One that comes to mind for me: “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is not always true. Maybe even only half the time! Are there any phrases you tend to hear and shake your head at?
“Well it can’t get any worse” And “Well, you gotta do something”
The first is almost always dead wrong. Trust me, you can make anything worse.
As for the second, it’s shockingly coming that in a given scenario, the best action is to not do anything different at all. It may seem like things are bad and something has to change, but changing your strategy at this point can still definitely make things worse. Sometimes inaction is the correct action.
some people I work with got to saying “1000%” when asked “would it be possible to…?”. As you gonna give them 10 of everything they ask for??
Person learns what exaggeration is, more at 11
I know you’re being sarcastic but you’re also wrong. They aren’t being sarcastic in this instance, They’re telling the clients “My answer is the biggest Yes imaginable”. They aren’t being rude to the clients face. maybe you’re thinking of “hyperbolic”?
I prefer using higher precision when responding like this. I will often say something like: “137.825%”. Mostly, I do this because it makes the other person feel awkward, and I do it because I constantly feel awkward, and so I just want other people to feel a tiny portion of what it’s like being me.
I’m sure I’ll get guff for this but, “common sense”. Throughout my youth, when people told me something was common sense, I usually thought they were wrong.
I hate the phrase in political contexts.
“We need common sense (insert) laws!”
In other words, you either agree with me or lack common sense.
I rip into people who say “common sense”. It’s often used by people who aren’t good communicators.
I’ve found I like interpretating phrase “common sense” akin to this scene, from blazing saddles.
Common sense is usually one of two things
One: your self preservation instincts
Two: ability to understand social clues and responding accordingly
The problem is that common sense isn’t all that common. In Denmark we say “healthy sense” instead.
life is beautiful.
no, it’s not. it’s an ugly, parasitic process that accelerates resource consumption merely for its own pointless existence. the heat death of the universe will come all that faster only because of the presence of life.
and, for sure, humankind is the pinnacle of this selfish and greedy outcome of biological evolution.
“Beauty” is a concept invented by the human brain, not some intrinsic truth. So the statement can be true, although it very often is not.
Life is beautiful. That it even managed to exist, let alone evolve is fascinating, wonderous, fantastical. That certain species mucked things up isn’t life’s fault.
Perhaps, but it seems life is but an insignificant speck of energy waste in the universe
And to what would not having life accomplish? What is the point of not having life? How is there beauty in the lack of life when only things that have life even have a concept of beauty? Your viewpoint requires you to believe in some type of inherent value that doesn’t exist.
How is there beauty in the lack of life
i never said that there’s beauty in the lack of life. i said that there’s no beauty in life.
these are two very different statements.
Beautiful.
That’s fair.
Life is not beatiful, but what we make of it can be
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
No. What doesn’t kill you creates trauma.
In the same vein (and at least as dangerous): “Pain is just weakness leaving the body.” No, you testosterone poisoned numb-nuts - it is your body’s way of telling you that something is not right. Stop and listen!
With the exception when someone starts out a new sport or even manual work, like yep you’re a bit achy now, good on you because that’s the feeling of laziness escaping!
Yep. Gotta know the difference between being a bit sore from growing strength vs pain of damaging your body.
What doesn’t kill you only postpones the inevitable.
And maybe a long term disability too.
Science has proven that what doesn’t kill you (like a virus) actually weakens you. But, conversely, you become more efficient at responding to that specific thing so it only appears like it made you stronger.
What doesn’t kill you evolves and tries again
Yeah what didn’t kill me gave me a chronic disease. I’m weak as hell compared to 3 years ago.
For me it turned me into a depressed person who no longer feels emotion the way I did before. I’m 99% numb. The other 1% is manic attacks.
Same. But in a way, it did kill me, so maybe that’s why I’m not getting stronger.
Shout out to my ex who started on #2 recently, as people keep telling me.
Maybe they got therapy and will be a better person this time. Maybe #2 will be the person they need. Whatever. Peace.✌🏽
I’m a fan of “what doesn’t kill you only serves to postpone the inevitable.” But maybe that’s a bit fatalistic.
We all die in the end.
I won’t judge. Life isn’t a picnic for most.
It’s not a picnic, and doesn’t have to be. Without the bad we wouldn’t always appreciate the good things in life. I’ve been fortunate, I’m living well these days, happily married, and haven’t suffered from depression in probably over a decade now (though anxiety is an ever present low buzz in the background. I’m used to it).
But that phrase is irksome. What doesn’t kill you doesn’t always make you stronger. Sometimes it fucks up your life. Sometimes it’s a roadblock, other times it’s life altering in unforeseen ways, and occasionally the consequences of what doesn’t kill is a tragic fate worse than death.
Tripping and falling might not kill me, might just lead to embarrassment. Or it could lead to CTE or irreversible brain damage from head trauma. Certainly not stronger for that sort of thing.
Don’t take life too seriously - you’ll never get out of it alive.
What doesn’t kill you gets exrea practice for next time.
Well, no, the trauma is the event itself. The reaction to it is post-traumatic stress. If that stress gets in the way of your day-to-day functioning, then it could be called PTSD (but there’s like pages and pages of diagnostic criteria too).
Always appreciate it when a pedant joins the conversation. Thank you.
“Trust me.”
Most of the time those two words can be correctly replaced with “I believe you to be an irrational eager to swallow any crap smeared on its filthy snout.”
(People who deserve your trust typically don’t evoke it.)
Oh this one gets me too… Why not tell me why to trust you? Then I can decide for myself if I should.
Because if you need reasons, then you don’t trust them. And they can take your refusal to do/believe what you’re told to do/believe as a personal attack, you know? It’s emotive manipulation.
Trust until proven untrustworthy is a weird mantra they expect you to live by.
So many people spend more time telling people to “just trust me” or “I’ll explain later” than they would if they just shared the information.
Not a fan of “it is what it is”. It’s called a thought-terminating cliche. It often means “I’m tired of talking about this, do it my way” when my boss says it.
Interesting. I use it to indicate I may not like a situation, but I have to play the have I was dealt to the best of my ability, and sometimes… Well to quote lyrics, “got to know when to hold cem, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”
“Agree to disagree” is even worse, especially since often the thing you’re arguing about is an empirical goddamn fact and they are not entitled to “disagree” about it! That’s not having a difference of opinion; that’s just fucking being wrong!
I’ve always liked it. I guess it depends who is saying it because when my old boss said it, it meant more like, “this is the situation we’re in, let’s not waste time arguing about why it is the situation and let’s just focus on dealing with it and going forward”
Yeah it can have wildly different meanings depending on the circumstances in which it’s said. It can be “well we can’t change it, may as well get on with life” all the way to “well this discussion is not gonna change anything, let’s get on with fixing it”. Very similar, but polar opposite sentiments.
You bring an interesting point! So there’s a Japanese phrase this reminds me of: Shouganai (しょうがない) which translates to “It can’t be helped”. For me, this hits differently than “It is what it is”. Perhaps it’s the context, as I know it’s said about natural disasters like tsunamis and therefore has a connotation of the “getting on with fixing it” like you said.
Those sentiments seem identical to me.
First one is saying there’s no point fixing anything, just get over it. Second one saying fixing it might suck, let’s fix it anyway.
Very, very different…
Oh? They both read to me as “We can’t change the past, only the future”.
Oedipus begs to differ.
I personally would only use the original phrase to imply what you’re saying. This is why context matters so much I think; some people just use it as a thought terminating cliche, I’m afraid.
On the rare occasions that I’ve dragged out “it is what it is”, I’ve really wanted to say something like neither of us can change it, and instead of working towards a solution, all you’ve done is COMPLAIN for the last hour. Now SHUT UP, accept the situation, and make yourself useful!
Sure, not everything needs to be picked apart in detail. But, I never use the phrase myself. As someone else ITT pointed out, context matters, too.
I tend to say things like, “we should fix it now, worry about blame later”. Or something along those lines.
I like it. It’s premise is accepting things beyond your control, allowing someone to stoically move forward rather than dwell in anxiety and disbelief.
,I feel like this one is context dependent. Sometimes it’s just acceptance of the situation.
“Wish it weren’t so hot outside, but this is Texas in August. It is what it is.”
Context definitely matters. Your example wouldn’t bother me.
Some people seem to think it’s a mic drop in other contexts.
I use it when people keep complaining about situations they cannot change. Yes, we fell in the hole, yes it hurt, please just let’s focus on how to get out.
“Ah fuck, this hole sucks! Who even dug that here!? My shoes are dirty, my pants are a mess!” …
“Well… It is what it is. Let’s get out.”
It’s what it’s
It’s good for when talking about things beyond your control. They way your boss is using it is bullshit. In that case, it is what he’s choosing to decide it is.
An entirely hollow statement, yet somehow ringing with apathy.
I use it for things that can be talked about for ages, but nothing can be changed about them. I don’t use it to terminate discussion, but more of a well understood quick hand for acceptance and sometimes resignation.
Well, it is what it is.
Damn. I was going to say that.
Ah well, es lo que es.Dos eck eeeees
The basic law of Cologne:
§1: Et es wie et es. („It is how it is.“) Look the facts in the eye, you can’t change them.
$2: Et kütt wie et kütt. („It’ll come as it comes.“) Accept the inevitable, you can’t change fate.
§3: Et hätt noch emmer joot jejange. („Everything turned out fine in the past.“) What turned out okay yesterday, will still work tomorrow. Situationally: We know it’s shit, but it’s the best we can do with what we have.
§4: Wat fott es, es fott. („What’s gone is gone.“) Don’t cling to the past.
§5: Et bliev nix wie et wor. („Nothing ever stays the same.“) Be open to new developments.
Ooo I get that one, but kinda the opposite way. I inform someone it has to be done this way, or to a certain standard, for it to be right. They don’t want to, so they respond with that nonsense.
Tautology is tautology, as I say.
The first rule of the tautology club…
I agree, when it’s used as a thought-terminating cliché. It’s also very applicable to impart acceptance of something that you can’t control.
I used it today to communicate my feelings on a topic I can’t control. Like, me venting isnt going to improve my or the questioners situation.
In principal I am against thought-termination. Sometimes, like a good dog, you gotta put a thought out of its misery
I use it more in acceptance, like if I’m late for work and I hit traffic. Short of driving up the shoulder like an asshole, I’m going to be late. So rather than be stressed for the rest of my commute, I just accept that I’ll be late. It is what it is.
It do be like that
Titties what titties. Why did I think this would be funny
“It’s all good”
Who you kidding, chief?
god loves you/god bless
“God loves you” is fine for me. they are usually simply wishing us happiness in their own way (sure it can be passive-aggressively throw to people they call “sinners” too).
What I really despise is “god has a plan” as words of comfort.
A plan for fucking what? Noahs ark V2? cleverly getting around the “promise not to flood the earth” clause by having greedy assholes pollute the earth in his stead ?
“Ah little 4 year old Andrew would fuck up my plans, better give him cancer… Hm, let’s hit Jane with a truck just incase”
I don’t appreciate that you somehow think a magic man in the sky planning something so cruel would be of any comfort to me.
What I really despise is “god has a plan” as words of comfort.
I got that one a lot after my son killed himself.
I’m sorry to hear about your son, and I apologise if my comment brought up some difficult memories.
For me, it was my best friends funeral and his family had an insufferablely god-fearing priest speaking for part of it who knew him from his childhood. He was telling stories were “he found God”, “god has now welcomed him” and “he now knows God’s love”. I don’t recall exactly what he said word for word, I just remember quietly seething throughout his whole speech and also afterwards my other best friends were venting that the whole thing was disrespectful to his memory.
My friend wasn’t religious in the slightest. it felt like a complete stranger trying to convince a room of grieving people comforting lies that he is “in a better place”, when it was clear he didn’t know him at all.
I apologise if my comment brought up some difficult memories.
You are fine, I have to terms with his suicide. I miss him greatly, but I understand why he did it. I think about him all the time. He was my first born, but now technically my youngest of 4. His baby brother is now about 18 months older than he was at his death.
How did you resist the urge to punch them?
I especially hate it here in the South, as it’s used as a sanctimonious “fuck you” while dishonestly claiming righteousness.
For example, the last time that was said to me was when some asshole crossed a double-yellow to pass me while I was doing 22 in a 25 mph school zone (which means he was doing at least 35 or 40). When I pulled up next to him at the red light and pointed that out, he bitched at me for taking the lane instead of riding in the bike lane (that didn’t exist! It was half a block of shoulder that ended!). He continued to argue that cyclists weren’t entitled to use the street, then as the light changed said “bless you” as if he fucking won and drove off.
It is the most condescending, assholish thing you can say to a person and it makes me want to punch you in your smarmy goddamn face every single time.
“God love you… no one else will”
I’m so sorry! He/She’s (never done that before)/(usually so much better behaved)!
Said by idiot dog owners who either let their dogs run off leash, or don’t pay enough attention when they are leashed, which then attack people or other dogs.
If you don’t have enough time or care to raise your dog properly such that it obeys basic commands and is familiarized with the world beyond your apartment/yard, you should be exercising far, faaar more caution and restraint.
Personally I don’t think such people should even be allowed to own dogs if they can’t train them properly.
So many people just take their dogs to a dog park and let em loose!
"Pull up by the bootstraps"aka bootstrapping was a phrase originally coined to mean something being literally impossible and is now used as a tool to shame the poor for not overcoming nearly impossible social barriers.
“That’s just how they are” is always used to excuse bullies for being bullies.
aka bootstrapping
“Bootstrapping” came after “pull up by the bootstraps”. The former does allude to the latter, but it isn’t the same phrase; it was used in computing to refer to the initial startup of a computer, where the computer has to start up enough of itself to load its own code into memory. That’s a difficult problem, but not an impractical one.
the original interpretation actually makes sense!
“Happy Friday!”
You can fuck right off with your happy Friday. Office people, sheesh.
Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays
No. No, man. Shit, no, man. I believe you’d get your ass kicked sayin’ something like that, man.
“Everything happens for a reason .”
No. Fuck no, and fuck you. I DARE you to say that to the faces of the endless innocent people—many of whom are CHILDREN—who have been murdered, tortured, abused, enslaved, raped, ect.
My preferred response to this is, “Entropy. The eventually and unstoppable heat death of the universe where none of this matters is the reason.”
I used to say this when I was a cringy 20-year-old, before I really saw and understood the world (and still believed in a god).
I hate how people use this but not the phrase itself.
Everything DOES happen for a reason. It’s literal, precise, and accurate. Reasons dont need to be mysterious, aloof, or unknowable. They often are because we choose to stop learning but everything does happen for a reason so start looking for better questions
The reasons just don’t necessarily come with any moral take away attached.
Children get bone cancer for purely physical reasons, yes, but there is no plan behind it, nothing that makes the situation better in any way and this is how the phrase is usually being used. It’s people saying: “Don’t be sad, something good will come of it.” to the faces of grieving parents or deathly ill people who have nothing to look forward to but pain.
Religious/spiritual proselytising has completely alienated the phrase from the methodological naturalism it could express.
Children get bone cancer for purely physical reasons, yes, but there is no plan behind it, nothing that makes the situation better in any way and this is how the phrase is usually being used
My exact point. Im glad you agree with me
I think I get the sentiment that you are angry at but there is nothing wrong with that statement. It just doesn’t mean “whelp, there must be some higher purpose those things are serving that we don’t see” and is more like “there are some awful people doing bad things” or “they just were living in a seismic area” or “they had some genes not compatible with their survival”… There are always reasons. Not satisfying or purpose fulfilling reasons, just reasons.
Key indicator of privilege right there.
Second time I’m bringing it up in this thread, but in response to exactly that kind of thinking is why I’ve adopted “the universe doesn’t care, so we have to” as a phrase I try to live by.
There are so many popular ways of thinking that absolve humans and humanity of various kinds of responsibility.
It’s not good.
All those innocent people being abused usually have a reason behind it too; it’s just that the reason is usually corporate greed and a lack of ethics in politics.
I mean, everything does happen for a reason. It’s just that most of the time, the reason is “because so-and-so is an asshole”. It makes it essentially a useless platitude, but not an untrue one. I definitely take issue with the implication of it, that there’s some supreme, all-knowing authority in the universe who has this complicated, labyrinthine plan for everyone that involves massive amounts of suffering. That whole “mysterious plan of God” thing is a way for Christians to take credit for all of the good stuff that happens, while downplaying all of the bad stuff that happens as just “part of God’s plan!” It’s insidious.
Unused ram is wasted ram. Pisses me off to no end. What I do with my ram is my concern, I don’t want you bloating up and using it.
That currently unused ram has use later on. I don’t use my second ram stick without booting up a game, doesn’t mean it’s a waste.
People also often confuse allocated RAM with used RAM.
RAM usually sits at 95% utilized anyway People who say this dont know the first thing about operatig systems. They cache files…
I mean it still technically is. Modern web browsers for example use as much memory as they can do for efficiency, but they will free up memory (to certain point) if other applications need it.
I assumed this was about sheep at first and was very confused.
I don’t want people telling me how to raise my other animals either.
Nah. It’s about siege tools.
Depends on the context, I suppose. I always say to get twice the RAM than you think you need when building/buying a system. Like storage space, the ideal memory usage is 50 percent with the biggest memory eaters you have running. Enough to run everything you have and room to grow for the future.
Or as I prefer to say, no such thing as too much RAM (assuming your system supports it)
“… tells you everything you need to know” if you have all of my same prejudices.
