Corporate phrase: “Thought terminating cliché”

Explanation:

This post is mainly to just highlight this phrase. It’s apparently been around for ages (1956) and I’m just late to the game. Please go see the Wikipedia article,

“A thought-terminating cliché is a commonly used phrase, sometimes passing as folk wisdom, used to propagate cognitive dissonance (discomfort experienced when one simultaneously holds two or more conflicting cognitions, e.g. ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions).”

To put in a simpler format, it is a phrase used to shut down a conversation that someone does not want to have, and to stop people questioning the actions that are currently being taken.

When it comes to work/project versions, please see this excellent post.

Business examples are:

  • We are where we are.
  • We’ve already had this conversation.
  • Be a man and…

I have had a fascinating hour down the rabbit hole on such phrases, and have come out the other end with the view that there is nothing that a sufficiently motivated person cannot twist to their use,

lets take “We’ve already had this conversation”, for every person I have heard use it to shut down a challenge or valid conversation on a upcoming project issue, I have heard it used to try and stop another wasted meeting, because someone has a personal axe to grind and is crippling a project to enact it.

Don’t let people manipulate you, hold to your deliverables, and make individual decision based on individual reasons.

“Education is greatest blessing if of best sorts. Otherwise no earthly use.” – Kipling (Kim)          

Disclaimer: As always these posts are not aimed at anyone client or employer and are just my personal observations over a lifetime of dealing with both management and frontline associates.

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