I once took some advice from a loud-mouthed, Italian astrologer *winks* that went something like, "If you're around unhappy people, you'll become an unhappy person."  (My paraphrasing; this was from a series of posts back in 2006 or 2007 so details are hazy.)  I also took the correllary, "If you want to be happier, stop bitching."

So, yanno, I did stop bitching.  By and large, anyway (everyone has his/her days, of course).  First about my then-partner's perceived shortcomings, then about work, then, slowly, about almost everything else.  And I became happier!  By not focusing on the negatives, it freed up a lot of space to just be happy with what I had and feel grateful on a daily basis.  I've always been kind-of a satisfied dog anyway, and this small change just upped that satisfaction to stupid and unseemly levels.  :)

It's an ingrained habit now, not to bitch unless something is seriously wrong.  My health can be jacked, I may not have two quarters to rub together and bill collectors are climbing my ass, my car is broken down, I'm getting evicted, my dog just died, and I haven't eaten or slept in three days.  You know what?  I'm breathing.  It's a good day!  *grins*  (All hypothetical, btw.  My life's pretty danged good right now, knock on wood.)  And I'll list any or all of it if someone asks and seems interested, but in general I just don't find it necessary to talk about my "hardships."  Things are crappy.  So what?  Let's talk about something interesting!

Here's the rub:
I'm surrounded by people, mostly family, who connect by bitching and complaining about what's wrong with their lives -- and something's always wrong with their lives!  Nothing's ever easy, nothing's ever good enough, there's never enough money / love / food / whatever-problem-du-jour, the whole damned world is out to shit in their Kool-Aid at every possible opportunity and they can't wait to pass it on!

Since I don't join in, there's a communication barrier.  One, I'm not joining the piss parade.  Two, I really don't see what the big deal is most of the time.  Three, when I try to point out a positive in their life, I'm unsupportive and pollyanna-ish.  Much better to let 'em burn out whatever's in their system, but by that point I just want their draining, negative asses gone instead of engaging in mutually entertaining conversation.

Bleh...  I just want to shake 'em.  Just shake the piss out of 'em!  You're breathing; it's a good day.

Anyway, that's my beef.  With bitching!  *lol*

PS:
Rub?  Beef?  Ha-ha!  I so punny...  :P

Do you have negative people (by the above parameters) in your life?  Are you a negative person?  What do you do to deal with it?

Yes I do and they drain me,  I tune them out, and slip/fade away. 

I'm naturally geared to negative... it takes a LOT of work to get around it. When I'm around others who are negative, it's true... they bring you down.

It's also a good lesson to watch your own reaction to negative peeps. I kind of have to "brace" myself, because they're really draining. I don't want people to have to brace themselves around me, soo...

Still... good days & bad days. When I feel like that, I keep to myself.

No!!! Thank god ...I have semi-negative ones , but they are rugs you can beat happy. No problem .

Some costomers however, I don't understand...is their will to live based on negative thinking. It's crazy , sooo blue , so awful , and it's the end off the world it the flower buckle is placed in the wrong place. Why o why!! If only, but no only's can please them. I just don't understand.

My brother is in a neg-phase now...and I'm like:you have a jupiter moooon , this is not suppposed to happen. You're fire and fire and a airballon...come on!!

SaD... I was very young (like 6 or 7 years old) and I can remember very clearly sitting in the back seat while we were on our way home from a family gathering listening to my Mom rip everyone apart the entire way.  It made me physically ill.  Even at that young, I promised myself that I wouldn't grow up to be like that- and I've kept that promise.

I've got Jupiter conjunct my IC and an Aries Sun- I bounce and I shine! ;-)  Even to this day my mom and I have a "3-Day-Rule"... I cannot spend more than three days around that kind of negativity without getting down right sick.

I currently have a next door neighbor that is constantly bitching and moaning about something and I've had to nicely ask him to leave on occassion because that energy is just toxic.  He understands and actually will search his brain for something positive to say before I walk him to the door. ;-)

Oh, thanks for this SaD. No I don't have bitching people around me. I have people who kick ass, meet challenges, produce and persevere!

@iathina: Jeebers, can you believe I just realized that Jupiter in Cancer is a Jupiter-moon contact?  *LOL*  Thanks!  :)  And I love the air balloon image.  So perfect!  And true: can't stay down for long, nope nope nope.  *grins*

I hope your bro snaps out of it soon, sweets.  :)

@McK:  I often wonder if negative peeps have to brace themselves to be around satisfied me anyway, though.  Can't escape that Libra, man...  ;)

@Daisy:  Tune and fade -- damned good plan!

@SaD... I think it depends on the person you're dealing with & the mood they are in. Sometimes, being around an "up" person, is a shot in the arm, sometimes, it's resented though. Go figure!! Ahhh Human Nature...

@Elsa, I've got no problems giving credit where credit is due.  ;)  Advice you've given to me over the years has proven invaluable in improving my life and state of mind! 

@Carrie, you definitely bounce and shine, girlie.  *grins and fistbumps*
I grew up with a dissatisfied mom and sister, and a mostly-satisfied dad (dad's motto being "If you can't change it, neither worrying nor bitching is going to fix anything so just get on with your life").  I never really thought about if there was another way to be.  Negative or vaguely fatalistic were my models, happy never entered the equation.  Your backseat scenario is scarily familiar...

@McK, I can see that.  :)  Sometimes I just want to mope, too, and people being cheery is just... ugh.  Go away.  *laughs*  It's all in the moment, man.

Thankfully I stopped being around most of these kind of people after highschool.

I'm a negative person right now, and I try to be aware of how that can drain other people. I realize that I can't control my circumstances, I can only control my own *response* to my circumstances, but it's easier said than done.