A duck holding a sign reading “You Can Do It!” is not the kind of evidence most people bring to a debate about motivation. But the internet has a soft spot for ducks, and a new list of 37 motivational memes is banking on that fact.
The collection, titled “37 Motivational Memes For Encouragement During Difficult Times,” is doing exactly what its title promises: it is pooling images meant to give readers a quick boost during busy periods or hard times. The list includes a bunny with two different moods, a possum named Positive Possum, and a hedgehog cheerleader. The duck is just one entry in a lineup that also features a lazy tiger, a serotonin-themed image, and a reference to the science of motivation.
The memes are meant to be shared. The list opens with a promise: “If you’re neck deep in deadlines or are going through a tumultuous time, a quick boost of encouragement might just be the saving grace you need to tide you through.” The closing line is warmer still: “We’ll be cheering you all the way!”
Brain Science Behind Motivation
The list leans on science as much as it leans on humor. One meme points to a 2018 study by the Center On The Developing Child at Harvard University, which found that specific neurons in the brain send chemical signals through high-speed neural networks. These signals travel to regions that connect emotions, memory, and the sensation of pleasure and reward.
The research says chemicals including dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate, and naturally occurring opioids are produced in the brain. Each serves a different purpose. Dopamine signals that something important is about to happen, something worth enjoying or avoiding entirely. That signal drives the decision to either ditch the effort or go for it.
Tiny Parcels of Encouragement
Beta Souders, who holds an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and is pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology, wrote about the power of small encouragements in a 2019 piece for Positive Psychology titled “Motivation and What Really Drives Human Behavior.” In that article, Souders looked at the impact of a motivating environment and its effects.
Souders argues that motivational pushes should never be underestimated, no matter how small or mundane they seem. Even brief moments of encouragement can build up over time and help people succeed in many areas of life.
Social Influence as a Trick
The list also cites Ayelet Fishbach, who wrote about using social influence in the Harvard Business Review in 2018. Her piece, titled “How to Keep Working When You’re Just Not Feeling It,” offers a method for pushing through tough stretches.
Fishbach says the key is exposure to high performers who inspire you, giving and receiving advice, and keeping the people you are working hard for front of mind. Positive social influences, she argues, can drive you to do your best and reach challenging milestones.
Why the Duck Works Anyway
The list’s appeal rests on a simple premise: a meme is a cheap form of encouragement. Forwarding a motivational image to someone who lacks confidence can sometimes spell the difference between success and failure.
That claim is not backed by a study. It is a hunch dressed up as a fact. But the hunch has a long history. People have been sharing jokes and images to lift each other’s spirits since long before the internet existed, and the duck is just the latest carrier.
From Bunny to Hedgehog
The images themselves cover a wide range of styles. Here is a rough breakdown of the kinds of images the list includes:
- A bunny with two different moods, labeled “Same Bunny, Different Morning”
- A possum named Positive Possum
- A hedgehog cheerleader
- A duck with a motivational message
- A serotonin-themed image
- A lazy tiger
The list does not explain why it picked each image. It simply presents them in order.
Science Section
One section of the list is devoted to the science of motivation. It references the Harvard study and the Positive Psychology article, presenting them as support for the idea that encouragement matters.
The Harvard study found that neurons send chemical signals through high-speed neural networks. The Positive Psychology article argued that small encouragements can build up over time. Neither study is presented in full.
But the list’s argument is simple: if the science says motivation matters, then a funny image matters too. The two are not the same, but they occupy the same shelf in the reader’s mind.
Bottom Line
The list is a cheerful, slightly silly way to start the day. It is not a serious treatment of motivation, and it does not pretend to be one. It is a collection of images designed to make readers smile, and it succeeds at that.
The memes are harmless. They are also effective in the sense that they deliver what they promise: a quick boost of encouragement. Whether that boost lasts beyond the moment of scrolling is another question, and the list does not claim otherwise.
The science sections add a veneer of seriousness, but the core product is pure entertainment. A duck holding a motivational sign is not a therapy session. It is a joke, and a welcome one.
The list ends with a promise to cheer readers on. That promise is easy to keep, and it is easy to believe.