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

[helenofcalifornia]

"It is what it is" is what I tell customers when I arrive two hours later than the normal delivery time because I have half of another route in my truck, to deliver first.

I keep telling them that when the economy comes back, the routes will go back to normal. Hope they are still shipping with us when that day happens.

 

[satellitedriver]

It is what it is, is a self explanatory statement,if you know what the it is.
You ask, what it means to you? Funny how the same word (you) can be used as a singular, and referring to a collective, plural readership.
All that aside,
My interpretation of the phrase is, it is just a condensed version of Tao philosophy.
A shorter version of Tao.
Is,is.

 

[Catatonic]

"It is what it is" is what I tell customers when I arrive two hours later than the normal delivery time because I have half of another route in my truck, to deliver first.

I keep telling them that when the economy comes back, the routes will go back to normal. Hope they are still shipping with us when that day happens.

It is what it is.

 

[Livin the Dream?]

You cannot change the way other people are, what they say, what they do. You can only change how you react to it.

 

[over9five]

At first I thought this was the dumbest thread I've ever read....

Then I thought, "It is what it is".

 

[pickup]

I'll tell you this: different posters , in explaining what the term is , are really revealing a lot about themselves and how they view the world. Sort of like a Rorsharch test , except that the participants don't know that this really a psychological exam and hence don't skew or hide their true feelings.

We've been Hoaxed, but then again that is his name, he is what he is.

 

[scratch]

The phrase "It is what it is" has always meant to me that the situation is screwed up and nothing will be done about it. Another way to put it would be "Just deal with it".

 

[pickup]

It is what it is, is a self explanatory statement,if you know what the it is.
You ask, what it means to you? Funny how the same word (you) can be used as a singular, and referring to a collective, plural readership.
All that aside,
My interpretation of the phrase is, it is just a condensed version of Tao philosophy.
A shorter version of Tao.
Is,is.

nice, satellite.

A man walks down the street wearing a colored hat that is flattened with one side observable by one man in his front yard and the other side observable by a man across the street, also in his yard. Let's also assume the hat wearer was a man who just got fired by ups and was walking away from his truck just wearing his underwear, hat and socks. I mention this as this will definitely get the attention of both of the men in their front yards.

Neighbor #1 says "look at that why doncha?" Neighbor 2 says "it is what it is" Neighbor #1 says "yup, indeed, it is what it is"

Neighbor #1 then says I can't believe that indecently dressed man was wearing that ugly green hat."

Neighbor #2 says " first of all, he wasn't indecently dressed and secondly his hat was a beautiful red one. "

Hmm .. seems like It is for one person isn't necessarily what It is for another person even though they were both in agreement that said man is what he is.

Also turns out the man was wearing a hat painted green on one side and red on the other and how the hat was perceived depended on the points of view of the two neighbors.

Oh did I also mention that there was third neighbor that was out there too taking it all in ? He was color blind and only saw things in black and white and hence didn't see a red or green hat but a black hat and thought his neighbors were crazy for seeing things in a non-black and white way. He also lamented that the ex ups man still had too many clothes on and that he should have taken them all off. I think that third neighbor goes by the name of sexy.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

You cannot change the way other people are, what they say, what they do. You can only change how you react to it.

That is incorrect. You can affect other people just as other people can affect you. More often than not the reactions are not controlled rather preprogrammed. for ex a traumatic event can lead to an automatic response regardless of how that person or thing "wants" to react to it.

 

[KidUPS]

Simply means, "I am sorry but I can not reduce your or excuse you from your absents/lates." When the shop steward is going on about it.

 

[Livin the Dream?]

That is incorrect. You can affect other people just as other people can affect you. More often than not the reactions are not controlled rather preprogrammed. for ex a traumatic event can lead to an automatic response regardless of how that person or thing "wants" to react to it.

The original quote is not mine, although I firmly believe in it - "You cannot change the way other people are, what they say, what they do. You can only change how you react to it."

It is the basis of most psychology training, as well as all behavioral management techniques.

 

[partykid]

Re: A liberal finally admits: abortion is murder!

IT IS WHAT IT IS. I used it a little differently than hoaxster did. Depends on how you define "is" in my case. It might appear to me one way and it might appear to someone else differently. I couldn't get a handle on it but just like I don't know if there is a pencil or pen in the closed drawer, whatever is there , it is what it is. Is you is or is you not getting what I be saying? Cause I sure as heck aint.

The is you is... or is you caught my attn. here "sounds like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon my daughter watched.... Is you is... or Is you aint my baby

 

[over9five]

Shirt for Hoax!

 

[Catatonic]

You can affect other people just as other people can affect you. More often than not the reactions are not controlled rather preprogrammed. for ex a traumatic event can lead to an automatic response regardless of how that person or thing "wants" to react to it.

In other words, there is nothing you can do about the reaction - it is what it is.
There is nothing you can do about the tragic event that just took place - it is what it is.
I don't particularly like the color of any of these Shirts! - It is what it is.

True peace within oneself comes through Acceptance and Forgiveness.

 

[Catatonic]

Urban Dictionary definition (there are 20 definitions):

A phrase that seems to simply state the obvious but actually means "it will be what it is," as in "it ain't gonna change, so deal with it or don't."
-
This is the closest definition to how I use it at UPS.


Another def:
A cliche, popular within the circles of coaches, business execs, and those of us who just want to say "It's happened. 'I'm going to forget about it. I'm going to move on. There is nothing that can be done about it."

And another (this is close to how I use this in my private, non-UPS life)
A phrase used to instill a sense of acceptance in a situation. It is used to remind one of the unalterable elements of life ... think "I am who I am".
The phrase defines things that cannot be changed, ... "it is this way, so we have to accept it." An apple can never be an orange, even though if you wish, hope and dream it was an orange. it IS what it IS

 

[pickup]

Re: A liberal finally admits: abortion is murder!

The is you is... or is you caught my attn. here "sounds like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon my daughter watched.... Is you is... or Is you aint my baby

that's what I was trying to channel, glad that you picked up on it.

 

[Pump Up The Volume]

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.

It's an acceptance of mediocrity

 

[DS]

it is what it is
is it what it is?
I hate this term.Its a copout .Its like saying I don't have a good answer for you so I'll regurgitate the only response that exonerates me from giving you a truthful one.

 

[pickup]

More years than I care to remember, I rented the down floor apartment from a family that lived upstairs, the wife owned the two story house. Every month, I would pay her the rent and she would pay me a rant. The rant was generally how the world was going to hell in a handbasket and specifically any incidents that she was involved in the last week.
As I listened to her rants, I realized that she was not the innocent victim in these "hell in handbaskets" stories but probably a willing contributer to the world going to hell. So after I listened for five minutes, I said to her "It is what it is". She took the statement from me as if I sympathized with her struggles and validated them. I said the line , intending it to be taken that way but what I was truthfully saying is that "it is" probably something else than "what" she thought " it is."

After awhile, I started to pay her the rent in the morning, and just said "leave my receipt in the mailbox, I gotta get going, I'm running late."

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I think I would have slipped a check under her door so as not to deal with her.