As you know, people no longer have problems in this country, they have issues. This shift grows out of our increasingly desperate need to shade the truth and see things as more positive than they really are. Problems sound negative and ordinary; issues sound important, worthy of attention. People are proud to announce them: “I have issues.” They feel superior to others who haven’t made the switch: “Poor fuck. He has problems. I have … issues!” To feel extra superior they may even pair it with some other trendy upgrade: “He has a drug problem, I have chemical dependency issues.”
