TIL about thought-terminating clichés

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought-terminating_clich…

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]

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It is what it is

Things always happen for a reason.

Jesus has a plan for you.

Isn’t that fecker dead?

☝️🤓 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!

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.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

They don't think it be like it is,

But it do.

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!

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

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.

I should have thought of that one, I know way more German than French.

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

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.

It do be like that

They don't think it be like it is, but it do

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

And the only solution is to starve children, what?

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.

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

Hundreds of years? No.

This shit started with the creation of the modern state of Israel. Prior to that, Jewsih people wereactually fleeing to ottoman empire territories because they were the only ones not running genocidal pogroms.

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.)

Anything's possible when you make shit up

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.

"Let people enjoy things." – purports that criticisms to consumable media are attempts to prevent consumers from enjoying said media.

I've usually seen it in response to a criticism of the people for enjoying the thing

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?"

Sure, but that's a red herring. The main thing is that people can use the phrase differently, to squash criticism.

"This fake AI video being consumed by male teens is giving the wrong message that women are objects!"

"Ugh. Can't you just let people enjoy things, man!!!"

They're a fantastic thing to be aware of.

Semantic stop-signs discussed on less wrong. Fun post if you can get past Yudkowsky's self-absorbed writing style.

Just saw one yesterday. Told a guy that's not how it works and he quoted something about, effectively, thinking outside the box.

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.

...And then it got worse.

(said in a thick Russian accent)

Enough of your facts and logic, just simplify complex issues to simple memes!

Come back again when you have less time.

The irony of it is that calling something a though-terminating cliche has itself become a thought-terminating cliche.

The cousin of thought terminating labels. Usually applied to other humans.

A current favorite here in the US: Make America Great Again.

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.)

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.

They don't think it be like it is, but it do.

Interesting, I just read about it from Talos 2.

Incel is also another TTC

I feel like there are some opposites to this, but a lot of them make people likely to get defensive XD