Other people have it worse so don't complain

[Harmonie]

I think it is a good thought, although it's lost on many.

There are ways that the phrase could be worded better, since we all are so lacking in the empathy department. In particular, it should be understood that not a single person in this world is immune to the circumstances of those who have it worse. Life is not static like that, and can change in just one day. I learned this the hard way...

If you can't have empathy for those who have it worse (which this can be really hard, I know) at least appreciate what you have now, because you won't have it forever, and even if nothing really terrible happens to you, it always can.

 

[DRCM]

If this phrase is supposed to be taken literally, then there is only one person in the entire world that is allowed to be sad, because for everyone else, there's someone who has it worse. Obviously that's wrong. More than one person can be sad. So I don't like this phrase.
If someone is pretending to be sad to get attention, I don't care what you say to them.

 

[Nick]

I think its stupid. Just because other people have it worse, which is indeed true, doesn't mean you can't take issue with the problems that you have in your life.

 

[Sirfetch’d]

Everyone needs someone to listen to sometimes and it bothers me when people say this. I know there are millions of people who have it worse than I do, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to be upset about something in my life and vent about it. This is why I am very specific though when it comes to who I would tell certain things too. I want to make sure they care enough to listen.

 

[The ???]

one person's suffering doesn't nullify the suffering of your own. there will always be those who have it worse, who go through more pain than another. their abstract pain for the sake of an argument doesn't have any bearing on your own.

You missed the point of the beautiful quote. Its true that there's no physical relief that you can get from realizing others are in the same boat too or even worse, but when its usually said when the person has lost his will to continue or is very depressed.. its a mere source of inspiration that someone who has been in MORE trouble that us can carry on so why not us? :)
Its a psychological effect which gives enough strength to carry on :)

 

[Poki]

I still think it's a stupid thing to say.

 

[Mochika Rage]

Saying that is like saying 'you can't be happy, because there are people out there who are happier than you.'

Yes, there are people who have it worse. There are people who are dying, there are people in immense pain or with illnesses. If I feel at the worst I ever have, knowing that other people have it worse won't change the fact that I'm feeling the worst I ever have.

 

[Bounsweet]

I think remarks like the thread title that basically say "your problems don't matter cause this situation could be worse" are cop out statements so that people don't have to empathize.

Idk, I mean unless someone is the type to find something to say about every single little thing then who cares, just let them vent about whatever, even if it's something really insignificant in your perspective.

I think it's pretty dang bogus to just blow off someone's opinion about something because you have a different point of view on it.

 

[Pollichops]

I've often wondered about this. Even if we felt grateful that we had it better, are we really grateful when the concept of "worse" suffering is foreign to us?

 

[Alexander Nicholi]

I think that even though others have it worse it shouldn't be taken with so much thought because humans' willpower enables us to have happiness in any circumstance, regardless of how we compare to others. In fact, I think the less you have the happier you are, in contrast to the remark.

 

[morrison]

I think it is stupid. Every one is allowed to feel unhappy. It is only bad If you don't try to get it better, get help if you can't improve it by yourself. Also stupid thing to say to people who are clinically depressed.

 

[Nolafus]

I've received this statement a lot when I was younger, and it never helped anything, so no, I don't like it. Like other people have stated before, it's a cop out to saying that you don't care, and I don't think that it helps anything. If you're trying to make someone feel better by saying that other people have been through much worse and have come out okay, then you need to find a better way to word that.