12/19/2025
Legends are interesting and catchy, but when it comes to safety, the truth matters.
Is Blue Monday real, or is it an urban legend that just seems to make sense?
For the last few years, you may have read about Blue Monday. The third Monday in January is supposed to be the saddest day of the year. The holidays are over, credit card bills are coming in, and it’s hard to keep up with those New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe some people do feel stressed and depressed on the third Monday of January, but there is no scientific data to prove it.
Blue Monday was invented by a travel company in the United Kingdom as a publicity stunt designed to encourage people to book trips. It became a successful legend because the ideas of seasonal depression and post-holiday-blues resonated with people. It makes sense that people might feel down in the dark, quiet part of winter, but there is no data to support Blue Monday.
Did Mark Twain say, “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes?” Or does it just sound right?
To be fair, it does sound like something Twain would say. And since it sounds about right, the saying has been attributed to him over and over. But there’s no proof that he did say or write it. In fact, it’s more likely that the saying is derived from Jonathan Swift’s writing. Swift famously (and verifiably) wrote: “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it.”
Here’s something you can count on: At Safety Meeting Outlines, we are devoted to the truth.
Our Manufacturing Safety Meetings are always written by safety experts and then fact-checked and double-checked by our seasoned editorial staff. We rely on reputable sources, and we’ll never print something without verifying it simply because it “makes sense” or “sounds about right.” We are exacting about every word we print because you depend on us to make your safety program strong. We never use AI to write, edit, translate, or typeset our meetings—we are a team of people who care about the safety of your crew, and we work hard to produce the best safety products we can.
You can count on us for the truth! And we’ll try to make it interesting and catchy, too.
