Like, Totally

Doug Groothuis writes well today on America's penchant for the word "like." Obviously, many of us do not use the word as intended (for purposes of rhetorical simile). Why? Doug hits the nail on the head (in my estimation):

"Perhaps the reason is that people hesitate to state anything unequivocally, to affirm with conviction. Therefore, nothing is what it is (the law of identity), it is only 'like' something else. Resemblance or similarity is all we can commit to. This way, one doesn't have to affirm anything concrete about objective existence."

My first preaching teacher in seminary would always, after hearing a student sermon, criticize their use of the words "like" and "kinda." "Either you mean what you're saying, or you don't," he'd say.