Do you always says always? And do you never say never? Everyone says those words. Or maybe it’s nobody? I can never remember. The point is that all these words are absolutes, and they rarely hold true.
As journalists, we try to avoid absolutes. Instead, we use words like frequently, often, mostly, sometimes, much, seemingly and, as noted at the end of my first paragraph, rarely.
Obi Wan Kenobi from “Star Wars” says only the Sith deal in absolutes, but the Out of the Fog website takes it a step further, stating that these absolutes are “Always and Never statements” and “are frequently used by people when they are arguing in order to emphasize or illustrate the merits of their position.”
The article more directly states that these words are “frequently used by individuals who suffer from personality disorders, because they fit neatly into the split, black and white world of their thinking. They are most often used in an accusatory, argumentative or self-pitying way.”
Whoa. And I thought they were simply used by people who wanted to be dramatic.
On a softer note, the website also says Always and Never statements “are usually exaggerations, which serve an illustrative purpose and are understood by both parties to be hyperbole and not literal.”
Meanwhile, the next time you want to use those words, remember this self-contradicting adage: “Always and Never statements are always false and never true.”
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707