The 'I-know-nod-&-sob-but-don't-do-anything-about-it' Syndrome

"It's so terrible out there, no one can find a job...and I was laid off yesterday.." boo-hoo. "My, my...when will they ever do something about reducing the age-limit when senior citizens are entitled to their pension?" boo-hoo. "When will they just give us a break and let us get paid for the extra hours we work..." boo-hoo. "How long must we be subject to these harsh conditions..." boo-hoo. "I'm so sick of being taken advantage of..." boo-hoo. "Why doesn't the government make it easier for us to do our work!" boo-hoo. People love to complain with disdain on just about everything they can get their ears on. Their vehement experience is usually so enthralling that they need a spellbound audience to keep them feeling that they're not the only ones undergoing such hardships. And by sharing it with someone they feel somewhat less deranged. The strangeness in all this is that the 'boo-hoo' sobs only get others to nod and sob as well; and eventually you have a group of people all relating their sob stories, until once all is said and done the only thing that they have accomplished is to agree on the obvious and do absolutely nothing to change their situation(and that of the world's), or that of the other person. It's a daily cycle that helps them cope with their anxieties and worries. I call these the passive-non-extremist-go-with-the-flow type who like to attract self-pity.
These people need a major dose of positive psycho therapy. Somebody should help them realize that if they want to change their negative outlook on life, they need to get out of their 'stubborn boo-hoo shell' and make a difference. Although I do have to give them some credit in that there's a lot of truth in what they say regarding the general conditions out there and how they affect everyone. Sometimes those conditions make it impossible(see also the 'lion-eat-lion' syndrome) for people to truly make the changes that they would like to make. If that's the case then I apologize for my earlier statement about making a difference, especially when you have to combat so many forces that are beyond your power. Perhaps for such a change to take affect you need to muster up all the other sobers in your group and go rally forth in the streets where the constitution building is situated. Perhaps you might be able to tickle their(congress) ears to listen to your sob story.. And maybe, just maybe..a glimmer of hope might after all be possible - NOT!