Darkover
Archangel
- Jul 29, 2021
- 5,157
That phrase can be really dismissive. It ignores the fact that even if things technically used to be worse, that doesn't mean the present is good. It also downplays suffering, as if you should just be grateful instead of acknowledging your struggles. It's like saying, "Hey, you were drowning before, but now you're just treading water—so be happy about it."
The saying "It's the best you've ever had it" is often used to suggest that someone should appreciate their current circumstances because they are technically better than what came before. However, this phrase is misleading and flawed for several reasons:
By definition, unless someone's life is actively declining, each new peak in their well-being is "the best they've ever had it." But that doesn't mean things are good, just that they've never been better. If someone's life has always been bad, then slightly less bad is still bad.
If someone has been starving and now gets just enough food to avoid death, it's technically "the best they've ever had it"—but they're still suffering from hunger.
This phrase is often used in a dismissive way, implying that someone has no right to feel bad because things have improved. But improvement doesn't equal comfort, security, or happiness. If life is still painful, it doesn't matter if it's less painful than before.
Someone escaping an abusive home might still struggle with trauma and financial insecurity. Saying "it's the best you've ever had it" ignores that they're still suffering.
Just because something is better than before doesn't mean it meets a standard of being good. Something can be the least bad it has ever been and still be unacceptable.
If someone has been drowning in deep water but now their head is barely above the surface, it's better than before—but they're still drowning.
Since life is always changing, the phrase can keep applying indefinitely, even when conditions are still bad. If someone keeps experiencing incremental improvements but never reaches actual comfort or happiness, they're just stuck in a cycle of "it's the best it's ever been" while still being miserable.
Final Thought
The phrase is often used to dismiss dissatisfaction, suffering, or complaints. It implies that progress, no matter how small, is enough to be grateful for. But in reality, life isn't just about being better than before—it's about whether it's actually livable and worth enduring.
The saying "It's the best you've ever had it" is often used to suggest that someone should appreciate their current circumstances because they are technically better than what came before. However, this phrase is misleading and flawed for several reasons:
By definition, unless someone's life is actively declining, each new peak in their well-being is "the best they've ever had it." But that doesn't mean things are good, just that they've never been better. If someone's life has always been bad, then slightly less bad is still bad.
If someone has been starving and now gets just enough food to avoid death, it's technically "the best they've ever had it"—but they're still suffering from hunger.
This phrase is often used in a dismissive way, implying that someone has no right to feel bad because things have improved. But improvement doesn't equal comfort, security, or happiness. If life is still painful, it doesn't matter if it's less painful than before.
Someone escaping an abusive home might still struggle with trauma and financial insecurity. Saying "it's the best you've ever had it" ignores that they're still suffering.
Just because something is better than before doesn't mean it meets a standard of being good. Something can be the least bad it has ever been and still be unacceptable.
If someone has been drowning in deep water but now their head is barely above the surface, it's better than before—but they're still drowning.
Since life is always changing, the phrase can keep applying indefinitely, even when conditions are still bad. If someone keeps experiencing incremental improvements but never reaches actual comfort or happiness, they're just stuck in a cycle of "it's the best it's ever been" while still being miserable.
Final Thought
The phrase is often used to dismiss dissatisfaction, suffering, or complaints. It implies that progress, no matter how small, is enough to be grateful for. But in reality, life isn't just about being better than before—it's about whether it's actually livable and worth enduring.
