Almost every one of us has heard the phrase— Stop and smell the roses.  In our hectic lives, we often dismiss the idea of slowing down and noticing the beauty that surrounds us. The adage is intended to remind us to pause, draw a breath, and reflect on our lives, just for a couple of moments. This and several other phrases that we’ve grown up hearing, they are now commonplace on social media. Whether it’s Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, positive quotes are aplenty. Even everyday objects, like Mugs, T-shirts & pen drives with quotes, come with printed positivity for everyone to appreciate.

And yet despite their omnipresence, their popularity does not show any signs of decreasing. Because, in our increasingly digital life, the reminders to pause, reflect, and self-motivate are even more required. We might not be able to easily see a rose outside our windows, but positive quotes are everywhere on the internet, and they serve as a daily reminder that we are not alone, that beauty is easy to locate.

The Science Behind Positive Quotes:

Phrasing changes the effectiveness of words. Studies have found that when people are shown statement styles of the same meaning, participants were more likely to say the more poetic phrasing seemed more genuine. The fashion in which an idea is expressed can affect opinions about its merit. A more motivational and upbeat sentence is more likely to be repeated and hence, remembered.

The inspirational messages from famous people have become mantras for today’s world. People, young and old alike, find motivation in the words and use them to motivate each other. From the morning, Whatsapp messages to physical gifts, with positive quotes have become the go-to greetings among friends and family. Keepsakes like mugs, tshirts, notepads, bookmarks, pen drives with quotes, etc. are some of the most useful gifting options these days. 

Humans are aspirational creatures. We want role models to look up to and leaders to follow. These leaders and their words (see: inspirational quotes) influence us on a primal level. The quotes from distinguished leaders, whether in business, politics, or the arts, also hold an added gravitas due to the assumption that when individuals are in public positions, they must be wise, accomplished, or otherwise exceptional people to have reached those ranks. This perception can make statements from such leaders more compelling.

There’s also power in the quotes themselves. People have an appetite for well-expressed knowledge, inspirational or otherwise. Quotes and sayings, old or new, are short triumphs of rhetoric. That is, they hold an unusual and keen insight, that is put into engaging wording, for the common man to understand.

Thoughts in an individual expressed in the outer world of objects become his actions. — This positive quote by Swami Chinmayananda represents the basic idea that thoughts that can be put into words, can be transformed into actions. Inspirational quotes, whether they are found on the internet, our tshirts, or our bookmarks, are positive thoughts put into words. Therefore, they can drive you to take action, eventually shaping who you are.