Sometimes we say things without thinking about them simply because they've been said several times before. Luckily, once in a while, we realize that just because a phrase is used commonly doesn't mean it's true. Here are some examples:
> What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Counter explanation from Modern Family's Manny:
Thanks, Manny! Sorry, Kelly Clarkson. I like that song, but it isn't true most of the time.
> The road to hell is paved with good intentions...
...making it just like the road to heaven, yes?
> Your day will go the way the corners of your mouth turn
Ideally, yes, but we don't live in Utopian conditions. Wait, scratch that. I just realized that this also implies that if, say, you're crying, your day will continue to be crappy. That's mean.
It's much more likely that your day will depend on whether or not you had coffee in the morning.
For example, you can't not be happy (or happier, if you started off sad) on a regular day when you have this:
I've been seeing many similar pictures lately. Dying to get hold of one of these!
> If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be.
Reality check: nothing is really yours. Nothing at all. Think about that.
> Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Rebuttal:
And a great fruit salad at that. Case closed.
> He who laughs last laughs longest
Or maybe it seems that way because he started after everyone else. Literally taken, it's logical enough, but the implied meaning seems off. He who laughs last probably just takes longer to understand the joke. This is one of those sayings that ought to be taken at face value. And speaking of face value...
> Beauty is skin deep.
I could say a lot about this, but Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake say it best:
Seriously, this will never stop being relevant. It's something we ought to think about every day.
> A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.
It should, but I doubt it would. When I was little, mom sometimes spruced up leftover rice with vegetables and things, and a "risotto" or a "kedgeree" definitely tasted a lot better than, say, "leftovers" or even "fried rice".
So maybe a rose by any other name would be just as sweet-smelling. But would it actually smell just as sweet? Probably not.
> Roses are red, violets are blue, etc.
Who made up this silly rhyme? And more importantly, why is it popular across so many generations? Besides, aren't violets called violets because they're violet? Blue-ish, maybe, but not blue.
It should, but I doubt it would. When I was little, mom sometimes spruced up leftover rice with vegetables and things, and a "risotto" or a "kedgeree" definitely tasted a lot better than, say, "leftovers" or even "fried rice".
So maybe a rose by any other name would be just as sweet-smelling. But would it actually smell just as sweet? Probably not.
> Roses are red, violets are blue, etc.
Who made up this silly rhyme? And more importantly, why is it popular across so many generations? Besides, aren't violets called violets because they're violet? Blue-ish, maybe, but not blue.
Hope I've covered all the rose colours.
This is fun. I'm already getting carried away thinking of more stupid sayings I can point out flaws in. Going to dissect a few more very soon.