Never Say Never About Anything

I used to be really good at saying never. Never gonna do that job. Never gonna live there. Never gonna be that kind of person. And then life happened.

The thing about absolute statements is they assume you know who youll be in five years. Which you dont. Nobody does. The person making the declaration and the person breaking it are basically strangers to each other.

Theres something comforting about nevers. They feel like boundaries like youre defining yourself. But really theyre just walls that make your world smaller.

Psychology Today explored why humans cling to absolute thinking and how it often backfires.

Life changes whether we plan for it or not. The question is whether were rigid enough to break or flexible enough to bend.

Every older person I know has a story about the thing they swore theyd never do and then did. Moved back home. Took the corporate job. Married someone completely different from their type. Had kids when they were convinced they didnt want them.

The nevers that actually hold up tend to be moral ones. I’ll never hurt someone on purpose. I’ll never compromise my integrity. Those are worth keeping.

But the lifestyle nevers? Let them go. You dont know what youll need or want in the future. Keeping your options open isnt weakness its wisdom.

Life perspective piece