
(05-13-2015, 11:27 AM)Graeham Ridgefield Wrote: I was more referring to the fact that pretty much everyone has done it at some point whether knowingly or not and that there's varying degrees ranging from harmless to harmful.
Agreed. I disagree with the "public" part, but often times, venting privately to a friend about someone or something actually has a beneficial effect on our stress, it makes us less angry. When I get frustrated with someone, I usually talk about it with a friend in private, we bitch a bit, make fun of it/him/her, and the day after I'm good with that person like nothing had happened. Had I not done it, maybe I would still be cranky, and maybe I would've decided to confront that person directly and turned a worthless, small argument into an endless drama that could have caused a lot more harm to both me and him/her than it was worth.
Here in Italy we have a saying that was passed over by our sailors: "Decrease our salary, but let us complain."

I'm derailing from the topic so here's my tl;dr: Venting is fine, shaming is not. Keep it in private with people you trust.
To be an interesting, intriguing, well-written character, there needs to be something to allow the audience to relate to them. That is what the problem is with who wants their character to be "perfect". Perfect characters will never be strong, and strong characters will never be perfect, because WE (those who read, who watch, who RP) are not perfect.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.