The Conundrum of Contradicting Clichés

I hope you know you haven't been out of sight, out of mind for me this past month. 

Nope.

More like, absence has made my heart grow fonder of you.

Are you vomiting yet? Rolling your eyes, at least?

I know.

But we’ve all heard them. And we've all said them.

Those catchy little nuggets of wisdom that get tossed around like confetti in meetings, motivational talks, and Instagram captions:

• "The early bird gets the worm!"

• But also… "Good things come to those who wait."

So which is it? Hustle hard or be patient?

Or how about:

• "Ignorance is bliss!"

• But -- "Knowledge is power," isn't it?

I did an exercise around this with a group last month...

I asked everyone to stand and stay standing if they agreed with, or had ever said one of the following phrases.

If they heard one they disagreed with, they could be seated. Then I read out a list of clichés.

No one sat down. 

I asked them to do the same for my next list. 

Different list... same end result. All still standing.

They could all be seated.

I then read the list in a different order... this time paired back-to-back with the contradicting cliché, like the ones above. 

Minds. Blown. 🤯 

"How could I have agreed so wholeheartedly with one saying and then ALSO with its exact opposite sentiment?" they asked.

Here’s why: Truth bomb clichés contradict each other because life (and leadership) is messy.

There’s rarely one universal rule that applies to every situation. But that’s not a flaw—it’s a feature!

Great leaders—and great humans—don’t rely on canned advice.

They rely on context, judgment, and the ability to pause and ask: “What’s actually needed here?”

Sometimes the moment calls for speed. Other times, strategy.

Sometimes we need to listen more. Sometimes to lead the charge.

The magic is in knowing the difference.

So next time you're faced with a tricky situation and someone lobs a cliché your way, smile, nod, and remember: You’re the one who gets to decide which “truth” fits. 

Let them say their piece. After all, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

But you can withhold judgment because if we know anything is true, it's that silence is golden. 😉

Reply here and let me know your favorite cliché... especially if you have its opposite twin on steady rotation.

I love to hear from you all -- especially when it shows me I'm not alone in my unintentionally hypocritical declarations! 🤷‍♀️ 😂

See you back here next month and until then... thanks for working to get on the same page with the people in your life. 

We're all in this together!

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