Overused sayings: "IT Takes All Kinds"

There are many overused and misused sayings that I don’t like; however, I think that, “It takes all kinds” is the one that I hate the most. Of course, there are several different mutations of “it takes all kinds” like, “different strokes for different folks,”” we all have our problems,” or “if God wanted us to all be the same he would have made us that way.”

In my estimation, these sayings are meant to point out that it is okay to be eccentric or different when it is harmless. The sayings point out that when someone is doing something like wearing high-water pants to work everyday, we should not gossip about them or pay their behaviors any mind because they really don’t matter.

The problem comes in when people try to use these saying to justify anything. For example, I worked with a guy who was coming to work drunk. This is clearly a problematic behavior. When I mentioned it to another coworker he said, “We all got vices.” I did not respond because he was a waste of air who was not worth me correcting. Clearly, I could have said something like, “So you think that anything is okay? It doesn’t matter if he is a danger to himself or others? Do you think he likes not being able to hold a job?” "Do you think that he planned it out as a little boy to get so drunk that he pisses the bed?" It's a shame that the guy was a drunk, but anything but excusable.

My point is I hate the, “it takes all kinds” genre of sayings because people use them as a means to justify nearly any behavior. The bottom line is everything is not okay, and there is nothing wrong with making judgments about people and situations, especially, if a person or situation is causing harm to someone. The fact is, these sayings should only be applied to situations that involve eccentricities and not raving stupidity.