A note about me: I do not think stress is a legitimate topic of conversation, in public anyway. No one ever wants to hear how stressed out anyone else is, because most of the time everyone is stressed out. Going on and on in detail about how stressed out I am isn't conversation. It'll never lead anywhere. No one is going to say, "Wow, Mindy, you really have it especially bad. I have heard some stories of stress, but this just takes the cake." This is entirely because my parents are immigrant professionals, and talking about one's stress level was just totally outlandish to them.
Mindy Kaling expresses her belief that discussing stress is generally unproductive and unappealing in social situations. She argues that most people share similar stress levels, making such conversations tedious and unlikely to lead to meaningful connections or solutions. Sharing personal experiences of stress rarely elicits sympathy or understanding from others, as they may not find her situation uniquely burdensome.
Kaling attributes her views on stress-related conversations to her upbringing, specifically her background as the child of immigrant professionals. In her family, openly discussing stress was not acceptable and was seen as an oddity, reinforcing her perspective that stress is not a worthy topic for public discourse.
