There are many "pat phrases" that come at us with the force of truth, that later prove false.  "Lightning never strikes twice in one place" is a case in point.  Lightning does indeed strike more than once in one place, and that quite frequently.  This should make us wary of accepting similar phrases at face value.

A pat phrase is what we call "popular" or "conventional" wisdom, sometimes expressed as a proverb.  That is, it is truth put into a form that is easily understood and remembered by the masses; it is wisdom that can be applied to living situations quickly and easily, without having to exert much effort or deep thought.

Popular wisdom, put into the form of a phrase, or even poetic verse, is an attempt to state a rule to cover a particular life situation.  "A friend in need, is a friend indeed," is one of the soundest pearls of wisdom in this class; you cannot very well argue with it.  It seems to be a rule that holds true across the board.  Others may be clearly false, like the one that says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."  More emotional and mental suffering has resulted from thoughtless or angry words than is possible to compute.

Popular wisdom also attempts to classify people into groups, or types; to label them for easy reference.  Life is seldom that simple.  Human nature is far too complex to be summed up by simply throwing a few words at it.  No matter how clearly you state a rule concerning life, too often there are exceptions to that rule.

Could it be we "adopt" pat phrases as a means of avoiding the responsibility of thinking things through?