"It Is What It Is": What It Is

That's a phrase I've uttered a few times, and I'm sure most of you have either said it yourselves or heard someone else say it.  I've always liked it.  A quick turn of phrase that fits an infinite number of situations.  But I've heard others disparage the sentence.  On different occasions I've heard people refer to it as "stupid", "meaningless", and "shallowness masquerading as depth."

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I'd like to try and change the doubters' minds.

"It is what it is" does, at first blush appear to be a trite truism.  Of course it is what it is.  What else could it be?  The dog is a dog.  The plane is a plane.  A=A.  You're not saying anything.

Not so.  To me, "it is what it is" encapsulates a very healthy mindset.  It's a simple phrase that conveys a more profound state of acceptance.  In any given set of circumstances, speaking these words primes the mind to simply let things be as they are, with no imposing of the will.  In a situation where the individuals involved can't change things, or the changing of things is fraught with far too much uncertainty, sometimes accepting things as they are is the best course of action.

Now, while "it is what it is" is a blanket statement, the same shift applies to the more specific phrases I mentioned earlier.  After a long, stressful day at work you finally arrive home to discover that Fido has torn up the carpet and eaten a pair of your shoes.  "The dog is a dog" is apt here.  It's in a dog's nature to act out sometimes when left alone for long periods of time.  And you, as the owner knew that proclivity when you purchased the dog.  So relax.  The dog only did what dogs do.  There's no blame to pass, and no need for anger.  The dog is a dog.  It is what it is. 

From that perspective, the phrase is rather potent.  And by speaking it aloud you're inviting others to participate in the acceptance of an immutable situation.

So to those who think "it is what it is" is a throw-away line spoken by the shallow in a vain attempt to appear philosophical, I say, try looking a little deeper.  And if you still don't get it...ah well, then it is what it is.