They Say...

Published: February 1, 2021

Whenever anyone starts a sentence with “They say…” you know it's time to do some fact-checking. Oh, the nebulous They!

The term they say brings to mind the word ‘but’. You know how it goes. The word but negates everything said before it. For example, Your grey hair looks so pretty, but it would look better if you colored it.

Similarly, whenever someone starts talking to me about certain subjects (health being a particularly sore point for me) and they start with They say..., I know the words coming after will require a boatload of research, fact-checking and cringe discernment. Here’s an example, “They say there’s no nutritional difference between organic and non-organic vegetables.” Or, “They say too much vitamin C causes kidney stones.” Excuse me for a minute while I cringe.

Instead of using the nebulous they as my information source, I prefer using concrete references. Or, if I cannot remember the source of my information I usually say one of two things. 1) Don’t take my word for it, do your own research. Or 2) Let me look into it and get back to you.

I find either of those to be a much more credible resource than "They say..."

That's my two cents and I'm sticking with it!

About the Author: I am Felicia A. Williams, a wife, mom, grandma, writer and eternal student.

Last Modified: 1 February 2021