Australians often like to pretend we inherited the stiff upper lip when the Brits descended into a bunch of whinging poms. 

But then we also like to pretend we’re a bunch of athletic, outback crocodile hunters when, in fact, we are one of the fattest and most urbanised nations on earth. 

So go on, admit it. Turn on talk back radio. Read the comment section of any online media. Tune into the conversation happening right next to you next time you’re at the pub or the cafe. Stop and listen to yourself.

Face it, we love to whinge as much as the next nation. 

And yes, whinging can be grating. 

But it can also be important. 

When bullied kids make complaints against schoolyard bullies, some dismiss that as whingeing. 

When people are upset by the fact a sporting star tries to pick up a female journalist on air, some dismiss that as whingeing. 

When someone from a minority group objects to a term designed to denigrate them – like ‘faggot’ and ‘wog’ – they’re a whinger. 

When young people raise the prospect of never being able to afford their own home – bunch of whingers. 

When those living in poverty describe the conditions in which they live – whingers.  

But worse, not only do these people have that label attached to them, they often have the blame turned on them.

The bullied kid is only making things worse for himself by dobbing in the bullies.

That young person can’t afford a house because she wants the latest iPhone and isn’t willing to take on a loan and move to the outer suburbs.

That person is poor because they waste their money on booze, because they are a ‘bludger’.

And on and on it goes.

Such dismissals often don’t take into account big picture factors like, say, the astronomical rise in property prices, the impact of growing up in a broken home or a life-time of discrimination. 

So if those people are whingers, then I say whinging can be important. Yes, whinging can – by focusing on the problem and not the solution – be counter-productive. But it can also be the first step towards fixing a problem or righting a wrong. 

I’m travelling around central Victoria for the next few weeks as part of our ‘What Matters To You’ series and I’m happy to hear your whinge. – Joseph Hinchliffe