AIBU to wish a friend would shut up about how perfect her life is?

[totallyawesome]

it's getting on my wick!

She has, on the face of it, a perfect life. She is smugly happily married, they have no money worries, she is smugly entirely happy in her job, they have enough money to spend on a new car, are talking about buying a bigger house, she can go on business trips with work (and therefore maintain her career) because hubby will take care of the kids.

In contrast, I am on my own, smugly happily divorced, have much less disposable income, am just about content in my job (but am thoroughly sick of having to work with her), have no chance of trips with work because I can't get childcare and my career is suffering in comparison.

One of the few things that's keeping me sane is knowing that her life is only perfect with the aid of Prozac. And that her hubby is not entirely satisfied with their sex life because he has tried it on with me!

is it ok to be hacked off? or have I turned into a Grumpy Old Woman?

Your friend probably needs someone kind that she can be open with about the problems in her life. She must feel that she can't be open with you, and her instincts are right I think.

If the women is bleating on about how perfect her lfe is, which OP seems to suggest, then a few private uncharitable thoughts about 'I know it's not half as blinking good as you're making out' are quite human imo.

Yes, Baroness, perhaps the thoughts are human to a degree. However, don't you think these thoughts are a little nasty and would be best kept at the back of the OP's mind rather than in print on mumsnet?

Heck, Mn is litered with peoples dark thougts they don't express in real life.

and anyway, if friend is constantly gloating, then to think 'hah, I know differnet' is not that bad really. quite normal reaction.

YABU. I like being around people who are enthusiastic about their lives. Much better than people moaning about how everything is wrong but not doing anything to improve the situation.

Don't forget OP, while you might think her life is perfect, she probably doesn't (and definitely doesn't if she's on prozac)

Some of us are like swans - everything looks wonderful and serene on the outside but you're peddling like mad underneath to keep up the illusion. Looking in on someone's life is a very different perspective than being inside it.

im with barbara ( i think)
sheesh you lot never ever go grr to ANYONE?

mmj
bonjour

Glad you are not a 'friend' of mine

you lot are SO mimsy!!

you sound very unreasonable and unkind
does your friend actually gloat about it to you or do you just feel resentful that she has things that you would like in your life?
Not nice at all to say
"One of the few things that's keeping me sane is knowing that her life is only perfect with the aid of Prozac. And that her hubby is not entirely satisfied with their sex life because he has tried it on with me!"

if you really are serious in your op then maybe you should change your name as it doesn't seem very fitting

friend is going on about how perfect her life is- Op is not just a jealous observer-anyone crowing on and on about how great their life is is extrenely irratating, especially if you know it's a bit of sham, but can't say that, and they go on and on....

YABU. It's not a very attractive trait to resent other peoples good fortune. It's a downright vile trait to be delighted in their misery.

You are worse than a grumpy old woman. you are just plain mean, spiteful and through and through nasty IMO.

No-ones life is perfect. Life is cyclical - everyone has highs, everyone has lows. But jeez - concentrate on your own life and get over it already!

Totally and utterly YABU (if you hadn't figured that out from the rest of my post)

The OP could be describing an ex friend of mine. When my life wasn't going quite so well a couple of years ago I would have expected someone I considered a good friend to listen to my problems, to sympathise and to offer help. What I got was smug bragging about how fantastic her life, marriage, job, kids were. Despite the fact that she had just had an affair, was on ad's, and her life clearly wasn't the bowl of cherries she made it out to be. I spent a year supporting this friend through all this and when it was my turn for help she seemed to take great pleasure in dismissing my problems as being unworthy. Hence her now being an EX friend!

Jeez....I feel bad for the OP. Clearly the OP is struggling somewhat and it can be grating when someone else has an apparently perfect life.

And, whilst it's not great to be happy that the seemingly perfect person has problems, it's fairly normal that sometimes people take comfort where the 'perfect' person actually has problems. No, it's not sympathetic or kind, but the OP can't help feeling as she does, especially if the 'friend' does in fact rave about her amazing life.

I guess you need to learn to let go of worrying about comparing yourself to her and try and be content with what you have. A friend of mine told me to make a daily list of things that you're grateful for (between five and ten things), even if they're really mundane (such as - 'ate a nice chocolate brownie'/'have a roof over my head').

YABU, jealousy is not a pretty think, however you try to jazz it up.

If your life sucks do something about it, better yourself, don't be spiteful to people who are doing a good job of their marriage, family, career.

I think your friend deserves nicer friends then you.

christiana I love that song, and also

desiderata

YABU

Unless she actually tells you her life is better than yours perfect.

Though you are still BU for actually being happy she is on prozac!

on kindness

please take a moment to read this OP (and anyone obviously anyone else....) heres a bit of the last paragraph..

...to try to speak only kindly of those we know because it is preferable to do so; to enjoy the successes of others because living thus is more enjoyable than the stress of living resentfully: such kind things make us better, lovelier people. - Derren Brown

Jesus don't you think you should tell her her DH tried it on? I'd die if I thought that had happened and noone had told me!