An article in the Daily Beast claims the following:
A new study finds that people who love bullshit inspirational quotes have lower intelligence and more "conspiratorial ideations".
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Stars can't shine without darkness. A goal without a plan is just a wish.
Feeling inspired? Well, perhaps you shouldn't be, because those who post motivational quotes on social media have been found to display lower levels of intelligence than those who are more discerning over such 'profound' messages.
The article argues that many so-called inspirational quotes are nonsense dressed up as profundity or, in their words (referencing Frankfurt's On Bullshit):
Bullshit, in contrast to mere nonsense, is something that implies but does not contain adequate meaning or truth
These short, supposedly inspirational statements are very common on social media and are found in many office posters in association with beautiful images. These are probably intended to motivate employees.
So are the people who like these social media memes and motivational posters less smart that people who do not?