Bad manners?

In these days of a down economy, it has become a faux pas to declare that your business is actually going strong. The problem with this is that sharing stories of despair has become the norm.

There are indeed, pockets of the northern Michigan business landscape showing strong signs of growth. Funny though, that these business owners speak in hushed tones. Perhaps, if they were more vocal in sharing the good news, others would feel a sense of hope and promise for the near future. Or is it simply bad manners to say "business is great"?

What do you think?