I have "cup of cold water" problems

[drwex]

It's become an accepted meme to talk about one's difficulties as "first world" problems, to emphasize that although they're personally significant they're not on the scale of death or destitution a person without our level of resources might experience.

Well. You know what happens if you dump a cup of cold water on a cat? It's not going to kill the cat; it's not even going to injure the cat. But man, that's going to be a miserable, hissy, spitty animal.

I have cup-of-cold-water problems, and if I've hissed or yowled at you lately, I'm sorry.

Comments

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I love the metaphor! Awesome!

Thanks

[drwex]

Feel free to propagate it.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

*hands you a towel*

at least we have the advantage of opposable thumbs :)

gently leaves a really big rock

[cthulhia]

(glued all the pebbles together, by accident)

I think we use the term "first-world problems" to try and talk ourselves down from being so hissy and yowly. And also to pre-emptively stop anyone from effectively marginalizing our pain by pointing out the ultimate triviality of our angst du jour.

it's still causing pain & discomfort, often more so, because there can be a lot of guilt over feeling such pain & discomfort over something so "trivial".

Many of us cope with major issues by going into hyper-efficient robot mode, and end up inadvertently letting off steam by reacting so strongly to the trivialities.

In your case, hardly first world problems. You've probably been trying to be emotionally solid for a recent widow (with complicated family issues above and beyond the usual amount of bullshit that comes with funerals) that's not merely a cup of cold water.

Re: gently leaves a really big rock

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

Well said.

Re: gently leaves a really big rock

[drwex]

Thank you for the rock - it's appreciated.

I agree that any phrase or meme can be overused and become a cover. But there really is a point to remember that it's different to be frustrated that there are no groceries in the house and not be the guy who has to loot a grocery store damaged by an earthquake so that his family won't starve.

Likewise I agree that misery isn't a contest. Pain is pain, and everyone feels pain in their own way. But there's a difference between pain and annoyance, too.

Mostly what I was going for was a metaphor.

Re: gently leaves a really big rock

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Bravo.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

But, my cats don't mind having water poured on them, Tuna in fact sits in the sink and wont move even when I turn the water on, she was soaked this morning because she wouldn't get out of the way.

But I get your meaning. :)

Your cats are weird

[drwex]

'nuff said

[chienne-folle.livejournal.com]

*hug*

While most of us in the first world are much better off than most of those in the third world, I wince every time I see someone say that they have "first world problems," because it seems as if they're trivializing their own pain. People are allowed to take their own trouble seriously, even if other people have it worse.

Sorry for your cup of cold water; I hope you'll be drier soon.

Thanks

[drwex]

This too shall pass.

[sariel-t.livejournal.com]

*hug*