Motivational Quotes Resonate Differently With Everyone

Inspirational quotes should start a healthy discussion, not a pointless debate.

I never share inspirational quotes with anyone via texting. You know the guy who shares unsolicited motivation content in your Whatsapp DM. I am not him. It is because you never know what is the mood of the second person and how will he perceive the message.

Will he agree, disagree or contradict? You can’t anticipate their instant reaction. I will share an example later in this article.

If you want them to receive the right message, sometimes you have to explain, which probably ruins the purpose of sharing in the first place.

You thought you would share a quote, he will smile, and then you will flood his inbox with more motivational content. Come on, fire him up! Sorry, if I took it too far. A friend flooded my inbox once, so I thought a reader would relate here.

What if the message sparks a conversation you weren’t prepared for in the first place? This one is the reason why I prefer talking face-to-face for meaningful discourse.

Sharing with a community

I usually share inspiring quotes in a group. Or to a broader community. Like here on Medium, where the people in need will get the right message if your explanation is comprehensive enough.

If you have storytelling skills, hats off! More people will understand your perspective.

Another channel is the story feature which is on all the social networks I use: Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. As a content creator, Instagram is my go-to social network for now. YouTube channel is another dream.

No personal texts

When people share quotes from famous personalities via direct messages, I read it, learn from it, maybe even think about it for the time being if I resonated. But that’s the end of the communication.

Even if I do have contradictory opinions about the shared thought, I never share via texting because it leads to a complex discussion. And you don’t have all the time to start a lengthy discussion on just a quote.

The response from my side? Nil. Nothing. I don’t reply.

The person who always shares motivational content

Remember the person who shares motivational photos, quotes and videos in your Whatsapp and Instagram inbox? Think of a close friend. I have one, and he will nuke me after reading this article!

Do you also remember ignoring the message, especially the video, because you say it is long and you are too busy? Or here comes the harsh truth: Do you lie about being busy? You could confess to yourself if you were pretending to be working. He’ll never know.

Be prepared for contradiction.

I have been on both sides of communication: sending and receiving. I have also lied several times about unavailability, even ghosted for the entire day without giving him “blue tick” on Whatsapp.

Humans have a natural tendency to disagree even on simple topics sometimes. And I am a talker, that kind of talker who, if he wants closure, then he won’t shut without getting one.

If I think the discussion needs clarity and conclusion, then I don’t leave the thoughts in my head. I let them fan out to clear my head.

If you don’t provide a decent outlet to your thoughts, the fire will eventually build in your mind. It is one of the causes of stress which comes from suppressing your feelings.

Elaborate the context, lighten the mood.

Once I added a quote on my Instagram story, I received an unexpected reply where I sensed a negative tone. It then took a long discussion to explain the context of the quote.

The quote was this:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with people.” — African proverb

Sounds simple, right? This quote talks about accelerating towards your goals at your own pace and reaching the other side with someone, or at least with the help of someone.

By “you”, I mean a person who is embarking a journey as a new learner. By “people” I mean the successful people who you can learn from and reach out for actionable advice and support.

Game-changers don’t belong to this category of “people” because they are working for a more significant cause and it is difficult to contact them. I mean, if my idol is Elon Musk, I can’t talk to him the way I talk to my mentor. Don’t be jealous here, I only speak to Elon in my dream!

The heated discussion

One friend took the general notion about “people” and replied, “What if they are not the right ones to go far?”

It took a long time to explain what I meant by “people” and what did “you” mean in the quote. I couldn’t finish my explanation because you know the factor I mentioned earlier: text messages are not meaningful. Short sentences lack empathy and perspective.

But believe me, you don’t want to start a heated discussion every time you share a thought and someone objects you.

Instead, you can ignore if you want, you can say you are busy, or you can just agree to disagree. You are right at your place, and your friend is right at his. If you fret too much, it won’t make sense.

Beliefs are born from your experience.

Since everyone’s beliefs are subjective based on their experiences, a discussion will only be healthy if it’s done in-person face-to-face. Better than texting, I believe.

That’s what I do nowadays. I talk to people interactively. I abstain from texting. I wish if I could boycott texting on a personal level and start talking like old times like I call my dad every day in the morning. The way we connect, man, feels cathartic.

If communication matters to you, then you will also prefer the channel that brings more clarity. Your time is precious and inspirational quotes should spark a meaningful discussion, not futile contradictions.

This blog belongs to a series of posts I am publishing in this 100-days streak. Today is day 87. Navigate to the end of article 22, for the references from day 23 onwards. If you would like to read the ones before day 22, here is the first one that documents them in the end.

~ Sanjeev