It is what it is

How many times have you caught yourself saying, “It is what it is”?

The way I see it, it’s the idiomatic opposite of “It’s all good.”

“It’s all good” is a positive affirmation.

“It is what it is,” affirms reality, usually a negative reality unlikely to change.

I first heard the expression years ago coaching a rather bad youth lacrosse team. At one practice, with lax balls flying all over and many lost in the woods near the field, my trusty assistant came up to me and said, “You know, this team… it is what it is.”

In other words, don’t sweat the stuff that it what it is. Nuthin’ we can do about it.

In safetyspeak, I seldom hear someone say, “It’s all good.” As in, “Our rates our low, the CEO is happy, the employees are happy, it’s all good.”

More often I hear what I’ll call “realityspeak”:

“OSHA is a toothless shell of its former self. It is what it is.”

“Congress doesn’t give a damn about worker safety. It is what it is.”

“I’m working longer hours. Have taken on new responsibilities. But is my budget increasing? No. It is what it is.”

“It is what it is” is a coping mechanism. As in, you can’t fight city hall, so don’t bother.

“It is what it is” is to say, “Roll with it.”

Maybe you’ve heard of the latest generation generalization name. You know, we have Gen X, the boomers, the Millennials, and now, in 2012, the debut of Generation Flux.

Generation Flux is people of a certain mindset, not any particular age. You can be a Gen Fluxer at age 21 or 71. It’s all about attitude.

And that attitude is: Hey, things are crazy. Crazy fast changes. We know this. So to save yourself, go with the flow. It is what it is. Do what you have to do. We’re all in a state of flux. Who can be sure about what happens next.

Myself, I’ll take “it is what it is” any day over “it’s all good.” “It’s all good” is too easily spin. “It is what it is” is reality. Deal with it. It’s not about being beaten down, or resigned, or helpless. It’s seeing things for what they are.

In the Vietnam War there was a similar expression: “There it is.” The grunts spoke it, not the generals. As in, “No one has an idea what we’re doing out here.” Response: “There it is.” Translation: That’s the truth of the matter.

It is what it is. And that’s the truth. There are any number of harsh realities today. It ain’t all good. It is what it is is a good term for the times.