by Thomas M. Pender
“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.”
I came across this gem, attributed to British journalist Alex Hamilton in a 1978 radio broadcast, a few weeks ago. I’d read and/or heard it before, but this last time, it struck me just how silly the “adage” is.
Sure, the phrase sounds cute enough. It’s catchy, like Johnnie Cochran’s “If the gloves don’t fit, you must acquit,” but at least Cochran was making a point. In this case, however, to “stand for something” means to defend a principle. To “fall for anything” is to be overly gullible. These two concepts have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. A person who is easily swayed can still hold up a picket sign, and just because you never picket doesn’t mean you’re necessarily easily swayed.
Former New York Yankee catcher and manager Yogi Berra coined some nonsensical quotes – the most famous of which is probably “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over” – but he was being comical on purpose. Former President George W. Bush has delivered quite a few news conference foibles – one of my favorites being “Fool me once, shame on you . . . you can’t get fooled again” – but he was just being unintelligent. What bothers me is when folks say or write something that makes absolutely no sense, but those who hear or read it think it does.
Don’t be a blind lemming. Listen closer to what is being said. Think deeper about what is being written. Most importantly, as most responsible parents will teach their children, don’t repeat something unless you understand it!
No comments:
Post a Comment