Clichés Revisited

In an early weblog posting I confessed to being fascinated by the clichés we (some of us) use.  I argued for the serious contemplation of some of these homilies because I was, and still am, convinced that many contain truths that might well benefit us if we applied them.  I know, of course, that many clichés can be easily confounded or countered by other clichés, but the wholesale dismissal of common aphorisms, maxims, disparagingly called ‘old wives tales,’ or other supposedly trite sayings have  disadvantaged many people in the ‘common sense’ department or at least impoverished their general education.

 

I am not suggesting that one take a college course in clichés, but I am suggesting that much of our culture and a greater understanding of our ancestors’ or societal norms and values are embedded in some of these ‘old school’ sayings. 

A few of these clichés that have been validated by serious research are as follows:

·        Laughter is the best medicine.

     The healing powers of laughter have gained considerable credibility in scientific studies of healthy aging, lower stress levels, better sleep quality, and diabetic lower blood sugar levels.

  

·        The early bird catches the worm.

     ‘Morning people’ have consistently, as a rule, performed better academically (have higher g.p.a.’s and do better in advanced classes), have more success in life, and have better, less self-limiting or self-destructive personality traits.

·        Old habits die hard.

     “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle.  Obviously, never introduce to yourself something that you don’t want to have stay with you forever. The brain neuro-chemical dopamine is released and is a powerful reinforcer for habits—good and bad.

  

·        A picture is worth a thousand words

     Images are more easily remembered than words.  Researchers have found that about 65-70% of people are visual learners.  (Not me, however; I relate much better with rich language because I ponder the meaning and nuances that more exact language provides and suggests.  I always enjoy books more than the movies made of them.)

·        When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

     There is a power of psychological resilience.  Evidence shows that the more often people rise to challenges (and the sooner they pick themselves up after they fall) the tougher they become and more able to handle subsequent challenges.

   

·        A watched pot never boils.

    Well, of course it boils, and just as rapidly as an unwatched pot.  But the point is that time is psychologically perceived as slowing down.  So stay engaged with something more productive than just watching heating pots or waiting for the phone to ring and time seems to go much more quickly. (Whip out your pocket card of quotations, scriptures, formulas, etc. you want to memorize while standing in line or watching pots. I guess people now do this with their ubiquitous cell phones.)

 

Finally, I further confess that I occasionally pick up a dictionary or book of common quotations or clichés  just for the sheer pleasure of reading things that I wish I had learned earlier in my life.  It is an expansive (not expensive) habit that easily trumps the banal or unproductive habits that many fall into.