"It Is What It Is" – The Verbal Equivalent of Giving Up on Life
Introduction: The Most Useless Phrase in the English Language
Few phrases have done more to stall human progress than it is what it is.
This five-word abomination is the linguistic equivalent of a shrug. It’s the verbal equivalent of throwing your hands up in defeat and walking off the pitch before the game even starts. A conversational black hole, sucking up all potential for thought, action, or even a half-hearted attempt at problem-solving.
But what does it is what it is actually mean? Why do people keep saying it like it’s some profound nugget of wisdom? And, most importantly, how do we finally kill it off? Let’s get into it.
"It Is What It Is" Meaning – Spoiler: It Means Nothing
It is what it is meaning? It means fuck all. At its core, it's a passive admission that things are out of our control—that no effort, action, or even thought can change the situation at hand. It’s a defeatist mantra, a way of saying "well, nothing can be done, so why even try?"—except, more often than not, that’s just not true.
This phrase is essentially a linguistic placebo. It gives the illusion that something has been said when, in reality, the only thing that’s been accomplished is a waste of oxygen. When someone utters these cursed words, all they’re really doing is announcing to the world that they have officially checked out of the conversation.
Think about it: in what situation does this phrase actually add value? You’ve just been laid off from your job? It is what it is. Your partner leaves you for someone hotter and richer? It is what it is. Your house is on fire? Well, it is what it is.
See? No substance. No solutions. Just pure, unfiltered conversational laziness.
Why Do People Say "It Is What It Is"? Because They're Out of Ideas
At this point, you might be wondering, why do people say it is what it is in the first place? Is it some kind of deep, existential acceptance of the randomness of life? A profound insight into the nature of the universe?
No. It’s just people giving up.
Some try to pass it off as a philosophy. The it is what it is philosophy, they call it, as if muttering this empty phrase suddenly transforms them into the Dalai Lama. But let’s be real—what they’re actually doing is excusing their own failure and/or desire to think critically.
Philosophy is meant to challenge the mind, to force us to question reality, to seek out meaning. It is what it is does none of that. If anything, it’s the anti-philosophy—a giant middle finger to analysis, curiosity, and, well, effort. It’s a verbal sleeping pill, used by those who are too mentally exhausted (or just too lazy) to entertain the possibility of a better outcome.
When life hands you lemons, it is what it is is the equivalent of chucking them straight in the bin instead of making lemonade. No drive. No ambition. Just a dull acceptance of whatever the hell is happening, even if it’s completely within your power to change it.
People Who Say "It Is What It Is" – A Case Study in Avoiding Responsibility
Let’s get one thing straight: people who say it is what it is are the same people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.
These are the folks who’ll fuck up spectacularly and then, instead of apologising or making an effort to fix it, will just throw this phrase out there as if it absolves them of all blame.
Show up late to work every day? It is what it is.
Forget your friend’s birthday three years in a row? It is what it is.
Back your car into someone’s fence and drive off? It is what it is.
No. It fucking isn’t.
This phrase is the ultimate escape route for people who can’t handle accountability. It’s a way to pretend that life is just a series of predetermined events beyond their control, rather than a direct result of their own decisions and actions.
Worse still, it’s a phrase politicians, business executives, and every other brand of slippery weasel use when they don’t want to deal with the consequences of their bullshit.
The economy is tanking? Well, it is what it is.
Your data got hacked and sold to the dark web? It is what it is.
We promised you a refund six months ago? Sorry, mate, it is what it is.
Imagine if historical figures had this mindset:
Martin Luther King Jr.: Racial injustice? Well, it is what it is.
Nelson Mandela: Apartheid? It is what it is.
Suffragettes: No voting rights? Ah well, it is what it is.
You see how absurd this sounds? History was shaped by people who didn’t accept things as they were, but by those who had the nerve to say, No, fuck that. Let’s change it.
Stop Saying "It Is What It Is" – You’re Not Profound, Just Annoying
Enough is enough. If you’re one of those people who mindlessly regurgitates this phrase every time life gets mildly inconvenient, consider this your intervention:
Stop saying it is what it is.
It doesn’t make you sound deep. It makes you sound like you’ve given up. And worse, it makes you sound boring. Nobody wants to have a conversation with someone who throws out a verbal full stop every time a challenge arises.
Instead of this absolute waste of a sentence, try literally anything else:
Acknowledge reality: “Yeah, this situation is shit.”
Seek solutions: “What can I do to fix this?”
Express emotion: “This sucks, and I’m pissed off about it.”
Commit to action: “Alright, let’s figure this out.”
See? Just a tiny bit of effort, and suddenly you’re engaging in actual conversation instead of just lobbing the conversational equivalent of a deflated football into the mix.
Conclusion
Life is unpredictable. Shit happens. But just because something is the way it is now doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. And it sure as hell doesn’t mean you should switch off your brain and accept every misfortune as inevitable.
So the next time you feel the urge to say it is what it is, do us all a favour and don’t. Find an actual thought. Engage in an actual conversation. Take some fucking responsibility.
Or, you know, keep saying it. Just don’t be surprised when people stop taking you seriously. Idiot.
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