Clichés are great. When you have nothing intelligent, original or insightful to say, you can always resort to some tired old line that gets more use than a strip club ATM machine.
I know a few people who are guaranteed to respond in cliché-speak, regardless of the question or occasion. They’re all pleasant enough people. But when speaking with them, within ten seconds, I usually find my mind wandering off to thoughts of chocolate or beer or leprechauns:
ME: “Hey, John, I heard you’re about to close a big deal!”
RESPONSE: “All in a day’s work. Just gotta dot the I’s and cross the t’s.”
ME: “Um. Ok. So where’s your girlfriend? I hear she’s out of town?”
RESPONSE: “Ahhh… Women, can’t live with ‘em, can’t kill ‘em. Don’t wanna rub where there’s already a rash.What can you do? Life is life. But while the cat’s away the mouse will play.”
ME: “Uhh, right. Still planning to get married?”
RESPONSE: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free!?…”
Now, I realize this is a normal exchange between most guys. Clichés do have their place. There are times when you don’t really feel like going beyond the small talk. But unless you’re a professional athlete (“They had our back against the walls, but we gave it 110% and took it one game at a time…”), if you want to be taken seriously, I implore you to choose your words more carefully.
Other than telling the world, “I have nothing interesting or original to say, so I’ll say something trite instead,” the bigger problem with clichés is that the more we hear and repeat them, the more power they gain – and the more believable they become. We’ve heard them as far back as we can remember. And since our parents and teachers drilled them into our skulls, they must be true – right?
So I’ve got a bone to pick with the metaphorically-challenged. It’s not just that cliché overuse reveals a conspicuous lack of depth and makes the user sound like such a big dope. I’m troubled by the fact that these sayings make their way into the public consciousness. People now believe and repeat these things over and over without ever really thinking about them. And believing without thinking has been known to lead to trouble. Whether it’s a cliche, old adage or aphorism (“Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see.” – Mark Twain), unquestioning belief in conventional wisdom can be dangerous to your health, wealth and well-being.
The biggest offenders are often the ones we hear and repeated the most often. For example, those in the know will tell you, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know that matters.” I hear people bitching all the time about things like, “The promotion went to someone else who plays poker with the boss,” or, “The contract was awarded to the guy whose brother-in-law’s neighbor painted the VP’s house.”
But in actuality, what you know does matter. And who you know? Well, yes, that matters a whole bunch indeed. But whether you have a job, a career or a business, it’s what you know about selling what you know that matters most. What good is all that education if you can’t figure out how to get yourself into a position where you can do what you do best?
Let’s say you get your specialized degree. You learn a lot of useful information, you gain valuable experience. But what happens if you don’t know how to sell yourself to a company or organization where you can best be compensated and your talents properly utilized? You may end up in an unfulfilling job that pays less than someone with your abilities should be capable of earning.
Acquiring the right knowledge is important. Knowing well-connected, influential decision makers in your industry is important. But you also need to know how to sell yourself (or your products/services) to these people when you meet them. If necessary, acquire what you need to make things happen. If you need to get more knowledge, get it. If you need to know the right people to get ahead, then figure out a way to meet them.
Just don’t let an old cliche be a crutch or excuse that keeps you from doing what you want to do.
And remember not to count your eggs before they’re hatched, because it ain’t over until the fat lady sings…
