Doesn't it mainly just imply that there isn't an afterlife? It's not that the dress rehearsal isn't important, it's that there isn't one. There's only the (metaphorical) performance. (Which is presumably one-night-only, though I suppose if you believe in infinite reincarnation it could be read differently.)

Yeah, I've only ever taken it as "you don't get a second chance to do things, so do them now!"

So, does anyone else have some random platitude that totally rubs them the wrong way because the more you think about it the more totally wrong it seems?

"Everything happens for a reason."

"Everything happens for a reason."

Ooh, I hate that one.

I HATE that one Zen. Along with "It's all for the best."

Doesn't it mainly just imply that there isn't an afterlife? It's not that the dress rehearsal isn't important, it's that there isn't one.

Although, oddly, when I Googled the phrase it came up on a metric shitload of Christian inspirational websites. (Which I guess kinda makes sense -- even if you believe in an afterlife, the one thing most faiths say about it is that it's not much like this one, so every day you live here in this life in this world could still be your last chance ever to do this exact whatever-it-is.)

I still don't like it; what's the point in saying that life is not a dress rehearsal so treat every moment like it's hugely important, when importance and getting it all right are the whole point of a dress rehearsal? I can't even come up with a similarly not-pungent non-contrasting contrast metaphor to emphasize its not-pungency, but it just feels like a sad wet wad of tissue paper. I prefer symbolic language that gets tougher and thinkier the more you worry at it.

I googled "annoying platitudes" and found "It's always darkest before the dawn." But do people actually say that? I mean, to someone who's going through a difficult time?

And, bleah, Zen and Burrell, those two are sucktastic.

I still kinda want to track down whoever expressed boundless empathy to erika by pointing out that s/he was crippled by the tragic inability to be a fighter pilot and punch 'em in the neck.

"Everything happens for a reason."

Some of those reasons are just shittastic, is all.

More that I found:

'God only gives special babies to the special parents.'

Failure to plan is planning for failure.

No it isn't.

Ooh. Now I remember.

When you assume, you make an ass of you and me.

I make a million assumptions a day - such as, the sun will rise, gravity will continue to work, etc....

Timelies all!

Nova is batting at a Sharpie on Gary's desk. This cannot end well.