Motivational quotes are constantly being utilized in our society. When we identify ourselves with a quote, often times we use that quote to help motivate ourselves. There are many ways that we come across motivational quotes, but typically we only find a few quotes that are actually inspirational to us. So, psychologically, why or how are we drawn to certian motivational quotes?
One way that we are psychologically impacted by certain quotes is by the coaches or influential people in our lives. Have you every had a coach the drills the same thing into your head? Maybe they say “Work hard, play harder.” Maybe its more along the lines of “It’s not just about working hard, it’s about working together. You have to care more about the team than you do about yourself.” – John Callipari. Whatever it may be, coaches words are very influential. When a coach believes in you and your abilities, you are more likely to push yourself to achieve the standard they are setting for you.
Another psychological reason that quotes have a specific impact on us is due to the way a quote is phrased. The wording of a quote is important because we identify ourselves with that quote. If we can’t understand the true meaning of a quote, then we can’t attatch our identity to it.
The third psychological reason quotes impact us is because we use them for self-validation. We take phrases from famous people and turn them into motivational quotes because we believe that they are somehow wise beyond their years due to the position(s) that they have aquired. When a famous figure that we look up to says something that we can relate to, it validates our feelings. When we find a quote or phrase that we relate to, we tend to use it to motivate ourselves.
When asked what is a motivational quote that has an impact on you?
“It’s from a song called Stubborn Love and it says ‘It’s better to feel pain then nothing at all.’ and I think that it sums up how even when your down and sad, It’s better than not feeling anything at all.” -Presley McFarland.
“I have this one quote from Tupac ‘reality is wrong.’ I like that quote because It’s true.” -Aaliyah Hood.
“A favorite quote from a music artist would be Kanye West ‘I’m to busy writing history to read history.’ That motivates me to always be pushing the limits and don’t be worried about the past, look for the future.” -Brady Gustafson.
Whether it’s to help us stop procrastinating or to get us through a hard time, we all have a motivational quotes that speaks to us. Somtimes it can be from a coach, other times from a famous figure that we look up to. There are so many motivational quotes, but most of the time, it only takes one to actually speak to us and inspire us.
