My wife and I will randomly rewatch The Grinder. It's a criminally underrated 2015 sitcom starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage. Rob plays Dean Sanderson, an actor who starred in a legal drama as a slick TV lawyer known only as "The Grinder." When the show ends, he moves back home to Idaho and decides, with absolutely no legal qualifications, that he should join his brother's real-life law practice. That brother, played by Fred Savage, is an actual lawyer who now has to deal with Dean trying to "grind" his way through actual court cases using nothing but dramatic pauses and catchphrases. It's one of my favorite comedies of all time. (1)

One of the best recurring jokes in the show is when someone says something like, "There's no way we can [insert seemingly impossible roadblock here]," and Dean just slowly takes off his sunglasses and says...

But what if we could?

It's completely nonsensical, but you can use it in any situation because it means nothing. It's a dramatic pivot that turns the conversation on its head. And while it's played for laughs in the show, it actually has some real-world power when you use it in the right context. That phrase forces people to reframe the problem. It pokes a hole in assumed limitations and forces the conversation into possibility instead of defeat.

You see this all the time in tech. In Access development, the client might say, "There's no way we can rebuild this database by Monday." And you just sit there, tilt your head slightly, and say, "But what if we could?" Now they're not thinking about what's impossible. They're thinking about what would have to change to make it happen. Suddenly you're talking priorities, features, maybe a stripped-down version instead of the full thing. Same work, but now they're on board because they're thinking about trade-offs instead of dead-ends. (2)

In IT support, someone might say, "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to get the server back online. That's just the way it is." But you ask, "What if we could do it today?" and suddenly people are checking alternate backups, shadow copies, or reaching out to the guy who went on vacation but might still have the missing piece. The phrase doesn't guarantee success. It just kicks the brain out of autopilot.

In politics, someone will go on TV and say, "There's no chance we pass meaningful reform in this climate." But what if we could? That question forces them to imagine a path instead of just listing reasons why it's impossible. Maybe it's a compromise. Maybe it's reframing the issue. But the second you ask that question, you've pushed the conversation into solutions.

In relationships, this comes up all the time. One partner says, "There's no way we can make this schedule work. We'll never see each other." Instead of arguing, just ask, "What if we could?" It doesn't solve anything immediately, but it resets the tone. You start brainstorming instead of bickering. You look for ways to trade, reschedule, or compromise instead of just giving up.

Fitness is another perfect place for this mindset. "I can't get in shape with this schedule. I'll never be able to eat right on the road." But what if you could? It's not a magic phrase. You're not snapping your fingers and getting six-pack abs. But that one question might make you look at your day differently. Maybe you find a 20-minute workout window. Maybe you realize jerky and Greek yogurt count. It changes the frame.

And of course, Star Trek already nailed this decades ago. Think of Scotty saying, "I canna change the laws of physics, Cap'n." He's exasperated, overworked, the ship is falling apart. And Kirk, in classic form, basically responds with "Well, what if you could?" He doesn't say it in those exact words, but it's the same spirit. He's not asking for a miracle. He's refusing to accept defeat. And by pushing back, he gives Scotty permission to try something desperate, creative, and brilliant.

So next time someone tells you it can't be done, don't fight them. Just lower your sunglasses, channel your inner Grinder, and ask, "But what if we could?"

LLAP
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(1) Honestly, I want to get on The Floor game show just so I can tell Rob Lowe that The Grinder needs a second season.

(2) So long as the client knows that if you have to spend the weekend busting your butt on his project, he's going to hear little cash registers going off. LOL.