Why the Quotes on Instagram Probably Won’t Provide the Inspiration You’re Seeking
There is a bothersome phenomenon in our modern world.
Actually, this is not unique to our era. We want things that make us feel good and require no effort or action. Perhaps it has always been a part of human nature. But, in today’s hyperconnected and instant gratification world we see this more than ever. In our industrialized and information-rich existence, everything is available in a greater variety and more conveniently than ever. However, some things will never be quick or easy. Some things will always require discipline, focus, and tremendous effort — mostly the things that have true value, not just shallow appeal.
When we open up Twitter, Instagram, or any digital dopamine dispenser, we are quickly bombarded with “inspiration.” Some caption or graphic is assailing us with an inspirational message. The source of this quote often misattributed or unattributed entirely. It’s usually out of genuine good intent too. I’ve done it. It feels good for the one posting it, and for the one reading it…so what’s the problem?
The problem is that rarely do any of the motivational words that come to us in these short forms affect change, or cause us to act. Actually, we can barely even remember them in the following hours or days. The dopamine rush wears off, and we are quickly on to the next piece of content. Another problem is the person who posts an inspirational quote gets the illusory feeling that they are creating change. This is further reinforced with a rush of pleasure chemicals throughout their brain for each like they get. It feels good biochemically.
Once the quote has posted the viewer who sees the post gets the flash and glimmer of inspiration. They get the pleasure of feeling inspired briefly, but without the rest of the equation. The component that is most important — action.
We don’t act or improve ourselves when we read a brief nugget of wisdom and then quickly scroll on. This is because we are in a passive consumption mode. We are not in a deeply philosophical and concentrated state. That is because concentration is the very antithesis of what social media sites facilitate. Distracted and passive browsers double-tap and click to support a message they will soon forget as they tap their way deeper into distraction.
It feels good in the moment, but it is a neurological illusion. To truly act and take that inspiration to the next level is seldom a passive exercise in pleasure. Changing our lives and living up to our full potential is a painful and difficult process.
Although there are plenty of downsides to draw on from the passive quote mining we practice, there is also a glimmer of upside from the plethora of “Insta-piration” we come across. The primary benefit of even passively absorbing positive or inspirational content is that it beats the alternative. At least we are not ingesting violence, negativity, and all the other degrading content that exists. It is still better to passively be absorbing positive messages than negative ones.
Can a quote cause us to act?
Sure, of course, that is possible and it does happen. But, we must be honest when assessing whether that is the way we usually behave, or if it is the exception to the rule. We all know it is the exception.
If every inspirational quote we read actually inspired us to act and change our lives, we would surely see the contrarian nature of that process. We would recognize that continuing to like, screenshot, and share tidbits is not living an inspired life. These shallow insights masquerading as wisdom, and the time we take to ingest them have been stopping us from actually living up to the inspiration we think we are experiencing. We must be more deliberate, and less passive.
We currently live in an era with the opportunity to study and immerse ourselves in any subject of our choosing. But, many of us equate study, focus, and discipline as antiquated concepts that were forced on us during our formal “education”. We don’t want to work hard or exert ourselves anymore. We’ve passed that portion of our lives. We want to feel good now.
When our life conditions are not providing us with this immediate pleasure we opt to escape. We dive into our devices — distracting ourselves from the true nature of living an inspired life and taking action.
The distraction that we all experience can have many different roots. Escaping a boring or unsatisfying work environment is often the time we choose to browse and skim our feeds. But, this does not give us a true escape. for as soon as we tune back into the reality we inhabit, we haven’t escaped anything. No change. No action. Just time that we will never get back.
Think about the advice, quotes, and messages we received during our attempts to escape our situations. Do we remember them in detail? No. We were too glazed over to have the messages impact us, let alone to cause us to actually act.
Distraction does not produce action.
If we want to really take action from what we come across online, we can implement an important principle that will serve us better than a simple screenshot we repost.
If we are actually looking to be inspired, and live an inspired life, there is a missing ingredient that no social skimming can provide.
DEPTH.
The depth of concentration to actually take a piece of advice, ruminate on it, and apply it to our lives requires discipline. It requires a level of focus that is conspicuously absent from the vast majority of people. Most of us are trapped in the passivity that prevails as we swipe, scroll, and tap our screens.
Distraction and depth cannot coexist simultaneously. Just as light cannot be perceived as a particle and a wave at the same time.
The principle we need to adopt is that we need to go deeper. The reason people keep endlessly scrolling and screenshotting quotes is that we are subconsciously looking for depth. But, we are only receiving fragments.
Our brains, our spirits, and our hearts are not satisfied with the shallows for very long. We need to have the courage to put down our devices and pick up a book. Or at least we can use them to study and take notes as we go deeper into a subject.
So if you see a short collection of words that generates inspiration in you, do the following. Go deeper into the work of that author, poet, artist, or philosopher. Get their books, study their work, take notes, journal your thoughts and feelings. Think about the words and the whole message their creator intended them to have.
You’d be amazed at how many of the most popular quotes often lack the full context of their intended message. Therefore these words only reveal part of their potential to impact us.
Reading a quote from Rumi on your phone is different than reading the entire collected works of Rumi.
Be inspired. Live inspired. Don’t fear the depth required to do so.
This is the 90th installment of Writing Wednesday. A commitment to myself to actually pursue my dreams of becoming a writer. I have resumed this practice after almost an entire years absence.
I am a writer.
Let me know what you think, and follow my journey on Instagram/Twitter (@multitude27)
