Whats the differance between back biting and blowing off steam?

I would love to know what the difference is, because often times it feels like the same thing when friends chat with me as a "safe" ear.

How do I identify the circumstances where I need to just listen to a friend who comes to me to get things out and when I need to intervene on a friends bad habit?

back biters will want you take actions which reflect their hostile feelings

blowing off steam wont expect you to DO anything except listen

Back biting probably makes more sense if you swap the words around; 'biting back'. It's where you try to get revenge, which could be physical or just calling a name back. Either way it's more about 'getting back' at someone

Blowing off steam is having a rant. There's only so much you can take, even if you meditate like there's no tomorrow. You might rant to your friend about how much of a pain work is, or how you can't stand that guy by the water cooler, but you wouldn't then take revenge on water cooler man, you'd just get some weight off your chest.

Also: Trisskar I LOVE Qui Gon Jinn. I know he only appears a little in the franchise, but I'd put him as one of my favourite characters, if not my favourite. He's calm and level headed, and has some excellent quotes too! He's the character that really inspires me.

Death, yet the Force wrote: Also: Trisskar I LOVE Qui Gon Jinn. I know he only appears a little in the franchise, but I'd put him as one of my favourite characters, if not my favourite. He's calm and level headed, and has some excellent quotes too! He's the character that really inspires me.

Indeed He is a loved character. The quote in particular is what I wanted to express though....If you instincts and feelings tells you that you need to "Check" your friend ranting no matter the definition between back biting and blowing off steam....then do so. Kindly. Feel. Don't think. We can sit here all day trying to figure out the difference. In the end its situational and dependent on how you feel you yourself should behave in said scenario.

In a very generic sense I feel like you blow off steam about events and you back bite about people.

For example, blowing off steam would be me saying "Gah! Work is driving me crazy! If I have one more parent not even let their now college aged child talk when I ask them questions I'm gonna' hurl!"

Back biting would sound more like "[Person X] is super annoying and stupid!"

Often people say they are "blowing off steam" as an excuse to gossip or talk behind someone's back. They may be trying to gauge your level of agreement or trying to draw you into the drama.

I'll listen up to the point of someone making it personal. Then I'll check them on it.

rugadd wrote: Whats the differance between back biting and blowing off steam?

Being mean.