Have you ever been to the theatre or the cinema and felt like leaving before the end of the performance or the film?

Of course, you could have left and done something more enjoyable. 

But you didn’t.

Why? Because you had already paid for the ticket.

This is what is known as the sunk cost fallacy.

The “sunk cost fallacy” describes our tendency to continue with something we’ve invested time, money or effort into it—even if the current costs outweigh the benefits.

It’s that feeling of wanting to “get your money’s worth”.

Do you know it?

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”
John Steinbeck

Have you experienced this?

If you’re like me, you might go through several days without having one good idea. Perhaps your mind is focused on other things. And then, suddenly, ideas will come to you one after another. 

Ideas need time.

Someone asks, “How are you?”

What do you say?

Do you react automatically with: “I’m fine thanks.” “Not so bad.” “Could be better.” “I’m doing well, thank you.”

Vanessa Van Edwards suggests we ‘break the social script’, and try some funny ways to respond. Especially if we want more fun in our social interactions.

Some ideas for responses

• “Better inside than outside.”  (You might say this if you think you don’t look too good!) Or even, “Better outside than inside”.
• “I still haven’t figured that out.”
• “Amazinggggggg.” Or, “I’m g-r-e-a-t”. (It adds a lovely theatrical touch!)
• “I’m 20 but I feel like 70!” “I’m 50 but I feel like 21”.

And instead of asking, “How are you?” back, try something different.

Some ideas for different questions

• “Have you been keeping well?”
• “Have you been well?”
• “How have things been going for you lately?”
• “What have you been up to lately?”

Do you have any favourite questions and/or responses?

Grandparents are becoming powerful social media influencers?

Surely this can’t be true.

However, according to an article I discovered on axios.com, they are!

Older video creators are “racking up millions of followers”.

Are you surprised?

I was.

I was even more surprised, perhaps a little shocked, to watch some of the video clips to which the articles link.

However, when I read 85-year-old TikToker Gaylynn Baker’s words, I thought, “Why not?“

Gaylynn commented, “I’ve never had such a good time. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be on this planet, but I hope I’ll always be having this much fun.”

Well, if TikTok can change people’s ideas about ageing, it can’t be bad, can it?

What do you think?

 

Would you like to test your English?

Cambridge University Press has two free online tests you might like to try.

General English 
Business English

So how did you do?