People incorrectly use the word “irony” all the time. They usually use it to mean the same thing as “coincidence” but the word actually should be used to describe an instance where something is the opposite of reality.

Let me give you an example of irony in action: I was driving down the road and there was a car to my right, but a little bit ahead of me, that had a left blinker on. He wanted to get in my lane. I started applying my brakes to slow down so that they could get over. Well, the other car started applying their brakes simultaneously so that they can slow down to let me go by. Obviously, since we are both applying our brakes we both stayed in the same relative position to each other and the other car didn’t have the space to move over into my lane like he wanted.

Then, the other driver rolled down the window and flicked me off.

He assumed that I was a jerk who slowed down intentionally in order to block him from getting over. That, my friends, is irony. The opposite of my intent was what he assumed was happening.

There is a lot more irony in the world than we realize. It’s all around us, 24/7. At home, work or out in the wild. It stems from a lack of communication and sometimes just flat out ignorance.

If you walk around thinking the worst of people, like this driver was, then there’s going to be lots of ironic opportunities to be bitter, frustrated & even hateful for no reason at all. I’d much rather live with the other kind of irony. The type of irony which happens because I thought the best of people, and continue to do so, even if occasionally they disappoint me.