It’s easy to think that using certain phrases makes you sound wise, insightful, or even persuasive.
We hear them all the time—from colleagues, mentors, and even in countless motivational speeches. They seem polished, effortless, and full of meaning.
But the truth? Some of these phrases don’t make you sound intelligent or original at all. In fact, they do the opposite.
The problem with clichés is that they’re overused to the point of losing any real impact. Instead of making you sound thoughtful, they make you blend in with everyone else who has ever tried to sound profound.
And when it comes to how you present yourself—whether in your career or personal life—sounding generic is the last thing you want.
Here are eight common phrases that might be doing more harm than good when it comes to how people perceive your intelligence and originality—according to psychology.
1) “Think outside the box…”
This phrase gets thrown around constantly in workplaces, meetings, and brainstorming sessions. It’s supposed to mean being creative and approaching problems in new ways. But here’s the irony—using this phrase is the exact opposite of thinking outside the box.
When you say it, you’re not offering a fresh idea or a unique perspective. You’re repeating a phrase that has been used so often it barely means anything anymore.
Instead of impressing people with your originality, you sound like someone who is trying too hard to sound innovative without actually saying anything innovative.
If you really want to stand out, ditch the cliché and actually demonstrate creativity by sharing a unique idea or approach. Otherwise, you’re just blending in with everyone else who claims to be “thinking outside the box” while staying firmly inside it.
2) “Work smarter, not harder”
This one sounds like great advice—until you realize it doesn’t actually mean anything.
I used to say this phrase all the time, especially when I was overwhelmed with projects and trying to convince myself that I just needed to be more efficient. But the truth was, I didn’t really know what “working smarter” actually looked like. I was just repeating something that sounded good.
The worst part? I once said it to a colleague who was already pushing themselves to the limit, and instead of being helpful, it made them feel like they weren’t doing enough.
That was the moment I realized how empty this phrase really is. If someone is struggling, telling them to “work smarter” isn’t going to suddenly make their workload disappear or their challenges easier.
If you want to offer real value, be specific. Share actual strategies or insights instead of leaning on a phrase that sounds wise but doesn’t actually help anyone.
3) “Everything happens for a reason”
Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”
That’s a powerful idea—one that acknowledges how meaning is often found in hindsight, not in the moment.
But when people say, “everything happens for a reason,” it rarely carries that depth. Instead, it’s often used as a way to brush past difficult situations without really engaging with them. It’s meant to sound wise and comforting, but in reality, it can come across as dismissive or lazy.
Psychology tells us that our brains are wired to create narratives—we look for patterns and meaning even when there might not be any.
That’s why this phrase feels good to say. But repeating it doesn’t make you sound insightful; it makes you sound like you’re relying on a generic answer instead of thinking critically about what’s actually happening.
If you want to have a real impact in conversations, don’t just fall back on this phrase. Ask questions, listen, and acknowledge the complexity of situations instead of oversimplifying them with words that don’t really say much at all.
4) “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”
The human brain is wired to avoid pain, not to automatically grow from it. In fact, repeated exposure to stress and trauma can weaken resilience over time, not strengthen it.
Yet people love to throw around “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” as if every hardship automatically turns into personal growth.
The phrase is meant to sound empowering, but in reality, it ignores the fact that struggles don’t always lead to strength—sometimes, they just leave scars.
Not everything difficult comes with a silver lining, and pretending otherwise can make you seem out of touch rather than wise. If someone is going through something hard, they don’t need a cliché about toughness.
They need honesty, support, or even just silence—anything but an empty phrase that oversimplifies what they’re experiencing.
5) “It is what it is”
At first glance, this phrase seems harmless—almost like a verbal shrug. But that’s exactly the problem.
When people say “it is what it is,” they’re usually avoiding something. Avoiding a deeper conversation, avoiding responsibility, avoiding the discomfort of admitting they don’t have an answer.
It’s a phrase that sounds like acceptance, but most of the time, it’s just a way to shut down discussion.
Psychology shows that how we frame situations affects how we respond to them. Saying “it is what it is” reinforces passivity—it signals that there’s no point in questioning, analyzing, or trying to change things.
But real intelligence isn’t about accepting everything at face value; it’s about being curious, asking better questions, and refusing to settle for easy answers.
6) “Good things come to those who wait”
Patience is important, but waiting alone doesn’t guarantee anything.
People use this phrase as if time itself is the deciding factor in success, happiness, or opportunity. But in reality, psychology suggests that action—not just patience—is what leads to results.
Studies on goal-setting and achievement show that people who take deliberate steps toward what they want are far more likely to succeed than those who simply wait for things to happen.
The problem with saying “good things come to those who wait” is that it sounds like wisdom, but it subtly encourages passivity.
It assumes that patience alone will eventually pay off, when in reality, good things come to those who prepare, adapt, and take initiative.
7) “Live every day like it’s your last”
If people actually lived every day like it was their last, no one would pay their bills, show up to work, or bother making long-term plans.
This phrase is meant to be inspiring, but it falls apart under even the slightest scrutiny.
Human motivation thrives on a balance between living in the moment and planning for the future. Acting as if tomorrow doesn’t exist isn’t wisdom—it’s recklessness disguised as insight.
The real key isn’t to live as if time is running out, but to live in a way that balances urgency with intention. Instead of repeating this overused phrase, a better question to ask might be: Am I spending my time on what actually matters to me?
8) “Be yourself”
On the surface, this sounds like great advice. Who wouldn’t want to be authentic? But the problem is, “be yourself” is often used as a catch-all phrase with no real guidance on what that actually looks like.
The truth is, we’re not just one fixed version of ourselves. Psychology shows that identity is fluid—we adapt, grow, and shift depending on our experiences and the people around us.
Telling someone to “be yourself” assumes they already know exactly who that is, when in reality, self-awareness is something that takes time and effort to develop.
The more useful advice isn’t to simply be yourself but to understand yourself. What drives you? What holds you back? What are you willing to change, and what do you truly stand by?
Those are the questions that lead to authenticity—not just repeating a phrase that sounds meaningful but doesn’t actually help anyone figure out who they really are.
The bottom line
Language shapes how people perceive us. The words we choose can either make us sound thoughtful and original or generic and forgettable.
Clichés feel safe because they’ve been said so many times before, but that’s exactly why they don’t carry weight.
Real intelligence isn’t about repeating words that sound profound—it’s about thinking critically, questioning assumptions, and expressing ideas in a way that actually resonates.
Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” The same applies to communication. Instead of leaning on overused phrases, challenge yourself to articulate your thoughts with more precision and depth.
Next time you catch yourself reaching for a cliché, pause. Ask yourself if there’s a clearer, more meaningful way to say what you really mean. That small shift can make all the difference in how people perceive your insight and originality.
