I will try to analyze a very common type of person in society: the killjoy. This has nothing to do with the once-popular TV series ("Tujurikkuja — ed.) of the same name; I simply could not find a better term for someone who believes that people, life, Estonia and the world are irreparably messed up and that this misery must constantly be proclaimed to everyone. President Alar Karis drew attention to a similar phenomenon in his Independence Day speech, introducing the term "opinion bullying" into public discourse.

Who are they?

One of my childhood acquaintances suddenly changed about 10 to 12 years ago. It is no longer possible to have a conversation with him. Everything is terrible, any government is stupid, all politicians are crazy, athletes are weak, singers cannot carry a tune, the first lady's dress is ugly and the roads are full of potholes. He began expressing this indignation on social media and it has only gotten worse over time. His Facebook account now contains many hundreds of angry posts. Judging by what he writes, there is no longer anything good to be found in this country.

Sound familiar?

I do not have a study to back this up, but based on the content, I tried to analyze who the most active complainers are. First of all, they are generally older men; there are significantly fewer women. One thing they have in common is that someone else is always to blame for their problems and those of the country.

First: Those who had it better before, especially during the Soviet era. Perhaps their salary was higher or their status greater, but the new era brought them considerable hardship. Their numbers and activity are declining; this group was very large in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Second: Those whose abilities or talents could not withstand the competition of the new Estonia. They may once have been well-known and accomplished, but encountering a new competitive environment robbed them of their joy. They can be found in every profession, in politics and culture, as well as at ETV and on the radio.

Third: Politicians who are not currently in power. They are extremely angry at everyone and everything until they themselves come to power. Then everything is fine until they are replaced, at which point another cycle of anger begins. The decibel level of outrage rises noticeably before elections. Right now is precisely such a time.

Fourth: Social media influencers and some media personalities who have turned ruining people's mood into their brand. Over time, they enter a so-called spiral of anger in which they must constantly increase the doses of outrage or people will lose interest. This makes them even angrier because what is the point of shouting if no one is listening?

Fifth: The trend of being a killjoy. This is particularly noticeable in the media where outrage is treated almost as a sign of professionalism. If you do not engage in it, you risk being seen as soft. Many have fallen victim to this.

Naturally, this is by no means an exhaustive list. Nor should anyone think this is some kind of national peculiarity. It happens everywhere; the differences stem from history and stages of development. Elsewhere, there are different groups, such as angry consumers or sports fans.

In fact, there are not that many of these serial complainers. I was surprised myself when it emerged that an old acquaintance of mine had written 3,000 angry comments in a short period, believing that using a false name would keep his identity secret. It did not: His style and spelling gave him away. This creates a situation in which a very small segment of the population gains a disproportionately large media presence. Making society angrier is not easy work; it requires a great deal of time and energy.

Thanks to the current fashion for anger, those who think well of Estonia and of our lives here have a problem: They cannot open their mouths without being regarded as blind and stupid.

If someone has chosen being a killjoy as a way of life, facts do not get in their way in the slightest. I conducted an experiment and selected an article that listed all the bad things — tax increases, a stupid government, high prices, Russia's behavior, low pensions and so on — 11 points in all.

I asked people whether they thought it was true. They agreed wholeheartedly: It was all correct. The problem is that the article was published in Eesti Ekspress in September 2008. Whoever was angry then is angry now and will still be angry 10 years from now. It is not about circumstances but about character and the prevailing fashion of the times. Right now, anger is in fashion.

What can be done? The key is actually in our own hands. We simply should not be active consumers of this constant negativity. Let them make noise. Fortunately, most people have already chosen this path: They do not read the comments sections, much less post there themselves. At least that way, they can spare their own nerves.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!