Hey, there, how goes it? (“Partners In Crime” by The Strokes) Music and musicians have done so much for me by creating art that I connect with, so I thought it would only be fair if I answer some of their burning questions. It’s the least I can do, right? ImeantheyputoutsuchgoodmusicandprobablydontwanttowastetimeGoogling… Oh, sorry, am I talking too fast? (“I Won’t” by AJR)

Anyway, here’s the answers to questions posed in three of my favorite songs! Hopefully, I can help relieve the curiosity of a few lyricists with my research. 

Q: Is there a word for bad miracle? (“Heartbreak Feels So Good” by Fall Out Boy”)

A: Disaster.

My first instinct when researching this question was to hit up Thesaurus.com for an antonym for the word “miracle,” but their strongest suggestion was “expectation.” Ummm… no thank you. Not what I was looking for, but nice try. 

So my next step was to go to Merriam-Webster and find a good definition from which I could work backward. Here’s what I found: (1) “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs” or (2) “an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment.” 

The English Language & Usage forum on Stack Exchange suggested “disaster,” “catastrophe,” or “curse.” The bot assistant on Quora also suggested “disaster” along with “misfortune.” (This Reddit post makes a strong argument for “spectacle” based on the movie Nope. I have not seen the movie, so I didn’t use this for my answer, but it might be interesting to some of you!)

Based on etymology alone, I tend to agree with the bots and English nerds. “Disaster” comes from the Latin “dis” (from) and “astrum” (star), generally meaning “ill-starred.” This ties in well with the first Merriam-Webster definition in that it’s something extraordinary coming from celestial bodies, whether that’s God or the stars. And “disaster” definitely has a more negative connotation than “miracle,” so it could be interpreted as a “bad” version of the word “miracle.”

Of course, this is only taking the English language into account, so maybe there’s a non-English word out there just waiting to be discovered by a humble blogger such as myself. Since a miracle causing me to know all languages is unlikely, I’m happy settling on the word “disaster”!

Q: Can you die of anxiousness? (“Next Semester” by twenty one pilots)

A: No, not really. 

I mean, according to this 2016 study, sort of? The data is a couple decades old, but the study found that there was a higher mortality rate in those with anxiety disorders, though the study was purely data-driven and did not investigate whether the higher risk came from other health issues, unhealthy coping mechanisms, etc. Another study pointed out that ethnicity, age, culture, and life experiences can all affect how one experiences an anxiety disorder. 

But to ease your mind, the general consensus seems to be NO, anxiety alone cannot kill you. It’s the long-term, untreated effects—such as increased blood pressure, weakened immune system, and higher risks of heart disease and dementia later in life—that’ll get ya. 

Basically what I’m saying is that anxiousness alone won’t kill you. Short-term and low-level stress can actually be good for you! (Who knew, right?) It’s how you cope with it that matters. Untreated, not only can it take a toll on your mind, it will also take a toll on your body, as any illness does.

I personally have general anxiety disorder, and I’ve found that therapy, moderate exercise, and my cat’s begrudging snuggles help me out. If you’re worried about dying from your anxiousness, I recommend finding the things that work for you. Maybe it’s journaling and meditation. Maybe it’s writing lists and allowing yourself to ask for help. 

One thing’s for certain: you’re worth the effort it takes not to feel like you’re dying of anxiousness. 

Q: Why can’t I leave it unsaid? … Why you gotta be so talkative? (“Talk Too Much” by COIN)

A: Because you’re human.

Humans are inherently social creatures, and talking is one of our main means of communication. Also, keeping secrets from others can be exhausting—mentally and physically—so we want to share them… by talking. Talking with others can be a way to form bonds and get to know each other.

According to this article on the psychology of gossip, it’s evolutionarily advantageous to be able to share information with each other via language. It allows people in a society to know what’s going on and how people are feeling about it. Gossip, which is a form of talking, can act as a social and moral control in lieu of violence. And, I have to say, I’d rather be in a room full of chatty people than a room full of violent ones!

Even though we evolved to be a talkative species, there is such a thing as excessive talking, which can sometimes just be a personality trait, and other times points to an underlying mental health disorder such as bipolar disorder, ADHD, or schizophrenia, among others. There are even different types of excessive talking that can indicate why you might be talking too much—pressured, compulsive, circumstantial, hyperverbal, or disorganized speech. 

However, there are often more benign reasons for why you might be unable to leave things unsaid—social anxiety, insecurity, frustration at not expressing thoughts, needing to maintain control, thinking aloud rather than communicating, or overexplaining because you don’t trust others. 

This Psychology Today article and this Verywell Health article offer a few steps and tips to cut down on your talking if you’re concerned about it. These include asking someone else to help you out during a conversation, acknowledging and accepting your frustration or anxiety, and paying special attention to social cues. 

I mean, COIN themselves summed all this up simply: “We could blame it all on human nature.” So maybe this whole research process was unnecessary after all. Oh, well, I just wanted to talk!

Conclusion

If you made it this far into the blog post, I have one question left that only you can answer: Do you wanna be my best friend? (“Bobby Sox” by Green Day)

-Ryn PB

*The title comes from “Basket Case” by Green Day, one of my favorite songs of all time. The full lyric (“Do you have the time to listen to me whine about nothing and everything all at once?”) felt a little too long for a title, so I shortened it up!