Quotes. Why are they so popular? What is it about quotes that humans are so attracted to? Quotes preface chapters in books. They are painted on the walls of our schools. We frame them and hang them in our homes. We send them to each other in cards and letters. They grace the halls of our work areas and are etched into our headstones when we die. Why do people like quotes?
The best answer to this question was awarded to Alema Pequoia who said, “Because they precisely and definitively express what we know, recognize, feel, believe, think, accept, imagine, hope, fear, desire, acknowledge, and/or have experienced. It is a recognizable life truth.”
What are quotes anyway? How can the simple organization of a few words have such impact? A recent tour of the Library of Congress revealed numerous quotes from the great books of all time written over the windows and doors of the upper floor. It was a pleasure to read all the quotes so carefully placed. Certainly, quotes have been enjoyed for a very long time. Could it be that words resonate with a specific vibrational frequency? Is it possible that the combination of words carries an impact far beyond the individual words themselves? Is there an electrical frequency created from the combination of words that reaches out and connects to our brains actually resonating with our very being? It is true that quotes mean different things to different people. Perhaps our very beings are affected in some way by the combinations of words we call quotes.
Quotes are usually only a sentence or two.
“Never be satisfied with less than your best.” – G. Ford
They are often easy to remember because of their simplicity or because they rhyme.
“Learners are earners and leaders are readers.”
They occasionally bring to mind the memory of our own life’s experiences both good and bad.
“Negative emotions cause disease and positive emotion is a critical factor in recovery.” – Hippocrates
They say what we know in our heart of hearts to be true.
“God hath made us free.”
They say what we want in our heart of hearts.
“You know you are in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss
They give advice, warn of danger, answer questions, persuade, encourage, allow vision of self and others.
“It is in our lives and not by our words that our religion will be read.” -Thomas Jefferson
Quotes encourage, inspire, motivate, help us persevere, have more compassion and help us understand the world we live in.
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney
A Google search reveals the attitude of humanity towards “quotes.” The phrase “motivational quotes” netted 37 million results; “quotes about life” – 252 million; “difficult times quotes and sayings” – 105 million. It seems the world is in love with quotes.
Why do people like quotes? They relate to us, conforming to our minds and hearts. They speak to our inner selves inspiring, building, and motivating. They give us answers, new perspectives, and vision. They build courage, perseverance, and hope. They make us laugh and make us cry. Quotes teach us about things we have no knowledge of. They serve as a warning against foolish decisions. They lighten our moods, lift our heads, and make our burdens light. They fill our hearts with love, forgiveness, and sunshine. Quotes are good for the soul.
So jot down quotes that resonate with you – not just any quote – but the ones that make you say, “Wow, I really like that.” Or the ones that make you bust up laughing. Remember, when you gather and write down quotes, you are, in a very real sense, creating yourself. Quotes have energy. Create a great self by gathering great quotes and keep them in a great place, like a Literary Journal, or a Quote Journal, where you can read them whenever you want or need.
