How often do we pay attention or think about what we or other people say? All too frequently we say or hear other people say phrases that have no real value or mean anything. There are countless examples but here are a few I hear most often and find entertaining.
I live each day as though it were the last. Technically each day is our last until we wake up the next morning. But setting that aside, what does someone really mean when they say this? If you truly knew today was your last day on Earth what would you do? Would you go to work, pay bills that were due, be less tactful and say what you really think when talking with others, or anything else you otherwise don’t do? Since we don’t, what’s the point in saying it in the first place? If the intent is to convey a sense of living an active life then why not say that from the start?
Carpe Diem. From the online Urban Dictionary website – “Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future. Commonly used to justify spontaneous behavior and to make the most out of today, because one doesn’t know if they’ll live to see tomorrow.” I see this a lot on social media as a tagline associated with someone’s profile. I view this in the same way as the above and the next one below. If a friend of yours walked into where you work and said, “I have an extra ticket to Europe, do you want to go?” But you have to leave right then and there… if you don’t go are you still “seizing the day?” It could be your last day….
I live life to the fullest. This one I find particularly entertaining… what exactly defines living life to the fullest? I know someone who will tell you one of the best vacations he has ever had was when he took two weeks off from work and read ten books. He didn’t go anywhere or do anything “adventurous”, he just read…. a lot. To others that might seem ridiculous and incredibly boring. I like to read but I don’t know I could take ten days off and do nothing but read… to each their own. When I think of this phrase and how I would “live” this phrase I envision being broke or in extreme debt because I would be constantly traveling every opportunity I had, exploring several hobby ideas I find interesting, or possibly pursuing any whim that comes to mind.
… to be honest… Whenever I hear someone say this it causes me to question if they aren’t being honest all the other times. If someone includes this as part of what they are saying do they actually mean they are being candid? If that is the intent of saying it then why not use “to be blunt”, “to be frank” or “let me tell it to you straight” instead? Something else to consider; does someone who frequently includes this in what they say tend to lie or stretch the truth?
As a society we’ve gotten lazy when it comes to the art of listening…. we hear people every day, but are we truly listening? This applies to all aspects of our lives… news outlets, politicians, religious figures, friends and family… and most importantly, our kids. Do we really “listen” to our kids?