What does "It is what it is" mean to you?

[Coldworld]

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it.
Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion.
Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare.
Impossible is potential.
Impossible is temporary.
Impossible is nothing

sounds like you got this from a ups supervisor....or an adidas ad?!?!

 

[UnconTROLLed]

sounds like you got this from a ups supervisor....or an adidas ad?!?!

UPS is something I would never want to venture to prove the impossible, change the system, face judge and jury. But there are times when you do have to challenge authority, to take charge and to butt heads.


and for those who think it is depression or negativity , ....

""It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

 

[Coldworld]

UPS is something I would never want to venture to prove the impossible, change the system, face judge and jury. But there are times when you do have to challenge authority, to take charge and to butt heads.

I totally agree.....I think most level headed mgt would agree also.there are times where you have to stand up for yourself and what you think is right no matter what ANYBODY says.

and for those who think it is depression or negativity , ....

""It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

 

[dannyboy]

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in

Lemme phrase it to where you can understand it better.

You are running the football. Coach wants you to run it up the middle, over and over and over again, without changing the plays. Every time, it is a zero gain or loss. It is what it is, a lost cause.

But instead you decide on your own to go around. Not only have you met the impossible task head on, you adapted and overcame.

Running it up the middle is still not possible, but wining the game is.

d

 

[Pump Up The Volume]

"It Is What It Is" to me signifies the futility of not conforming to the norm
It's a statement that removes any independent thought or improvement from an individual or collective group

 

[Catatonic]

Re: A liberal finally admits: abortion is murder!

is your signature geared toward work life or life in general????

More towards work because I am trapped there to work with the circumstances and people that I would rather not be around. I just make the best of it.
I do apply it to my personal life as well ... it frustrates my wife because I don't worry about those things I can not change or do anything about. Typical man as she says.

 

[Catatonic]

What does any of this have to do with "UPS Discussions" forum? I don't see UPS mentioned in any of these posts. OK, correct me if I'm wrong.

"United Parcel Service related topics"

I thought of that when I set up this forum race.
I assumed that, as with me, most people would relate the inability to change things at UPS and you just dealt with them as best you could and accepted things at UPS being the way they are because "It is what it is".

And since your post, several people have brought work at UPS into teh discussion ... good job race in making them think of UPS.

I am a little disappointed as I did not want to bring race into this discussion.

 

[raceanoncr]

I am a little disappointed as I did not want to bring race into this discussion.

NOW you did it!!!! Now you REALLY did it!!! I'm really offended that you hafta bring race into this!

Oh, wait a minute. I think that's ME!!!

 

[ups1990]

I've heard this term used in the past tense.

N. O. Saints QB Drew Brees, talking about his days with his former team the Chargers. "It was was, what it was."

 

[dilligaf]

Of course, Hoax. The first thing that I thought of when I read the title of this thread was work. But it's not just about work. It's about life and much of our lives revolves around work.

A quote from a very good movie comes to mind. "These are the facts and they are indisputable." Anyone remember the movie? I do. Actually the movie plays right into this theme. 2 opposing sides presenting the same facts for diametrically opposed reasons.

My use of 'it is what it is' at work is not the inability to change anything. It is telling my sups that this is the way it is, there is no room for argument. I am right and I will fight tooth and nail in defense of being right. And before someone says it, it is not in arrogance that I say I am right. It is simply said because I know I am right.

 

[moreluck]

A Few Good Men.....

 

[dilligaf]

Very good More. You get a 'brownie' button! LOL

 

[bbsam]

being an npr junkie, i heard it best summed up this way. "it is what it is" = "whatever". makes sense to me.

 

[old levi's]

It means : Deal with it.

 

[brownmonster]

"It Is What It Is" to me signifies the futility of not conforming to the norm
It's a statement that removes any independent thought or improvement from an individual or collective group

Agreed. In putting it in UPS terms if I see issues that need to be fixed to save time and money, it is what it is, is not the solution, it's just a way of ignoring the problem. If I have to drive 10 miles to deliver a stop 1/4 mile from the driver in the area, I look at the easy O/T and say it is what it is.

 

[pickup]

I've heard this term used in the past tense.

N. O. Saints QB Drew Brees, talking about his days with his former team the Chargers. "It was was, what it was."

sort of like a certain thread I started involving Drewed (not the quarterback, ), it seems to be gone, as if it never existed. It's like getting up in the morning and finding your car gone. Did you forget where you parked it? Was it stolen? Did your wife take it? Was it towed? If it was towed, you would think the police would leave some kind of note

oh, well, it was what it was.

 

[dilligaf]

sort of like a certain thread I started involving Drewed (not the quarterback, ), it seems to be gone, as if it never existed. It's like getting up in the morning and finding your car gone. Did you forget where you parked it? Was it stolen? Did your wife take it? Was it towed? If it was towed, you would think the police would leave some kind of note

oh, well, it was what it was.

Maybe it never existed. Maybe it was just a dream, P/U.

 

[pickup]

Maybe it never existed. Maybe it was just a dream, P/U.

maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong. It is what it is, or it it was what it was, or it's not because it never was or it never was because it has yet to be. I need a wizard of is or a has been wizard of was to explain it to me. Ah, to be or not to be, that is to question.

 

[tieguy]

"It Is What It Is" to me signifies the futility of not conforming to the norm
It's a statement that removes any independent thought or improvement from an individual or collective group

I think as others have said its a comment on what the current results are and not necessarily a comment on the possibilities. Its an acceptance of reality. Therefore no sense in trying to alibi or make excuses it is what it is.

 

[brownmonster]

I believe I uttered this phrase on my honeymoon,