Maybe

Maybe...  What a wonderfully easy word.  Utilizing that word provides no obligation thereby avoid giving offense, right?  I guess that depends on who you talk to, but I submit that maybe = "I'm too scared to say no".

You may have noticed that a number of people don't use this word correctly.  Merriam-Webster's Learner Dictionary has this to say about the word maybe: "It is used when you are talking about an action that has a chance of happening in the future."  Imagine that.  How often do you hear someone use this word who actually thought there was a chance of something happening in the future?  Not very often.

Take facebook for instance.  Why is there a "maybe" option when you are invited to an event or party when it usually means those people won't be there.  I don't want it to sound like I think this party looks lame or that I don't like the person inviting me, so I click maybe.  The fact is I think the party doesn't appeal to me or I feel like I don't know the person well enough to want to come.  Personally, I think they should create a thumbs up-thumbs down system similar to Pandora.  If you give an invite a thumbs down, there would appear a bubble that says "Thank you.  We will no longer bother you with parties/events of this kind in the future.  Would you like to block all invites from this friend?"  Wouldn't that be nice.

Here's one of my favorite things people say:

"Are you coming tomorrow night?"

"Maybe.  Who will be there?"

Am I not good enough for you?  I guess that means we're not really friends.  Why do people ask this all the time?  Frankly, it fascinates me.  The best is when people say this even when they have nothing else/better planned.  Either they don't think hanging out with me is all that alluring or they are looking for someone special they want to hang out with.  Face it.  In a group of friends there is usually at least one who has more than platonic interest in another friend.   If that special someone is not there, the interested party tries to figure out a way to hang out with him/her instead of hanging out with you.  Hence, why "maybe" is such a good word.  I would hang out with you if so-and-so were there too.

I'm definitely guilty of playing the maybe game.  So if ever you ask me to do something and I say "maybe", don't count on me at all, and I expect about the same from you.  There might be a chance, but it's a 0.83% chance.  Maybe if my future wife was going to be there...