If you look closely, inspirational quotes are everywhere. From billboards to campaign slogans, we can’t escape a motivational quote. But is it becoming too much?
By Susan Devaney
How many inspirational quotes have you read on Instagram alone in the past week? Maybe 20? Possibly 50? I’m willing to bet over 100. Uploading a ‘quote of the day’ is quickly becoming our way of saying ‘this sums up how I’m feeling’ or ‘read this and you’ll feel better’. From Facebook to Twitter, we’re picking and posting motivational quotes to promote on our newsfeeds.
Have we become obsessed with quotes?
In 2013, Forbes ran a list of the most influential people on social media. People who topped the list all had one thing in common: they posted and promoted motivational content. (Even when you log onto Forbes.com you’ll be greeted with their ‘quote of the day’.) It's social media that’s providing a solid platform for it. Currently, one of the top trending hashtags is #QuoteOfTheDay. If you type it into Instagram you'll be met with over 10 million results. Could it be a strategic marketing tool or a motivational mind game?
Gonzalo Arzuaga, an internet entrepreneur sold his company GauchoNet.com for several million to fund his new business Inspower (as in: inspirational power). Selling motivational packages to businesses, from inspirational thoughts plastered across their mirrors to a motivational prep talk in the lift. He also runs Inspirational Quotes, a Twitter account – with an estimated reaching power of over two million - with a tag line of: ‘We love inspirational and motivational quotes. Every person has got a quote that helps them be the best they can be.’
Celebrities are in on it too. Whether they’re posting encouraging lyrics from their own songs or quoting an inspirational leader, they too find a sense of hope in a quote. The site QuoteTags.com - operated by a company in Santa Monica - endorse trending quotes online. From funny to heartbroken to relationships, the site categorises inspirational quotes by celebrities on Instagram and their current ratings. The Kardashians are prime examples in leading the way with their motivational snapshots. From Kendall to Khloe, they love to channel the encouraging thoughts of someone else. Someone – but whom, who is doing the quoting? That’s the problem. All across Pinterest, Instagram and on our Facebook walls are quotes from nameless individuals.
All images courtesy of Instagram. ^
From the backs of our shampoo bottles to our kitchen tea towels, they’ve seeped into all corners of our lives. A motivational quote can be beautiful, but being forced to read them on a daily basis is dampening the ‘stop and make you think’ effect. Quotes may give some of us a sense of hope and strength, but less is always more.
