TIL about thought-terminating clichés
I never realized there was a term to describe the low-effort phrases that people often use to get other people to shut up.
A thought-terminating cliché (also known as a semantic stop-sign, a thought-stopper, bumper sticker logic, or cliché thinking) is a form of loaded language—often passing as folk wisdom—intended to end an argument and quell cognitive dissonance with a cliché rather than a point.[1][2] Some such clichés are not inherently terminating, and only becomes so when used to intentionally dismiss, dissent, or justify fallacies.[3]
The term was popularized by Robert Jay Lifton in his 1961 book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, who referred to the use of the cliché, along with "loading the language", as "the language of non-thought".[4]
It is what it is
It’s what it’s.
I hate you for putting this poison out into the land.
It's not what it isn't.
N'tn't w'tn't
T'aint what it t'aint
'Tis what 'tis.
'Tain't what 'tain't.
Ain't my taint.
Things always happen for a reason.
Jesus has a plan for you.
☝️🤓 no, He ascended into Heaven after resurrecting, so He didn't die.
Community note: this claim lacks empirical evidence 🤓
My source is the bible!
Note: I am explaining the lore, not sharing what I believe to be fact!
I'm always confused about that one. Isn't there a time limit on how long after dying you can cast resurrect? Also, did he cast it on himself? Is that even allowed? I'm not really an expert on D&D.
Community note: source is highly contested, rife with disagreement on interpretation, and generally agreed to be unfalsifiable
He wouldn't give you anything that you can't handle
Of all of them, I hate this one the most by far
.:|;:I use this one myself, but only as a statement of a fact that i cant change, not to just dismiss thing us dint want to deal with.
For example: a co-worker complaining about something going wrong on a project and at some point i have to say 'it is what it is' (or something of similar effect) and say that as much as that sucks, its out of our control and we need to deal with finding a solution because bitching aint gunna make the problem un-fuck itself.
it ain't what it should be
Ain't that the truth
I prefer the 2Pac variant, which I sing.
"That's just the waayy it iss"
2Pac variant? Put some respect on Bruce Hornsby's name!
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
They don't think it be like it is,
But it do.
😂
Way she goes.
That’s nice, honey
Ok boomer
So brave
That's what she said.
You'll change your mind you are older.
Been hearing that one for over 15 years and it hasn't gotten any less wrong.
The cliche probably seems pretty wrong now, but you'll change your mind when you're older
Used to get this all the time for over 10 years from a relative only 3 years older than me. We don't talk anymore.
Sadly this is coming from my grandmother whomst I live with. Luckily we have everything set up so that if we do get into a fight it just means I need to figure out what to get for dinner.
Yeah.
Closely related I feel is the notion that people grow more conservative as they get older. Also heard that one mostly from people barely older than me. While over the past decade I've noticed the opposite in myself.
It's a leftover from ye olden days when upward economic mobility was still a thing, and women and minorities still knew their place. Boomers gonna boomer
I had it told to me by a very conservative civics teacher. Lots and lots of garbage taught in that class.
You only get more conservative if you have a position of privilege to maintain. Was once quite commonly obtained with age.
That shit ain't happening any more
My parents.
I realize now, that if an adult non-ironically says this, then it's likely they are the ones that will never learn.
So it goes. C'est la Vie (Such is life).
没办法 (méi bànfǎ) - roughly translated means "Nothing can be done to change it".
Shouganai.
"It can't be helped".
Shoganai = しょうがない
Nothing can be done. Change it!
不得不这样。人口太多呀。 -_-
I liked to respond with examples of how British Government, amongst others, always use having too small a population as an excuse for the same things. Chuck in some examples of bigger or smaller countries having a crack to show it's just selfish government reguritation.
Kann man nix machen.
Just missing a “tja”.
Steckste nich din.
I should have thought of that one, I know way more German than French.
stecksde nich drin
Da machste nix.
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/so_it_has_come_to_this.png
It do be like that
They don't think it be like it is, but it do
Damn that's crazy
It is what it is
Has this one become rampant in the past few years? Everyone says it, I absolutely cannot stand this one for some reason
Trump said it about COVID deaths during an interview in April 2020.
I hate this one sooo much
Agree to disagree
Well there you have it.
"welp!"
What can you do.
And don't call me Shirley.
And my axe!
Calm down Gandalf!
Personal favorite: "Just shut up, man."
Proceed, Governor.
Here's an example: "Israel has a right to defend itself"
From hungry children.
and all the countries surrounding it that have been determined to destroy it for the past 70 years
Because they keep bombing and blockading hungry children.
People in those regions (modern Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Egypt etc) have been killing and persecuting jews for a lot longer.
What the IDF is doing now is horrible and they need to stop. Hamas also needs to accept a cease fire and the entire Arab Muslim world needs to chill out from their "kill the jews" attitude they've had for like.... hundreds of years
Dont both sides this, Hamas has been asking for a ceasefire for over a year, when Israel finally agreed, they immediately failed to hold up their side. Israel wants genocide, so they demand terms that would allow them to continue the genocide with impunity. Dont claim they hate Israel because of antisemitism instead of Israel's ongoing actions. Even Hamas's charter makes a distinction between Jewish people and Israelis.
Hamas just rejected the 45 day ceasefire this past April
They also rejected the disarmament proposal in April
There is one on the table now mediated by the US which involves 60 day ceasefire, 10 hostages released and increased aid. Israel ageeed, waiting on Hamas now
The ceasefire Isreal "offered" were impossible because it would have meant the continued occupation and genocide. The one on the table now is being held up by Isreal not following through on pulling out of territory on schedule.
Not hundreds, mostly just since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War.
And some of Israel's neighbours were making moves, but the continued much disproportionate retribution of ethnic cleansing Israel has inflicted on the Palestinian people (and Beta Israelies) (and Hannibal Protocolling Israeli civilians on 8th October) is an atrocity that "a right to defend itself" does kit even begin to cover.
(Edit: Hamas does need to end its shit too, but the weaker side of a violent conflict can never afford to be the one to put down arms first.)
Hundreds of years? No.
This shit started with the creation of the modern state of Israel. Prior to that, Jewsih people werre actually fleeing to ottoman empire territories because they were the only ones not running genocidal pogroms.
And the only solution is to starve children, what?
Anything's possible when you make shit up
Haven't been trying very hard if their territory keeps growing after most of a century
1948 Firsr Arab Israeli war
1967 6 day war
1973 Yom Kippur War
And then tens of thousands of rockets fired into Israel
Oh and all the suicide bombings inside Israel
Afula bus bombing, Sbarro bombing, Passover massacre at Park Hotel, Hebrew University bombing, Ashdod Port, Mercaz massacre
They've been trying!
So if Israel supporters use the growth of Palestinian citizens as proof that no genocide is happening, does that mean that the growth of Israel's borders are proof that the country surrounding them haven't been trying to destroy Israel? Or does it work the other way around?
People use whatever bad faith arguments they want, it does not change facts.
Arab League countries have attack Israel many times with conventional war and covert terrorism. They also openly state they want Israel destroyed.
Israel has a massive military advantage over its surrounding neighbors. If Israel wanted the destruction of Jordan and Yemen, for example, just as much as Jordan and Yemen want the destruction of Israel... the IDF could wipe them out. But they don't.
That combined with the fact that tens of thousands of Arab Muslims live and work in Tela Viv while no Jew can openly live in Jordan or Yemen tells you which side is trying to wipe someone out.
Yes, IDF is going way too far in Gaza now and they need to back off.
But they are in a very difficult situation due to being surrounded by fanatical enemies.
Bless your heart.
Let's not forget the grand daddy of them all: The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Somewhat apropos I recommend watching Adam Curtis' take on what he calls Oh Dearism:
https://thoughtmaybe.com/oh-dearism/
It's God's fault unless the devil did it. Those idiots have an excuse for literally everything.
The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.
"Let people enjoy things." – purports that criticisms to consumable media are attempts to prevent consumers from enjoying said media.
Yes and no. For example I've seen this response to the argument "new music is bad". It's a valid response to "I think something is bad, why does anyone enjoy it?"
I've usually seen it in response to a criticism of the people for enjoying the thing
That's just, like, your opinion, man.
At the end of day ...
...it gets dark.
I was in Iceland in the summertime.
Can NOT confirm the dark part.
It's the best part of living where I am.
I'm not athlete but I enjoy going for a 10k run on the longest day - I'll see the last glimmer of evening light at 2am or so, and see the first rays of the sun and hour later or so. It's a wonderful feeling.
That's nice.
tl;dr
yup.
Not reading all that
Lmao ok boomer
"ok boomer" doesnt fit since it expresses that the boomer is so out of touch with current reality but so confident in their view that its pointless to try to explain something to them.
👍
Meh
In Russian there's a "Такие дела", which means something like "Things are like that"
We in Hungary might have taken "Ez ilyen" from you then. Means "this is how it is", used when pointing out an obvious issue to signal said issue is not going to be fixed any time soon as people have already gotten used to having to work around it.
America following in your footsteps I guess.
It is what it is.
"Ez ilyen" differs from "it is what it is" though. "Ez ilyen" does not convey a notion that the subject is bad but we let it be, it is more like saying that "I understand you might have expected something else, but this is what you're getting". "It is what it is" conveys some empathy. "Ez ilyen" conveys the opposite.
So, more "Suck it up, buttercup"?
Everywhere you go, there you are.
Explains the subsiveness of Russian culture
No it doesn't. Almost every culture has several similar idioms.
ha ha ikr
lol
Epstein didn't kill himself
Anyways.
I'd like a list of self-forgiving-for-being-a-piece-of-shit phrases. Example: "I just tell it like it is", "tough but fair", etc.
It is what it is.
I'm just keeping it real
"That's just human nature"
Just saw one yesterday. Told a guy that's not how it works and he quoted something about, effectively, thinking outside the box.
A current favorite here in the US: Make America Great Again.
can't terminate thought if you didn't have it
I've come across some scientific research that may give us some hope for them.
https://theconversation.com/organisms-without-brains-can-learn-too-so-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-thinking-creature-214275
"The brain is an evolutionary marvel. [...] But what of all the organisms that lack this precious organ?"
I don't understand what you mean, but it sounds like you hate 'merica!
like that smoked brisket tho
Their slogan should be:
No thought, just parrot what's taught.
There was some conservative thing, I don't remember who or what said it, but "even when I'm wrong, at least I'm right." (As in right wing in case it isn't clear.)
FAFO.
…win stupid prizes.
So say we all.
They're a fantastic thing to be aware of.
It is known
You know nothing [insert name here].
Jon Snow
You don't know that.
You don't know me
Everyones allowed to have some bad takes bro
It's cool to be wrong bro, people are wrong all the time and they're fine.
For real though?
fr fr
The irony of it is that calling something a though-terminating cliche has itself become a thought-terminating cliche.
Ain't no fixin stupid.
Come back again when you have less time.
They don't think it be like it is, but it do.
Semantic stop-signs discussed on less wrong. Fun post if you can get past Yudkowsky's self-absorbed writing style.
...And then it got worse.
(said in a thick Russian accent)
This is the way.
Incel is also another TTC
Enough of your facts and logic, just simplify complex issues to simple memes!
Interesting, I just read about it from Talos 2.
The cousin of thought terminating labels. Usually applied to other humans.
I feel like there are some opposites to this, but a lot of them make people likely to get defensive XD
Why do you support genocide?