Firstly I shall make a number of presumptions. There’s probably plenty of evidence for these but I am not going to give citations.
- Humans are tribal, belonging to groups makes us feel safe
- Humans feel supported by groups and common interests
- Humans are storytellers
I’ve been thinking about the things I moan about. Sometimes I explain those things on these pages, sometimes a short burst on Twitter and sometimes I like to moan to my family or work colleagues. It’s good to let off steam as long as you don’t come across to other people as a moaning bastard. Then again, it’s not always a bad thing to be considered the grumpy one, you tend to be left alone.
So, here goes.
The topics of our moaning need to be generalised. They should be topics that nearly everyone experiences or understands. They should be communal so we all feel involved and able to agree or chide.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the best topics for moaning are:
- The weather
- Driving
- Supermarkets
- Television
We all love to join in and be part of a gang. With these topics we can feel part of a gang straight away.
Just because we find cause to moan about these issues, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s getting worse. It might be different or worse or better. Anecdote won’t be able to tell. Let’s leave the details to the sociologists and scientists and engage in ranting every now and then. It’s good for you.