COMPLAINING

Problems in the workplace can be infuriating. There is never complete harmony among co-workers; there is always someone who is a problem.

The important thing to remember is that the only victory in most outcomes is a general, moral victory. Meaning, the only way to win is to be the bigger person.

If you’re the type of person who complains about your co-workers and bad work situations in a public forum, the odds are that you’re the one who’s the problem, or at least you’re a part of the problem.

Most people who bother themselves with maintaining professionalism don’t voice their problems in a place where strangers can listen in.

Talk about your problems all you like; just do it in private. And talking to your friend while walking to class is not private. Most people who have to listen to you babble on about your mundane problems end up talking about you and how ignorant you are.

SINGING

No one wants to hear you sing. Life is not a season opener for American Idol. Most people aren’t putting on an intentional show for others, thankfully, but many people elect to forget that they are not in their bedrooms at home.

Just because your jam came on, does not give you carte blanche to make others listen to your weak rendition of popular music. Let’s be realistic: you fill your phone up with your many jams, but we don’t need to hear you sing all day.

You aren’t putting on a show; you aren’t going viral. All you’re doing is annoying everyone around you. It’s so reassuring to the world that you think so highly of yourself that your voice needs to be heard.

Please keep it in your home.

VOICING RELIGION

Although religion is very important to some people, if you choose to voice your religious views aloud, much of the rest of the world refers to you as “that crazy person.”

The world is broken because of religion. There is no single correct faith. If you think there is, you’re being quite dismissive. All of that aside, you may believe your religion is the only correct religion all you wish, but don’t bother other people with it.

The days have long passed where people admire you for your passion. Instead, people look at you as the religious wacko who offends normal people’s sensibility with your rhetoric.

TALKING POLITICS

The nation is divided; it isn’t divided because of government but divided over politics. Republicans have publicly stated that their mission is to block any legislation that would make President Barack Obama look good, and President Obama has since decided to do whatever he can to bypass Republicans.

The last thing anyone wants to hear is your political views. This is even more true if you’re a college-aged person, because odds are you’re simply regurgitating your parent’s politics and haven’t found your own opinions yet.

We’re all products of our parents, but we shouldn’t blindly follow their beliefs based on the third-grade adage: “My dad knows more than your dad.”

SNAPCHATTING

Social media is inescapable. While taking photos of interesting or funny things you encounter with the intent of showing your friends is perfectly acceptable, a pointless selfie is where the line gets drawn. You are not interesting or funny. You’re the weirdo who’s making silly faces in public because you seem to not realize that you’re in public.

It is indeed a free country, so do as you please, but you should really be more embarrassed about your behavior in public.

If you go home every night and think to yourself, “I did everything right today,” you’re wrong. You should go home and think about what you could have done better, and using Snapchat in public is one of the easy things you should address.

You wouldn’t sext in public, so why do you think other forms of awkward photos are acceptable to take in public? The answer: they aren’t.

When you use Snapchat in class, you are distracting others by what you’re physically doing, as well as how they now have to think about how utterly arrogant you are for constantly taking pictures of yourself.

Group photos are fine, at least you’re showing somebody who you’re with, but selfies of you alone are uninteresting and no one cares that much about you. Maybe send those to your mother.