Why motivational quotes resonate more in difficult times

Motivational quotes are everywhere these days. Coffee shops, gyms, train stations, group chats. These little pearls of wisdom – with their blanket statements and lofty promises of hope – have a lot to answer for. And yet something about them keeps us coming back for more…

I’ve never really been a fan of motivational quotes. Not because I’m a pessimist but because I dislike being preached to. But even I have softened to them of late. I guess a pandemic can change you like that.

In the following article, I take a look at the history and science of motivational quotes and why they maybe resonate more in difficult times. If motivational quotes are your bag, then you’ll probably like this piece. Enjoy!

What are motivational quotes and how do they work?

Motivational quotes are inspiring expressions or sayings that lift us up and motivate us to do better. Their power lies not only in the way they’re written (and the language that they use) but in how they’re presented as well.

Motivational quotes come in many forms: marketing slogans, self-care phrases, famous quotes from famous people. Some are the words of influential thinkers and icons, others nameless individuals. Question is: how do they work?

To understand how motivational quotes work, we must first explore the science of motivation itself. According to Dean Burnett, author of the article, Motivational posters: do they actually work, motivation is the ‘sum of factors (either internal or external) that create drive or provide the “energy” required for a person to remain interested and/or working toward a project, goal, outcome’. In other words, our internal or external drives for success.

What motivational quotes do is tap into our internal (intrinsic) motivations. Our innate instinct for self-improvement. This they achieve by talking to us on an aspirational level. A point which Gwen Moran touches on in her article The Science Behind Why Inspirational Quotes Motivate Us.

As Gwen observes, motivational quotes work because they speak to our appetite for wisdom. Our desire to learn from others and grow in the process.

‘Humans are aspirational. We want to look up to role models and leaders and follow what they ask’ says Scott Sobel, a media and communications expert featured in the article. He adds: ‘Leaders and their words – inspirational quotes – affect us on a primal level’.

It follows that motivational quotes from historic leaders are amongst some of the most popular out there. Just look at all the Mandela, Aristotle and Gandhi quotes circulating on the internet – people love this shit!

Is this a new trend though? How long have motivational quotes been around exactly?

How long have they been around?

The origin of motivational quotes (as a mode of communication) is something of a point of contention. Some say they originated in Ancient Egypt (with the advent of proverbs on tomb walls), others believe their origin lies in aphorisms – pithy observations – and, therefore, Ancient Greece.

In terms of their documented usage though, motivational quotes (as we know them today) only really got going in the 1920s, with the launch of motivational posters by printing company Parker Holiday.

These posters were a first for the world and were created solely for the workplace. Their purpose? To encourage people to adopt positive habits at work. The posters were sold on a subscription basis and were all the rage in the USA until the Great Depression, when roughly a quarter of US citizens lost their jobs.

By the World War II era, motivational posters were once again back in fashion and were this time used to support the war effort. These posters had a simple but powerful message: support the war by all means necessary. For some, that meant enlisting in the army and fighting overseas; and, for others, working in factories or rationing reserves.

The iconic Keep Calm and Carry On poster is arguably the most famous British example of the time and is today a meme for just about any reference to keeping calm. The other famous World War II poster is J. Howard Miller’s We Can Do it!, which features a female war production worker and served to inspire women working in factories at the time. You know the poster I’m talking about.

Where motivational posters really came into their own though was in the 1980s and 1990s. These decades saw a huge rise in the motivational poster trend, particularly in classrooms and offices. Driving this trend was the promotional product retailer, Successories, whose trademark motivational posters were an instant hit and could be found everywhere.

This brings us neatly on to the present day – the meme era. What with technology and the rise of social media, motivational posters are no longer just the stuff of offices and can be found on just about every public platform, from forums to conferences. What makes today especially unique is how easy motivational posters are to create. At the click of a button, you can whip together just about any sort of motivational poster and share it with whomever like.

With motivational quotes so widespread these days, however, and a great many more tongue in cheek than anything else, I’m surprised people even take them seriously anymore. Maybe we’re more demotivated than we think. We are living in difficult times, I guess…

Do motivational quotes really resonate more in difficult times?

To the question of whether or not motivational quotes resonate more in difficult times, I would argue that yes – they do.

As the motivational posters of the World War II era have shown us, the need for motivation in times of great trouble and upheaval is amplified, and the impact of such posters more meaningful and sincere. Where in normal times motivational quotes tend only to speak to certain types of people, difficult times break down that barrier and draw others into the conversation.

For me, at least, COVID-19 has provided the perfect appetite for motivational quotes. A desire for wisdom and knowledge when all politicians have to offer us is dither and delay. A guiding light of hope and inspiration against a backdrop of misery and doom.

I’m still not the biggest fan of motivational quotes but I certainly like them more now than I did before. ?

Where do you stand on motivational quotes? Are you a fan of them? Do they irritate you? Have you been brought around to them during the COVID period? Leave a comment below and keep the discussion going.