Complaining Is More Fun Than Real Work

I play in an adult volleyball league one night a week. You play four games each night — two games each against two different opponents — and then referee the two games your opponents play against each other.

One guy on another team has a reputation for being a major complainer about the refs. As I’m reffing his team playing, there he is complaining about everything, what is being called, what isn’t, and what he thinks the rules are.

Finally, I grow tired of him, so when he complains after his team loses a point, I walk over and hand him my whistle.

Me: “Thanks for volunteering. Here you go.”

Complainer: “What’s this for?”

Me: “I thought you were volunteering to ref the rest of the game since you seem to think you can do a better job than me.”

Complainer: “Oh, no. I don’t like reffing. I’m here to play.”

Me: “Okay, great. Then you worry about playing, and I’ll worry about reffing. Sound good?”

Complainer: “Yeah.”

He stopped complaining so much after that.