My turn: "Why is it..."

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Why is it that when someone says, "We ought to ..." or "We should ...", the intended "We" really means "Someone", and "Someone" usually means "Someone else"?

For example: "We should form a media activity group to advise television and movie makers how best to represent people on the ASD spectrum" really means "Someone other than I should form a media activity group ... (et cetera)".

Just wondering ...

I do that sometimes - I've been looking into starting a few things on my own. But advocacy can be expensive and one lone voice is nowhere as potent as a group. So I think when we say "we," we really wish that a group of us could get together.

It's often because they really want to do said activity, but they either don't know how or don't want to take the first step of initiating it.

IOW it's another way of saying "I wish SOMEBODY would do such and such..."

It could have a better effect if people said, "I'd like to... Would anyone like to help me get started?"

We should definitely do that from now on!

even with help and a major tailwind, I am pretty ineffectual.

As ineffectual as saying, "Somebody should do something about global income inequality" -- those who say it seem to have no means to get it done even on a personal scale, and look to others to make it happen for them.

we all can't be as with-it and high-functioning as you.

I noticed lots of people in the media who say that & they have the means to make a difference besides just giving it publicity. They have the money to do things like starting a charity foundation but they keep their money to themselves instead. I think they just say that to get good publicity.

"Somebody ought to do something ..." -- well, maybe somebody already is, but they're either limited in what they can do, they've limited the publicity of what they are doing, or they've limited the amount of access that others can have to them.

I do what I can, but there is only so much that I can do.

When I say this I usually mean that I have an idea and this is it, I am willing to help and provide effort to see it through however I can't do it alone or I can't lead etc. When I do this I am really genuinely offering my service and asking for help, not simply telling others what to do and how to do it. I get what your saying though, most people don't use words literally like that.