If, What’s In An If

Photo by Michelle Tresemer on Unsplash

If If Was A horse We’ll All Be Riding

Sometimes the littlest things have the greatest impact

“Behind each door of what-if lies an unanswerable question that unhinges an infinite Rube Goldberg machine of probabilities. The life we have is the only one we will ever know, and even that with tenuous certainty.”
― Maria Popova, Figuring

What am I talking about?

If, the word and its many different meanings. When you look up the word in the dictionary you’ll find it has a long definition. Following is a shortened version.

A Formal Definition

If | if | conjunction:

1 (introducing a conditional clause) on the condition or supposition that; in the event that:

• If you have a complaint, write to the director
• If you like I’ll put in a word for you.

(with past tense) introducing a hypothetical situation:

• If you had stayed, this would never have happened.

• Whenever; every time: if I go out she gets nasty.

2 despite the possibility that; no matter whether:

• If it takes me seven years, I shall do it.

3 (often used in indirect questions) whether:

• He asked if we would like some coffee
• See if you can track it down.

4 [with modal] expressing a polite request:

• If you wouldn’t mind giving him a message? |
• If I could trouble you for your names?

5 expressing an opinion:

• That’s an awfully long walk, if you don’t mind my saying so if you ask me, he’s in love.

6 expressing surprise or regret: well,

• If it isn’t Frank!
• If I could just be left alone.

7 (with implied reservation) and perhaps not:

the new leaders have little if any control.

• Used to admit something as being possible but regarded as relatively insignificant:
• If there was any weakness, it was naiveté
• So what if he did?
• So what’s my point you ask?

Be Careful It’s A Word To Look Out For

Why am I saying to watch out for this word? The word if you can be deceiving you will often find it useful to allure you into something that might not be true.

If leaves a lot up to chance. You’ll often find it related to a promise that if you do this and if that happens this will happen. What?

To Give A Better Example

As you will find this used in many different examples. You’re looking to learn something new and you search out and find what you think you’re looking for. Its a course on internet marketing.

In their material, they go on to tell you that if you buy their course. You’re going to make tons of money. If you just follow the directions, and buy my other course with the direction. If that don’t work you can buy my course on following my direction and on and on it goes. If only if.

Let face it. There a no guarantee in anything. I don’t care what anyone says. And that’s why if is there. If there’s one, there’s more where that came from. You know what I’m talking about. don’t you?

If It’s On A Wednesday, With A Full Moon, In The 7th Month

That’s just some of the qualifiers to reach the desired goal. It’s so sad and misleading. What some do to get you to trust them, and hand over your hard-earned money.

To cover their asses in the end they might be kind enough to make a disclaimer. In very fine print at the very bottom of the page telling you just that.

They in their own way, tell you what the if is all about. They will go on to tell you that not everyone will get the same results as they said for various reasons. In other words, it all depends on other factors. that you could buy more information from them of suck wind. Or you just too stupid to get the results they promised.

So In The End

Be careful be very careful, When you see an if, ask your self these questions?

• If what?
• If when?
• If how?
• If why?

and most important

• If not? Then what.

Watch out for those ifs and protect your buts.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.

Jerry Pompilio