I’m a big fan of motivational quotes. Sometimes they’re exactly what you need to move through a difficult moment in your life, or get past an obstacle that’s been in your way. Some of the most popular quotes I’ve seen as it relates to careers and life success can be outright dangerous, when followed in absolute terms. I know people who have done more harm than good to their lives by following a motivational quote a little too closely. Here are five of the ones I think are most overrated.
“Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy”
Paulo Coelho
In theory, I agree with the premise that old Paulo is getting at here. The author of The Alchemist is ultimately on the same page as me when it comes to life: that we should prioritize our happiness. Where you need to be careful, though, is not to prioritize it over literally everything else in your life.
This quote is not telling you to immediately quit your job or go out and file for divorce just because you’re not happy in a moment in time… yet I’ve seen it interpreted that way.
Yes, happiness is super-important. This blog wouldn’t exist if I didn’t believe in that. But it isn’t everything. Life isn’t ever going to be all rainbows and kittens, even if all you do is chase happiness. For me, I think there’s a balance to be found between chasing the things that make you happy, and finding happiness in the things you have and do already, today.
Too much in either direction seems misguided, to me. Speaking of which…
“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.”
W. P. Kinsella
No. I don’t see the world in purely blacks and whites the way this Canadian author seems to with this quote. It seems to imply a tradeoff between success and happiness, and to me that’s a load of crap.
What if success makes me happy? What if setting goals and achieving them gives me satisfaction in life? I mean, that’s one of my main personality traits; I love to set goals for myself, then clear past them and set new goals. I’ll always be this way. Does it mean that I’m forever unhappy because I’m always chasing the next thing?
Absolutely not.
The reason is that it’s not the “thing” I’m chasing that makes me happy; it’s the journey of chasing it. That journey is where personal growth, reflection and development happens, and the mere thought of knowing I’m pushing myself through something gives me pleasure.
Not everyone will agree with me on this, and that’s ok. But dear god, please don’t consider yourself a failure just because “you’re not happy with what you have today.” If you’re struggling to put food on the table and can find happiness in the small things each day, amazing. But you are not a failure if you can’t.
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Winston Churchill
Often used to try and bolster a friend or colleague who’s in a difficult situation at work, this quote, when taken too far, can be outright toxic.
Let me paint a picture.
Meet Bobby. Bobby is an office worker, and unfortunately, the office Bobby works in has a horrible company culture. Bobby’s boss is a tyrant who talks crap about him and his peers behind his back, doesn’t allow him to take lunch together with his colleagues because “she doesn’t want them forming close friendships,” and considers her complete abdication of any responsibility for providing guidance or career development to be the epitome of “providing autonomy.”
Bobby also works in sales support, and while he never hears anyone tell him he’s doing a good job, he does often get screamed at when he makes mistakes… which, naturally, leads to more mistakes.
Bobby frequently comes home and cries himself to sleep, and his job is clearly affecting his relationships with those around him: his wife, children, family, and friends. Safe to say, Bobby is in his own form of personal hell.
So should Bobby keep going?
As someone who’s been in Bobby’s position before, I can confidently say the answer is “Hell no.” There is one condition, though: you need to have the emergency funds in the bank to make sure you don’t end up homeless if you walk away from this environment.
As long as that’s the case, then taking Winston Churchill’s advice is not only wrong, it can do permanent damage to your life and psyche if you follow it. Sometimes you just gotta say “I’ve had enough of this hell,” push past Cerberus, and never look back.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”
Steve Jobs
I used to believe this, until I realized that it’s a pipe dream for most people. Funny enough, it also directly contradicts W.P. Kinsella’s quote above.
Believing this quote, and attaching your life happiness to finding work that you love, is a recipe for unhappiness. I’m not saying you should pursue work you love to do, at all; if you can achieve that, by all means do it. That’s the dream!
But I don’t believe that loving your work is a perquisite for happiness (more on that here), or for doing great work, the way Jobs says here. Anybody can do great work; the key is to take pride in what you do, and strive to be the best at it, no matter what.
I like being a Marketer… but do I absolutely love it? Not really. But I don’t need to love it in order to take pride in my work. I don’t need to love it in order to be great at it. I just need to believe that greatness starts with the desire to be great, and the motivation to act on that desire.
Plenty of people live a happy life and do great work without ever loving what they do. I count myself among them, and I subscribe to the notion of “Work to live, don’t live to work.” I see my job as a means to an end, with that end being freedom to pursue and enjoy the things in life that make me happy.
And that’s more than enough for me.
“Life is about making an impact, not making an income.”
Kevin Kruse
Tell that to the mother and father of five kids who are struggling to put food on the table. Quotes like this just hit me as exceptionally privileged and tone-deaf if you take them at face value.
Again, I don’t see it as a tradeoff between impact and income. Everyone needs an income to satisfy their basic needs. Only when we’ve got some level of comfort can we begin to pursue things that make an impact with others.
This quote basically says that “only the top rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs should apply, and screw the bottom ones.” Of course, where the quote starts to ring true is for those who do make enough money to meet all their needs. There comes a point where chasing further income is just sad, and unnecessary. But until then, there’s no shame on focusing on bringing home a little extra bacon for your family.
Wrapping it Up
I know that crapping on quotes is a little heavy, but I’m just so tired of hearing people spout the same stuff and take the interpretations way, way too far. Like I said though, I am a big fan of motivational quotes, and so next week I’ll share a much rosier list of five quotes that I absolutely love, and try to live my life by. Stay tuned!
