I deeply, compassionately regret having to use words to attack other words in my last word-critique article. It couldn’t be helped. Am I heartless to turn words against their own kind? Of course they wish to maintain solidarity, but what am I to use to criticize words, pointy sticks? The words I attacked, Should, Promise, Just, and Still deserve nothing but our most sneering contempt. They are not absolved. As for the other words conscripted into the public pillory of their brethren, stand tall, you serve the greater good. Steady yourselves, your work is not done.

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Bad Phrases:

You already know this is filler. The chances that anyone who reads this - all four of you, I shake each of your hands individually - does not appreciate the meaninglessness of “I think” are nil. If you go to the effort of writing, then we know that the content is what you think. Saying “I think” just dilutes your point. To fix a sentence with “I think”, substitute … nothing. In most cases simply striking the phrase is all that’s needed.
This phrase was such a persistent blemish in my writing, I created a negative reinforcement for it. When my mac detects me typing “I think” it freezes for 10 seconds, giving me time to reflect on my actions, and adds this full screen overlay, blocking further misuse of the computer.

I refuse to turn it off, and writing just this paragraph has kept me up for 30 hours straight, in which time I have become dehydrated, I think.

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This creaky crutch is more a verbal pattern than written. Beware though, the same people who lean on it verbally are libel to slip it into text and other informal communication.

Right Now means “I’m really not like this”. But they’re in denial. It’s ducking responsibility, based on some mythical behavioral norm that offsets the current patterns.

“Things are really crazy right now"
“I just gotta get my car out of the shop”
“I’m in a huge crunch at work right now”

Talking about daily occurrences like they’re exceptions is a red flag - in personal and professional relationships. Here’s the thing about exceptions - they’re exceptional. They’re supposed to be quite rare, and should never occur on the first opportunity. People whose lives are out of hand, in an ongoing way, like to treat it like it’s a temporary situation. I say, verify that with real data.

Learn to recognize this in patterns of speech & understand that this person will always have a crisis brewing. And maybe that’s the engine that keeps them going in life - nothing wrong with it. But don’t get sucked into thinking that calmer times are just around the corner.

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Don’t tell me how to apportion my anxieties. For chrissake, without worry, I just may be empty inside. Is there anything else? Nobody wants the answer to that.

Admittedly this may be a cultural thing. I haven’t researched it. I meant to. But I had to move out of my room. I hear this more from speakers of certain cultures, and I don’t want to judge them by my American Strunk & White standard. That said, this phrase does nothing to soothe the listener, and any statement of assurance is improved by its absence.

See: Promise