Its meaning: The situation, circumstance, or outcome has already happened or been decided or established, so it must be accepted even if it is undesirable. I think we hear this phrase a lot today. At least once a day, or whisper to ourselves. How do you feel when you hear it? I really enjoy hearing it.
I feel as if "It is what it will be" works better whenever i hear that, i try to avoid any mindset that allows me to excuse inaction on my part. I know it may sound a bit weird but im lazy and if i can get out of having to exert effort i normally will.
In the world of physics, influential factors are usually considered "forces". If we divide the volume of our bodies by the volume of the whole world, it will be almost zero. We will finally be able to influence only a limited number of people and phenomena around us. If we approximate the scope of our influence and power, it will be very limited, and naturally there is nothing that can help humans increase their power so that they can be more effective. Now there are 2 major options left: Accepting the physical limitations (It is what it is) Looking for unnatural forces Unfortunately, the second option can not be found so easily.
One person can have effect over the entire world. It has happened multiple times. Also I tend not to look for the supernatural in the natural, it kinda subtracts from the magnificent beauty that is the natural
I know people who use the phrase "It is what it is" as an excuse not to look any deeper. It is used to sidestep responsibility and to dismiss any exploration they might feel threatened by. IOW, to stay emotionally "safe".
@Krusk - you'll need to do better. Where's your melody for It is what it is ? You won't get rich with just the lyric. Que Sera Sera had a catchy tune - where's yours? or were you hoping the forum would provide www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc
Thank you for mentioning one of the most important topics in music: Catchiness Everyone runs away with the impression that making a catchy tune is undemanding, but I think they aren't right. One of the underlying reasons that old music is unfading for most of us is their catchiness beside their powerful structures and compositions. If one hungers for enjoying music, he/she has to sift through the past. This isn't an unassailable fact, but we know since practically specific times , music took strange paths. A vehement understanding of the past is the first requisite for composers to be able to compose soulful songs once again. Regrettably, when it comes to discussing the past and referring to it, many blindly oppose it and support the present and its related cultures, more's the pity. I don't say that one shouldn't live in the present, but nonce isn't so interesting for many to find what they are looking for. It is what it is.
Wellllll, the next time I hear someone say this cliche (and I do say it all the time myself). I'm going to respond with the following, "True, but bearing in mind the converse property, it also isn't what it isn't." Afterwards I'm going to drop the mic the I always carry around, on their foot. Then just walk away...
Every 'Speech Act' has 2 main aspects (and a few others) [1] The Information Aspect (it contains information of some kind) [2] The Motivation Aspect (why is someone saying it?) Spoiler: Why philosophers like Speech Acts A speech act contains [1] The Information Aspect (it contains information of some kind) [2] The Motivation Aspect (why is someone saying it) Philosophers call these [1] The Propositional Content, and [2] The Illocutionary Content Here's why it matters... Imagine you ask an AI program (or Commander Data from StarTrek) to explain what this means... I say "The Cat is Sitting on the Mat" The AI program might be obsessed with [1] the Information Aspect and then be busy with figuring out what a cat is, what a mat is, and what sitting means, and on and on. And all that would completely miss the point because... [2] The Motivational Aspect When you say to me "The Cat is Sitting on the Mat" what you might mean is... My pet cat, which you regard as a dirty flea-ridden mongrel, is currently parking its smelly arse on your precious Persian Rug, and if I don't remove my pet from your rug pretty bloody quick, then you are going to smack my face. So [1] The Information Aspect may be important, but frequently [2] The Motivational Aspect is often far more important to understand, and you won't find that just by analysing the words. If someone says "It is what it is" [1] The information aspect is vacuous/empty (i.e., it says nothing more than the bleedingly obvious) [2] The motivational aspect is far more interesting The best motivation example has been described by @eldarktufa and another motivation example would be someone wanting to impress you by saying something that seems like it is profound (even when it's not). More about this motivation example in spoiler below about 'Deepities' All of this stuff about speech acts can get really interesting. Spoiler: Deepities Look up Daniel Dennet 'Deepities; to find more but here's the classic example Someone says "Love is just a word" Motivational Aspect (why did they say it)? So that we can all swoon at how profound that sounds and how smart the speaker must be to say it! And we shouldn't just dismiss it - the psychology of deepities does actually work. To be a true 'deepity' the sentence needs the following components. [1] it must contain an ambiguity, i.e., two very clear but different interpretations. [2] one interpretation must be very obviously true - but also totally trivial [3] the other interpretation must be false, but would be profound if true. With that combination the listener's psychology gets messed with in real time... - listener gets confused by the ambiguity - listener get sucked into believing (because of [2] the trivial truth) - listener gets sucked into being impressed (because of [3] profound) (and the falsity is overlooked because their brain is now in belief mode from [2]) See how "Love is just a word" qualifies as a deepity [2] The word "love" is just a word. well dah! of course it is, but now I'm seduced into believing! [3] If actual love could be reduced to just a word wouldn't that be amazing? Well yes it would be amazing (and now I'm contemplating 'profound'); But it's false! too bad, it's too late to notice it's false - you're already a believer from [2] --- time to cough up a deepity "Logic is just a DAW" please feel free to swoon at profundity Last edited: Oct 5, 2020
Music that "must be accepted even if it is undesirable" By who? "How do you feel when you hear it?" As I work on demand, I try to mix what I like with current practices. "Looking for unnatural forces" What do you call unnatural forces? where are these unnatural forces?, could you give me a practical example? starting from the way you speak, I tend to think that you are talking about musical practices related to "new music" and, if that is the case, I couldn't care less about a type of musical practice that proclaims the path of isolation and that continues to proudly reaffirm that. "One of the most important topics in music: Catchiness" What is the relationship between catchiness and the type of musical practice that you insist on proclaiming? "Music took strange paths" What kind of music, and what strange paths? For me, definitely: electronic music, spectral music, post-modernism, new complexity, and anything that involves everything at the same time now, creating the feeling that the listener appreciates a cheese cake with so many combined flavors resulting in something that cannot be minimally categorized. "To compose soulful songs once again" Following the tortuous academic practice of combining so many flavors that the listener cannot even minimally decipher them or, even worse, to offer original dishes incorporating ingredients such as coal dust, styrofoam, and plutonium? Nah dude, just forget it! "Many blindly oppose it and support the present and its related cultures" Thank God people connect with the music of their time and that is relevant to them, otherwise we would live according to the postmodern composer syndrome or worse, we would try to ignore biological imperatives in the search for symbolic capital. The present "isn't so interesting for many to find what they are looking for." Do you talk about mass media music? popular music? most importantly, who says this? an academic composer frustrated by the fact that people don't care for what seems absolutely relevant to him? "It is what it is. " As always, you seem to use the approach of decreeing truths for the purpose of leading forum members on those strange paths that you haven't even mentioned. Has this approach worked for you when it comes to your mental health? Last edited: Oct 5, 2020
I don't think he cares about it. The capital that seems to be relevant to him is what I would call symbolic capital. Last edited: Oct 5, 2020
I really liked the summary (great power of synthesis!): In the field of linguistics this makes perfect sense. But I would really like to see an approach involving speech acts and pragmatics that work in the field of instrumental music!
