There are many popular sayings in our culture that people look to for motivation and inspiration, but there are many sayings meant to be inspirational that seem fairly false. I have thus compiled a list of popular sayings that don't seem to be all that true.
1. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
Of all the popular sayings out there, this is one so many people live by. But, this saying is not always true; sometimes what doesn't kill you knocks you so low that it makes you weaker. Ever been in such a bad relationship that you were too scared to enter a new one? This isn't exactly strength...
2. Sticks and Stones Can Break My Bones but Words Will Never Hurt Me
Words can and do hurt, sometimes even more than physical pain. This is why cyber-bullying is such an epidemic in our society. Don't let anyone tell you that you that you are "too sensitive" for feeling hurt by something someone says to you; it is a natural human reaction to feel emotional pain if someone says something cruel.
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3. Live Your Life with No Regrets
I love Katharine Hepburn's response to this quote -- "I have many regrets, and I'm sure everyone does. The stupid things you do, you regret... if you have any sense, and if you don't regret them, maybe you're stupid." Basically, everyone has regrets. If you choose not to dwell on them, to forgive yourself for them, to treat them as lessons, or believe that your mistakes work into a larger picture, then fine; but that does not mean that you should overlook hurting others or doing something incredibly wrong in the past.
4. Forgive and Forget
Forgiveness of those who have wronged us often helps us move on with our lives, but remembering what hurt you will help you to learn. Don't forget if someone harmed you in some way, or you will never learn to avoid those kinds of situations in the future, and this will just wind up hurting you more in the long run.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
One of my elementary school teachers disproved this saying by rephrasing it to: practicing the RIGHT WAY makes perfect. This is so true. You can practice something as much as you like, but if you are not practicing correctly you will never improve.
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6. You Can Be Whatever You Want to Be
This is so wrong. No matter what I do, I will never be able to be an astronaut because I have less than perfect eyesight. Humans are born with innate qualities and sometimes we have to learn to work with the cards we were dealt instead of trying to be something we were never meant to be.
7. Positivity is the Key
Optimism may be the key to improving your self-esteem, but unfortunately it is not the key to everything. Psychological studies have actually shown that pessimists tend to be the most realistic and often go further in life because they understand the realistic aspects of situations. While positivity has its benefits, it is not necessarily the key to success or the key to life.
There are many great motivational quotes to live by, but there are also many that are pretty dumb. What motivational quotes do you like, and which ones do you disagree with?
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