Have you ever noticed how some times "whatever" really means, "I'm aggravated with you right now and I think what you just said is a little dumb and I want to disagree, but I'm not getting into it,"? Yeah, we've noticed because not only do we hear it in the voice of the person who says it to us, but we hear it in our own voices when we say it.

"Whatever" is a red flag. "Whatever" is the check engine light of conversation. "Whatever" is ultimately a code word for needed communication.

It's funny how we use it in a way that suggests we don't care. In reality, we use it because we do.

In Philippians, Paul uses the word whatever multiple times in chapter 4 verse 8.

". . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Maybe the next time I start to say "whatever" I will follow it with the words above. Alone, the word is weak.
S