Aside from the cynical crowd, of which I include myself, it is tradition to start the New Year with a flurry of positivity. A renewed sense of energy and purpose as a whole year, bursting with so much promise and potential, lay stretched out before you. It is also at this time when, thanks to the accessibility of social networks, "inspirational" quotes are scattered across the information highway like desiccated bodies strewn across the battlefield. Carpe Diem, We must become the change we want to see, Stay hungry stay foolish, Study the past if you would define the future, Yes we can; all of them with the intention of empowering us.
Now I have no problem with drawing upon the words of others to help contextualise and articulate a point of view or feeling, if the loveable hate-filled rogues on Youtube forums can do it then anyone can. Indeed I have absolutely no problem with those who see a New Year as an opportunity to set themselves goals and strive to achieve them, in fact I encourage it. However, in the last 48 hours I have read enough quotes on that internet to last me the year. What's even more obtuse is that they are simply thrown out there without any thought or reasoning like one of those youths throwing his love seed about with all the love of a Krankie. They are relegated from the marvellous and the purposeful to an unbearable ennui. Simply typing out a quote and having it as your "Status" doesn't make you an intelligent, sensitive and inspirational person it makes you skilled in the art of copy and paste.
Anyone can type something. I've got nieces who aren't as old as some of my pants that can type something. If I gave them a quote and said type that then within five minutes I could have a famous inspirational quote from Confucius as my status, except it will have been written by someone who shit their pants and covered the keyboard in snot whilst they did it. This unctuous and odious world of self-help and self-empowerment has made it easier for people to repeat something someone else has written and pass it off as help. I can make you rich and all you have to do is buy my book for £10; great I'm already a tenner down.
The quote is a precious thing and when used in context to illuminate a point or feeling can be the most powerful thing in language. However when it is used by someone who is crying because the sun came up again then it is reduced to an anaemic and feeble series of letters. You are a brilliant human being who is capable of fantastic feats and you should make the most of every year. You just don't need someone with the username Bendybollocks34 from Torquay regurgitating something that they think sounds clever to tell you that. Happy New Year!