The more I learn and experience of the Enneagram of personality, the more I see the fallacy of many inspirational or motivational quotes. Like opinions, most of these quotes are not “one size fits all.” Instead, they tend to validate the personality filter you have, make you wish you could have that personality filter or smack up against your personality in a way that makes you dismiss the quote outright.
As I come across these untrue quotes, I save them for illustrative purposes. Here are five of them, in no particular order. I know the quote’s author in most cases, but I’m not out to shame anyone. We’re all doing the best we can, and the quotes were heart-felt and well-intentioned.
- When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
This sounds beautiful on the surface, but it is flatly untrue. First, there have been some things in my life that I’ve wanted desperately and worked really hard for, and…crickets. I’m sure this has been true at least once in your life as well. Also, if this were true, it would apply equally to serial murders, would-be dictators and so on. So, I’m super glad it’s not true. Second, the universe is not sentient; it doesn’t conspire to do anything. It was made by a sentient Creator, and not even he wants everything for you that you want.
- All your dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them.
If all it took were courage to succeed, my company would be a multi-million-dollar, international organization. History is full of people with courage whose dreams did not come true. There are a millions reasons why people succeed or don’t; courage is not the single determining factor. It sure helps, but it’s not the key. So, people who are courageous may take this quote and run with it, and be shocked if they fail. People who lack courage—certain Enneagram Types have a hard time with this attribute—may feel like they’re doomed to failure and not ever try.
- Always do your best and you will find that you never need to compare yourself to others.
Ha! Tell that to a Type 3, whose entire raison d’etre is be better at something than others and gain recognition for it. Or to a Type 4, who constantly compares herself to others because she is certain that others have something she inherently lacks. In fact, all Types have a need to be known for being special in some way so that they will feel valued. And, in fact, the quote itself employs a bit of circular logic: how do you know what your best is if you’ve never compared what you do to some external standard? If you’re not comparing yourself to others, you are comparing yourself to your own standards – which were created by your subjective Inner Critic, based on its observations of the external world. That is, of others. Oy.
- Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Hellen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.
Nice try, but no cigar. Granted, Einstein did work as a patent clerk in his early 20s while writing his Theory of General Relativity, but then he got to spend the rest of his life at a job that enabled him to pursue his passion. And I’m pretty sure the wonderful Helen Keller didn’t work 40 hours a week, buy groceries and clean her house while squeezing in book writing and speaking tours on the weekend. In short, most of us do NOT have the same number of hours as famous people we admire. This quote has a sort of shaming edge to it, like “Don’t be a slouch. Your circumstances don’t matter. Get ‘er done.” Circumstances do matter, but by the same token, I hope they don’t dissuade you from pursuing what God has put on your heart to do and be. It may take longer than you’d like, but do it as you can. That’s what I’m doing.
- A mistake that keeps being repeated is not a mistake – it’s a choice.
Nope, not this one, either. If you know it’s a mistake, and you make it anyway, did you actually have a choice? Who made that choice – you or your personality? When you are asleep to your personality, you have limited choices. It’s usually just one choice: act according to the impulse your personality is sending out, and do it NOW. Your personality actually limits your free will. This is why people repeat the same relationship with different people, for instance. It’s not so much a choice as a command.
All right, after all the myth-busting negativity, here’s one just for fun.
- Fall down seven times, get up eight.
This is physically impossible! You can’t get up more times than you’ve fallen down – unless you were on the ground to begin with. But though the math is off, it’s a good point: keep getting up.
Have you ever read an “inspirational” quote that depressed you? Or have you found one that’s universally true? (They do exist.) If so, please share! And please keep doing the work of getting free of your personality’s grip so that you can find your true self, live your destiny and give God maximum glory with your life.
The Uncovery Discovery Blog 