In my last post I mentioned Social Stories.  These were developed as a tool to help explain life to Autistic children.  Writers of Social Stories as advised to try and be positive, clear and truthful.  In the pursuit of truth I have found that when writing about people and life I use absolutes less and less, because they are hardly ever truthful.  I now find that when thinking about people and life I use absolutes less and less, because they are hardly ever truthful.

“There’s no point listening to Ms Bloggs.”

“Why not?”

“I’m never going to learn anything from her.”

“How do you know that?”

“She’s a total monster.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No, not to me.”

“Well, how can any sane person think like that?”

“How do you know what she thinks?”

“Just listen to what she says.”

“And…”

“Well, I just disagree with everything that Ms Bloggs has ever said.”

“Have you heard everything that Ms Bloggs has ever said?”

“OK then, I disagree with everything that I have ever heard Ms Bloggs say.”

“Absolutely everything?”

“I suppose that what I really mean is that I disagree with most things that I have heard Ms Bloggs say.”

 “Can you say that in a more positive way?”

“I agree with a few things that I have heard Ms Bloggs say.”

In a campaign dominated by discussion of the financial implications of the options before us, I found it refreshing when I heard someone say:  “At the end of the day, it isn’t all about money.  There is such a thing as quality of life.”  This was said by a person about whom I had been able to persuade myself that I could say:  “I agree with a few things that I have heard him say.”