Seriously, I think what people mean is that people are human, and humans are flawed, so people screw up monumentally from time to time. I think it also means that we are all subject to the less pleasant aspects of human feelings and behaviors, such as rudeness, envy, and disregard for others. I rarely hear that phrase used in conjunction with positive behavior, but it’s often brought up as an explanation for negative behavior.

It’s like the ridiculous saying that a young man who goes out and gets two women pregnant in a short period of time is just “sowing his oats.” That’s hogwash. There is sowing oats, and there is sowing babies. As long as you care for the babies, that’s one thing, but when a young man runs away from his responsibility, I don’t think agricultural metaphors are really appropriate. What is appropriate is a good smack upside the head, a box of condoms, and, if necessary, a court ordered paternity test and mandatory child support payments.

In general, I think that when people speak almost exclusively in cliches, it’s a sign that they aren’t able or willing to think things through and really express themselves. I would prefer to hear someone say, “She left the scene of the accident because she was afraid of the ticket”, rather than have someone shrug their shoulders and say, “Well, you know how it is–people are people.”