Almost three quarters of Australians bear a grudge towards a person or business a new study by online reviews platform Trustpilot has found, yet 61 percent believe it is possible to 'forgive and forget'.
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The research, which surveyed 2,000 Australians, found 72 per cent have a lingering resentment of some sort, such as a poor customer service experience, a negative relationship experience (being dumped or cheated on), and occasions such as missing out on a job.
On average, Australians harbour five grudges at any given time with the average duration being six years, while 17 percent admit to having maintained a grudge for 11 years or more.
Almost half (47 percent) admitted holding a grudge had made them less trusting of others, which could partly explain why more than a third of respondents regret holding a grudge.
The same number of respondents (33 percent) admitted their mental health had suffered because of ongoing feuds, and 68 percent agreed or strongly agreed that holding a grudge is bad for your health, particularly mental wellness, anxiety, and depressive issues.
This study comes as part of Trustpilot's new Helping Hands campaign, which aims to remind both consumers and businesses to pause, take a moment and have constructive and useful conversations, particularly online.