Why No One Cares About Your Rant
Sure, everyone has a bad day every now and then but there are some who seem to be in continual rant mode. Brilliant articles are crafted by writers who are expressing their frustration or anger but constant rant mode sucks. Passionate writing brings real emotions and a new level of writing when the words fly off the fingers on onto the screen. However, a continual stream of this hype is not healthy and is just plain negative. Negative moods transfer easily and who wants to absorb or spread that?
Hiding behind the guise of being snarky or “being a disruptor” can be the cloak of trollish behavior. Poking sticks into what they see as the holes in other people's content is a pretty limited way of expressing yourself.
Man up, do your own thing, and stop trashing others. {click to tweet}
I'd like to offer a few tips to deal with people who try to push our buttons.
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.” – Dale Carnegie
“Everybody has a hot button. Who is pushing yours? While you probably cannot control that person, you CAN control the way you react to them.” – Unknown
“I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.” – Unknown
Here are a few resources to look at what is behind the chronic complainers and ranters behavior.
The Survival Guide for Dealing With Chronic Complainers
“The constant negativity issuing forth from chronic complainers presents a huge challenge for those around them. Trying to remain positive, motivated and productive amid a constant stream of complaints and dissatisfaction can try anyone's patience. Trying to be helpful will always backfire. Nothing makes chronic complainers happier, than being more miserable than their friends.” This post has three essential survival tips for dealing with chronic complainers.
Internet Trolls: The Psychology Between the Rants
“Scammers, stalkers, online antagonists ready to pick a fight, folks who are just plain mean–what is it about the Web that turns people into jerks?”
It Takes A Village Idiot: The Jerks of Online Forums
While we can't change other people's behavior, we can choose how and if we react to such people. Sure, people love watching a train wreck, but make sure you protect your own social presence and maintain your course. I would put a rant in the fats and oils pyramid of your content chart: use sparingly unless you want to look like a numpty. (Hat tip to Jason Konopinski for the fab new word.) In case you don't know the word, a numpty is ” someone who (sometimes unwittingly) by speech or action demonstrates a lack of knowledge or misconception of a particular subject or situation to the amusement of others.”
Don't let those negative vibes throw off your day. Be strong! <tweet this quote>
What do you think about rants? Do you ignore them? Jump in the comments or just scratch your head?
@jeanniecw Thanks, Jeannie! We all have choices, right?
And YEAH “Life is too short and too awesome!”
Peggy, its an amazing Article. Still I’d like to mention Jeff Jarvis, who build significant influence by ranting around. Its not a good policy, but it appeard to work for some people.
@guntrambechtold I’ll have to check of Jeff Jarvis, I don’t know him. I agree it works for a very select few but still think it is more of a topping than the whole pizza.
Glad you enjoyed the piece and thanks for your thoughts.
@annelizhannan @jasonkonopinski I am with you on this. And I have always personally regretted my rants. In the end, they are not very funny.
@geoffliving @annelizhannan @jasonkonopinski Dumpty the numpty is awesome, Anneliz!
And I agree that is the sign of a very unhappy person.
@PegFitzpatrick @geoffliving @annelizhannan I’ve never seen the value in a rant post. They’re just not my style. I’d much prefer to focus on producing content that means something and builds credibility not destroy it.
@jasonkonopinski @geoffliving @annelizhannan Providing value is really key for sustainable blogging.
The traffic generated from ranting is of the rubbernecking variety, not the quality content you want to retain!
@geoffliving Excellent point, Geoff. Honored that you stopped by for a read.
Sure, ranting can be fun. It can let off steam, but it usually comes at the expense of somebody else. Just like comedy, there are few who can pull off a good rant well. If it seems easy, it isn’t.
My experience has been that it always seems to be the people with unresolved issues of their own who feel the need to continually lash out. It makes them feel more adequate by tearing others down. The worst behavior I’ve seen lately, is those who are continually spouting their political views on Facebook, usually by ripping into the other side. Twisted truths and distorted facts abound. So much for reasoned opinion and dialog.
When will these people realize that all they are really doing is putting their own juvenile behavior on full display for all to see? Lucky them, most of us stopped watching a long time ago.
@PaulBiedermann Thank goodness for that “hide in feed” feature Facebook offers now. I always appreciate your comments, thanks for your support.
Peggy, great post! I think when people air complaints on the public timeline, their followers’ views of them can change, and not necessarily in a good way. Although some might view rants as entertainment, others might decide to “tune it out,” and simply unfollow.
@Terri Nakamura I respect your opinion in the socialsphere and totally agree that people tune out and turn the other way. Having social graces or lack thereof is amplified greatly for better or worse.
great post … I love this quote: “Don’t sacrifice what made you great by attaching it to the mundane. Be great the way you aspired to be great.”
… and will force myself to remember it the next time my blogger juices start to flow in that direction!
@rhonda hurwitz Hi Rhonda, I like that quote by Danny Brown as well it’s great advice to aspire to your own version of great.
It is all person preference but as other people noted in the comments, it is a turn off in the social space. Nice to see you here!
I think ranting can be awful or an art form. I think there is an association that goes with Ranting that says it is just complaining. Sometimes that is the case.
I think there is an eloquence to taking the unpopular view or saying what many think without having to sound like an A-hole.
For instance I wrote more or less a rant asking for people to be caring and considerate of others views on issues like politics and religion in the public forum because it is just good manners regardless of your views.
I think as long as your voice is genuine, and you speak from the center a rant can be a valuable contribution.
I love a good, carefully crafted rant. If it’s dull and meaningless over something petty, not so much. Viva great rants!
@amberrisme Anything well written is better than dull and meaningless, agreed. And as I mentioned, used sparingly they can be really effective.
Good post! I have a friend who lives in negativity and uses the internet to let everyone know their opinion. It is unproductive and huge waste of time. A person like this needs to be ignored. I don’t engage in the continual rants and frankly, I don’t care! It is so polarizing that I just ignore any feed or posting of this person.
@oconnorms I 100% agree! It’s like they are pushing the point “look at me, I am negative. Please ignore me.” Thanks for your thoughts!
Peg,
When someone tries to “push my buttons”, I usually remember to consider the source. Most often, the person doing the pushing is someone whose opinion I value about as much as I would value a cold sore.
I read many of the offending comments on Marc Ensign’s blog and most of them are nothing short of laughable.
Makes it very easy to ignore.
Cheers,Marc
“I don’t have to attend every argument I’m invited to.” – Unknown
Brilliant piece Peg. To me, constant online drama is exhausting. Though we all have had our go at an online rant, making an entire existence online a tantrum tornado destroys any real community one might have built.
Hi, Peggy. A great point! I was just reading Danielle Laporte’s post on her writing habits, and one of them is to not write about a situation when she’s going through it. She wants the perspective of coming out on the other side to do the subject justice, and I think that’s a good strategy. Because really, do I want to know that you’re angry/hurt/confused about something or what you did to make it better or get through it? Thinking about the needs of your audience when you write instead of your own makes your content a whole lot better.
Lots of people might read a rant, but no one goes to a ranter for knowledge, advice, or instruction. They go to rubberneck a fight or a meltdown.
There’s a fine line between ranting and being vindictive.
I started to call out someone by name in my comment, but deleted it because I have something that person doesn’t, which is CLASS. That’s the No. 1 missing gene for most ranters.