit

I find the British subreddit circlejerks (and other similar common reddit circlejerks) kind of insufferable. A lot of the common ones are steeped in judgment, encouraged by other judgmental people and are used as an excuse to create social pariahs.

It becomes apparent that it's not just a cathartic moan when you dare go against the grain, it's kind of fascinating. They often have a tendency to assume that if you don't agree with them, you are the worst possible example of the person they hate. They also have a tendency to go hunting out people to project an image of their chosen pariah onto.

Fun example of a way to see this in real time are to tell moaners that people like loud car exhausts for the sound and not just to piss people off. It will be assumed by multiple people that holding this opinion means you have a straight-pipe pops and bangs map that you're revving to shit at 2am.

That's not even brushing on the perpetual classism that flows through the veins of these circlejerks.

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Imaginary_Finger7844@reddit

I find it annoying.

We all love a good whine but posting it up on social media is performative attention seeking.

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GeggingIn@reddit

I like people complaining when it is funny, but not keen on curmudgeons.

However, sometimes the problem Is far too serious for Reddit and causes me to powerless worry for the person behind the text.

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GuybrushFunkwood@reddit

Nobody cares what you think my right knee hurts again and young people annoy me!!

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Puzzleheaded-Web1519@reddit

We were all young once. Try and pick out the positives in your day. I could have been Victor Meldrews attitude coach. 🤣

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SituationMundane5452@reddit

This is the exact reason I deleted Facebook. It’s just full of idiots moaning complaining and spreading rage bait and racism

Also when I read this post the friends theme tune started playing in my head

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TheresNoHurry@reddit

I find that the rage bait is too much for me no matter who / where / what reason it’s posted.

Racism or anti-racism rage bait is equally tiresome.

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