(link to wiki for thought reform and psychology of totalism is under image--just clicky ittt)
The portion I find some have trouble with is "used to quell cognitive dissonance"
Quell basically means stop for those who are off-put by that word.
Cognitive dissonance pretty much the uncomfortable feeling one has when approached with ideas that are different from their own...I.E. disagreeing.
So to take it full circle if you take that in mind, you can use some intuitive logic to perceive what it means as well.
"thought terminating" to me makes me think of well...thoughts, and then it makes me think of the terminator who was originally made to kill or "terminate" sarah connor.
so thought-killing cliche.
cliche is pretty much generic terms/common phrases.
here's a list of thought thought-killing common phrases, many you may very well have heard AND said:
Quote:
*"Why? Because I said so!"(Bare assertion fallacy—and “I’m the parent, that’s why” Appeal to authority).
* “That’s a no-brainer.”
* “That's a given”
* “When you get to be my age…”(as in “When you get to be my age you’ll find that’s not true.”)
* “You don’t always get what you want.”
* “What goes around comes around.”
* “You win some, you lose some.”
* “Ah well, swings and roundabouts.”
* “The best defence is a good offence.”
* “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."(Appeal to ridicule if said sarcastically)
* “It works in theory, but not in practice.” (Base rate fallacy)
* “There's no silver bullet.”
* “It's just common sense.”
* “Stupid is as stupid does.”
* “It makes sense to me, and that's all that matters.”
* “Well, it just depends on the person.”
* “To each his own.”/“Each to his own.”
* “You've gotta live your life.”
* “Easy come, easy go.”
* “Life is unfair.”
* “Such is life.”
* “It is what it is.”
* “It was his time.”
* “Whatever.”
* “Yawn.”
* “Meh.”
* “You said that before“ or “There you go again.”
* “I'd like to see you do it better.”
* “It's not worth it.”
* “Be a man and...”
* “Who cares?“
* “It's a matter of opinion!”
* “Think about it.”
* “Just forget it.”
* “...so, you do the math.”
* “We will have to agree to disagree.”
* “We all have to do things we don't like.”
* “You are not being a 'team player'.” (Ignoratio elenchi)
* “That's just wrong.” or “You just don’t do that.”
* “It takes all kinds to make a world.”
* “Just do it.”
* “That's what s/he said.”
* “Much like your posting.”
* “Don't be that guy.”
* “Just look at me now.”
* “Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
* “Because that is our policy.”
* “Don't be silly.”
* “There's no smoke without fire.” (used to convince others that a person is guilty based on accusation or hearsay and to discourage further examination of evidence)
* “But... anyways....”
* “I'm just sayin'.”
* “So it goes.”
* “Don't shoot the messenger.” (Bare assertion fallacy)
* “Me thinks thou dost protest too much.” or “The more you argue, the less we believe you.”
* “Science shows....”
* “This too will pass.”
* “But it just feels (felt) right.”
* “Think of the children.”
* “That’s a no-brainer.”
* “That's a given”
* “When you get to be my age…”(as in “When you get to be my age you’ll find that’s not true.”)
* “You don’t always get what you want.”
* “What goes around comes around.”
* “You win some, you lose some.”
* “Ah well, swings and roundabouts.”
* “The best defence is a good offence.”
* “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."(Appeal to ridicule if said sarcastically)
* “It works in theory, but not in practice.” (Base rate fallacy)
* “There's no silver bullet.”
* “It's just common sense.”
* “Stupid is as stupid does.”
* “It makes sense to me, and that's all that matters.”
* “Well, it just depends on the person.”
* “To each his own.”/“Each to his own.”
* “You've gotta live your life.”
* “Easy come, easy go.”
* “Life is unfair.”
* “Such is life.”
* “It is what it is.”
* “It was his time.”
* “Whatever.”
* “Yawn.”
* “Meh.”
* “You said that before“ or “There you go again.”
* “I'd like to see you do it better.”
* “It's not worth it.”
* “Be a man and...”
* “Who cares?“
* “It's a matter of opinion!”
* “Think about it.”
* “Just forget it.”
* “...so, you do the math.”
* “We will have to agree to disagree.”
* “We all have to do things we don't like.”
* “You are not being a 'team player'.” (Ignoratio elenchi)
* “That's just wrong.” or “You just don’t do that.”
* “It takes all kinds to make a world.”
* “Just do it.”
* “That's what s/he said.”
* “Much like your posting.”
* “Don't be that guy.”
* “Just look at me now.”
* “Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
* “Because that is our policy.”
* “Don't be silly.”
* “There's no smoke without fire.” (used to convince others that a person is guilty based on accusation or hearsay and to discourage further examination of evidence)
* “But... anyways....”
* “I'm just sayin'.”
* “So it goes.”
* “Don't shoot the messenger.” (Bare assertion fallacy)
* “Me thinks thou dost protest too much.” or “The more you argue, the less we believe you.”
* “Science shows....”
* “This too will pass.”
* “But it just feels (felt) right.”
* “Think of the children.”
How often do you use them?
I myself have tried to 'slow my roll" on using them.
wiki also has another interesting tidbit if you like George Orwell or Aldous Huxley:
Quote:
In George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the fictional constructed language Newspeak is designed to reduce language entirely to a set of thought-terminating clichés. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World society uses thought-terminating clichés in a more conventional manner, most notably in regard to the drug soma as well as modified versions of real-life platitudes, such as, “A doctor a day keeps the jim-jams away.”
