I hate quotes.

by

OKAY. Maybe not…

 

I used to have a friend who would flood my in-box with quotes.

This was long before twitter, eons before Pinterest and back in the day when FACEBOOK was perhaps a nascent idea but didnt yet exist.

I read the quotes.

I even kinda like a few of them.

I was baffled, however, by how much *she* loved loved the quotes & how *she* found such motivation in other people’s words.

I remember saying to her:

“Im not a big fan of quotes. I dont “get” them. I mean, I appreciate the sentiment and even adore a rare few, but my goal is to be the QUOTED not the QUOTER. I long–somedaysomeday—to have you emailing other people *my* words because they’ve so resonated with you.”

(I know. In revisiting this incident in my mind I, too, was a little horrified by myself at the hubris of youth.)

Back then I fancied myself a writer.

I wrote & created in every spare moment I had.

I firmly believed (in my naive youthful fashion) there was no turn of phase she could send me which I would not some day trump with my own word-weavings.

I longed to ‘create the quote I wanted to read in the world.’

You know, to mangle a quote and all.

This has all been on my mind for almost a year now mainly due to a site which rhymes with Schminterest.

“Join!!!” People still admonish me. “Ive made the best boards! They’re filled with inspirational quotes!! I read them before I workout and I get soooo pumped!”

I *still*—10+ years since my friend has sent me a quote— furrow my now-wrinkled brow, shake my head and wonder to myself:

Yes, but wouldnt your OWN WORDS be far more inspiring and motivating for you?

It’s for the reason(s) verbosely detailed above the the remarks below brought a huge smile to my face.

When Patty shared she’d placed my words (!) as post-it notes in her journal:

 

And Charlotte informed she uses my words (!!) as a sort of mantra:

 

It felt to me as though Id completed a lofty life-goal I never thought Id achieve.

I was surprised & honored words *I* used to motivate, inspire and soothe myself would indeed be of help/inspiration to someone else.

Yep.

If you cant tell it’s a stream of consciousness post on this Wednesday.

It’s a way I dont typically blog, yet as I pondered words or QUOTES for a (custom) necklace from the amazing Erica Sara (it’s never too soon to start planning gifts for turning 44, right?) I returned, again, to the fact I hate dont much care for quotes.

Do you?

Are there words of others you cling to for hope, inspiration or laughter?

Or have you found your own words/mantras are what you return to time & time again?

Be they your words or someone elses please to share your fave quote in the comments below.

You never know.

I may just be the curmudgeonly canine old dog you can teach to love quotes…or Schminterest.

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. I love quotes. I collect them. I read books with pen in hand. I have bookshelves full of fancy notebooks… full of quotes. 25 years worth and counting.

    Planning to have my favorite Thoreau quote tattooed this year: “Be, and not seem.”

  3. I love all things Pinterest. I’m sure you know it isn’t just quotes there, but my running boards rock my socks off.

  5. Your post makes so much sense to me.

    I, too, would rather be the one writing the insights than pinning them on a board with other people’s thoughts.
    ROCK ON, Miz.

  6. I love YOUR quotes. I also really enjoy stumbling across other quotes and print them out or write them down…but then I forget about them! (uh-oh) I think what I like about quotes are more what they do for me in the moment…they strike a chord with how I’m feeling and what I need to hear at that point in life.

  7. I enjoy reading quotes, but not many stick with me. I also enjoy the snarky somecards. Maybe you will join acronymterest when that gets launched?

  9. Oh gosh. I am the same way. I am going to sound kind of cold-hearted here, but quotes like “NEVER GIVE UP” don’t have any effect on me whatsoever. I scan my eyes over the quote and here’s what my face looks like: (-_-) Yep. No effect. Nothing inside me rumbled up and made little waves become monstrous tides. So personally, I either have to find a really, REALLY good quote (and there are actually some that I do like), or I have to inspire myself. 🙂

  12. I enjoy a good quote. They can be thought provoking or make me laugh. People are getting a little ridiculous with the Your E-Cards though. 🙂

  13. 1) quotes is a verb. the word everyone is searching for is ‘quotations’.
    2) i digress

    having had my digressive moment, i will add my $0.02.
    Believe it or not, while i was getting ready to take my shower this morning (yes, it involves a “process”, i had similar thoughts about motivational quotations. there are a few that i cling to and try to actually follow, and then there are others that i simply pass along to others, hoping that they will find some sort of inspiration from them.
    yep. I’m like a quotation medium.
    HAHHA….
    One of my favourites is “Time will teach you, surely. For tis time, and only time, that can prove a true man’s worth.”-Sophoclese-
    I do, Miz, like your idea of wanting to be the quoted, not the quoter. i shall work on that, too!
    peace, yo! geno

  14. Interesting POV.
    Quotes really inspire me becauseI usually do not know what I need to hear until I find one and it resonates with me.

  15. BTW that’s very cool people use your words to motivate them. I am a trainer and I motivate in a different way.

  16. I often read the quotes but very few stick with me when I’m finished….id rather repeat my own mantra to myself during a race or workout – just means more to me

  17. Well, I obviously love quotes 😉 I find that sometimes, others can put into words what I’m feeling in my head or heart but can’t quite explain. It’s like when you hear a song and the words resonate with you. And as you know, I love a good mantra. Mine is “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” and I turn to it often as a reminder of how I need to live. Another of my favorites is from an Ani Difranco song:

    “i was blessed with a birth and a death
    and i guess i just want some say in between
    don’t you understand
    in the day to day
    in the face to face
    i have to act
    just as strong as i can
    just to preserve a place
    where i can be who i am”

  18. I’m like you with the quotes in that I adore a few but don’t really understand why some people just flood twitter with nothing but quotes. My tweets may not be profound but I’m a real person, really talking to you, not just a robot spewing out other people’s words. Oh, and I HATE pinterest. If I want to find cute running clothes I want to buy or a new recipe, I google for it… and then book mark it! And you can even link your friends to a website if you want to share it with them! I just don’t see a point in a site that does things we already were capable of doing for ourselves. We get lazier and lazier by the day.

  19. I love quotes
    but dont remember 99.9999% of them
    I do love me some Pinterest motivation/inspiration along with multicolor hair on there!

    as for me…I’m me being me and think everyone should be themselves! that’s my inspiring quote! ROFL

  20. I have books of quotes, so I do love them, but I also LOVE poetry. The old, good stuff. I like quotes for getting through things: heartbreak, death, feelings of inadequacy. When it comes to motivation, I pin quotes but I much prefer stories of inspiration so I can think if she or he did that. I can do this.

  22. I LOVE QUOTES!! For me, it is a way to make me think more & hopefully do more. It does not always work that way but I try… I think there are messages & hope & love & all kinds of things in quotes.

    I am not a writer like you so although I had hoped to be quoted & listened to one day, I find that most likely is not going to happen & is not my calling. I LOVE your words & all you have to teach us but many of us just can’t put what is in our head to paper. That is me.. I see & hear it in my head but when I try to get it to paper – well, it just ain’t the same! 😉

    Pinterest – not just quotes. You can make any board – bucket list, vacations, collect home help, cleaning help, places you want to go, craft help, clean eating & recipes, exercises … many use for quotes but so much more there…. help you get back to links you want to revisit…

    Hey, it is not for all…. like I said on your FB page, I am trying to cut back! 😉

  24. I love quotes. I love that they inspire thought. I also love knowing that some of the words I come up with are words I’ve seen quoted by others…but what I love most isn’t seeing that they’ve been quoted…it’s hearing what my words have done for others. I don’t care if I ever see my words quoted by someone else as long as I hear I’ve touched someone in some way with those words.

    PS: Miz, you’re quoted online daily…and I know you’ve been the spark behind a couple of my posts. 😉

  25. When going through trying times some people reach for their bibles. I reach for my book of quotes I’ve collected over the years. I have MANY favorites that I am none to repeat as mantras and have created some of my own. One of my faves that I found that didn’t have a source is: “You must show no mercy nor have any belief whatsoever in how others judge you, for your greatness will silence them all.”

  26. I used to love quotes when I was younger. I would scribble them down in my journal, especially the ones that spoke volumes about my teenage angst. But less so as I’ve grown older. I read them but there are few that I retain and come back to. I’ve found that I like (and use) a few mantras or short phrases rather than the longer quotes. And one of those mantras is engraved on my lovely Erica Sara necklace. PS – your quotes do stick with me.

  27. I thought DISAGREE when I read your title, yet I think the older I get the more I look inward for motivation, too.

    Quotes are fine.
    My own thoughts are better.

    • and that really is so much of it for me.
      Quotes are “fine.”
      If I need hardcoreDIGDEEPmotivation only my words work.

      I know me.
      And I know where and how and when I mightcould bail and what will stop that…

  28. Love me some quotes. What I love is what they do for us collectively. When you see people chime in with a “Yes!” or “I needed this today”, you realize that you’re not alone in your struggle. I see quotes as a way for us to connect to each other.

  29. I love quotes! In fact when I was younger my friend and I had a “Q” book that we would sit and be all deep and talk about…mostly to do with young love and things like that! And now there is Pinterest…oh times have changed.

  30. Why am I not surprised? 🙂
    I really love all things Pinterest and get lost in there for days.

    Can we still be friends?

  31. I’m not a big quote fan. I see so many posts that are solely based around quotes and I see that inspiration and appreciate that. But for me? I do like some, but I tend to flat out forget them. I guess I just go with my own. Lately it’s been all about remembering to enjoy the little things.

  32. So I’d like to know where, you got the notion
    That there’s too much
    Quotin’ quotient.

    Don’t knock the quote,
    Don’t knock the quote, Mizzy.
    Knock the quote, don’t rip the quote quoter
    Knock the quote,
    Don’t knock the quote, Mizzy.
    Knock the quo-t-t-t-t-e.

  33. Pinterest is so much more than collected quotes. You should see my board with my future wedding (to Will Ferrell) – that’s the fun of Pinterest for me.

    I like a good quote but can rarely remember it.

  36. I write “thoughts”. I’m not even sure I’d put them in the category as quotes, although that’s what they look like on Twitter. On facebook, they’re whole paragraphs and they’re simply things I’ve learned, gone through, am going through, that same stuff that connects us all. I love reading good quick to the point thoughts but I don’t read too many other ones because I want to have my own *thoughts*. Cool post as aways Carla. Love your honesty. xo

  37. Interesting. I guess I like quotes. Sometimes something strikes me. I like to re-pin some on pinterest, but my quote board isn’t one of my favs. I like to pin home ideas, paleo recipes, and fashion stuff to refer back to.

  38. Long, long ago in a land far, far away I heard a song that resonated with me deeply. It was sung by its composer – a devil-may-care kind of guy, known for his freestyle way of living.

    The words stick with me still and (and if I wished to be buried in the ground with a headstone) would be carved on that piece of granite:

    I’m growing older, but not up.
    Jimmy Buffet

    They define my life in so many ways.

  39. A lot of quotes just don’t do it for me. I need to be attracted to the quote A LOT before I can use it as a mantra or anything like that. Pinterest makes it worse for me, I think, because people can smack quotes onto any old picture and call it inspiration. And that’s cool if it inspires you. I’m apparently a tough cookie to crack. Crumble? That being said, I’m always on the lookout for a good one!

    Quote rant OVER.

  41. I’m with you. With a few excellent and rare exceptions, they drive me crazy. Either they’re mistakenly attributed to the wrong person, or completely overused, or simply not brilliant enough to be spread around. I think an endless supply of inspirational quotes is my most frequent reason for unfollowing people on twitter.

  42. What a great perspective!
    I suppose I like both sides of the coin. When I come across a phrase that really resonates with me, I try to remember it. But I also like coming up with my own words of wisdom 🙂

  44. have never understood why people need quotes to get them to work out. I started working out because I love it-love the competition and the way if makes me feel to this day. Quotes have never gotten me to the start or finish line. I have never once thought of QUOTES during my marathons or ironmas competitions nor during my ocean swims.

    My favorite quote however is “This Woman Does NOT exercise nor live by QUOTES”- and you can quote me on that!

  46. I love MOST quotes, but some just make me want to hurl, so guess it’s a fine line for me. Maybe I should make a quote up about it “it’s a fine line between like and hurl”. Hmm…maybe I should stick to blogging and steer clear of quote writing. Hope you’re enjoying your staycation Miz.

  47. As the 53rd person to reply…ha ha, I resonate with your words. I like the occasional inspirational quote at the *right moment but all the Pinteresting has gone overboard. I especially hate when I see a blog post full of “quote photos” pulled straight from Pinterest. There’s actually a lot of depth to many of the inspirational quotes and by piling them all together, it’s totally taking away from that. So yeah, they are definitely over used but sometimes — just sometimes — you read the right thing at the right time and it kicks your butt into gear 🙂

  49. I actually love Pinterest for the other stuff I do with it. Recipe pins, home idea pins, holiday gift lists for others (so I don’t forget 4 months from now), things that make me laugh. I do some inspiration, but it is not my biggest board. 😀

  51. I LOVE IT! Actually muttered “soft of core” repeatedly to myself this morning and it talked me down. And that’s not the only words of yours that live in my head:) Also? Totally agree with you about the, uh, Schminterest… (Although I did get some awesome birthday party ideas for the kiddos of it.)

  53. A further issue is that Diablo 3 Gold has become one of the all-time main forms of fun for people of all ages. Kids enjoy Diablo 3 Gold, and also adults do, too. The actual d3boy is one of the favorite Diablo 3 Gold systems for those who love to have a huge variety of Diablo 3 Gold available to them, plus who like to experiment with live with others all over the world. Many thanks for sharing your notions.

  55. I love quotes. Sometimes they get stuck in my head for a while and inspire all my activities. Things you’ve said in the past have done that… you definitely have a way of inspiring all of us!

  56. I actually love quotes. I never fancied myself a writer-so putting together inspiring phrases or quotable text was never something I imagined. However I DO often imagine ways to draw the inspiring words of others-of great writers, motivating leaders, and enlightened spiritual teachers. THAT is great fun!! (plus I am totally addicted to Pinterest…) xoxo

  57. My daughter went through a terrible heart break. I couldn’t find words to help her get past it. So I googled and googled to find inspiration. I sent her the “words of the day” simple quotes from strong people who lived and learned. This Christmas I found a quote for each member of my family that spoke to me of thier journey during the past year. I had them read their quote before we had dinner. I love me some tears at dinner. I have a Miz quote on my wall at work. “I love my body-embracing it and all its imperfections is the path to living fully & without fear or hesitation”. You are wise and inspiring.

  58. I like a few quotes, but overall not a big fan. The reason I think is that one can find a quote to fit every behavior whether healthy or unhealthy, good or bad, selfless or selfish.

    Quotes are not a replacement for action, though too many people think they are.

    You can quote me on that 🙂

  59. We differ here, because I LOVE QUOTES! haha Not only to have them all over my online world. But I drive my husband nuts by tacking up little mantras all over our our apartment!

    They remind me to stay focused and centered, and sometimes I need the reminder.

  60. Quotes are fine, but they are really only entertainment unless you embrace the quote you say inspires you. I like entertainment, but I need to to embrace more than entertainment if i hope to make permanent changes in who I am.

  61. I find that if I say anything with enough weighty sincerity, it comes off as a famous quote. I’ll say something in that tone you use for quotations, and people nod and look as if they’re trying to remember who said it. Sometimes I quote my own writing, and sometimes I just come up with that stuff off the top of my head, but I like the idea that we should try to give enough thought to everything we say so it has the eloquence of quotation.

  62. LOVE quotes! Why? Because they put things in a perspective that I may have not. They help me see things a different way. They may inspire me to change my attitude. When I started running and thought I was horrible and wanted to stop, reading, “It doesn’t matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch,” made me realize that I was better off doing SOMETHING even if I didn’t do it well. I love quotes for the new perspective that I’m introduced. Of course, not all quotes resonate, but the ones that do can make a profound impact on my psyche. 😉 That being said, a few of my own words have inspired me, too. You know, when you have that AHA! moment that you’ll never forget?

  66. I use quotations as a tool to keep my ass on the treadmill at the gym. When I want to quit (usually 3 minutes into my workout 8-D), I start reading, and keep on going.

    My favourite is:

    “The reason that I can be 38 and have two kids and wear a bikini is because I work my XXXXXXX ass off. It’s not an accident. It’s not luck, it’s not fairy dust, it’s not good genes. It’s killing myself for an hour and a half five days a week, but what I get out of it is relative to what I put into it. That’s what I try to do in all areas of my life.”
    -Gwyneth Paltrow

    Works almost every time.

  67. “One of the most liberating feelings I’m ever had was when I realized that what other people think of me is none of my business”

    -not sure who said it, I used to nanny in college and the mom had it on a cabinet in the kitchen!

  70. I enjoy others’ quotes when they really resonate, but sometimes I’m ‘eh’ about them. A select few, as you say, will really get me to my core and those I cling to. (And, to toot your horn a bit more, you ARE an amazing writer and your words undoubtedly inspire so many.) Every now and again, I’ll write something, or say something, and think to myself, “Hm, did I hear that somewhere else or did I make that up all on my own?” And those are the best, as you say, because the words came from ME. I mean them, and so they move me.

    But those are FEW and far between 🙂

  72. Thank you for your thoughts on quotes. Quotes, in my opinion, are a lazy person’s way to appear intelligent and profound. This does not mean that I dislike knowledge or wisdom, I just wish that people would take the time to interpret the meaning of them and put them into the proper context in which they were originally meant. Hope you don’t mind if I quote you, LOL! (kidding)

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