Sulk successfully

We all sulk at some point or other. Often women are accused of sulkingm but the truth is that men sulk at least as much as we do, if not more. Sulking is a behavior that results from the exasperation of knowing that one cannot achieve much with anything else.

According to Webster's Dictionary, 'to sulk' is 'to be in a sullen mood and tend to shun others'. It goes on to define 'sullen' as 'showing ill-humour, as from dwelling upon a grievance'.

Reasons for Sulking

Far be it from anyone to list the infinite reasons one could have to sulk. However, there are some common denominators among all those themes:

Feeling put upon or oppressed
Feeling ignored
Feeling ashamed
Feeling embarrassed
Feeling in the way
In many of these cases the sulker sulks either to become more or less noticeable, depending on what they think the best solution may be to how they are feeling. With this in mind, we can see how best to go about sulking.

How to Sulk Successfully

Your sulk is therefore designed to make your feelings noticed, or to make yourself invisible, according to personal preference. Remember that the 'public sulk' is not the same as the 'complaint'. A sulk is an act of sullen behaviour and weighted silences, indicative of your tumultuous thought processes.

The private sulk should serve to make you as small a part of the world as possible, in order to have maximum effect. The golden rule is that the only thing noticeable about you should be your absence. Meanwhile, you are somewhere else nursing your pain.

Places for Sulking

When seeking a place to sulk, bear in mind what kind of sulk you are trying out.

The public sulk, should that be your cup of tea, should be a pointed silence. Make sure it is performed before the people who have caused you your pain, lest your sulking fall on unsympathetic ears, and these people feel that they are taking the brunt of something for which they are not responsible. If the people you are sulking at try to talk to you, give them as short an answer as possible, and return to your sulk.

The private sulk requires more thought about the location. Find a place where you feel no one will ever find you, or where you feel you can hold fort, in order to achieve a total sense of security.

The Silver Lining

When all is said and done, remember that the whole world isn't really such an inhospitable place. Sulking should be a temporary release for pent-up emotion, and if people around you are genuinely trying to help, let them succeed.