um umm absolutely

here is a word that is much overused in our day

absolutely

i hear it used in response to just about any question

it is an adverb

how could an adverb become so colloquial

it has taken on a common usage in the context
of verifying the most inane topics

did your acne improve overnight

absolutely

was the abortion necessary

absolutely

did your father abuse you

absolutely

must we "stay the course" in iraq

absolutely

is your girlfriend a whore

absolutely

are you free to think in what ever way you choose

well i don't know

o i mean

of course

absolutely

is it necessary to compromise basic freedoms
in USA in order to protect ourselves from terrorists

absolutely

is your dog intelligent

absolutely

in the cult of babble it is the go to word

in it's present usage
it is a word that is meant to dispel doubt

people who use this word really get behind it
they have no idea
nor do they wish to know
what the word means

they know simply that they can use it to
emphasize the mindlessness of their responses
in any conversation

if a person uses this word to respond to a question
it gives the suggestion that there are few or perhaps no
possibilities for challenging their self perceived authority on the matter

the word conveys an inward self confidence
one can use this word and never have to question
the substance or the logic of ones statements
which is a good thing in our culture
we don't want people to question their logic
for fear that they would have to recognize they are devoid of such

absolutely

i am beginning the practice of
reacting to the use of the word

i will say


are you sure?

after someone uses that term

just to get them to think a little

we call it charitable linguistic subversion