Language — a dying art?

Have you ever given 110 percent effort on something? You know in a sporting event or in some project at work?

I’m willing to bet that you haven’t. Nobody has. It is impossible to give more than 100 percent, but for some reason people believe it gives their statement more emphasis to say they cranked it up the additional 10 percent. I mean, how do you give more than every essence of every fiber in your being? Because that is what giving 100 percent is. If you really need to express your efforts in a given situation as a percentage, then just say “100 percent.” Other more realistic and accurate options could be: “I’m totally committed” or, the more laid back approach of, “I’ll give it my best shot.”

It is completely understandable why people use this terminology, but really it isn’t accurate. It is just as inaccurate as someone saying that they control their own destiny.

Merriam-Webster defines destiny as a “predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency.”

So the very nature of something being predetermined means that you have no control over it no matter what you do. So your favorite sports team has zero control over whether or not they advance in the playoffs, no matter what they do, because it is “predetermined.” If you believe in predetermination, then you must also believe that you have no control over where you end up. So you might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.

Now we come to the word literally. The word “literally” has come to be used incorrectly lately because people have started using it to emphasize a point they’re making. For example, someone might say, “I was so sleepy I was literally in a different dimension.” I don’t think if a police officer stopped you for reckless driving you could use the excuse that your body was experiencing a quantum leap and you just that second returned to this dimension. So you weren’t literally in another dimension, you were just up too late the night before binging “X-Files” on Netflix.

So just remember, at the end of the day we all have to take the bull by the horns and avoid clichés like the plague. We all know it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to using our words because you can’t judge a book by its cover and you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Look, you can’t please everyone and we need to have a good vocabulary for our children because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Everyone is aware that actions speak louder than words, but there is no time like the present to implement good language skills. So do your best and even though ignorance is bliss, we still need to strive for greatness until the cows come home or the chickens come home to roost, whichever you prefer.

So watch your P’s and Q’s, and remember that you only get one shot at this life, so you better enjoy it. Live today like it is your last day on earth. Well, maybe you shouldn’t actually do that, because if it was my last day on earth, I wouldn’t be paying any bills and I would be eating every piece of pizza and cake I could get my hands on.

Maybe just go out and enjoy today like it is a precious gift that you won’t ever get again. Now that is literally true. You will never get another March 4, 2018. Go make a memory that will last a lifetime.