Assignment 8 Hannah Pauley

Fears: Career decisions

Annoyances: iratability, petulance

Accomplishments: decent grades, good friendships

Confusions: physics, social media

Sorrows: family dissonance 

Dreams: different art projects, independence, travel, reading more

Idiosyncrasies: drifting off mid-sentence, detesting all grape flavored candies

Risks: driving

Beloved Possessions: stuff that I stole from my sister (then); ideas&sketches, friends (now)

Problems: lack of time/energy

What I really can't stand is your average, every-day whiner. I'm not so familiar with the "7 deadly sins," but if complaining isn't one of them, I'd say they should tack on an 8th. 

There are few situations in which complaining is ever warranted--when it helps someone obtain something, or when it helps one person bond with another. In these situations, something can be gained, but just a fair warning: those two things are poor character and terrible small talk. 

Working for something improves your character, why ruin it with petulance and immediate gratification? Wasting your breath to mutter, "this is so lame," to the person next to you in the computer lab can make you seem like a nice guy, but it also preludes a conversation with that person about how terrible everything is. Next thing you know, you've invited yourself into a whole other conversation about how that kid's cat died and he failed his math test and now this too?

When I was young and I would screech about some toy or another at the supermarket, my mother would say to me, "Hannah, what happens when you whine?" and I would obediently reply, "I don't get anything that I want." 

To this day, I believe that's the way it should be.