In-negative / Doubt url
Neighbors of the Wright Brothers
- I’ll believe it when I see it.
- Are you really sure?
- Personally, I don’t think you stand a chance.
- The odds are stacked against you.
- I don’t think anything will ever come of it.
- Are your out of your mind?
- Are you serious?
- Are you crazy?
- You must be drunk.
- Are you kidding?
Neighbors of the Wright Brothers
Out-neutral / Advice url
Examine-1
- You can’t bury your head in the sand.
- Keep track of it.
- Keep it in perspective.
- Don’t blow it out of proportion.
- Keep your eye on the ball, and don’t get distracted.
- Life is never black and white.
- Stay focused, keep your eye on the ball, and don’t let your mind wander.
- I think your mind is playing tricks on you.
- I'll let you be the judge.
Examine-1
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 / Doubt url
Looking for keys that were lost in the park
- It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
- Maybe we’ve been looking in the wrong place.
- Maybe we’re barking up the wrong tree.
- I think we’re wasting our time.
- Sometimes you just have to know when to call it quits.
- Let’s just call the whole thing off.
- After all this effort, I no longer know if I’m coming or going.
- I’m totally tuckered out.
- I think it’s a lost cause.
- Let’s do something else for a while and just keep my eyes open for it.
Looking for keys that were lost in the park
In-positive / Determination url
Person who is depressed
- I decided on the spot, once and for all, that I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.
- I woke up and said, there’s no time like the present.
- I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet.
- I’m determined to resist the temptation.
- This is the first day of the rest of my life.
- I overcame the difficulties confronting me.
- I’ve made my mind up.
- I made a clean break.
- Everything takes time.
- Now I’m more determined than ever!
- There’s always a first time.
- I'm 100% focused on making sure I get myself out of this crazy situation.
Person who is depressed
In-negative / Doubt url
Being told that a certain penny stock is a sure thing
- I have a nagging suspicion that this isn’t on the up and up.
- I don’t feel right about it.
- I just can’t buy that.
- You can’t fool me.
- I’ve heard that before.
- That’s wishful thinking.
- It’s a figment of your imagination.
- Whatever gave you that idea?
- I wouldn’t be too sure.
- It won’t hold water.
- I find that very hard to believe.
- What are you talking about?
- If I did that, it would be against my better judgement.
Being told that a certain penny stock is a sure thing
In-neutral / Acceptance url
After an operation
- It’s just going to take time.
- I’m feeling as well as can be expected given the circumstances.
- I think for a while I’ll just have to get used to living with it hanging over my head.
- I’ll take each day as it comes.
- I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- It is what it is.
- I can’t complain.
- Every cloud has a silver lining.
- It takes some getting used to.
- At first after the operation, I felt achy all over, but I recovered bit by bit, day by day, slowly but surely.
- It could have been a whole lot worse.
- Life has its challenges.
After an operation
Out-positive / Friendship url
Compliment-2
- You look wonderful.
- You look very nice.
- That’s so sweet.
- You say the sweetest things.
- You have a wonderful gift of making friends.
- You say the sweetest things.
- Complements to the chef.
- You’re the one and only.
- You have good taste.
- You’re all heart, that’s what I like about you.
- You’re the hit of the party.
Compliment-2
In-negative / Doubt url
Police questioning thief
- Your story doesn’t hold water.
- Can you please run that by me again?
- That’s hard to believe.
- You expect me to believe that?
- There’s something fishy about your story.
- You’re lying through his teeth.
- What you’re tell me just doesn’t wash.
- Do you expect me to believe that cock and bull story?
- That’s nothing new.
- It’s too late for that.
- I think you’ve been up to no good.
- You can talk till you’re blue in the face, I just don’t buy it.
Police questioning thief
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
In-positive / Surprise url
A friend wins the race for mayor
- Now that takes the cake!
- Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.
- In all my years of experience I’ve never seen anything like it.
- Wasn’t that a real kick in the pants?
- Oh, my goodness.
- It left me speechless.
- Isn’t that a kick in the pants?
- How do you like them apples?
A friend wins the race for mayor
Out-neutral / Advice url
Realistic-1
- Try to be realistic, don’t be fooled by wishful thinking.
- You’re kidding yourself.
- You can only go so far.
- Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
- Life’s not fun and games.
- In my opinion, you’re just fooling yourself.
- I’m just suggesting that you should look at your options again, because in the long run, I think you’re setting yourself up for endless let downs.
- Try to see the situation for what it is, because it’s better if you don’t have to learn that the hard way.
- It’s a question you have to ask yourself.
- You have to be realistic.
- You’re living in a fool’s paradise.
- The reason your ideas are not more successful is that they are all half-baked.
- You’re spending money like it was going out of style.
Realistic-1