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Writer's pictureMark Olivito

Your Daily Poison Pill: Complaining

Updated: Jul 3, 2022

I hated standardized tests in high school. I’ve always said the SAT is a lousy predictor of college success. But I did get a kick of a random thought, logic questions, but one you’d never see on the SAT:

Hustle is to Optimism as……

Complaining is to Pessimism


Both Hustle and Complaining show action. But complaining is = to poison.


Debbie Downers in life can sap you of energy. People that could find the bad in any situation. DD’s never look in the proverbial mirror and take responsibility for their own success, happiness or failure. DD’s are all too common in life. You can try to coach them, it’s always good to try and help someone.

But here’s one thing I know to be true. DD’s and their penchant for complaining tend to attract others who like that. Some call it the brotherhood of the miserable.

I’ve seen plenty of brotherhoods of the miserable in my career. And I’ve also been lucky to work with high energy optimists. Who do you think climbs the ladder to a happier life?

Every day, we wake up and have a wonderful choice to make. Approach the day with vigor, curiosity, and positive energy. That tends to get noticed.

Unfortunately, some don’t make this choice to step forward. Complainers tend to be stuck in a constant state of woe is me. Everyone’s out to get me. It’s sometimes difficult to turn your back on complainers. But if they don’t listen and you keep being the sympathetic ear……well that’s a choice too isn’t it?


Attitude is one of the most fundamental choices we all make. Keeping any form of poison around you is generally not good for your health.

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