Bitterness for me has always been a gift. It started at such a young age, that it was my first memory. Before I could walk or talk or even babble, I remember the first time I was bitter. I was chilling in my mom’s stomach for about nine months, rent free, warm, posing for pictures every once in a while, you know, lifestyles of the young and famous. Then, all of a sudden she decides to kick me out, without notice or reason into the cold. I remember just screaming, “Whhhhaaaaatttt is up with this!” “It is so brrrrrrriiiiiigggghhhhtttt and cold out here!” “Hooooooooowwwww could you do this to meeeeeee!” They put me in some crappy hospital blanket and then cut my food supply off. “What’s next? You gooooonnnna throw me out in the street?” Then my mom and dad had the gall to smile at me, like I was happy to be out. Ever since that day, I’ve been bitter. About being here, about getting kicked out.
Since then, I’ve expanded my bitterness to other people besides my parents. My parents got so tired of me using the screaming and crying way of communication that they tried to teach me how to speak. So words became a way to express my bitterness. At first, people found it charming that I would say, “You’re a poopy head!” and “Leave me alone, I’m brooding!”, but people didn’t find it as charming when I graduated from high school. So I had to learn new ways of communicating with people that would show them my bitterness.
While not everyone is smart enough to figure out how bitter I am without me telling them the exact reason I am bitter, most people can pick up on these favorites of mine.
The Aggressive Sigh. This technique is subtle, but a favorite of mine. It works best when it is pretty quiet, and a boss or co-worker is walking by, that knows that they make you bitter all the time. This isn’t just a typical sigh, where you are just expressing bitterness to yourself, but a really loud, almost condescending tone that shows that a task has been assigned to you that makes no sense, is completely innane or stupid, or if you have all kinds of work when all your co-workers and standing around gossiping like they’ve never had an assignment to do ever.
The Death Stare. This one takes a lot of practice for some people. If you are born with a natural smile and pleasant looking face, this will take some work. You will need to get into a fight that messes up your face or own a cat in sub zero temperatures that continually wants to go out into the cold, but when you open the door it freezes up because it can’t stand to go out. This cycle will continue all night. The stare will move naturally from the cat to humans who will ask for a report, get it, then tell you they didn’t need it. That cycle will also continue.
Eye roll. A correctly used eye roll is hard to pull off. It requires just the right amount of movement of the eye from the center position to either the high right or high left of your eyelids. The key to the eye roll is timing. It must be seen by the recipient of your bitter rage. But it must be just as they are walking away and it should only be in their peripheral vision. It must create a sense of “Was that guy just rolling his eyes at the stupid thing I just said?” but enough to create reasonable doubt that they were just seeing things. Also, remember that a left eye roll is for stupid things said and a right eye roll is for useless things. To really emphasize an eye roll, a subtle headshake will really bring your point home.
Aggressive downward look. This is when you get extra bitter at someone. It must be someone that your normally at least give a passing glaze at. This should also be someone who “thinks” somehow that you are friends or even aquaintances. This one has to be when you and your victim are the only ones in a longish hallway. It is a gutsy move, because common courtesy(I’m gonna have to speak to this common courtesy person) is that you at least acknowledge the existence of others in a one on one hallway situation. Be brave in your bitterness and remain strong. Don’t make eye contact with this person even once. Just as the moment seems right to nod your head, say hi or at least look at this person, aggressively thrust your head down to the ground. The best results are if the person awkwardly says hi, or tries to nod when you can’t see them. It will cause them confusion and question why they ever messed with you.
Pounding keyboards. Obviously this one only works when you are at a keyboard, but will work on a phone in a pinch. When your boss, co-worker, family members or parole officer has assigned you with a difficult task like sending an email, taking out the trash, or remaining under house arrest, you can show your displeasure by finding the nearest keyboard, and pounding on it. For realism’s sake, you can have a computer monitor attached to the keyboard, or better yet, something on the monitor that suggests you are actually typing the aggressive thing that you want to say. This one works the best when the rest of the areas is quiet and is combined with the Death Stare, Aggressive Sighs, and Eye Roll techniques.
I know that you will never master the techniques I have spent a lifetime perfecting, but these tips and tricks will deliver you the results you want it show your passive aggressive rage to all the idiots in your life. And if they aren’t working, I encourage you to give up. Because you are lame and practice will not make perfect.
Arrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhh
Bitter Sighs 12 Ben
So fun!
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I just think more people need to know how to deal with other people.
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You need to create a curriculum for a correspondence course. I’m serious, I would enroll.
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I have created a school called the B.I.T.T.E.R. school of Bitterness. You can check the link at https://bensbitterblog.com/bens-b-i-t-t-e-r-school-of-bitterness/
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I hope there is an online course!
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There is. It costs way more than the college course, because I like to make money off of lazy people like me.
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OMG! What a funny, funny piece! Very creative blog – very creative! I have no idea how you found my “silliness” (most of my readers are friends and relatives -unfortunately…), but thanks for the “lookie-loo”! You’re a hoot! 🙂 Lucie
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I often find new blogs through Reader. Since you were there, I took a chance. Ha!
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Good to go! Thanks for the info! 🙂
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No trouble. I do help out people from time to time.
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Gahahahaha! Sadly, our house is really old with super thick walls – like fort Knox. All my passive aggressive sighs and eyerolls get wasted if HH is not in the same room and actually looking at me. And then, of course, the PRESSURE. Sheesh. I have now resorted to slamming cupboard doors and actual doors when I’m bitter. Sometimes he even hears me. It changes nothing, but I feel way bitter about it.
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The subtle techniques of Bitter Sighs are the most successful in an office environment. There is a whole other set of techniques for homes, another for social situations and another for even places like Fort Knox. Keep tuning in for techniques that are more tailored to your Fort Knox needs.
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Hey, Ben – whatever it takes to spread the bitterness across this perversely happy universe, I’m all for it.I shall work on upping the amplitude of my bitter sighs and eye rolls. So far, this has only resulted in HH wondering if I need my inhaler. Or a trip to the optician… *BITTER SIGH*
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That is dedication to the craft. Keep up the bitter work!
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I feel bitterness is a gift, but with a little work it could become a true skill.
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It was a gift granted to me early in life, but like you said it can also be acquired. I’ve developed my gift to become a master of it (though I’m always improving it).
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Ben , your expertise in the art of bitterness leaves me pea-green with envy. Someday, I hope to get a masters in bitterness too. Provided my student loan debt will be manageable.
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Well, I offer courses in Bitterness at B.I.T.T.E.R. School of Bitterness. There are no scholarships, but definitely lots of classes offered. Here’s a link to the school. https://bensbitterblog.com/bens-b-i-t-t-e-r-school-of-bitterness/
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I’ll check out your online university TODAY!
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And make sure to sign up for some very expensive and very useless classes!
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I’m taking private loans out even as I type this. I can’t wait to not be able to pay back a private loan for a useless class while my interest rates will unexpectedly rise. But then again, I can’t wait to learn how to be bitter too. 😀
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It is a great skill to have in the workplace. And basically in order to teach you bitterness, we will be giving you wrong start times, disorganized teachers and no recess.
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Ah…university life!
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Yes. Prepare to be bitter a lot at the school!
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Check, check and check! Yup, guess that makes me a passive aggressive bit@$
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And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Welcome to the bitter side!
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Born with or acquired…bitterness is indeed an art form.
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I like to think I was born with the gift, but have worked hard to cultivate it over time. So born and acquired. It is indeed an art.
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You’re a funny bitter one!
The left eye roll is a favourite of mine, along with the over exaggerated aggressive sigh…for when the average sigh just isn’t enough to capture the attention of those around me. 😁
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I would probably win an olympic medal if there was a worldwide eyeroll contest, I do it so much.
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I can imagine you would. GOLD and everything! 😜
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If you believe in eye rolls, you can achieve!
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Thank you for these useful ideas! I’m totally gonna try some of them soon!
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They have always worked for me, I just thought I would share some of the ideas so others could be their bitter best.
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Thank you so much for sharing them. They’re extremely informative!
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Always glad to help in the fight against clueless co workers!
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I remember expressing bitterness to my mom when I was a teenager and being asked to take out the garbage or empty the dishwasher. It’s funny how my exasperated sighs directed at my mom provoked extremely bitter words from her about my attitude. Now as a mom myself, I express bitterness at the dishwasher when no one is around to empty it…
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It is a tradition to complain bitterly to your parents. It is one that you need to teach your kids to do.
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same thing happened to me – evicted without warning from my nice warm comfy home
I shot out so fast, the umbilical cord pulled me back before the midwife could catch me
it was my 1st and only bungee jump !
you was lucky though
just as I was drawing breath to scream WTF?
some middle-aged woman grabbed my ankles, turned me upside down and spanked my bum
I needn’t tell you how pissed off I was
Things have changed a lot since then, of course. Now I pay good money to have a woman do that 😳
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Getting ejected from my nice warm home was just the beginning of my bitterness.
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That baby is a scream! I want to be her when I grow up!
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She learned her eye roll from me as a kid.
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my middle daughter mastered they eye roll sigh huff snotty voice response to everything when she was 13 and it continued on for almost 2 years. awesome.
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Well, mine is only 9 and she is already perfecting the craft. I couldn’t be a prouder father.
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I have used all of these in the past week! I guess I am pretty bitter! Great post!
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That is a good start. Get out there and work on some other things now in order to become completely bitter.
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I was going to say I admitted I had a problem… but there’s no problem with me! It’s everyone else!
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Wow that is my problem too. Everyone else.
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;o)
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Is that they eye roll or the bitter evil stare.
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It actually does double duty…could be either….or both!
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Now I just wish I could understand the language of emoticons. Is there one for bitter?
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┌:o| maybe?
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That one is pretty close, but could you do one that looks way closer to my face.
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Am I destined to be so uncoordinated that I will never be able to implement a single eye roll? If I could get that down, think what that could mean to being a submissive female in a similar relationship like the one portrayed in 50 Shades of Grey!! (Ever count how many times that silly character rolled her eyes at Christian?) But I guess it’s no surprise, my lack of eye-roll talent – – after all, I cannot even raise just one brow….they both go up. And we’re also talking about a woman who cannot do that weird sideways tongue curl thing that everyone else can do. Or even roll her R’s (trilling?) Dammit, now you’ve got me super bitter about not getting the correct facial genes to express my bitterness visually.
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Not sure about all those things you were talking about in 15 shades of Grey. I’m probably outside of the demographic for that book because I am a male.
I would be pretty bitter that I couldn’t do any of these things so I could express my maximum bitterness.
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It’s an inane book. All the main character does is roll her eyes at him – – over and over and OVER. And this, for some absurd reason, turns them both on. lol.
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Who knew eye rolling could get you some.
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This is a chapter in “Bitterness for Dummies,” which should probably be “Bitterness for Dumbasses.”
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It would be under the chapter titled Passive Aggressive techniques that drive Aggressive Aggressive’s crazy.
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My kids and I say we are members of the Anti-Social club. The thing about the Anti-Social club is, we never meet. I want you to know that you are an honorary member.
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I am a member of the Anti-Social club in the Seattle Chapter. We really enjoy the meetings that we don’t have. I can’t wait to not meet for the awards ceremony in your chapter meeting to pick up my honorary award.
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Oh! Can I join?
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You can join in your own town. Meeting are 5:00 am at Not A Meeting Hall, where No one plans to join us.
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#1 😀 and sometimes, the passive-aggressive sigh. Also, sticking out my tongue.
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I didn’t want to steal your sticking out the tongue thing for fear of the death stare from you.
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Every mom has a death stare…………… Just saying………….
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I guess I am a mom then. You’re right though. I think my wife’s and mom’s death stare overpower mine.
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It’s interesting to think of bitterness as a gift. I’m a big fan of the agressive sigh too hehe
http://www.awordofsubstance.wordpress.com
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I am always employing these techniques, especially at work, especially today.
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