Acting Cliché Isn't Cliché - But It Should Be

The definition of a cliché is: "a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought". The key word being "betrays".

Common clichés like 'All you can do is your best', 'Don't listen to what other people think', 'Be yourself', 'It's the taking part that counts' (the list is endless) are disregarded as soon as anyone says them. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks 'ah not again' when I hear one said to me. They're said so often it's almost annoying.

But why is this the immediate reaction? Their repetition has diluted and even "betrayed" the original message. A message that we overlook when we jump immediately to disregarding them as 'just another cliché'.

It's almost like you can generalise a cliché to anyone and apply it to no one.

I would posit that we ignore clichés because we dilute them down as reserved for Instagram quotes or adages you say to someone only in one particular situation, like your crying 5 year old who came second in sports day...because it's the taking part that counts. But it really is.

The reason a phrase becomes cliché in the first place is that it is used SO OFTEN that it betrays it's original meaning. It holds value. I would argue that actually a lot of clichés...are some of the best advice you can give or take in life.

Do your best, kids.