# Most completely false cliche/aphorism
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 6, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957 "2010-01-06T21:00:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/1 "2010-01-06T21:00:41Z")
What phrase that one hears from time to time in the cliche/aphorism/bumper stick category do you think is the most utterly and completely false? (Let’s leave out politics and religion here and stick to general life advice/commentary.)
My vote is “Whoever said ‘winning isn’t everything’ never won anything”. First of all, it’s pretty much 100% guaranteed false on the surface of it. I mean, who never won ANYTHING? Who went through their entire life without ever winning a single game of something at some point at some level? Secondly, I’m quite sure (although I don’t know quite how to verify it) that there are large numbers of high-level winners, people who have achieved massive objective success in any number of fields, who would sincerely agree with the statement ‘winning isn’t everything’. And finally, of course, the philosophy behind the statement in the first place is utterly repugnant. So, it’s a lose/lose/lose.
Other nominations?
---
### Author:  [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/2 "2010-01-06T21:17:51Z")
How about: _That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger._
As I think Dennis Miller once observed, what doesn’t kill you can actually mess you up for a very very long time.
---
### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/3 "2010-01-06T21:32:13Z")
“Money can’t buy happiness”.
My ass.
---
### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/4 "2010-01-06T21:43:11Z")
You get what you pay for.
Wrong-O. I pay for what the verbal or written contract states. In my experience, I get whatever the provider feels like providing. Whether or not it’s what I paid for is quite often not part of the equation.
hh
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/5 "2010-01-06T21:49:31Z")
Bumble bees can’t fly, and no one knows why.
---
### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/6 "2010-01-06T21:55:09Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Bumble bees can’t fly, and no one knows why.
Have you ever actually heard someone say that they don’t know why bumblebees can’t fly? It seems rather silly on the surface, since bumblebees can fly and all.
---
### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/7 "2010-01-06T21:56:08Z")
True love lasts forever.
People change, and it’s entirely possible to be truly in love with someone at 20 that you can’t stand at 30.
---
### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/8 "2010-01-06T21:57:10Z")
“A watched pot never boils.”
Yes, it does.
---
### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/9 "2010-01-06T21:57:40Z")
“Life never gives you more than you can handle.”
Why do people die, then?
> [@handsomeharry](#):
>
> You get what you pay for.
Especially untrue of fresh produce. An expensive tomato bought in the winter is not going to be as good as a cheap tomato bought in the summer.
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/10 "2010-01-06T22:03:59Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#):
>
> Have you ever actually heard someone say that they don’t know why bumblebees can’t fly? It seems rather silly on the surface, since bumblebees can fly and all.
My office mate had that on a cutsie calendar. It was a bit… twee.
---
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/11 "2010-01-06T22:14:11Z")
‘‘Every family is dysfunctional.’’ That’s the one I’d like to punch people in the face for cheerfully saying to me when I tell them I have a dysfunctional family. I usually smile and respond, ‘‘So I hear.’’ What I’d really like to say is, ‘‘Oh really? Child abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, rape and suicide are the status quo in your family too? You have no less than 5 known child molesters in the family tree? No? Ok. STFU and stop assuming you’‘get’’ what I’m going through.’’
I know that sounds ranty, but I’ve been meaning to start a thread like this one for a while.
---
### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/12 "2010-01-06T22:20:19Z")
_Things always work out for the best_
---
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/13 "2010-01-06T22:26:01Z")
I know we’re attacking optimistic ideas here, but it’s worth noting that optimists are generally more successful, more healthy, more likely to overcome setbacks, and live longer lives than pessimists. So the people more likely to say these things are probably happier and healthier overall.
---
### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/14 "2010-01-06T22:28:02Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#):
>
> I know we’re attacking optimistic ideas here, but it’s worth noting that optimists are generally more successful, more healthy, more likely to overcome setbacks, and live longer lives than pessimists. So the people more likely to say these things are probably happier and healthier overall.
But pessimists are pleasantly surprised more often.
---
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/15 "2010-01-06T22:30:14Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#):
>
> But pessimists are pleasantly surprised more often.
That’s an optimistic way to look at it! 😛
---
### Author:  [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/16 "2010-01-06T22:37:16Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#):
>
> Child abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, rape and suicide are the status quo … have no less than 5 known child molesters in the family tree
Sorry if this sounds mean, but the above is not “dysfunctional” it is “disastrous”. When people refer to dysfunctional families, I assume they mean something much less than that. There’s “ideal” (Leave it to Beaver), “well-functioning”, “dysfunctional” (the biggest group I assume), and “disastrous”.
---
### Author:  [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/17 "2010-01-06T22:44:10Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> My office mate had that on a cutsie calendar. It was a bit… twee.
Well how odd.
---
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/18 "2010-01-06T22:53:47Z")
> [@Polerius](#):
>
> Sorry if this sounds mean, but the above is not “dysfunctional” it is “disastrous”. When people refer to dysfunctional families, I assume they mean something much less than that. There’s “ideal” (Leave it to Beaver), “well-functioning”, “dysfunctional” (the biggest group I assume), and “disastrous”.
No, I know. It’s just hard to hear people talk about their dysfunctional families sometimes. I’d kill for a dysfunctional family.
---
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/19 "2010-01-06T22:54:26Z")
> [@blondebear](#):
>
> _Things always work out for the best_
Thats just a poor thought out mis-application of “things could always be worse” which I highly suspect might actually be true a 100 percent of the time.
---
### Author:  [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957/20 "2010-01-06T22:55:46Z")
Mark Twain called “the truth is mighty and will prevail” the “most compound fracture of fact” the world has ever known, and I tend to agree.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-completely-false-cliche-aphorism/523957.md?page=2)