"Terrible Twos"

Just out of curiosity, why are the twos so "terrible"? I mean, I fully understand that having my son throwing himself on the floor and screaming for no apparent reason is rather frustrating, but I often see a similar attitude in people of all ages.

How often is it that if you go out somewhere to eat, you hear someone griping and complaining about someone or something? How often do people you know complain? There are those who seem to never fully exit the stage of "terrible two". Some people seem to find everything negative and are so often throwing vocal tantrums that it's just too much.

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with venting. And sometimes we all need to vent to release steam. Some more than others. The thing I'm talking about are people who need to gripe and complain about practically everything that doesn't go their way. They want certain things and do not get them. I remember someone who wanted a certain Wii game (he was in college) and his sister didn't quite have the money for it (she already had other gifts for him) and he whined about it because he really wanted that game (went on about it for a good five minutes). Here we have a twenty year old whining because his sister couldn't afford a Wii game?

I, too often, see vocal tantrums thrown about useless and pointless things. So, I think the only thing terrible about these "terrible twos" is the fact that we have no idea what is upsetting him. Since he is unable to talk, he shows his distain the only way he knows how. So, I don't really consider it all that terrible, just frustrating. I look forward to him talking and understanding more so that we can avoid all these tantrums and stop them when they start.