If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?
If I could permanently ban one word from general usage,
it would be—
“SHOULD.”
.
Yes.
That tiny, overconfident, unsolicited life-advisor of a word.
.
“You SHOULD do this.”
“You SHOULD be like that.”
“You SHOULD have settled by now.”
“You SHOULD behave like an adult.”
.
Excuse me?
I can’t even decide what to eat without scrolling food reels for 20 minutes.
Please calm down.
.
“Should” is basically society’s way of saying:
“We don’t know your life, your brain, your dreams, your trauma,
but we’ll still tell you what to do.”
.
And honestly,
I’ve followed more “shoulds” than Google Maps,
and both have taken me to the wrong place at least once.
.
“Should” carries guilt.
“Should” carries pressure.
“Should” carries expectations that no one asked for
(but are delivered free with every conversation, like tissue paper in restaurants).
.
Imagine a day without “should.”
You’d wake up and think:
“I could… if I want to.”
Now THAT is freedom.
That is peace.
That is therapy without the bill.
.
We women especially hear a lifetime supply of “should”:
You should talk less.
You should smile more.
You should adjust.
You should compromise.
You should dress like this.
You should NOT dress like that.
You should sit like a lady.
You should stand like a lady.
You should breathe like a lady.
.
Arre bhai…
woman hu, WiFi router nahi, jo sabke expectations connect karu.
.
So yes…
If the universe gives me one ban power,
I’m taking should
and sending it on a long, unpaid vacation.
Somewhere far,
where even autocorrect can’t find it.
.
Because life becomes softer, calmer,
and beautifully mine
when I replace “should” with:
.
“I want to.”
“I choose to.”
“I feel like it.”
or
“My peace comes first.”
.
Honestly?
That’s the kind of vocabulary upgrade we all deserve. ✨
—Rajeshwari 🧿💕
(Poem ©Rajeshwari.
Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)
True breaking those shacles takes a lot of!!!
Shackles **
Absolutely… breaking those shackles takes courage, patience, and a whole lot of self-respect. 🤍
This is brilliant—sharp, witty, and painfully relatable all at once. I love how you turned such a small word into a powerful reflection on pressure, expectations, and personal freedom. The humor keeps it light, but the message lands deep, especially the line about women carrying a lifetime of “shoulds”—that really hits home. And that closing line? Absolutely iconic.
Thank you so much… your words truly mean a lot to me.
I’m glad the humor and honesty reached you exactly the way I felt them.
Sometimes the smallest words carry the heaviest expectations—
I just tried to say it the way we all feel it.
Your appreciation made my day. 😍🤍✨
“You’re most welcome! I’m really happy my words resonated with you. It’s true—sometimes the simplest expressions carry the deepest truths, and you conveyed that feeling beautifully. Keep sharing your thoughts and creativity; they have a wonderful way of connecting with people. Wishing you many more inspired moments ahead!” 😊
Thank you so much for your kind words… they truly touched me. It feels really special when someone receives my thoughts with such sincerity.
I’m glad the simplicity in my writing reached you the way I felt it. Your encouragement means a lot to me, and I genuinely appreciate the warmth you shared. 🤍✨
That’s so beautifully said. I’m really glad the appreciation resonated with you—it’s a special thing when words land the way they’re meant to.
The sincerity in your writing makes it easy to respond with warmth. When something is written from a genuine place, it carries its own quiet power—and yours absolutely does.
This is absolutely brilliant! 👏 The WiFi router analogy alone deserves a standing ovation. You’ve perfectly captured how “should” sneaks into our heads and sets up camp uninvited.
Aww thank you so much Srikanth ji…
your message honestly felt so warm to read.
I never thought that tiny WiFi analogy would get this kind of love—
I just wrote it the way the thought came to me, simple and a little silly.
I’m really glad it resonated with you, because that means the world to me.
Truly, thank you for appreciating it so sweetly. 🤍🙂✨
Absolutely loved this! 🙌 ‘Should’ really does carry invisible chains of guilt and expectation. Replacing it with ‘I choose to’ or ‘I want to’ feels like reclaiming life, one word at a time. Thank you for this refreshing reminder to honor our own pace and peace!
Aww thank you so much Vijay ji … your words felt incredibly gentle to read, and honestly, it made me smile.
It’s comforting to know the thought behind it resonated with you this deeply. Choosing our own pace and language really does soften life in such a quiet, honest way.
Truly grateful for your kind reflection. 🤍✨
Pretty funny take 😄 makes you want to yeet that word right off Earth 🚀🤣
Aww thank you Aarav… 😄
I’m glad the yeet-energy reached you!
Some words really do deserve a one-way ticket off the planet. 🤍🚀
Your analogy to Google Maps is spot-on—it highlights how blindly following external directives can sometimes steer us off course, away from our genuine desires and needs.
Thank you! Exactly sometimes when we keep following external directions without pausing to check in with ourselves, we may reach a destination that was never truly ours to begin with. 😊
Good explanation…
Thank you so much 🤍✨
A funny take, but with a deep message. I’m with you for banning “shoulds.”😊😀
Welcome aboard! Glad the message resonated with you..time to let go of all those “shoulds.” 😄✨