"Maybe"

Such a soft word.  And, yes, we all use it to some degree or another.  What's it mean to you?

Uncertainty?

"I'm spread too thin"?  

"Could be fun... but then again something MORE fun just might come along."?  

How has our culture evolved into such a fast-faced, over-worked, over-committed lifestyle where, apparently, people want to have the "perception" of pleasing everyone, yet lack the willingness to give definitive answers and, apparently, the ability to collectively interpret such a gray word in the same way.

I came across this article today, and I found it to be an interesting read.  Hopefully you do too.

Too Many Powers of Maybe

Here's my take.  In most social settings, maybe means no.  When I send facebook invites to a party, most of the maybes and even a good handful of the yeses never make an appearance.  People want to please everyone, yet the ending result is probably a bit closer to the opposite.  It's okay to say no.  I'm certainly not offended by the answer.  I also think quality of experience diminishes as we spread ourselves thinner and thinner. 

As for planning, it's simply difficult and frustrating to organize an event around people who don't commit.  Dinner with friends? Have enough food and drinks for the ones who were thrilled enough to say yes.  Don't strain yourself to make sure there's going to be enough for those who "might have time to swing by".  This quote from the article pretty much nailed it on the head for me: [maybe means] 'You are not that important; other people or things might come along that are really more important,'

 More than anything, I try to take it all with a grain of salt.  Maybe is most often a weak answer, yes, it does annoy me most of the time.  I still use it occasionally, but I try to remember being on the receiving end of the answer and practice those simple words, yes and no, more frequently.  I think our digital selves are becoming more and more detached from true interaction, emotion, and how we affect others.  I've seen it in friendships, dating, and even the workplace.  We should probably just stop all of this social planning in the real world and start hosting group chat parties online.  It would sure cost a lot less, invitees wouldn't even have to be friends you've met in the real world, and maybe - just maybe - some of those folks might actually start increasing their attendance rates.