PITFALL HUMOR

The ‘Amazing’ Epidemic — Are We Dumbing Down The Extraordinary

How amazing became the new “meh.”

I was sending off this email to a woman the other day, just a note saying, “Hey, expect those concept designs tomorrow kind of thing.” When I get this email back — “that would be amazing.”

Now, I think. “Amazing, really?”

How did my promise to meet a deadline become as exciting as a monkey riding a unicycle?

This isn’t a one off either, it keeps happening.

I’m often mingling in the world of sales and marketing in my work, and they sprinkle “amazing” like confetti at a parade. Everything is “amazing.” The presentation? Oh, it was “amazing.” That idea? Yep, you guessed it — “amazing.”

Do these people have an “amazing” quota to hit every day or something?

I once found myself at one of those network marketing shindigs. Yeah, I know, what was I thinking? Me, a creative introvert, mingling with the cheeriest bunch of people this side of Disneyland. I went along to help out a friend — as you do.

What I found was they’re all about “amazing” too. Except everything’s “super amazing.” Not to mention the smiles — their faces are on a permanent helium high.

Now you might think, yeah so what?

Well, I’m not being a cynical bugger (ok, maybe a little), but most of the time things aren’t “amazing” are they? Things are just ok, average, and sometimes good, but how often are things actually “amazing?” Which makes me think what are we gonna do when something really does blow our socks off?

There aren’t that many words that pack a bigger punch than “amazing,” without sounding like you’ve just teleported from Victorian England.

“Indubitable splendid, good sir!” Yeah, no thanks.

It’s a worry. If average has taken a detour and ended up in the land of “amazing,” have we just tossed genuine amazingness into the “meh” pile?

Are we making superstars out of everyday things, leaving future generations scratching their heads over what’s truly “amazing?”

Maybe we need to give “amazing” a bit of a break. Let’s save it for those moments when unicorns stroll down the street and pigs start tap dancing.

Otherwise we’re going to be stuck in a monochrome world where everything’s “amazing” and a real-life alien invasion will be met with a nonchalant “meh, seen better.”

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