It is about almost the same when you describe someone been negative in englsih . It means a person ' s pessimistic attitude towards oneself, self-pity or self-blame sometimes . It is rather a formal written down expression in Chinese . Nice to use when you are writing for a paper, can be a bit of dramatic in verbal speaking. You can use the phrase on your friends or someone you personall know well, but could be impolite and even disrespectful to use in formal situations to describe people like your co-workers or your boss.

It means complaint and self-pity, usually not in a positive way. A rather pessimistic attitude towards challenges or difficulties. You can use this both in conversation or writing. Examples: 這個人很喜歡自怨自艾! 你不要再自怨自艾了! 遇到挫折時不應該自怨自艾，要努力找出解決方法才能成功。

自怨：自己怪自己 自艾：自己折磨自己 艾：一种医疗方法，可以治病，但很痛。 艾法：把艾草点燃，烧炙病人身体。 AI: wormwood lit and burned the body of the patient.