When is it worth complaining? Is it an emotional reaction, an opportunity to point out areas for improvement, a warning of pending danger, or to address a barrier that requires removal? You can stand in a stall easily if you are a horse that throws a shoe. If your horse is competing in a week-long endurance event trip, reshoeing is required since there is much terrain to cover. Complaining might be warranted in one situation and not as urgent in the other.

Complaining has become an expected or even acceptable form of communication. How might we prepare to respond to those who rely on complaining as their primary communication technique? Roy Kent’s press conference from the Ted Lasso series is a master class in using a story to add perspective to an emotional situation.