Article May 7, 1984 ISSUE

Stay underwhelmed!

VIRGINIA L. SCOTT

There are times when obligations, responsibilities, and challenges seem overwhelming. But there is a way to conquer that overwhelmed feeling: stay underwhelmed!

You say "underwhelm" is not in your dictionary? It isn't in mine either. But "over whelm" is—it means "upset, overthrow"; "to cover over completely: submerge"; "to overcome by superior force." Since not one of those verbs suggests the kind of experience I would aspire to, I find it much more satisfactory to remain "underwhelmed," whether the word is listed in my dictionary or not! Then comes the great question: How?

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