The Vent
When I was living in Shanghai, I had very few people to talk to and those I could talk to spoke very poor English. Not communicating with other humans and not sharing ideas was simply exhausting. Finally seeing a few of my foreign friends at the bar late in the day was an incredible relief.
It is an amazing thing that we humans need to vent. Yet, the very nature of the word implies that some sort of unpleasant gas is building up and causing pressure. With a release, we are once again normal.
But it is causing this build up? Why do the talkative need to vent while the mousy remain silent? Why do artists need to paint, write or dance while other find no need to. Why are there complainers, hot heads and vandals? How and why does their anger build up when other people remain cool?
One of best comic strips I have ever seen was a four-panel drawing. His first panel showed a boss yelling at his subordinate. The second showed that subordinate yelling at his wife. The third showed the wife yelling at her child. The final panel showed the child kicking the dog.
Actions beget actions- this is clear, but why is not certain. Misery loves company, but why is not certain.
My theory would be empathy. When I was in middle school, I was treated poorly and, in turn, I treated others poorly. When I listen to music, I feel like playing music. When I was in Shanghai, weird things happened to me and wanted other people to understand and know about those weird things. Conversely, I have found that quiet and inactive people tend to not have many experiences to share and tend to be boring.
New or strong experiences make us feel different and not understood. After an experience, we have the desire to correct that difference. Through communication, art, love and, unfortunately, abuse we “vent” to bring ourselves closer to others.
It is an amazing thing that we humans need to vent. Yet, the very nature of the word implies that some sort of unpleasant gas is building up and causing pressure. With a release, we are once again normal.
But it is causing this build up? Why do the talkative need to vent while the mousy remain silent? Why do artists need to paint, write or dance while other find no need to. Why are there complainers, hot heads and vandals? How and why does their anger build up when other people remain cool?
One of best comic strips I have ever seen was a four-panel drawing. His first panel showed a boss yelling at his subordinate. The second showed that subordinate yelling at his wife. The third showed the wife yelling at her child. The final panel showed the child kicking the dog.
Actions beget actions- this is clear, but why is not certain. Misery loves company, but why is not certain.
My theory would be empathy. When I was in middle school, I was treated poorly and, in turn, I treated others poorly. When I listen to music, I feel like playing music. When I was in Shanghai, weird things happened to me and wanted other people to understand and know about those weird things. Conversely, I have found that quiet and inactive people tend to not have many experiences to share and tend to be boring.
New or strong experiences make us feel different and not understood. After an experience, we have the desire to correct that difference. Through communication, art, love and, unfortunately, abuse we “vent” to bring ourselves closer to others.
posted by American Dilettante at
5:01 PM
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