I Told You So
This is a phrase that I never use and when somebody else throws it at me, I get very annoyed.
It is such a useless cliché. The damage is done; it only serves to claim superior wisdom and does nothing to undo or limit the damage. A reproach is not going to fix anything.
I recently did something against my own better judgment and several people warned me not to do it. For my very own reasons, I still went on to do it and it went all wrong as everybody predicted. Very soon everybody, even some who did not say so at the time, said to me: “I told you so.”
It started when my sister’s son, one of the black sheep in the family, ask to borrow a sizable sum of money. He said it was to prevent the bank from repossessing his pick-up truck which is his livelihood. His father refused to help him. I called his father (long divorced from my sister, but still a good friend) to know why he would not help his son. He immediately advised me against helping and even phoned my sister and my father, asking them to ‘talk sense into my head’.
I knew that I would not see the money again, but as I’m very fond of my sister’s children, I reasoned that he had been out of trouble for several years now and deserved a chance. So I helped him. The little azzhole went off and bought an expensive golden necklace for his wife.
The fact is, had I not ‘helped’ him and he lost his transportation, I may for ever have wondered if I could have made a difference. So OK, I was wrong. The beneficiary of my favor was still the same irresponsible brat.
I have my own misgivings about helping somebody who apparently (now with hindsight) did not need or deserve help. But what is done is done. I know it was a mistake and don’t need to be reminded of it. If one cannot add something positive to a situation then he should shut up. After all, it was my loss, not theirs.
It is easy to say I told you so.
Have a great day out there!
Comments (57)
Yea, and so do I. But I don't fancy the idea of buying a necklace for my nephew's wife.
What about a baby of your own to raise. Babies are so cute. You must shout if you need any help.
Not true. You're the one who suggested that he deserves another chance.
You'll know better next time (I'm sure you want to give him a snotklap)
What hurts me most is that he lied to me to secure the money. I'm the one who always stood up for him and I'm the one who was prepared to help him when no one else, not even his mother, who is quite capable, was prepared to do it.
That is no maybe. I guess his mom and dad know him better than I.
I never expected the money back. Though I did not tell him, I wrote it off when I gave it to him. It is not the money that hurts, it is the deceit. Had he told me the truth, I may still have helped him; maybe a smaller amount, but I may well have done so.
Why....cause "i told you so'......
I Know! Right.
Because I do the samething___
It's better to give! Then to receive it back.
You did what you thought was best under the circumstances! No shame in that!
If someone that you aren't close to hurts you you get upset and usually move on.But when your family hurts you it really hurts.
As said, as I said, what is done is done. I just wish the family would lay it to rest now. His father should have kept the whole thing to himself.
I will do so as soon as I have caught up here.
Do The Right Thing!
Buy me a truck and a car. ______
Not in this country. Here you need to be downright corrupt to get anywhere in politics. A long criminal record is not required to become a politician, but it is a strong recommendation.
Well! Then. Just give him some work to do for you. And call it pay back!
Just saying!___
Right equal safe. In a very basic level, then, in order to be safe we have to be right. Being right means physical and social survival. It also means emotional survival.
It gets tied up with that most important emotional need: self-esteem. If we're right we get to feel good about ourselves. If we're wrong we get to feel bad about ourselves. Since feeling good about ourselves has a lot to do with survival-in the sense that people who feel good about themselves have happier and possibly longer lives-being right takes on deepened importance.
So, saying I told you so reaffirms their beliefs of safety and restores their self esteem.......jmo
We are a very close knitted family and we treat the children of our siblings the same as our own. My sister (and my late brothers - were they still alive) would have done the same to my children if they were in the same position. My nephew is my father's only male grandchild and to me he has always been the son I never had. I think this best explains my disappointment.
I don't think I can add anything to this.
How about a MadamCard. Not quite as acceptable as a MasterCard, but it may work at some places.
It is not about the money. It is the way in which he obtained it and mostly my family who seems to condemn me for trying to help him. Shucks! I did not even complain. I did not know what he did with the money until his mother told me on Wednesday. And now they all stand there telling me: "T told you!"
Right, what they're trying to do is to make me aware of their superior wisdom, vision and discretion.
Will do!
The porcupines are not a problem at the present. They are only culled when their numbers get out of hand, which will be in two or three months from now. I cannot wait. It is such excellent meat.
'Interesting' sounds like an interesting term here. I believe an old Chinese curse goes something like: "May you live in interesting times."
My gosh! Are we not living in interesting times?
what can I say....
I don't like that phrase and it also annoys me when somebody use that to me
Public floggings, do you think?
Years ago ,I helped out a cousin ,who was in a pinch for money. I helped him out and was never paid back,
I always try to learn something from bad situations, wish I was more like that when I was younger.
I could have told you, but I won't.
I wish all Santas looked like this.