Summary

The article "Pleeeease Stop Shoulding On Me" on the undefined website criticizes the overuse of the word "should" in story titles and the prescriptive nature of such headlines, suggesting that it imposes obligations and duties on readers.

Abstract

The author of the article expresses frustration with the prevalence of stories on MuddyUm (presumably a publishing platform) that use "should" in their titles, implying a sense of obligation or duty for the reader. The piece humorously points out the absurdity of this trend by listing numerous examples of such headlines, ranging from personal success advice to political endorsements. The author argues that this prescriptive language is overused and suggests that alternatives like "could" or "would" are preferable. The article concludes with the author's personal relief from writing about the issue and a reaffirmation of their stance against the use of "should" in headlines.

Opinions

The author believes that the use of "should" in story titles is excessive and unhelpful.
They suggest that the word "should" is often used to criticize or dictate actions, which can be burdensome to readers.
The article implies that readers might feel overwhelmed or judged by the prescriptive nature of "should" stories.
It is the author's opinion that using "could" or "would" instead of "should" could alleviate the pressure imposed by such prescriptive language.
The author humorously acknowledges the potential for a "SHOULD monster" to criticize them for writing about the word "should."
There is a sense of personal liberation for the author in avoiding "should" stories and in not imposing "should" on themselves.
The author's friends are depicted as both supportive and playful about the author's aversion to the word "should."
The article concludes with the author feeling better for having written about the issue, reinforcing their viewpoint on the matter.

Pleeeease Stop Shoulding On Me

or, Why you SHOULD stop writing SHOULD stories?

should

/SHo͝od,SHəd/

verb

used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness, typically when criticizing someone’s actions.

Today I logged in to MuddyUm and saw three stories with the words YOU SHOULD in the headline. 3?

sigh…

For kicks, I did a random search for stories with YOU SHOULD in the title on MuddyUm. Here are just a few:

13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want to Be Successful

Why You Should Use Grammarly

3 Reasons Why You Should Space Your Medium Stories Throughout the Day

Why I’m Voting for Trump and You Should Too

Why you Should Be a Morning Person (this one might be my least favorite!or even worse Why you Should Wake up at 5 a.m. Every Day For Better Productivity. NOOO)

Why You Should Be Kind to People You Hate

41 Things You Should Say NO to For a Happier 2019

Yes You Should Delete Facebook

13 Things You Should Give UP if You Want To Be a Successful Designer

This is only a partial list.

I mentioned to a fellow writer friend that I was tempted to write one more story about this word should. I’d already written once before but now I felt compelled to write again.

He agreed. Then laughed:

You SHOULD write it but you might get SHOULD on by the SHOULD monster!?

Another friend said.

Oh, You definitely SHOULD!

Yet another said: Reading Those SHOULD stories Makes Me Feel that I Really SHOULD Stop Reading Medium Now.

Note to anyone who uses the word SHOULD in their headline title —

I most likely won't read it.

Why do people think they have the expertise or nerve to tell you or I what we SHOULD or SHOULDN’T do?

I know some say we SHOULD all lighten up. Yeah I know, but I think we ‘SHOULD on ourselves’ too much already. I pretty much gave up SHOULD-ING on myself years ago and definitely don't want someone else to SHOULD on me.

I think the words COULD or WOULD might be far more preferable to SHOULD.

Don’t you?

SHOULD I be feeling better now that I’ve written this story?

Yes. I do! I really do.