platitude

plat·i·tude

/ˈpladəˌto͞od/

noun
noun: platitude; plural noun: platitudes
a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

  • Oxford Languages Dictionary

Based on that definition alone, I think platitudes get a bad rap. Certainly they’re overused, you see them plastered on cafe walls, printed on souvenir t-shirts, and spoken at the end of CURRENT_YEAR() car ads. They’ve become stereotypes for marketing and banal comments you send someone just to be nice. But some stereotypes tend to exist for a reason.

I learned, I personally like some platitudes, maybe I’ll learn to like them all! But I have found there is that eureka moment where one of them just clicks.

In very broad strokes, here’s the story:

After a major life change my mind was scattered. I was panicked and seeking a distraction to rationalize things. I felt like I was in a fight against an imperceptible monster and losing. I tried a guided meditation which soulessly reminded me, “meditation is a preventative exercise.” I actually had a little disdainful laugh after that.

I got support from friends and I don’t discredit anyone who reached out or to whom I reached out. Their support was definitely needed and recognized. Maybe too much recognition for some.

But there was a moment where one of those platitudes just fell into place. It was simple, but at that moment it felt thoughtful. It was exactly what I needed to hear. My mind distilled it out of all the rationalizing and metaphorical thoughts I was spiraling through.

And maybe that’s the context the definition is missing: “a remark or statement…used too often to be interesting or thoughtful – under normal circumstances.”

I’m happy to report, I’m happy. Doing things feels good, as evidenced by this being my first blog post here. I’m grateful to my past self for actually setting up a little blog and renewing my domain. I have things planned and I think I will enjoy doing them.

I won’t share exactly which platitude helped me out, trust me, you’ve heard this one. But next time you’re browsing those greeting cards “don’t take yourself so seriously.”