Erik

The premium version has gotten a LOT better in recent months. I just fed it,

“you can’t soothe a tree” meaning

And it replied with: This phrase is not a standard idiom with a widely recognized meaning. Its interpretation depends on the context in which it is used. Literally, it means you cannot comfort or calm a tree in the way you would a sentient being, as trees do not possess emotions or consciousness that can be “soothed”. Metaphorically, it likely means:

• Some entities (problems, situations, perhaps even certain people) are unresponsive to attempts at emotional comfort or calming.
• Trying to apply emotional solutions or appeals to things that are inherently non-emotional or unchangeable is futile.
• It could describe someone who is extremely stoic, impassive, or emotionally unavailable. The specific meaning depends heavily on the situation where the phrase was encountered.

I appreciate you keeping content flowing in this community! That said, this study is from 2012, so the conclusions may be somewhat out of date.

I realize that I was complaining without offering anything useful. Here is a more recent article that addresses a similar topic:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11656626/?hl=en-US