Complainers

It seems to me that there are a lot of whiners out there. No matter how wonderful somebody’s life is, they will find something that they don’t like. And to make matters worse, they let everyone know about it. I have decided that there are two criteria and at least one of them must be met before a situation should be complained about:

Forced – The person shouldn’t have had a choice as to whether or not they are in the situation about which they are complaining. Example: A person has been enslaved or otherwise held without cause against your will.

Misrepresented – The situation that a person is complaining about was previously said to be something that it isn’t. Example: At a restaurant the menu advertises “bottomless” soft drinks, but your server lets you suck melted ice through a straw for three fourths of your time in their establishment before asking if you’d like a refill, and then not bringing said refill until after she brings the check.

And you should never complain about situations where:

No one has control – People shouldn’t complain about things over which no one has any control. Example: The weather.


There are a few complaints that I seem to hear on a regular basis. The first is people complaining about the “rules” at BYU. It is well known that BYU requires its students and staff to obey by a code of conduct, abide by residential living standards, and adhere to certain dress and grooming guidelines. This list of “rules” is known as the Honor Code, and when a person agrees to live the Honor Code they basically agree to be honest, live a moral life, abstain from alcohol and tobacco, dress modestly, and men agree to keep their hair cut and their faces clean shaven. It may seem like an oppressive regime but for the vast majority of people wishing to attend BYU they wouldn’t have to change much in their lives in order to abide by these standards.

The Honor Code isn’t something that is sprung on unsuspecting students at orientation; it’s a well known fact. Any time a newspaper or magazine writes anything more extensive than a game recap, the Honor Code is mentioned at least in passing. There have been several well publicized instances where prominent student athletes at BYU have been forced to leave school and their team because they chose not to live by the Honor Code. And if a prospective student had managed to pass through their young adult lives and not been exposed to these publicized stories, agreeing to live by the Honor Code is the first step in the application process. You can’t even put your name on an application without first agreeing to shave your beard.

I am baffled at the people who complain about having to shave. I’m not going to say that I understand the reasons behind this rule, but BYU is very upfront about the expectations that they have of their students. If having a beard is that important to you then there are thousands of other universities in this country and abroad that couldn’t care less as to whether or not you have a beard. You are neither forced to be here nor were you knew exactly what you were getting into, so stop complaining.


Another thing that really chaps my hide is when people complain about the great state of Utah. They usually complain about at least one of three things: the weather, the drivers, or the culture.

The weather in Utah is cold in the winter, hot in the summer, and the springtime can be sporadic. It has been this way since the beginning of time. No one turned the thermostat down when you moved here just to bug you; it’s always been cold in the winter. And guess what, it snows here. Utah is so well known for its snow that we hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. In fact, Utah’s snow is known as the greatest snow on earth! Sometimes we ski well into April, and sometimes we ski as late in the year as July. In other words: It snows here. Some people just can’t be pleased. It’s either too hot or too cold. There’s either not enough snow or too much snow. They say that if you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen. I say if you can’t take the cold Utah winters, then go back to California.

I think it’s funny that people here at BYU complain about “Utah drivers.” Out of 33,000 daytime students at BYU, only 28% of them are actually from Utah. I’m no statistician, but wouldn’t that mean that most of the drivers you encounter near BYU’s campus are actually from somewhere besides Utah.

I’ll be the first to admit that Utah has a quirky culture. And I think that the fact that I grew up immersed in this culture causes me to not notice most of the time. I’m not going to try to defend it, but to be honest I don’t always see why it bugs people so much. You may have chosen to come here, but no one is forcing you to stay, so please stop complaining.

So unless you are a slave, unjustly imprisoned, or can’t get your server to refill your Mtn Dew, I’d rather not hear about it.