Grumpy relatives

66Mustang

I have a couple of extremely grumpy relatives. Ordinarily I would find this quite entertaining - at least, if it were not for their behaviour causing many of the people they come into contact with to end up in tears - but due to my issues they create me a lot of anxiety.

I find it helps me to share things like this when they happen, but it also helps me to hear from others about their own relatives, because it makes me feel I am not alone and that other families have to deal with this issue as well.

So this thread is just for people to generally vent off about people they know who are cantankerous, grouchy, bad-tempered or otherwise grumpy. Doesn't have to be a relative, could be a neighbour or colleague or even a friend? I am hoping that people will maybe even share some amusing stories?! I know I have one or two tales that could have come right out of a cheap and rubbish sit-com or soap opera.

Looking forward to hearing peoples contributions, I will share some of my own in due course as well.

Rosie_Scope

Sorry to hear that your relatives are making you anxious, some people just don't realise how grumpy they are and how it affects those around them. I hope my story about a grumpy housemate is slightly amusing to you, though!

I used to live with someone who would enter the house and start almost every sentence with "You know who I hate?" followed by basically name any job or person you could think of, usually for a really silly reason. After a while, one of us started a list on our phone of all the people he'd said he hated.

It grew and grew. Moped delivery drivers, architects, doctors, dentists, librarians... you name it! You'd be hard pressed to find an occupation or type of person that wasn't on the list. 

So one day, he came home and started again with his "You know who I hate?", and we just said, "You know what, yes we do! Moped delivery drivers, architects, doctors, dentists, librarians, people who wear hats indoors, teenagers on buses, radio presenters..." and so on and so forth. And he just stood there looking a bit shocked while we read out the whole list.

For a cantankerous person, he eventually took it in good humour, but he never did it again after that!

66Mustang

That's funny, @Rosie_Scope, thanks for sharing!!  

I sort of feel sorry for people who are grumpy about literally everything. Imagine being them and living in a world where you dislike everything - a pretty flower, a cup of tea, a hug - must be quite a miserable existence.

I am glad your housemate took it in good humour and never did it again!!!

66Mustang

Oddly, I think one of my relatives does know they are grumpy but they sort of use that as another reason to be grumpy.

They know that their moods makes a certain relative cry, so now they just, sarcastically, say "I won't say how I think about this because apparently I make you cry".

To me that is rather childish, and actually worse than saying the thing!

OverlyAnxious

I'm probably the grumpy relative. 

But I'd rather just keep opinions to myself than bring everyone else down with them.  Sadly I was repeatedly forced through social events even when I really couldn't cope with them.  I know that other people were upset by my behaviour.  Thought I was doing the right thing by trying to get through the event, and obviously they thought they were doing the right thing by forcing me through the event, but in hindsight I wish I'd never gone to a few of those events.  I wish I wasn't like this, it's not a conscious choice.

I do have older relatives that are (were?) constantly moaning though.  Often not realising the hypocrisy of their complaints.  I can't stand the judgement and ignorance that those opinions are generally borne out of.  But I also can't stand confrontation, so would just remain quiet and let them rant.