The Lone Complainer

complaint“…Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor…”

That’s part of the US Army Ranger Creed. My husband (a retired Army Ranger, among other things), recites it sometimes. Like when he’s working himself to death, burning the candle at both ends and stuff.

Whenever he says this, I think of, The Lone Complainer.

I’ve thought about mentioning this for YEARS.  Because for years, there has been a Lone Complainer in my life.  This is a person who complains about my newsletter.

Now check this out…

I send my newsletter to thousands of people, several times a week. Thousands! There is one person who COMPLAINS.

I am not talking about writing me with a complaint. People who do that, bitch me out and then unsubscribe. This is a person registers a complaint about my newsletter by marking it spam in their email or something like that.  That’s it.  It shows in my stats. X thousand sent…one complaint.

They don’t complain about every letter, but they do complain often.  I register a complaint about maybe half of the letters over time. It’s got to be the same person.

This has no effect. It’s just a nutty thing. I wonder about this person’s psychology. I wonder about their criteria.

What is the complaint about?  They don’t like the message?  It there a typo?  Something they don’t want to hear or an interpretation they don’t agree with?  Do they just have some sort of need to judge or complain?

I picture them as a retired teacher with an over-sized red pen. Or maybe a cranky nun type person.

Whatever it is, they are special because of it. I’ve written this letter for seven years or so. They are the only one of their kind.

What do you think?  What do you think drives my Lone Complainer?

20 thoughts on “The Lone Complainer”

  1. Wow. Maybe they aren’t tech savvy and don’t really want the newsletter but haven’t bothered to check the “unsubscribe” link? That would be my first guess. It’s weird any way you slice it though.

  2. In my imagination, I wonder if they think lots of people do this. In other words, they have no idea how odd they are.

    I have more than this one complaint, a couple times a year. The reason will be obvious. I’d have sworn in the copy or said something not pc enough. The other complainers, unsub. I don’t mind this. Blow out the rolls from time to time.

    It’s just the strangest habit. Get something in your email, three times a week and decide if you’re giving thumbs up or down. Since they’re usually down, it’s odd.

    1. I don’t know who it is.

      One day, they may provide email addresses of people who complain. If that happens, I will.

      But you can see this is no priority for a developer. I have a Lone Complainer of thousands of subscribers. 🙂

  3. That is the weirdest thing. How long have they been doing it, all 7 years?

    Some strange psychology that’s for sure. Hey, I have an idea…send the link to this in your next newsletter and see if they complain about it… 🙂

    1. LOL!

      I don’t know how long…maybe a few years? Maybe longer.

      I’ve been writing it for seven years…this has gone on a long time, I can tell you that. I just always imagine the person with a need to make their mark…of disapproval anyway. 🙂

  4. Sorry, but this made me laugh. There are people out there that just love to complain about everything. It keeps them alive and happy. Maybe the person doesn’t like your optimism? Makes me think of someone who complains, but has to see what is said in the next letter. Let us all wave hi to said person and have a chuckle about it.

    1. Yeah, that could be it.

      Some people call my pollyanna. But 5 times as many call me “negative”.

      It’s in the eyes of the beholder.

      Someone said that once. This whole blog / me was link an inkblot. 🙂
      A psychological test. 🙂

  5. One day, complaining might get you automatically unsubbed. Like some newsletters have “unsubscribe” up top, click it and you’re done.

    Mine has a prominent unsub link at the bottom…and I invite people to use it now and then. So I don’t think it’s a matter of not being able to sign off. After all, some letters pass muster.

  6. I wouldn’t rule out this being a quirk of technology.

    Otherwise I’d say it’s someone who isn’t thinking longterm. Every time they receive the email they just hit Spam without opening it. Obviously with just a bit more effort they could open it and do the Unsubscribe thing.

    Equally rather than laziness, it might be someone elderly or technophobic who doesn’t know about Unsubscribes.

    1. There’s no way to tell!

      I just thought I’d share this quirk with you. So longstanding.

      They did not complain about the last three in a row…which is rare. Maybe they’re on vacation, or maybe they’re done! 🙂

  7. Pluto shit, Elsa. I had s solidarity lUgh at your Feces in the Brownth house experience(s) from the Frito incident to bowels of the unknown fanny. I’m a Scorpio with a full 8th house and the shadow and shat do have the same 3 letters. I dated Capricorn I dated ages ago, drunk talented music wasted. Pisces moon, Scorpio asc. Old soul, fucked up old. I split up with him asked for my keys And he left. Came home from eodk, My fav jeans are on The ground with poop in them. Pile. My dumped ex took a goodbye dump in my jeans. Shat my pants FOR ME. Who shits your pants for you?

    Badass goats.

  8. Avatar
    TheVeryMostPaw

    I always have this knee jerk reaction which makes me look for a little thumb to “like “ as if I am actually on facebook or something.

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