In a conversation this morning a friend said to me: “He deserves better.”
I understood what she was saying, but I stumbled over her words, yet, we use them all the time.
Advertisers use them all the time.
You deserve it.
I deserve it.
He deserves better.
Really?
I find myself wondering what do I deserve?
I honestly don’t know.
I am not sure I deserve anything.
Somehow the word deserve taps into a sense of entitlement which I am not sure is helpful.
Because of who I am;
Because of what I have or don’t have;
Because I have worked hard or been good;
I deserve not to get sick.
Or, not to have a child struggle academically or battle addiction.
Or, to have this car or those clothes.
Or, to be treated with deference by any and all.
Maybe I am just picking at nits, but, in the end, I believe language matters and the words we use matter because words shape and reflect how we view our lives and think about our world. What do you think?
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