Friday, August 29, 2014

Toxic Quotes

So I'm starting something new on the blog this month. It's going be about bad quotes and signs and advertisements I see around the internet. You know, those little pictures with a feel-good quote on them that everyone and your mom repins but leaves you shaking your head in disbelief? I talked about one before in my spiel about government.

Today's gem is this:


This quote is toxic for perhaps one (huge) reason:
  1. Victim Blaming. 
Because oh my gosh because people get hurt all the time. There exists in this world workplace hierarchy. Rape. Beatings. Shootings. Bullying. Death. Fear. Sometimes these things can really effect a person. Why would we then tell that person that they somehow "gave consent" to their own "inferior feelings?" Having them change how they feel does not just magically chase away their sadness or depression.

The focus should not be on the victim. I mean, I'm all for people being encouraging and loving, but telling someone it's their fault for feeling down and inferior when they are going through a hard time or depressed is perhaps not the best idea.

Whenever I see someone posting this quote I always try to tell them how toxic and corrupt it is. Plus, there is no record of Ms. Roosevelt even uttering this.

What do you think? Good, bad, or just plain wrong? Let me know in the comments down below.

7 comments:

Michael said...

I think there are two sides to this. The intent of the quote (as I have always interpreted it) is to remind people that the feeling of being inferior is something that is established within our own minds. Having a self-awareness that the people around us do not make us inferior, but rather it is a feeling we allow in our own minds that has no substance, can help to overcome that feeling. That said, I also see the point of your post. Simply having the awareness that those feelings are established in our own mind does not magically make them go away and solve our internal emotional conflicts. The feeling of inferiority is very complex and involves much more than some arbitrary choice to feel inferior. In the end, I have no problem with the quote personally because it is 100% accurate in the point it is trying to convey (again, as I have always interpreted the point the author was trying to make), but I also acknowledge the quote fails to address the plethora of other factors that come into play when considering emotions and feelings of inferiority. Reality and emotions are often very disconnected and I see this quote as an attempt to bridge that gap. ...just my opinion. :-)

Breenah said...

I get SO annoyed at misquoted stuff all over Pinterest. You're online anyway, why not do a quick Google to see if it's legit?

Rachel G said...

Interesting that there's no proof she even said this. Quotes in general are a scary thing. A sentence which is very, very true in one situation can easily be not at all true in another situation--kind of goes along with the fact that not all Bible verses have a practical application to every situation that happens in life. Context is very important!

Kelly del Valle said...

I take every quote I see with a grain of salt. Even if they are attributed to the right person, I'd guess they are largely taken out of context. This one is no different - whoever said it may have addressed what you correctly perceive as victim blaming... I doubt this was a standalone statement.

Carolynn said...

you phrased exactly what I was thinking in a much more informative way!

I agree 100%.

Carolynn said...

totally. AGREE. Also, I'm watching your vlog right now <3

Carolynn said...

yeah, I wish there was more context!!!