“No, there is no need to apologise”, he said after suffering from my unfeeling sorry. “I am just plainly disappointed. I don’t know why people are like this nowadays.”
As there might be several permutations of reasons behind this single sentence, I would be quick to point out that there was nothing emotional going on behind the scenes here. It was just a good potential client, who proposed low prices in return for my work (which were even high to him). On hearing them, I diplomatically said that I would get back to him on this. However, I understandably never got back to him.
Pretty trashy of me, right?
Once Upon A Time
About 10 years ago, if someone used to just carelessly toss an ‘I would get back to you’, I would unwittingly sit beside my phone for that call to happen. Be it for any reason – romantic, professional, or otherwise. There was a firm belief in me that if they had uttered these words, they surely meant it.
Thankfully, with years of maturing, I realised that it was a mere statement of dismissal. Oh, how disappointed I used to be. It is almost laughable. The Instagram Reels, Videos and other countries’ TikTok Videos show us how pathetic people look banking on someone’s EMPTY WORDs. Don’t they!
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
But when did this happen? When did our words start becoming so cheap that we threw them out never thinking once that these sounds we produce are energies that constantly revolve around us? When did we stop thinking that these empty words and promises might someday weigh down on us heavily and years later just become a part of things we are truly guilty about?
Isn’t it only Politicians that use EMPTY WORDs frequently?
Nope, all of us do. Outright dismissal is considered impolite. It might be impolite when facing with half-hearted empty talks, like –
“Mrs. Sharma, aap to aajkal humare yahan aate hi nahi.”
“Arey, kya bataun Mrs. Arya. Itne kamon mein time hi nahi milta. Agli baar time nikal kar pakka aati hun.”
Using empty words here is understandable. You do it just for the sake of socialising with the parties you don’t really want to yet propriety demands it. But what about dire situations, where we say –
- If there is any way I can help, please do let me know. (As if you would really rush to help)
- It’s in your best interest only that I do this. (Un-uh)
- I would get back to you for this thing. (Sure, we know you will)
- Let’s do this sometime again. (Most cringy empty talk after a date)
- Wow, bro! If it wouldn’t have been for you, I would have been really stuck. Do call me in the future for anything you need. (And then you don’t take their call at all)
- We will be a 5 trillion economy soon. (OHKAY!!!)
The need for EMPTY WORDS
Still from the movie “A Thousand Words”
I am one who keeps using these consoling, well-meaning, positive and polite words the most. So no way that I am against them at all. Neither I am criticizing them nor the people using them. After all, they are maybe the foundation of a civilised society (LOL). These white lies may be what is holding us together. Who knows?
Yet, I cannot help and imagine a world/parallel universe where we only say what we mean. In best-case scenarios, if we don’t mean something we don’t say anything at all. A world where words are used as a precious currency, something like in Eddy Murphy’s movie “A Thousand Words”.
Wouldn’t it be more beautiful?