"It is what it is."
A phrase of uncertain origin, some say appearing as far back as 1949, is a well-known sports cliche, often used to describe unfavorable outcomes or circumstances in games or competitions. Coach John Fox of the Carolina Panthers, for example, frequently included it in his arsenal to describe his team's performance... sorry Panthers, better luck next season.
Regardless of its origin, it is a phrase that I have heard a lot lately...
... I just lost my job, but... it is what it is.
... My start-up company failed and we lost 11 million dollars in 11 months, but...
... I am really lonely and would love to be in a relationship, but...
... I have a lousy relationship with my family, but...
... I haven't slept in four days, I am completely overwhelmed, but...
... my elephant has a sinus infection, and is lame in three legs, but...
"It is what it is."
[note, all real examples except the last one]
What does that even mean?! It is what it is. It's like saying... "See that squirrel over there? That's a squirrel." True. Not helpful. See, the way that I see it, there are three possible things that we could be meaning when we utter this particular cliche:
1. Eh. I don't know what to say, so I'm going to fill air space by not really saying anything.
2. Eh. I don't want to engage with you with the fact that this is horrible, so I'm going to just pretend that I'm in control of the situation and okay with it all.
3. Eh. I am currently trying to persuade myself of an alternative reality and parallel universe theory isn't doing it for me, so instead, I'm just trying to pretend that this current situation isn't lame.
Really folks, we can do better than that.
It's a cliche phrase that attempts to fill a space that would have a far more profound impact if we just said, "it sucks" or were silent. It brushes off things that matter in a frivolous attempt to be cavalier and nonchalant.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of many cliche phrases. Just Manny being Manny. That's the way the cookie crumbles. She's moving slower than molasses in January. That's what she said. Bless her heart. Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. All's well that ends well. No problems with cliches. But "it is what it is" is a cliche that can go...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
"Nothing could ever be or should ever be other than the way it is" also known as "It is what it is"
Nothing could ever be - this means the future which we cannot predict
Nothing should ever be - this means the past and therefore may not apply to the present situation
other than the way it is - refers to the present and implies that it is perfect exactly the way it is.
Living in the past is living in regret - living in the future is living in anxiety and fear
True happiness is living in the moment.
My question to you is:
in the phrases "I just lost my job, but..." why did you use the word "but"? This implies something worse than it is...what if the sentence ended in "and" and proceeded to describe a life-changing transition?
Post a Comment