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Phrases You Avoid

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#1 ·
#2 ·
I _____ you.

I always find some objective statement that essentially means the same thing instead of taking the subjective, more personal route. For example, instead of saying "I want to hang out with you", I would say "we should hang out".

As usual, when I make statement up like that on the spot, I start searching the depths of my memories for cases that might contradict my theory and I am drawing blanks. (Ni + Ti, perhaps?)
 
#3 ·
"I know exactly how you feel"

"exactly"??

Ironic example from Friends:

MONICA: C'mon, you can't live off your parents your whole life.

RACHEL: I know that. That's why I was getting married.

PHOEBE: Give her a break, it's hard being on your own for the first time.

RACHEL: Thank you.

PHOEBE: You're welcome. I remember when I first came to this city. I was fourteen. My mom had just killed herself and my step-dad was back in prison, and I got here, and I didn't know anybody. And I ended up living with this albino guy who was, like, cleaning windows outside port authority, and then he killed himself, and then I found aromatherapy. So believe me, I know exactly how you feel.
 
#5 ·
I actually don't use people's names, as odd as that sounds.
Like, I don't say "hello, Tom!". I say "hey, Bro. How's it going?"
Saying the persons name just sounds so formal.
Not having to say their name, but have it understood that you're talking to them has a feel of familiarity.
Or am I just weird? 0_o
Don't answer that... Lol!
 
#7 ·
Don't worry, Pier 56, you're not weird and I know precisely what you mean..., Pier 56.

See how weird that is?

Anyway, I really dislike how saying goodbye becomes such a drawn out production sometimes, so I keep silent until I can butt in to say "okay, later [or whatever]."

Probably some more I'll think of later.
 
#12 ·
There's a phrase in Dutch: "Daar heb ik niks mee."

Gruesome thing. It means as much as "I don't care about that".

Total conversation killer and display of general lack of interest in what a person has to say.

And the other day, I told a friend about going to a Shakespeare play.. he had the audacity to say: "I'd never go to a Shakespeare play."

Well thanks for making me feel dumb. And secondly, Shakespeare didn't get all famous for about 400 years because he wrote silly and boring and stupid plays :frustrating:

I know I am being sensitive, but I just can't stand that sort of thing. If someone's excited about something, I won't go killing their excitement, unless it's about building an atomic bomb, or something like that. Where do people even get the idea to behave like that? Geez.
 
#14 ·
"between a rock and a hard place"

I hate this phrase though can't quite identify why. I do like "between the devil and the deep blue sea" which says more or less the same thing.
 
#15 ·
I don't really like to say to someone (unless I hated the person and intended to hurt back the person for the destruction that the person did),'' You're not connected to reality/ you don't live in the real world.'' Because for some reason, to me it rings as patronizing. And how would it exactly help the person? If my objective was to help, surely I'd be able to be more constructive and actually give feasible solutions? Besides that kind of phrase is like a judgment call as if I'm saying,'' my experiences are of higher level than yours, no matter how you feel''.
 
#16 ·
Yolo. I think that phrase is dumb. If you want to say 'You only live once', then just say it. And even that phrase I barely say.

I also don't say 'Swag'. That's stupid too.

I also don't like the words, 'Cuddle', 'Cuddling' or the sentence 'I just want someone to cuddle with.' That makes me very uncomfortable for some reason.
 
#19 ·
"For all intensive purposes." (um, you're wrong. that's not the phrase. it's a cliche anyway, the least you can do is get it right)

Ditto on YOLO, ugh...

"living life to the fullest." Ugh... the number one cliche of internet dating. I see it and want to scream. Wtf does it even mean?

I invented my own cliche, which I like better: "I'm going to live enormously." This, to me, at least conveys some sense of nobility of purpose and soul - not filling up my life with mundane activities and mundane people, and acquiring experiences like stuff, and stuff like experiences. Ok, enough. :)

Umm... someone called me out once because I say "That is awesome" a lot. Apparently that person did not think that was awesome. He was like, "you're a damn poet! Can't you come up with a better way to express your approval/enthusiasm?" Apparently not.
 
#20 ·
You will never hear the following phrases from me...

"Life is short" - I'm sorry but this is the single most depressing thing you can say to anyone. I fail to see how striking the fear of impending death into someone is supposed to encourage them to live.

"Put up or shut up" - This makes very little sense. It gives you a choice of putting up or shutting up...both options are the SAME thing. Whoever came up with that shit is an idiot.

"Thank God" - I don't actually believe in God, so it seems pretty stupid to reference it in conversation. I have no-one to thank for anything.

"That's just how it is" - This is the attitude that breeds stereotypes and shitty societal rules that have no basis in truth.

"I don't know" - I know all.

"What you see is what you get" - Well how boring.

"Cheer up" - It irritates me greatly when some asshole says this to me. I wouldn't dare tell someone to cheer up when they're feeling down. We are entitled to our own emotions. If anything the person should be comforted...not invalidated.
 
#22 ·
You will never hear the following phrases from me...

"Life is short" - I'm sorry but this is the single most depressing thing you can say to anyone. I fail to see how striking the fear of impending death into someone is supposed to encourage them to live.

Hm. I agree with you, but what you will hear from me is the much more depressing, "We're all going to die soon!" I bust it out when I feel like people are being immature, not being self-aware, not living consciously.

Like, people talking about their favorite tv shows, celebrities, etc... Interject me: "We're all going to die soon! You don't have time to watch television!"

God, I'm such a downer. :)
 
#21 ·
Hmmm... let's see here:

"I'd tap that." This seems a little bit too blunt for me to say or hear. Honestly, it's fantastic that you feel comfortable enough with me to talk about your desires, but trust me I don't want to hear about it.

Ditto on "Yolo". I like the connatation that carpe diem has a lot more but I try not to use either.

"god bless you". Sorry, guys. Apparently, this one is a social imperative but I don't say it ever. Who gives the authority to bless people anyway? Other languages seem to have a better way of saying "you've sneezed, I hope you feel better".

"Have your cake and eat it too". I understand the meaning of this one but it doesn't make any sense. The point of baking a cake is to eat it. This is a terrible way of saying, 'you can't have the best of both worlds'.
 
#35 ·
Ditto on "Yolo".
I seriously feel left out and old now that all these new abbreviations require constant googling. There's a few abbreviations I've googled at least a hundred times and still haven't learned to recognize or dared to use. I don't like carpe diem or you only live once either...it's like a way for people to avoid deeper inspection about something, or they lose interest in taking apart why something or someone is the way it is, so they put a big stamp on it saying "forfeited" by using a phrase they don't really mean. There's so much more going on that they choose not to see or question.
 
#23 ·
Some people would disagree about the whole point of baking a cake to eat it.

To be topical. one thing I semi-regret saying to someone because it wrenched my heart for a good time after was saying I thought they were on a self-destructive path.
 
#26 ·
I have trouble saying " I hate you " ....it seems no matter what was done...I can't bring myself to say that to anyone...I don't know if it's that I truely don't hate the person....or that I do and can't say it
...
and then.... v.v ....I can't say certain...um...certain........ sexual phrases without experiencing the highest level of embarrassment..

then...you know how some girls...who are friends will call each other rude things such as bitch hoe skank ect...but just for "fun" as a joke....my little sister does this... and that's fine....but for me It's something I'd never say/ do
 
#28 ·
Phrases I TRY to avoid:

"I'm sorry." Of course I say I'm sorry when I'm in the wrong for something, or when I'm expressing empathy for someone's situation. But I also say "I'm sorry" when things aren't my fault, aren't within my control, and when I've done things that aren't bothering others. I'm "sorry friendly" and that's a bit unhealthy and disempowering. So, I'm actively trying to avoid the excessive use of this phrase.

"That's retarded." For a while, I'm ashamed to admit that I was actually using this phrase to express my discontent with something that I found ridiculous. I know it's a pretty common one, but it's also a pretty offensive one, especially if you're around someone closely associated with an individual with cognitive deficits. The diagnosis for cognitive deficits in the DSM-IV actually is still Mental Retardation, so given that I'm going into the field of psychology, I obviously need to watch how I use the phrase. Therefore, I'm actively avoiding it.

Also, I actively avoid cliches. I try to create my own statements.
 
#33 ·
A useful phrase to avoid is "I hate you!" or "I am going to kill___", if you are angry express by telling the person "I am very angry with you, because of_____ so please just do not speak to me for the time being" because I believe hate is a really strong word, just like love is... and tactfulness is everything when you are trying to express an emotion.
 
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