Phrase considered harmful:

”Just do it.”

In this essay I hope to show . . .

- why “just” is misleading
- why it’s often unkind to say this
- how “just do it” actually is sometime helpful
- a kinder rephrasing to capture benefits of ^

Idk if I’ll ever actually write this essay, but let me write a shitty version [that oh shit probably is going to end up becoming the thing].

Here goes.

Okay, it turns out I just ended up writing this thread in the previous one. https://twitter.com/askyatharth/status/1380388134437928964">https://twitter.com/askyathar...

[Why “just” is misleading]

It embeds the idea that one “should just be able to do it.” There there shouldn’t be any problems.

This is false, as becomes clear upon reflection. https://twitter.com/askyatharth/status/1380389379219275778">https://twitter.com/askyathar...

There are problems, and it’s the fact that it feels scary to do the thing, and that in and of itself is enough to make it a problem.

[This is a really subtle point, though an important one.] https://twitter.com/askyatharth/status/1338213677594517505">https://twitter.com/askyathar...

[Why it can be unkind to say “just do it”]

1. You’re invoking a hidden assumption in the person that causes a lot of suffering.

2. You’re asking them to do something the scary way that doesn’t help them feel safe and expected with the fear. They subtly expect to not feel it. https://twitter.com/askyatharth/status/1347318723326078978">https://twitter.com/askyathar...