What are some of those traditional sayings that you think are bullshit?
I've had a few... Mostly, "Respect your Elders" - I was taught from a young age that if you want to have respect, you have to earn it. I think that respecting your elders is a bit unfair; just because someone is 80 doesn't mean they inherit the right to be respected. They deserve as much respect as the rest of the population, until proven differently.
30 year old Nazi, 80 year old Nazi. They do not have my respect. Doesn't matter how old they are.
'sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you'
I have heard this saying over a billion times in my youth. It's all lies. Words can hurt really bad, and leave scars that last a lot longer.
I agree with what Dazz said.
As for a different one, "there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers."
It's a great mindset to have when you're trying to pursue for more knowledge, but if you were to get literal with different situations, then yes, there are many stupid questions that can be asked.
"Damned if you do. Damned if you don't."
It describes a "lose, lose" situation, but it really makes no since. In most situations, it describes a two options "take the left door" or "take the right door." If take the left door is "Damned if you do," don't take so your not damned. If the right door is "Damned if you don't," take it so your not damned. At most, the situations are "Damned if you do. Slightly troubled if you don't."
I think the saying should be a movie thing. "If I press the button, My girlfriend will blow up. If I don't, I blow up." That sounds better than, "If I take my medicine, I'm going to feel down for an hour. If I don't, I'm going to get sick for a week." (sarcasm)Wow, I wonder which is worse?
(10-28-2013, 08:17 AM)MexicanAnime Wrote: [ -> ]I agree with what Dazz said.
As for a different one, "there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers."
It's a great mindset to have when you're trying to pursue for more knowledge, but if you were to get literal with different situations, then yes, there are many stupid questions that can be asked.
Do what I do when they say this to me. Look them straight in the face and ask, "Do unicorns breed with robots on the moon?" or something silly like that.
(10-28-2013, 06:52 AM)Dazz Wrote: [ -> ]What are some of those traditional sayings that you think are bullshit?
I've had a few... Mostly, "Respect your Elders" - I was taught from a young age that if you want to have respect, you have to earn it. I think that respecting your elders is a bit unfair; just because someone is 80 doesn't mean they inherit the right to be respected. They deserve as much respect as the rest of the population, until proven differently.
30 year old Nazi, 80 year old Nazi. They do not have my respect. Doesn't matter how old they are.
I would like to add (talking about a damning moment) "Honor thy mother and father." It's like George Carlin once said, "The truth is, obedience and respect should not be granted automatically. They should be earned. They should be based on the parents' performance. Some parents deserve respect. Most of them don't. Period." To me I think it's more "I burthed you, I should atlest get a thank you." instead of "I gave birth to you, now do everything I say."
"Quiet as a church mouse". Ever heard a quiet mouse? I haven't. They're some of the noisiest critters alive.
"Straight from the horse's mouth" Last I check, horses aren't magical beacons of truth.
(10-28-2013, 10:04 AM)CosmykTheDolfyn Wrote: [ -> ]"Quiet as a church mouse". Ever heard a quiet mouse? I haven't. They're some of the noisiest critters alive.
"Straight from the horse's mouth" Last I check, horses aren't magical beacons of truth.
Ever played "Quiet Mouse"? It's mostly to get kids to sit down and shut up. According to you, it should make the kids get up and scream.
I live in the country in a house infested with mice. They ARE NOT QUIET IN REAL LIFE, AT ALL!!! Their tiny little claws make blasted noise every step they take, they chew at the walls, never stop moving. Try scratching and chewing wood and see how much sound it makes. Get a bunch of mice together doing that. It's very noisy. The only reason they can live is they are so small and so good at hiding other critters can't get to them, even when everyone knows where they are...
"Good things come to those who wait,"
Bullshit. Good things come to those who hunt out the good, grasp it in their hands and claim it as their own. Waiting only leaves you on the sides while someone else grabs it, with you only grasping at their coat tails in hopes they drop something.
I really hate "You can't hate them, they're family!"
I'm sorry, but when that relative is the embodiment of everything I hate, it's borderline impossible to love them.
I think that so far, we've determined that the problem with common phrases is that they're a blanket saying that doesn't take into account individual cases. They should all come with a caveat.
- Respect your elders (unless they don't deserve it)
- Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me (unless they're sufficiently mean to emotionally scar me, scars that are far harder to display than scars that would result from sticks and stones, making it harder to prove)
- There are no stupid questions; only stupid answers (unless the question is so assinine that it doesn't deserve an answer)
- Quiet as a church mouse (you know... the really quiet one that never actually moves or makes a sound. Oh... it might be dead)
- Good things come to those who wait (unless they're on death row)
- You can't hate them, they're family (unless they're vile)
That last saying reminds me of another one - "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." I agree with it, because it actually turns out to be correct.
(10-28-2013, 06:52 AM)Dazz Wrote: [ -> ]What are some of those traditional sayings that you think are bullshit?
I've had a few... Mostly, "Respect your Elders" - I was taught from a young age that if you want to have respect, you have to earn it. I think that respecting your elders is a bit unfair; just because someone is 80 doesn't mean they inherit the right to be respected. They deserve as much respect as the rest of the population, until proven differently.
30 year old Nazi, 80 year old Nazi. They do not have my respect. Doesn't matter how old they are.
I work at a diner that mainly caters to old people, and this sentence made me yes so hard at my monitor, I'm still trying to pick teeth out of it.
"Treat People The Way You Want To Be Treated."
Great advice, but it's a little flawed. I treat you nicely, that means I want you to be nice to me. Your mean to me and want to punch me in the face, that must mean I have to be mean to you and punch you in the face.
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
No, my enemies are weird, fuck those guys.
Fapping makes hair grow on your hand.
A lot of proverbs that come from religion which are easy to counter.
Oh and YOLO.
(11-04-2013, 02:06 PM)BumblebeeCody Wrote: [ -> ]Fapping makes hair grow on your hand.
In France, it supposedly makes your hair fall out.
I'm also tabling "the customer is always right"
I think we can all agree this is complete crap (as proved by the
stop customering thread)