Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

"That's life" as a justification

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • "That's life" as a justification

    You know, I really hate sayings like this period, but when it's used as an excuse or justification for why something completely sucky or unfair would happen, it's complete bullshit.

    For example, there are some people I know that when ever I talk about something with them, they will always say "that's part of life" or "that's the way it works". If I talk about not being able to get a job and how much BS applications are, they will tell me "Well that's just life". Duh! I know that's life, but it doesn't mean I have to like or in some cases, accept it. This is expecially true with things that are not beyond peoples control, like certain unfairness. They can be changed, a lot of the times without much effort, but nooooo. We shouldn't even try to be fair because "Life isn't fair".

    The worst though, is when people make it a self fullfilling prophecy. On the internet, there are people who do nothing but make fun of people they consider "losers". These are usually people who are "easy targets" who would be badly effected by internet bullying. When ever the "loser" tries to stick up for himself, the bullies will say "HAHAHA, you can't handle the internet!", like it's this big bad place where people can never be free from bullies and flamers. Okay, that may be true, but it does nothing to justifify why those particular bullies (or any bullies for that matter) have the right to be assholes. Instead of saying "look, we don't need to bully and harass n00bs", they are basically saying "well other people flame, so that means I can!". That's the equivilent of "well everyone else is doing it!".

    I can understand this mindset when it comes to accepting certain things, even those that aren't completely beyond your control. For instance, I accept that there are a lot of things that I am not good at, and never will be. That makes me less harder on myself and more able to enjoy things without fretting. I can respect people who are accepting of things. What I cannot respect is people using "that's the way it is" as a justification for something, especially their own behavior. You may be willing to accept something the way it is, but that doesn't mean everyone else will.

  • #2
    Could you elaborate one "certain unfairness." What instances of unfairness would you like changed?

    Comment


    • #3
      "That's life" is generally said when somebody goes on about something too long or want an alternative that doesn't exist. If you say "I'm never filling out another job application again because they suck" and are serious then you need to be told that job applications are a part of life.

      As for internet bullies, the thing about them is they can only bother you if you let them. Many forums even have an ignore button. If you constantly get harrassed but don't leave a forum, or even just change your screename then you need to just deal with it. The internet is serious business after all.

      Comment


      • #4
        I wish it was different myself.

        Life sucks. That's all there is too it. No matter what you do, no matter what you are, there will be people that hate it period. You could give the shirt off your back to a person, and there will be people that bitch you didn't give your pants too.


        I've been told that alot, even to the point I even say it myself regretfully. Me being beaten, oh that's life get use to it. Oh, someone who made the manager very horny got a big raise? that' life, she's hot and your not and a male.

        It's bad enough I have so little to offer to people, that peoople with genetic, brains, or really everything better at everything then me, that I have to fight to get a little respect.


        I at least have some people here that like me. Some. Not all would approve of me having children sadily, but there are some that respect me.
        Toilet Paper has been "bath tissue" for the longest time, and it really chaps my ass - Blas
        I AM THE MAN of the house! I wear the pants!!! But uh...my wife buys the pants so....yeah.

        Comment


        • #5
          I can understand saying it to someone who is going on and on (even though I still hate it).

          As for the internet, there are sometimes ways around the ignore button. On youtube for instance, I've seen channels devoted to making fun of others. As a result, the newbies get 100 hateful comments telling them to stop making videos, insulting them in every way possible. NO ONE should have to deal with that, ever. The blame should be put on the bullies, not the ones who are being harassed by the bullies. Criticism is one thing, but bullying and flaming is another.

          Comment


          • #6
            I've started to play WoW, and I'm shocked, stunned, and saddened at the bullying and general childishness I see on there. One guy asked a question about a quest, and got about a dozen responses saying, "Shut up, NooB!!!!!" Seriously? Who gets off on bullying people via the internet? Grow the hell up.

            Comment


            • #7
              The kind of people who get off on bullying on the internet are the kind of people who get bullied in real life. They're so used to feeling like powerless losers that they can't wait to turn the tables on someone.

              Your typical WoW player is not going to be the most socially well-adjusted person in the world. They're probably going to have some difficulties showing maturity and empathy in their interactions with others.

              That's not everyone who plays WoW, of course. But the stereotype exists because there's more than a few who fit the type.

              Comment


              • #8
                I don't bully people online Boozy.

                There are people that I should, but I don't.
                Toilet Paper has been "bath tissue" for the longest time, and it really chaps my ass - Blas
                I AM THE MAN of the house! I wear the pants!!! But uh...my wife buys the pants so....yeah.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Not everyone who's been bullied is going to turn it around on others. But -- I have rarely met a bully that wasn't at one time bullied themselves.

                  It's not an excuse, it's just how things seem to go.

                  Back on topic, I use the "That's life" line when I think that someone's making a mountain out of a molehill. There's so much about life that's unfair that my heart and mind has to perform triage. I can't care about every injustice.

                  If I've just watched an hour of news about the nastiness of the BP oil spill, I'm not going to be receptive to my friend's bitching about not getting her 50 cents an hour raise. It probably isn't fair that she didn't get it, but let's get some perspective here.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Hobbs View Post
                    Could you elaborate one "certain unfairness." What instances of unfairness would you like changed?
                    Typically, stupid rules and policies put in place. For example, being put in detention for being even a second late (a discussion I had with a releative who used "that's part of life" to defend it). It may not be unfair, but it's pretty stupid.

                    But a bigger issue I have is the economic situation. It should not be this hard to get hired, but some people (including myself) have to really struggle. "Life isn't fair" doesn't justify those struggles, or even explain them.

                    Originally posted by AdminAssistant View Post
                    I've started to play WoW, and I'm shocked, stunned, and saddened at the bullying and general childishness I see on there. One guy asked a question about a quest, and got about a dozen responses saying, "Shut up, NooB!!!!!" Seriously? Who gets off on bullying people via the internet? Grow the hell up.
                    Sounds like my experience when I used to play starcraft years ago. People take those games way too seriously and forget to have fun.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Rageaholic View Post
                      Typically, stupid rules and policies put in place. For example, being put in detention for being even a second late (a discussion I had with a releative who used "that's part of life" to defend it). It may not be unfair, but it's pretty stupid.
                      As a paraphrase of the "that's life" argument...those are the rules. If you're late, you get detention. Don't like it? Good, you're not supposed to like it. Get up earlier, walk faster...but get there on time.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Hobbs View Post
                        As a paraphrase of the "that's life" argument...those are the rules. If you're late, you get detention. Don't like it? Good, you're not supposed to like it. Get up earlier, walk faster...but get there on time.
                        Thanks for reminding me of another justification I hate.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Rageaholic View Post
                          Thanks for reminding me of another justification I hate.
                          You're welcome.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Hobbs View Post
                            Could you elaborate one "certain unfairness." What instances of unfairness would you like changed?
                            Good example of life being unfair: As I was driving to the company meeting in which Mr. Beezly was secretly waiting to promote me to vice president, my car got struck by lightning, which screwed up my electrical system and caused me to momentarily lose control of the vehicle, which in turn sent me off the road into a utility pole. The utility pole fell over, touched another pole, and created a massive power surge which resulted in the electrocution and ultimate death of Mr. Beezly, and destroyed any chance of promotion I had.

                            Bad Example: ....promote me to vice president, I ran over a cleverly disguised spike strip in the road which had been set up by my rival, Mr. Douchebag, because he wanted the job for himself. Fortunately, there was a nearby ATM which caught Mr. Douchebag planting the spike strip, and his fingerprints were found all over it. But I was still fired for being late, and Mr. Beezly said "Well life isn't fair!"

                            LIFE isn't fair. People get cancer, they don't win the lottery, hurricanes come and fuck up their homes. When it's a personal choice that someone makes, it's just assholery.

                            Quote:
                            Originally Posted by Rageaholic View Post
                            Typically, stupid rules and policies put in place. For example, being put in detention for being even a second late (a discussion I had with a releative who used "that's part of life" to defend it). It may not be unfair, but it's pretty stupid.

                            As a paraphrase of the "that's life" argument...those are the rules. If you're late, you get detention. Don't like it? Good, you're not supposed to like it. Get up earlier, walk faster...but get there on time.
                            And this is fine, provided that EVERYONE who is one second late gets the same treatment, including even the people in authority who make the rules in the first place. I don't care if you're a freshman on day one, or you're the principal - everyone has to follow the same rules. Be on time, don't do drugs on school property, etc... Of course there is room for exceptions, for instance "Well Clyde was late, but this was his first time being late, so we're going to let him go with a warning." That's fine, but that also means that EVERYONE who was one second late for the first time today also needs to get off with a warning. Just because life ISN'T fair doesn't mean it shouldn't be.
                            Last edited by DrFaroohk; 06-12-2010, 12:42 PM.

                            Comment

                            Working...
                            X