I’m a complainer  – so what.

So – a few years ago  I decided to stop complaining and start praising.

Every time  that something good occurred, I made the effort, (a real effort on my part, ’cause I’m basically either too busy or too lazy), to compliment someone on it.  I even took to writing the company, the manager, the boss – whomever, to tell them of my experience and to give someone a pat on the back.

Well – that was futile!

I found  that when I complained, I was rewarded and when I praised I got nothing!

Complaining  got me coupons, a free drink, maybe a free meal.  If I wrote to complain about a product, I’d get refund checks in the mail, recipes, calendars – all kinds of good stuff: once even a tee shirt.

But, when I praised  someone or something, I’d be lucky to get a thanks, and I was never rewarded – nothing – nada – zip – zilch!

I’m not  speaking of altruism here, but maybe just a reciprocal pat on the back for the one taking the time to thank someone or praise something, would be nice too.

I wonder if   rewarding praise, with just a teeny-tiny material acknowledgement, would help change the culture of rudeness, self-centeredness, entitlement, self-absorption, self-aggrandizement, self-importance, selfishness  – oh wait – now, we should be talkin’ altruism!