In reaction to our fears and pain, we seek comfort & relief in the form of Bad Habits.

We develop our Bad Habits 3 ways:  

1. When we protect our ego by avoiding challenging situations and replacing them with not-challenging, comforting situations. 
2. When we bolster our ego by being aggressive with other people. Aggression appears in a wide range of forms. It can be as blatant as physical assault and as subtle as a harsh glance. 
3. When we justify our ego - when we support and encourage our egoic frailties - by complaining to others. 

Perhaps, #3 is the most destructive because it:

• occupies the time and consumes the energy of at least 2 people, taking their attention and talents away from important work; 
• tends to spread to other people...bad news tends to travel...misery enjoys company; 
• has a pernicious ability to linger over time. I call this tendency to linger over time a 'Complaint Lifetime". 

Complaints have the ability to live longer than the people who express them.

Prejudices are an example of long-living complaints. They are passed through time, generation to generation. It takes conscious and concerted effort to reduce and remove prejudices.