The Zeitgeist

It’s time for a new meme. I’ve been thinking about the all-too-pervasive acronym-cum-interjection “WTF?!”

In case you’ve been off-planet for a while, “WTF” is often applied where its situationally incorrect to actually say “What the Fuck?” I think is got its origin in a line from the (when Tom Cruise was still interesting) film Risk Business where Miles (Curtis Armstrong) says to Joel (Cruise’s character) “Sometime s Joel, you just have to say ‘What the Fuck!’ Because “What the Fuck” gives you freedom, and freedom gives you opportunity.”

I’d like to suggest a new use for WTF. If you try to say it you get something that sounds a lot like “What If…”

In all the talk about Web2.0, new “internet bubbles” and similar claptrap, we all should stop navel gazing and start stating “What If…?” “What If…” is the basis for every new idea, every innovation and every attempt to make the world a better place.

So, next time someone intjects “WTF?!” into a conversation, respond with “Yeah, ‘What if…’ What?” Start a conversation …. lots of good ideas come out of conversations that begin with “What if…”