Wise quotes and Top 10's

If you have access to the internet and social media, then the chances of seeing a quote from an author, philosopher or any famous person are guaranteed. Either in a post on Facebook, a story on Instagram, on TikTok, said during a podcast on YouTube or given as a description on a freshly posted picture of yours. Of course, the benefit of this "trend" is that it can make a particular author of literature or scientific publications famous for the concept he has proposed. But from my observations most of the time such quotes remain as "short-lived inspirations" and you get used to them because there are thousands if not millions of people who are posting the same quotes. And that can be really sad because behind some of these quotes are hidden extraordinary people whose mindsets can truly add to how we perceive life.

The other problem is that even if you decide to give more attention to a quote, it is extracted from the context of the book where it originates, which decreases its influential power and reason to some extent. For example, on my Instagram profile, I had a quote from Viktor Frankl- a famous psychiatrist and inspiration for many people (especially those who pursue psychology). The quote states that even though we can't control most of the circumstances in our life (illness of a loved one, tragedies, accidents) we can surely decide how to react to the hardships and to life itself. Now, as it is extracted from the context of his works, he may sound like one of the many authors who are too hard on their readers. Many can remember such hardships and ask " How else could I react to the horrible thing that happened to me?". A lot may not accept this quote, because it directs responsibility to the people, one that can distance them from the role of absolute victims, which for some is not preferable.

After some time I started to appreciate his works and read 4-5 of his books. His first book was written while he was in a concentration camp- yes, he was one of the survivors of that dark part of our history. And the same person that describes how much pain, death, injustice and suffering there is in such camps also talks about willpower, hope, faith, free will and the meaning of life. With this information, his quote becomes way more inspiring and influential, rather than just one of the millions of posts on your news feed, doesn't it?

Another trend I see pretty often is Top 10's with psychology facts. I am really happy to see that such topics are interesting for people, however, there could be some issues. There may be benefits like sharing knowledge about a certain psychological case or phenomena, but very often I see such posts that aim at directing people towards a specific mindset which can be helpful only for specific types of people. We are all unique and have different personalities, temperaments, ways and speeds of processing information, etc. Thus it is very difficult (if possible) to point out universal tips. Secondly, some of the advice in such posts are extreme. For example "Don't be egoistic". This is a topic that deserves its own time and post, but being egoistic is bad only when it is too much. For us to survive, a fair amount of egoism is needed. Some people may try following such advice and end up failing at their task, which can lead to troubling thoughts, and low self-esteem (because "you can't even follow basic advices that are universal and available for everyone").

In conclusion, I can say that It is really good that quotes containing wisdom and important facts about our psyches are all around the internet, but keep in mind that they are extracted and summarized information, which in the process may have lost its influence and original meaning. And take caution when reading any psychology tips on the internet- we are unique and thus often require a unique method that works for us. We have a personal compass embedded in our souls, that guides us in the best way possible- our intuition! If you have seen such extreme psychology tips or Top 10 lists, please do share in the comments- this would increase the value of this post! Also if you have some topics that you find conflicting, but also interesting, please let me know! If I feel that the topic is somewhat close to me or my interests, then I can share my view about it! Stay curious and may there be peace, light and love in your life! :)