“Just business”
“Just following orders”
“It is what it is”
“What can you do?”
These all sound equivalent because they are. Their linguistic purpose represents a “thought terminating cliche”.
We say these things when we don’t want to spend any more time thinking about something, or don’t want to think about it at all. It can be laziness or outright avoidance, but it often leads people marginalized or persecuted. For this reason anytime I hear a phrase like this come out of my mouth I try to pause & consider if I’m about to hurt someone that I could easily avoid hurting.
Edit: thought terminating cliches in and of themselves are not a bad thing. They also keep us from getting stuck in paradox loops like a machine. Sometimes things you don’t have agency at all over are better just not to think about too hard to avoid bitterness. It’s important though that it doesn’t become a reflex and instead is utilized as a coping mechanism.
“Just business” “Just following orders” “It is what it is” “What can you do?”
These all sound equivalent because they are. Their linguistic purpose represents a “thought terminating cliche”.
We say these things when we don’t want to spend any more time thinking about something, or don’t want to think about it at all. It can be laziness or outright avoidance, but it often leads people marginalized or persecuted. For this reason anytime I hear a phrase like this come out of my mouth I try to pause & consider if I’m about to hurt someone that I could easily avoid hurting.
Edit: thought terminating cliches in and of themselves are not a bad thing. They also keep us from getting stuck in paradox loops like a machine. Sometimes things you don’t have agency at all over are better just not to think about too hard to avoid bitterness. It’s important though that it doesn’t become a reflex and instead is utilized as a coping mechanism.