Fun with phrases: "in a previous life"

[Benjamin Barrett]

My partner and I happened to be talking about things that happened a decade or earlier, and I realized that expressions like "in a previous life/existence/incarnation" work really well because that's what distant memories in fact feel like. You feel like those things happened to someone else or in a different life. I think there's a strong psychological motivation here.

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

On Jul 16, 2012, at 6:06 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> I agree. I don't think anything of this expression.
>
> The important thing about "in a previous life/existence" is that it's the only easy way to express this concept. Victor Steinbok provided a good summation: "usually characterized by a different location, profession or employment, but occasionally also referring to just earlier stages, such college or school years, or periods marked by a cataclysmic event, such as a family member's death, divorce, etc."
>
> I guess you can say "in an earlier stage of my life," but the time for that is now passed.
>
> BTW, I found "previous incarnation" at http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/incarnation.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> On Jul 16, 2012, at 5:23 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
>> If "in a previous life" requires a "humorous" label,  shouldn't "in a
>> previous existence" require one too?
>>
>> My theory is that the humor of both has long ago worn thin and that people
>> use them neutrally now, rather like "I could care less."

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