In-negative / Doubt url
A friend tells you he’s taking drugs
- You’re throwing away your life.
- Don’t you have a mind of your own?
- Please tell me it’s not true.
- You just brought it all on yourself.
- Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
- Do you know what you’re doing?
- That’s what I call plain old stupidity.
- You must be crazy.
- Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- I don’t seem to be able to get through to you.
- What are you trying to prove?
- You should have your head examined.
- You knew what you where getting yourself into.
- What are you trying to say?
- Was this your idea?
- It’s your own doing.
- Just look at you.
- Do as you wish, but don’t come crying to me for help when things go downhill.
- It’s the same thing over and over again.
- I don’t think anything I say will convince you one way or another.
- You don’t have anyone to blame but yourself.
- That’s the whole point, and I don’t think you’re hearing a word I’m saying.
- It seems as if what I’m saying is going in one ear and out the other.
- When I talk to you I don’t feel like there’s anybody home.
- What have you gotten yourself into?
A friend tells you he’s taking drugs
In-negative / Disappointment url
Couple discussing ending a relationship
- Talk is cheap.
- We’re drifting farther and farther apart.
- We didn’t hit it off too well.
- I sense that there’s no room in your life for me.
- There’s no point in continuing.
- I’m just not in the mood for putting any more work in it.
- I just don’t see it going anywhere.
- I saw the handwriting on the wall.
- I don’t feel that we’re on the same wavelength.
- I think this is what’s better for both of us in the long run.
- This time I really put my foot in my mouth.
- I think we’ve hit a brick wall.
- You broke my heart.
- I feel that it’s all an exercise in futility.
- Where has all the time gone?
- I realize now that I’ve been barking up the wrong tree.
- It’s outlived its usefulness.
- Ain’t that a crying shame?
Couple discussing ending a relationship
In-negative / Explaining url
Apartment is a mess
- I can only do what I can do.
- I try not the pay attention to these things.
- What difference does it make anyway?
- There’s a method to the madness.
- I’m getting nowhere fast.
- I’m on a tight schedule, and it just doesn’t leave me time for these things.
- I’m strapped for time.
- You can understand, can’t you?
- In the large scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter, does it?
- I just have a different set of priorities than you do.
- I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
- Out of sight, out of mind.
- At least I know where everything is.
Apartment is a mess
In-negative / Desperation url
Losing a job
- I can’t tell you how awful it is.
- I’m going to lose my mind.
- After what I’ve been through, I don’t know which way is up.
- It’s a lost cause.
- It’s a no win situation.
- It’s all downhill from here.
- It’s a sad state of affairs.
- It feels like things are spinning out of control.
- This is driving me up a wall.
- I’m at loose ends.
- It all seems like a bad dream.
- I feel like I’m on the ropes.
- I think I’m going to throw in the towel.
- After I try my best, and I find a lot of good that does.
- Where can I turn to?
- It hit me like a ton of bricks.
Losing a job
Out-negative / Push away url
Leave me alone
- I can’t be bothered.
- I couldn’t care less.
- It’s none of your concern.
- This is not my problem.
- Don’t try to pin this one on me.
- Give me some space.
- I don’t want to hear it anymore.
- I could care less.
- Nobody asked you.
- Don’t give me an ultimatum.
- Who cares anyway?
- Don’t twist my arm.
- Don’t start in on me.
- I think you’d better leave now.
- It’s none of your business.
- I think I've had enough.
Leave me alone
In-positive / Confidence url
After someone else buys the house they wanted
- Something better will come along.
- I could see that coming from a mile away.
- There’s plenty of fish in the sea.
- I’m confident that it’ll work out for the best in the end.
- There’s more where that came from.
- Experiences like this make us stronger.
- We’ll keep our eyes peeled for the next opportunity that comes our way.
- It was bound to happen sooner or later.
After someone else buys the house they wanted
In-positive / Surprise url
Reading the surprise ending of detective mystery
- You’ll never believe it.
- It was totally unexpected.
- I don’t believe it!
- I would have never guessed.
- It came out of the blue.
- Ahah!
- It took me by surprise.
- I didn’t see it coming.
Reading the surprise ending of detective mystery
Out-negative / Push away url
Stay away from me
- You give me the creeps.
- Keep your claws off me.
- You make my skin crawl.
- That’s none of your business.
- That’s not for you to judge.
- Keep your hands to yourself.
- Don’t rain on my parade.
- Don’t come barging in here.
- I’ve had enough of this, I want out.
- Good riddance!
- Oh, get lost.
- Don’t overstay your welcome.
Stay away from me
Out-neutral / Advice url
Flexible
- It’s best just to roll with it punches.
- Now let’s switch gears.
- Don’t get bogged down.
- That’s the way to learn how to do things like that.
- You’re as young as you feel.
- Pick up where you left off.
- Variety is the spice of life.
- When in Rome, do as the Roman’s do.
- Give it another shot.
- What have you got to lose?
- Let's play it by ear.
Flexible
Out-positive / Concern url
To a friend who is very depressed
- Don’t go bonkers on me.
- What’s wrong now?
- What’s on your mind?
- I hate seeing you like this.
- You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
- What are you so edgy about?
- Has the cat got your tongue?
- It’s good for you to get out once in a while.
- It seems as if you don’t know whether you’re coming or going.
- I’ll do anything I can.
- How can I ease your burden?
- I won’t be judgmental.
- I'm on your side.
- What’s come over you?
- Perhaps there are some things that I can take off your hands.
- Take things one day at a time.
- There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
- Take each day as it comes.
- Always know that I’m here for you.
- Sometimes it’s darkest just before the dawn.
- Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.
- Pull yourself together.
- Hold on tight, it will be alright.
To a friend who is very depressed
Out-neutral / Advice url
Be Resourceful
- Try to find a clever solution that would be like killing two birds with one stone.
- Here's an idea that you might find useful.
- Fight fire with fire.
- You should have thought of that before, but now you'll have to make up for lost time.
- Hold onto it, because you never know when it will come in handy.
- Drink some coffee, or take a quick nap, and that might perk you up.
- If you put your thinking cap on, maybe you’ll come up with a creative solution.
- Rise to the occasion.
- Put your thinking cap on.
- Try to come up with an 'out-of-the-box' solution.
- I came up with idea from out of the blue.
- I think that a solution to this problem might require a paradigm shift, a whole new way of looking at the situation.
- Ahah!
Be Resourceful
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
You are wrong
- That’s where you’re wrong.
- I should think not.
- That’s out of the question.
- That’s not so.
- If you think I’m going to go along with you on that, you have another guess coming.
- You had your chance.
- You just wait and see.
- I wouldn’t be so sure of that.
- That doesn’t even come close.
- You’re sadly mistaken.
- You couldn’t fool me for a minute.
- You are way off base.
- Nothing could be further from the truth.
- That option is just not in the realm of possibility.
- That choice is just out of the question.
You are wrong