I am taking the time to profess my disgust for this phrase because it is used way too often. When I hear someone say it, it makes my spine tingle. It is the sorriest admission of (defeat, dislike, unrest) I have ever heard. In my experience it is usually vomited at the end of a discussion where one party did not get what they expected.
My disdain for this phrase has a deeper layer. For me, this is not about the words or even the above translation; for me this is about accountability and responsibility. Too often people do not take responsibility for their actions.
- They waited for the warranty to expire to try and return the product.
- They did not speak up when the requested well-done steak came to the table rare.
- Expectations were not agreed upon before an engagement was started.
Responsibility is being left in the shower every morning!!!!!
The result? A lame reaction, which happens to mirror the actions of a 3 year old when they don’t get the bubble gum at the checkout counter.
Challenge: The next time you are about to utter the phrase, ask yourself, where was I wrong in this picture? Oh, and check your back pocket for responsibility, you may have left it in the shower this morning.
P.S. If there is absolutely no way out of the phrase, try the Urban Dictionary literal translation, it rolls off the tongue easier.
Hey, Chris. Nice post. But as someone who uses that phrase often, I’m going to rise to its defense.
I agree with you that it’s inappropriate to use it when you were responsible for the outcome. Properly used, IIWII is not meant as a shirking of personal responsibility. Instead, it’s more of a Zenlike acceptance that there are things in the world that happen that you can’t change, and that fretting about it is futile and wasteful, and that you can’t move on without acceptance. My flight is delayed — IIWII. An anvil fell out of the sky and landed on my toe — IIWII. (I watched too much Road Runner as a kid.)
Here in New England, the phrase was popularized by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He’s all about personal responsibility, but he uses the phrase in the sense of moving on and not dwelling on the past.
Good post, Chris. Thanks!
— Jay