Why is it we do not seem to know or follow basic truths anymore unless we see them collected into colorful "potato chip posts"? Didn't we used to learn this stuff from our parents or faiths? I am as guilty as the rest for letting common sense and sometimes decency wane until being reminded by social media emo-spam. I dismiss most of them without hardly seeing them, but every once in a while I see one that catches my eye, or it is posted by someone I respect, and I stop and read. And, then, sometimes it resonates with me. Suddenly all the chattering posts giving me lists for how to be good and quotes to cheer my soul were all worthwhile for just one nugget. Maybe in every technological generation, this is how the core human building blocks break through; like weeds through cracks in the concrete. No matter what manner of "too busy to think about it" or mind numbing distractions that we occupy ourselves with, the building blocks of morality just find ways to get in front of us. Maybe, just maybe I should find a really cool picture and write a list about it. I can share it with you so you can share it with all your friends. 😉
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I am, like you, wary of inspirational quotes/pics. They offer momentary bursts of hope without any longer-lasting reward. On the other hand, they can be useful bursts of mental energy boosts when you're down or fighting a creative block. At least that's how it is within my context. I've been battling this block for a few weeks and a good motivational pic/quote is the kick in the pants I need to fight through it little by little.
Don't trust the motivational penguin though. He's a bipolar psycho. One minute he's cheering for you, the next he's squeezing your trachea for the jollies.
Social media emo-spam. Now that would be a good potato chip post.
oh, I ignore these things most of the time. Except when once in a while one of them annoys me enough so I rant about the stupid inanity of the stuff. I even went as far as designing a pretty text thing saying that just because it's written in a pretty font on a pretty background and everyone's sharing it, that doesn't make it true.
Most are noise to me; but I must admit I really enjoy a select few. So many are just way over the top for me, though.
yes, once in a blue moon there's one that's actually good 🙂
I'm torn on whether that one that's good is worth the deluge of emo-spam. I think yeah… because even if I do not like them all, someone somewhere is getting something out of the ones that I do not care about.
I have to say, I like the ones that are scripture-based. +Tim Challies does some that are great. Obscure scripture or theologians always makes me think.
I wish I could share your optimism, Scott. I see so much danger in some of these, lies being spread under the guise of "pretty", pressure put on people to live up to stuff that is beyond their ability, a whole load of vile and dangerous stuff that is wrapped up in a pretty wrapping so that people (most people – not you, obviously) just swallow it without thinking. So no, I don't think it's worth it for the odd gem.
For those that know how to filter, I suppose would be the requirement. Since we will never get rid of misinformation, people should (but they will not) always verify what they read if it is attributed to some place or some person. If it is just a list of perceived values, then they need to take it as face value, not gospel. We can never change misinformation or people's willingness to blindly accept what is put before them. Just because it is human nature, does not mean we should resort to the lowest common denominator of information dissemination – which would be to never do it.
my brain is too fried to work out if we're actually disagreeing about anything here 🙂
+Meirav M. It's all a matter of degrees and faith in humanity. 😉 Basically… S'all good; we are probably mostly in agreement I think.
yes, I think we're probably more in agreement than not 🙂