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These lines can also drown your credibility because of what they imply.
Coming up with deep posts seems to be quite a pastime. Picture: Keasha Werner
Social media has become the go-to platform for confessions, advice, and pocket-sized philosophical musings.
Instagram is often the worst of it. In between the make-up tutorials, selfies and FOMO moments everyone loves posting, it’s the phrases and deep-seekers who can annoy the most.
You don’t have to spew shallow depth to be heard, because in the real world, you can just be yourself.
Yet we all fall for it at some point. The temptation to confess to or randomly address the masses on the internet, or to mute a chat group just because someone challenges our relationship status.
These are seven phrases often used online to sound deeper than the shallow end of life’s pool. But the lines can also drown your credibility because of what they imply.
Everything happens for a reason
The big one. It’s life’s general placating excuse that’s wheeled out whenever something goes wrong.
Someone gets dumped, fired or set back somehow and this phrase, the retreat on Instagram.
“It’s comforting to believe there’s a grand design at work,” said psychologist Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys. “People use it to soften the blow of disappointment. It gives a sense of order when life feels random.”
One Reddit comment summed it up by posting this comment: “Yeah, Karen, you got fired because you were always late, not because the universe has a secret plan.”
I’ve outgrown people, and that’s okay
So ya, this is a post and a turn of phrase that can be compared to bubblegum spiritual growth that’s lost its flavour after a few chews. It’s the ultimate turn-off for anyone, despite the author trying to sound philosophical and mature
“This kind of post may mask unresolved guilt,” said Dr Redelinghuys. “It lets people dodge accountability for ghosting friends by calling it ‘personal evolution.’”
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If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.
What a yawn. This is not hell hath no fury, but rather, stupidity has a theory.
This, according to Dr Redelinghuys, is a phrase used by people who treat mood swings or other aspects of toxic behaviour like personality traits.
“It romanticises un-okay behaviour and a warning disguised as wisdom. This is basically telling others to brace for collision when they engage with the poster.”
Your vibe attracts your tribe.
You mistakenly believe that you are an influencer and erroneously affirm to yourself that group chats or comments on a post create soul connections.
That is, of course, until your tribe starts asking you for favours or something goes wrong. This is not depth, it’s a cliché from the pocketbook or useless phrases.
It’s symptomatic, said Dr Redelinghuys, of the human need for connection.
“It creates the illusion of selective belonging, even if it’s just a circle of people forwarding the same motivational memes.”
Don’t chase, attract
Posted on Instagram by the same kind of person that dispenses relationship advice despite their own love lives sucking or, for that matter, the kind of person that sits and waits for good things to come to them.
Yet, the only thing that excites this kind of person is likely refreshing their socials and looking for new likes. Day made.
“This phrase makes inaction seem glamorous,” Dr Redelinghuys said. “It’s wishful thinking, dressed up as emotional maturity. Life rarely works this passively unless you played the lotto, and won”.
I’m not for everyone, and that’s my power.
In plain English, this is a tactical translation of getting booted for being somewhat uncool or abrasive.
The person who posts this turned their own emotions into an affirming manifesto that justifies why they don’t need to change. An “It’s not me, it’s you” kind of person, in short.
Dr Redelinguys said that this is pie-in-the-sky self-empowerment.
“It’s easier to claim uniqueness than confront your flaws.”
Silence is the loudest response.
This is the Instagram ghosting excuse of ghosters and the silent treatment after an argument.
It’s ignorance and pop-psychology dressed up as wisdom. “
This is about avoidance,” said Dr Redelinghuys. “People dress up their lack of communication as wise maturity or self-awareness. In reality, it’s emotional dodging.”
As one Redditor cracked: “More like, ‘I ghosted them and now I’m pretending it’s Zen.’”
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