How does one become quotable?
Customarily, a quotable person has some sort of fame or success. They have written books, made speeches, or starred in movies. They probably have a sports car, a yacht, and someone who follows them around all day with pen and paper ready to write down all the witty things they say.
Oftentimes, the sayings of the affluent and illustrious seem quite uninspiring. For instance, the quote of the day presented to me on my phone yesterday was (are you ready for this?): "I don't know if I have a favorite color." ~Kate Middleton.
This is not a joke.
I cannot tell you how many times I have uttered those exact words (I have finally decided on sunflower yellow as my color of choice but it took many difficult years of self-reflection) and yet, Kate Middleton gets all the glory.
I suppose this says a lot about our society and how we, as a generalization, tend to give a lot of weight to the words of famous people.
Yet finally, Robert Brault, a modern-day freelance writer, recognized that even the common man--the waitress, the business owner, and the college student--is quotable. He eloquently states, "I'm discovering that everybody is a closet quotesmith. Just give them a chance."
If I had a dime for every time I heard a member of "the common man" say something witty, charismatic, insightful, or inspiring, I would have enough money to treat everyone at Penn State to a cone at the Creamery. Okay, I probably wouldn't have that much money, but you get the picture. The point is that everyone is quotable--you just need to listen.
You can find inspiration anywhere if you practice the art of listening. Listen intently to your friends, your families, your teachers, and even strangers when they speak. Listen to yourself. Take in every word and taste it like it's the best, most refreshing scoop of Paterno Peach you've ever had. Digest it slowly and search with passion for specks of inspiration, hidden quotes from each unsuspected quotesmith.
The Humans of New York account on all mediums of social media quotes the common man daily and has collected millions of followers. This past week, the account posted this:
Customarily, a quotable person has some sort of fame or success. They have written books, made speeches, or starred in movies. They probably have a sports car, a yacht, and someone who follows them around all day with pen and paper ready to write down all the witty things they say.
Oftentimes, the sayings of the affluent and illustrious seem quite uninspiring. For instance, the quote of the day presented to me on my phone yesterday was (are you ready for this?): "I don't know if I have a favorite color." ~Kate Middleton.
This is not a joke.
I cannot tell you how many times I have uttered those exact words (I have finally decided on sunflower yellow as my color of choice but it took many difficult years of self-reflection) and yet, Kate Middleton gets all the glory.
I suppose this says a lot about our society and how we, as a generalization, tend to give a lot of weight to the words of famous people.
Yet finally, Robert Brault, a modern-day freelance writer, recognized that even the common man--the waitress, the business owner, and the college student--is quotable. He eloquently states, "I'm discovering that everybody is a closet quotesmith. Just give them a chance."
If I had a dime for every time I heard a member of "the common man" say something witty, charismatic, insightful, or inspiring, I would have enough money to treat everyone at Penn State to a cone at the Creamery. Okay, I probably wouldn't have that much money, but you get the picture. The point is that everyone is quotable--you just need to listen.
You can find inspiration anywhere if you practice the art of listening. Listen intently to your friends, your families, your teachers, and even strangers when they speak. Listen to yourself. Take in every word and taste it like it's the best, most refreshing scoop of Paterno Peach you've ever had. Digest it slowly and search with passion for specks of inspiration, hidden quotes from each unsuspected quotesmith.
The Humans of New York account on all mediums of social media quotes the common man daily and has collected millions of followers. This past week, the account posted this:
This quote by a random, regular New Yorker definitely struck a chord with me and was the most relatable quote that I have read in quite some time. I find this quote to be especially pertinent because, as college students, we constantly struggle with the issue of deciding the direction of our future. Since quotes are meant to inspire, to motivate, to generate emotions, and to spark discussion, there are no better authors of quotes than ordinary people with whom we feel a connection and with whom we can easily relate. Sometimes, we may read a quote by a hugely famous pop star, an extraordinarily intelligent mathematician, or a tremendously successful businessman and find no inspiration. We may feel puzzled because we as a society place great value in the words of celebrities and generally think that these people have a great amount of wisdom to offer. Yet, oftentimes, the most inspiration comes from people just like us who have experienced the same pain, joy, and sorrow that we have experienced throughout our entire lives.
Everybody is a closet quotesmith. Thank you, Robert Brault!
I've never really thought about how "famous quotes" come into being and what makes them popular until I read this post. There's a lot of really good analysis of the idea here, and I'm going to make sure to quote this post itself at least once, just to prove its point.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this blog post. I love your wit and your humor throughout the beginning of the post (I think sunflower yellow is a great favorite color). Also, both the quote from Robert Brault and the quote from HONY are real gems, and I'm glad you tied them to bigger life lessons.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this blog post. I love your wit and your humor throughout the beginning of the post (I think sunflower yellow is a great favorite color). Also, both the quote from Robert Brault and the quote from HONY are real gems, and I'm glad you tied them to bigger life lessons.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting read, and it really made me think. I love your blog, as it is so refreshing and witty. Humans of New York is a favorite of mine, and I do find that sometimes the things people say really hit me, but I was never able to put it in words or explain it, as you so eloquently just did. I can't wait for next weeks post!
ReplyDelete