How to deal with Whiners (抱怨不停的人)?

There are always some people radiating negativity in the work place. For them, the temperature is never right, the boss is always a fool, the canteen food is awful, and they are always treated unfairly.

Career experts say such habitual complainers are highly contagious and that their attitude can easily affect an entire team in a company. “While some complaints might be reasonable, others are taken from thin air. You need to see between these different types and  adopt the right strategy towards each,” said Li Ling, HR manager at Wal-Mart (China). 

It’s especially hard to deal with complaints at work because you can’t just walk away or put your colleagues’ words out of mind. If you do, it will hurt your co-workers and you might be isolated. In a team-based company you belong to a group and need to behave accordingly. But don’t show too much sympathy. Listening passively to others’ complaints could damage your image and give others the impression that you agree with them. “Listen to the whiners actively,” says HR Li. “Help them find a solution, or see if there are ways to improve the situation.”  

Zhai Min, 24, a software engineer at Kingdee International Software Group in Shenzhen, found that 3 elderly workers liked to complain about everything, from extended working hours to  cheap hotels on business trips. “I let them talk about their opinions,” she said, “They feel better when they can tell someone how they want things to be.”  

But listening actively is far from enough. Wang Dianxue, 27, is an Internet engineer at Beijing Push Marcom Group. His co-workers always complain that their computer systems are not working properly. “I ask about the specifics and work together with them to fix everything technically.” he said.  

HR managers believe that when staffs complain, it is more a matter of recognition than an actual problem. “The real problem is that the whiners don’t feel they are being taken seriously,” said Xu Jun, HR manager at Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. “When you attentively give them advice or perspectives, the problem usually disappears.” 

The influence of America is increasing in Spain. Spanish people drink Coca­Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do all these things daily.

I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the entertainment programs and documentaries we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to are made in Hollywood.

In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from a country of the European Union.

American culture is very much a part of Spanish life. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of their lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca­Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known Coca­Cola my whole life.

However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.

It may be that McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas because in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and they are more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is more and more a part of our everyday life.

In 2002, an Australian man went to his friend’s 21st birthday party. He got drunk, fell off some steps and cut his lip. He took a picture of his injuries and shared it with his friends online. “And sorry about the focus,” he wrote, “it was a selfie(自拍).” That was the first recorded use of the word “selfie”, according to some experts at Oxford Dictionaries.

Oxford Dictionaries declared “selfie” Word of the Year for 2013, in honor of the term having taken over the world thanks to millions of smart phone self­portraits and the resulting shares on social media. In recent years, the act of taking a picture of oneself with a mobile phone, placing the subject center­stage, has won great popularity with everyone from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ to US with former President Barack Obama joining in.

But the rise of selfie photography in some of the world’s most beautiful, dangerous places has also inspired a lot of risk­taking behavior, such as hanging from a tall building, standing in front of a rushing train and crossing a busy street. People who get addicted will never stop taking selfies, completely ignoring where they are. In fact, there have been several reports about people losing their lives while taking selfies. Several governments have now begun treating selfie as a serious threat to safety, warning visitors to pay attention to the dangers when taking selfies.

“Walt Disney World is also banning selfie­sticks from its theme parks because selfie­sticks have become a growing safety concern for our guests,” Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said. Under the new policy, guests will be checked for the equipment during the routine bag check that happens near the parks’ entrances.

Shopaholics

TV. The Internet. The mall. Everywhere we look, we see advertisements that urge us to buy. In today’s consumer society, we are under constant pressure to shop. Of course, most people only buy what they need and what they can afford. However, there are some people, called shopaholics, who can’t control their desire to spend money and buy things. This kind of addictive behaviour can lead large financial problems, family conflict, and deep unhappiness.

What are the symptoms of a shopaholic? People with this problem often spend hours and hours shopping on the Internet or at the mall. Their closets are full of clothing and jewelry that they have never worn, with the price tags still on them. Their homes may be packed with shopping bags and boxes that they bought but never used. Many shopaholics are aware of their own problems, but when they go to a store, they simply can’t resist the urge to buy. Some of them are ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it by storing their purchases in places like the attic (阁楼), where others won’t see them.

Psychologists suggest there are several reasons for a shopping addiction. For some people, it is a way of relieving stress. For others, shopping is a way to fight loneliness or depression. For people with low self-esteem, shopping can be a way that they prove their self-worth. Sometimes the problem develops out of boredom. It becomes a replacement for other hobbies and interests, and it helps pass the time. Although shopping can temporarily make people feel good, they often experience feelings of shame and guilt later.

When shopping habits get out of control, people need professional help. They can either see a counselor (顾问) or join an organisation such as Shopaholics Anonymous. Groups like this try to help people understand the reasons for their addiction and learn how to control the urge to shop. Their goal is to help people find ways to fulfill themselves that do not lead to serious debt and troubled lives.