Proximate motivation

If you're feeling inspired and motivated after seeing someone else's comment, video, achievement, story or advice, you're feeding off extrinsic motivation, which is temporary, shallow and weak. You're after the result, you're just staring at the end goal.

Real—and lasting—motivation comes from within, from your own impulse, driven by a strong emotion and values: curiosity, anger, frustration, love, purpose.

That's why you're better off staying away from social media. Because it's mostly all there is: superficial accomplishment porn.

It's also why it's so naturally tempting to fall into the trap of passively living through other people's life. It's easy, and comforting. This might be the reason why people magazines,TV shows, and social media is so successful at gathering large audience. It gives people this "high," making their life a little more interesting by tricking them into thinking they're living the life of the people they follow.