"Don't be like the rest of them, darling".
"Darling. Shine. That is all".
"But sweetheart, you're a wolf. No need to howl at the loss of weak men incapable of accepting you".
"Darling, a beautiful thing is never perfect".
"You've always had the power, my dear".
"Be brave, darling".
What do all of these quotes have in common?
THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM PINTEREST, TUMBLER, AND THE ENTIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. And if one of those quotes (or words of endearment/pet names) are tattooed on you, take a lap. Stop it. STOP. IT. Can we please, for the love of God, stop throwing pet names and terms of endearment into otherwise perfectly fine quotes/cliches/statements?
Psychologically, why do quotes like this even appeal to people? Studies point to a few theories:
1. they sound more personal,
2. people associate terms of endearment with royalty,
3. they make things sound more feminine, and
4. 'pet names' are associated with love and comfort.
Shut. Up. What exactly is it that irks me so about this?
WARNING: OPINIONS COMING.
Quotes aren't personal. Someone said it, and they weren't talking to you. No matter how much it speaks to you, you don't own it. You aren't special. You're not royalty. If you haven't realized it by now, you're just another human being like the rest of us. Suck it up, darling.
You're a grown-ass adult. (Probably). Whether you want to be or not, deal with it. Stop trying to cushion things and make them cute-sy. Put on your big kid pants. These pet names are reminiscent of someone older or superior to you talking down to you. Whether lovingly or not, if you come up to me and call me "sweetie" or "honey" and you're not my boyfriend or my parents (and sometimes even then), for the love of all things holy- I will slap you. It's purely condescending. Love and comfort have their time and place. But toting one of those quotes around as a screensaver or tattoo or notebook cover literally screams "I'm weak."
Newsflash: you aren't weak. At least I'm trying to be nice here. You don't need a crutch. Your success rate is 100% so far for getting through life's sh*t. Don't throw an unnecessary chick word into an otherwise perfectly fine piece of literature.
This is where PDA comes in- another sign of weakness (AGAIN, MY OPINION). Dear, darling, honey, they're terms of endearment often reserved for a significant other- and only that significant other- to hear. It's well known that people who post absurdly lovey statuses and pictures and things are more likely to be insecure in their relationships. Same goes for being touched in public- whether you're trying to claim your domination of the person next to you or get off from forcing unwilling passersby to witness your little love sesh.
It's a respect thing. You don't need to be in my business, and I would love to avoid yours, too. Keep your f*cking tongue in your mouth, and your hand off your significant other's sh*t. You survived on your own two feet for this long- believe it or not, you won't fall over if you let go of that person. Respect me enough to leave me out of it, and I'll respect you enough to not say something.
This isn't coming from some single, bitter person. This is coming from someone who- regardless of how many relationships I've been in (a lot) and how long they've been (very long) or how good they've been (mostly lovely)- doesn't do it. Every once in a while, hey. Go wild. Let your inner thirteen-year-old out. Pretend like you only have that one moment because the upstairs is off limits to boys (or girls, etc.) and your mom would kill you. But I'm telling you, I'd rather see a parked, fogged-up car than your boyfriend incessantly kissing your cheek in the line at Six Flags.