Who Is 'They'?

You hear it all the time, "They will not allow it" or "I wonder if they know what they're doing". Or how about, "They say things are going to get better."

'They' is a non-entity. It is the catchall when making an anecdotal point or when you are not sure who is responsible for an action. While construction of a dam was taking place, I heard my Aunt remark, "I sure hope they know what they are doing." She had no idea of who 'they' might be, but pinned whoever it was to 'they'.

Sealy's (Sealy, TX) new entrance and exit ramp on I-10 was finally built, and everyone just assumed that the reason for waiting so long to build it was that 'they' would not allow it before now.

Politicians are still trying to figure out who is pulling the strings on the price of oil. Congress does not even know if there is a bad guy or not. And in this case 'they' is a consortium of big oil, speculators, and people who use too much of the stuff. Yes, 'they' is a big tent. 'They' can represent individuals or groups of people. Anytime you cannot be sure about the identity of the responsible party, it becomes 'they'.

Whenever you hear such remarks, do not assume the person uttering the statement knows anymore than you do about the subject. Be inquisitive and explore that person's knowledge on the subject. Such statements can cause problems especially when left for you to fill in the blank. Be of good cheer though, we can all have a wonderful life if only 'they' will let us. They are always watching so try not to think about it -- too much.

Cheers,

-Robert-