Commnenters Dan Mulligan and Kelly Carter, on Chris Stokel-Walker’s related post at http://stokelwalker.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/so-why-do-people-think-that-so-is-new/, suggest that it’s used in place of “um”, “I mean,” “you know,” and similar place-holders or stalling-for-time utterances and that it is less objectionable. I’m trying get myself to agree with them and in future be less irritated by the phenomenon. Time will tell.

AW

I have been incredibly irritated by coworkers, friends, TV and radio personalities, and even myself, for using the word “So,” to begin a sentence where it sits there and tries, rather unsuccessfully if you ask me, to imply some kind of feigned superiority over the audience. I completely agree with comment #39 here… and had a “YAY!!” moment after reading this…
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To me, it sounds like the person is saying: “. I was just about to tell you this, but I had to wait through your lame and redundant question. Are you done asking? Have your lips stopped flapping? Okay, then; I’ll continue. So…”
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Right-On! Yes, that’s exactly how a person sounds when they start their sentences with the word “So,”. Kind of like, So, let me tell you how this works, (and by the way, I didn’t listen to a thing that you just said).

Now, I know that most people do not think that it sounds this way, but in reality, or subconsciously, it does, and has been used as an effective tool in convincing the audience that the speaker is absolutely right. Which of course, they may, or may not be.

I don’t see this trend ending anytime soon, but I’m trying my best to not use it this way. It just sounds disrespectful to my ear, and judging by the number of comments here, to many others as well.

Great piece and analysis of the ethos in the 19th century US vis-a-vis what we’re currently witnessing. What puzzles me though is what’s happening not just in the US, but also in Europe and across the developed world. If post-WW2 Europe and the US have both held equality near and dear, the Anglo-Saxon US has perhaps always emphasized more about the self-made-man and the rags-to-riches ideals that drive individuals and subsequently the society, but I believe there are lots of similarities in where we’re going with our societies: Social mobility is undermined in peoples minds, cynicism is creeping up and tolerance for plurality in the society is having a smaller and smaller place in our discourses. We are letting go of our dreams or at least forgetting to take time for them in our disbelief.

In addition to the Idea of America, there was also once the Idea of Europe. I would like to challenge us to think beyond individual nation states and revive the spirit that carried the whole western world past the post-WW2 struggles. We should think about the spirit that the US and Europe briefly build together in the Marshall plan of 1947. You could say the plan was inspired by geo-political concerns, but its big goal was also to instill a sense of hope and self-reliance in Europe and build a strong bridge between the peoples of Europe and the US.

I think our efforts to re-imagine the possibilities and dream the big dreams again should be revived across the western world, while at the same time joining those in Brazil, China and India where the spirits are already high. I think Tocqueville, just as the spirit of the European postwar integration (which in itself ranks among the most extraordinary achievements in modern world politics) could give all of us in the over-leveraged debt ridden dispirited western world lessons in how to dream again.

I work in a highly technical job, with new Americans from near Asia, far Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, middle Europe, and these bright & hopeful peers all have very positive outlooks.

If America is obsolete, why did they come here?
If America is broken, why are they all so happy?

Thank you for the point of view, Mr. G. Great column.

As far as waiting tables being a career, the 70-or-so year old waiter who served me at New York’s Concord resort was a canny, spirited, proud member of a small army of career waiters, no doubt missed by the peripatetic internationalist Mr. Giridharadas.

I see ecstatic hordes of new Americans crowding the big box stores, no doubt also under Mr. Giridharadas’ much too elevated radar.

The city on the hill still shines for them, and for millions of former Indian citizens moving here. I ask Mr. Giridharadas: What is India’s gross immigration rate this year? Or China’s…. or Brazil’s ??

All that has changed is the reason it shines.
America is now fully realizing the promises of freedom & equality that were only still ideas in Tocqueville’s day.

If you doubt me, ask the nation’s dual-race president, or Barney Frank, or any passing Mexican Landscaper.

Or your parents….

Among the points I would look at is the successful creation of a sort of caste system with the poor simply giving up, more and more people demanding the government take care of them as opposed to being self-reliant, the loss of personal innovation and much more. Even among the more affluent I am hearing a term I did not know very well in my youth… That is, people stating they can’t do something!

I am trying yet again to build a business. I am fighting this attitude every day. Between the government and a work force that has been taught not to think for themselves it seems a daunting task to get this accomplished. But I know this can still be done in this country and I am bound and determined to accomplish it!