In-negative / Doubt url
Being told that a bad investment you made will go back up
- You’re just trying to make me feel better.
- How can you be so sure?
- I think the truth is more complicated than the way you’re making it sound.
- What you’re saying just doesn’t hold water.
- I wouldn’t hold my breath.
- That’ll be the day.
- I don’t believe it for a minute.
- After what already happened, what difference does it make anyway?
- Maybe yes, maybe no.
Being told that a bad investment you made will go back up
In-positive / Determination url
General during battle
- We’ll see what we can do to rectify the situation.
- Never, never, never give up.
- I’m a stubborn man.
- You’ve got to be tough as leather.
- Don’t give up the ship.
- That’s an order.
- Might makes right.
- I have no choice but to take matters in my own hands.
- If the enemy breaches our last line of defense, will we have to defend our position with all we've got.
- I’ve just begun to fight.
- I’ll take my chances.
- I’ll guard it with my life.
- I’m determined to go through with the plan.
- This is the moment of truth that will test our mettle, to see what stuff we are really made of.
- It’s now or never.
- It’s above and beyond the call of duty.
- We shall overcome.
- We’ve crossed the point of no return.
General during battle
In-negative / Doubt url
Being told a ‘foolproof’ way to not tell the truth on taxes
- It’s a prescription for disaster.
- What good would that be?
- How would that help?
- I don’t think that’s such a good idea.
- What’s the point?
- It won’t last for long before it blows up.
- Does that make sense to you?
- I doubt that very much.
- True to form, you’re up to your old tricks.
- I should have expected you to come up with a hare-brained idea like that.
- Do the ends justify the means?
- No, no, that won’t do at all.
- You’ve got another guess coming.
- The idea just smells, because honesty is the best policy.
- I’m going to look the other way, and pretend I didn’t hear that.
- I imagine you would, but don’t expect me to get caught up in your shenanigans.
Being told a ‘foolproof’ way to not tell the truth on taxes
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Finding a parking place 5 blocks from the restaurant
- This is a good place as any.
- It’s certainly not what we hoped for, but it’s better than nothing.
- I think we don’t have much of a choice.
- That’s good enough for me.
- That’s to be expected.
- That’s just the way it’s going to have to be then.
Finding a parking place 5 blocks from the restaurant
Out-positive / Encouragement url
To a child who finished their homework
- Now that didn’t take so long, did it?
- Good for you.
- That sounds just great.
- Perfect!
- That was a very admirable thing to do.
- Awesome!
- Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
- Aren’t you glad that’s over with?
- Don’t you admit that it looked like it was going to be much harder than it turned out to be?
- See what you are capable of doing when you put your mind to it?
- That's my girl!
To a child who finished their homework
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Losing money in the stock market
- It happens to the best of us.
- Life goes on.
- You can’t turn back the hands of time.
- Let the chips fall where they may.
- You can’t take it with you.
- Money isn’t everything.
- That’s the way the cookie crumbles.
- This too will pass.
- Easy come, easy go.
- I’ll take full responsibility for it.
- It was bound to happen.
- We live and learn.
Losing money in the stock market
In-positive / Confidence url
After someone else buys the house they wanted
- Something better will come along.
- I could see that coming from a mile away.
- There’s plenty of fish in the sea.
- I’m confident that it’ll work out for the best in the end.
- There’s more where that came from.
- Experiences like this make us stronger.
- We’ll keep our eyes peeled for the next opportunity that comes our way.
- It was bound to happen sooner or later.
After someone else buys the house they wanted
In-negative / Doubt url
After wife suggests to husband that he run for Mayor
- How am I going to pull that off?
- That’s easier said than done.
- I’m not so sure.
- It sounds like it’s nothing more than a pipe-dream.
- Hey, you never know.
- What are we waiting for?
- I’m having second thoughts about it.
- I think you have more confidence in me than I have in myself.
- I don’t even know if it’s worth the effort.
- It’s a nice idea, but what are the odds of it succeeding?
- I don’t know if I’m up for it.
- What do you think the odds are of it succeeding?
- I appreciate your vote of confidence, but do you think it’s worth a try?
- We have to be realistic about it.
- I have my doubts.
- Should I give your suggestion the benefit of the doubt?
- Are you pulling my leg?
After wife suggests to husband that he run for Mayor
Out-neutral / Observation url
General-3
- It’s as pure as the driven snow.
- Two wrongs don’t make a right.
- Some things never change.
- What you see is what you get.
- It takes one to know one.
- That’s par for the course.
- You see one, you’ve seen them all.
- What goes around, comes around.
- They’re a dime a dozen.
General-3
In-neutral / Caution url
Investing a lot of money in a startup
- I think there’s danger lurking ahead.
- Something about the whole situation smells.
- I’m going to proceed with caution with all deliberate speed.
- I’m going to get to the bottom of it.
- It’s too early to tell.
- The stakes are high.
- I’m going to try to be patient.
- Everything’s up in the air.
- Is the potential reward worth the risk?
- It might be too good to be true.
- It might be like reaching for the moon.
- It might take a while before the truth comes out.
- I can’t have it both ways.
- I shouldn’t count my chickens before they’re hatched.
- I might be making a big mistake.
- Don’t get too comfortable, because the situation is fluid and unpredictable, and could change at any moment.
- Let's give it time, and see how it plays out, because there could be a considerable upside potential.
Investing a lot of money in a startup
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Admitting a mistake
- It may not be a pretty picture, but at least now it’s all out in the open.
- Everyone’s gotta do what they gotta do.
- What other options do I have?
- We have no choice.
- I decided to stand up like a man and admit it.
- Nobody’s perfect.
- Take it from me, it couldn’t be helped.
- One good deed leads to another.
- It’s better that way.
Admitting a mistake
In-positive / Surprise url
A friend becomes president of the company
- Goodness gracious.
- Well what do you know?
- It’s too good to be true.
- For goodness sakes.
- For heaven’s sake.
- It took us all by surprise.
A friend becomes president of the company