Saturday, November 26, 2005

 

The importance of 'bitching'

Bitching- It's a term which is much abused, and looked down upon in large parts of our society. It's supposed to be something sinful, something that you should feel guilty about! This post is an attempt to explore this phenomenon. Statutory Warning: This post in no way purports to be a sociological or psychological article, the idea just came after an early morning office bitching session with a friend! So read on...

I am yet to meet anyone who doesn't like gossiping about other people, it's not possible cos such people do not exist. You might be a closet 'bitcher', but you certainly are one, trust me! So what exactly is this bitching, and is there something like 'good/harmless' bitching and 'bad/evil' bitching?

Did some basic research on the net- bitching is a slang for 'complaining or whining' about someone. Now, we all have problems with people or situations. We are not always in a position to do something about it due to various constraints- the person could have some power over us(say, Boss/teacher), the person could be someone whom you don't want to aggravate(a colleague), or maybe you are just someone who always wants to avoid a conflict. In such cases, whatever it was that made you uncomfortable, will keep building up inside you. You will keep fretting about it, but only in your own head. The pressure will keep going up, and one fine day, you will just take it all out on that person, with possibly, dire consequences for yourself and your relationship. Now consider the alternative scenario. You have a reason to complain, you bitch about it to a friend. The pressure is released from your system, much like that through a safety valve in a pressure cooker(btw, this is not original, the British used this theory to encourage the creation of the Indian National Congress in 1885)! So, what on earth is wrong with it???

I do agree that like all other things, there can be different dimensions to bitching. The above example was the good/harmless therapeutic kind. Another harmless kind of bitching is when two friends talk about some incident involving a third person. Again, it results in good fun for the 2 people, without harming the 3rd in any way. But the kind of bitching responsible for giving a bad name to the whole genre is one in which you bad-mouth a person behind his/her back with a specific objective- to reposition(in a negative way) the person in the eyes of another, for either personal or professional reasons. I really can't(and don't want to) find any reasons/justification for this variety. It'll suffice to say that there are all kinds of people, and to each his own, as long as he's not messing around with my life!!!

Pray tell me, how can something that is in the basic intrinsic nature of all humans, which provides us with so much pleasure, which is such an amazing de-stresser, be a sin??? Can the very benefits of bitching be responsible for it being considered sinful(sex and chocolate being two other such examples)? I have no answers. But anyways, it hardly makes any difference if it's a a sin or not. We shall bitch on the beaches, we shall bitch on the landing grounds, we shall bitch in the fields and in the fields and in the streets... we shall never surrender!!!

Comments:
That's the spirit! The soul of bitching must live on! Waise, chocolate kabse sin hogayee?

One more thing: Obi Wan??

Have a good one!
 
i don't think bitching is a sin...i mean, think abt it....we bitch and vent our frustration..thus preventing us from committing other sins...
 
I think bitching is a waste of time & energy. I would rather utilise my time & energy in doing something better :) Also, I think bitching is a SIN because, you waste your time along with other's too... and there is no outcome of it either!

What say?
 
If bitching hurts people, then it can be considered a sin. Otherwise I don't see any harm in it.

Hey thanks for giving me the name of that movie, "Sur Asur." I was looking around for it. :)
 
No new post?
 
am back after a sabbatical...
@crispingcanary.blogspot.com
 
My life's a mad-house, so couldn'r respond earlier.
Sahar: Thanks for dropping by and contributing.
The Monk: Exactly my point!
Devyani: I am just happy that you are alive:-)
AFJ: Thanks for contributing, I'm kind of back in action now!
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?