My friends were, without exception, terrific during the one major tragedy in my life. However like most people they are absolute dunderheads when it comes to minor upsets because they don't know what to say. In those cases they come up with advice-style comments, which fall into three major categories:
1)
"This too shall pass". Stressing the temporary nature of the calamity. Useless, makes you feel bad about feeling bad, based on a wrong philosphy about life which assumes that results are more important than experiences.
2) "Your base salary makes your bonus look huge!" Highlighting the obscure upside of a sucky thing. Also useless, mostly untrue, dismissive.
3) "You think that's bad..." One-upping you in the crappy event. Rarely instructional, forces you to be even more negative about your own situation so you can regain the attention, devolves into a hit parade of the oppressed.
To help your friends and acquaintaces express solidarity with you during semi-troubling times, we bring you this line of Smallmark Cards. These cards will let you know that it's ok for you to think that your life stinks. They will also, where appropriate, blame someone else for your problems.
Ex: turned down for a mortgage (a haiku)
The suited banker
Guffawed at your credit score.
Zoloft on his desk.
Other greeting card topics
-Bad haircut
-Seasonal Affect Disorder
-Got a parasite drinking water in a foreign country
-Wallet stolen
-Dumped by someone you don't really like but it still hurts your ego.
-Boss with soul of whoopee cushion
I would go on but I'm getting myself worked up here.