About this quote

We all love to complain, but we hate listening to other people do it. True conversation requires a balance, yet human nature makes us crave the spotlight for our own minor tragedies. It is a funny kind of selfishness we all share. Next time you find yourself waiting for a friend to stop talking just so you can complain about your day, pause. Are you actually listening, or are you just waiting for your turn to vent?

When to use it

• You sit down at lunch to complain about your micromanaging boss, but your coworker immediately cuts in to whine about their own workload instead.
• You call your sibling to vent about your car breaking down, only for them to spend twenty minutes talking about their plumbing issues.
• You meet a friend for coffee to talk about your recent breakup, but they hijack the conversation to moan about their bad date last night.