by Augustine Low
The other day, over drinks and casual talk, somebody blurted out: “You guys are grumblers, you are a bunch of losers!”
Which begs the question, is there truth to the notion that grumblers are losers?
It would appear that there are grumblers in every corner of the globe. Farmers grumble about the weather. Sports fans grumble about their teams. Old men grumble about old women (and vice versa). Politicians grumble about the electorate. And yes, citizens grumble about politicians and the government.
In the United States, the most eminent minds, the wealthiest and most successful people have become grumblers ever since Donald Trump became President. They whine and bleat and rumble about his every word, every move as demeaning the office of the presidency. Of course, they also happen to be Democrats who lost the elections to the Republicans.
But the point is that if grumblers are losers, then many of the most prominent Americans, the most highly respected in their professions, are all losers. Something doesn’t quite smell right there.
Here in social media, grumblings about the government are never in short supply. Some offer constructive criticism and grouses, some appear to be just letting off steam.
Whatever it is, if we grumble for the sake of grumbling, something is not right. If we grumble for self-serving reasons, it is a no go. And if we grumble out of a sense of entitlement, it is equally baseless.
But if we do NOT check any of those boxes, then grumbling certainly beats eerie silence and the death knell of apathy and indifference.
Besides, grumbling (or constructive criticism) could be good for the soul, and it may even make a difference – if not now, then one fine day.
And what about those blind followers or diehard proponents and supporters of the government who do so for self-serving reasons and/or out of a sense of entitlement, what do we call them?
There ought to be a word to describe these people…