"Ending is Better Than Mending"

Huxley Knows How to Get Under My Skin…In a Good Way

Musings on Thought Terminating Clichés

My background in writing has always taught me to treat clichés as taboo, a cardinal sin tarnishing your journalistic credibility. However, clichés and especially thought-terminating clichés have always been of particular interest to me. A thought-terminating cliché is a saying that dismisses dissenting opinions or validates improper logic, often employed in a clever or almost lyrical sentence structure. Examples of this include sayings like: “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away” and “if you’re not with us you’re against us”.

Simple and memorable sayings like this can punctuate narratives and introduce incredibly pleasing rhythms. Aldous Huxley makes extensive use of this type of saying in one of my favorite books, Brave New World. Huxley creates so many catchy little phrases it is almost impossible to choose a singular favorite. One of the more memorable examples of this type of phrase is, “ending is better than mending” (pg. 49, 2006 edition).

To understand the nuances of this saying a little context must be given first. Brave New World is Aldous Huxley’s critique of the way modern civilization is continually trending towards an increasingly unabashed adoption of pain avoidance and consumerism. He does this by creating a dystopian world government set in the distant future where “everyone belongs to everyone else” and the entire system is founded on industrialism and fed by constant consumption. “Ending is better than mending” is a term that epitomizes this schema; the whole system relies on production so it is integral that the upper echelons of this government create a throwaway culture.

“Ending is better than mending”, like most of the phrases in the book, is a short and memorable phrase. Phrases like this usually rely on a simple rhyming scheme to increase their validity. This validation is achieved through the phrases ability to be easily remembered and subsequently repeated. Constant repetition is a way to drive in the subject matter, to the point where it seems second nature and above criticism.

At least that is the purpose of these types of sayings in the novel. However, when I hear singsong phrases like this they produce almost the opposite effect. Not simply the catchy ones, but the entire menagerie of thought terminating clichés, feel incredibly hollow to me. While many of them are so ingrained in daily life that people rarely notice them, I cannot help but prick up at their dismissive and often insubstantial level of analysis.

I must be in the minority because these types of trivializing comments have been around for centuries, despite how much they perturb me at present (maybe it is the masochist in me but this is also why I have find them enthrallingly interesting as well). They have successfully permeated all forms of discourse. They adorn signs of support and protest at liberal and conservative rallies alike. They can be found emblazoned throughout children’s stories concerning fluffy bunnys, in pamphlets proselytizing hatred or simply serving as the catchphrases of popular T.V. characters.

Their wide use and extensive reach is founded in their effectiveness in spreading rhetoric; as in ”(in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast” or ”the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience” and not “the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech” (dictionary.com). These types of phrases just brim with possible applications.

Despite my chagrin I must admit that phrases like “ending is better than mending” have a definite time and place. Like in children’s shows or forums where complicated discourse is difficult. Juxtaposed, these types of sayings should have no home in a political, philosophical or educational setting. Discourse is a necessary part of any society and one sentence cannot substitute for a fully thought out argument. While it is able to synthesize a main point into a key phrase its prevalent usage is alarming. If I may be permitted to use a thought terminating cliché to end my tirade as well as denounce thought terminating clichés, it would have to be: thought terminating clichés are bad!

While I feel that I may have strayed too far from my original saying: “ending is better than mending”, it is my humble opinion that Aldous Huxley would forgive me. I think he would enjoy my quibbling with abridged discourse and applaud my efforts. Hopefully my blog moderator does as well.