This Old Man Gave Some Surprisingly Good Advice On Using Social Media

Ayatollah Khamenei’s words of wisdom will be especially easy to put into practice for the millions of Iranians blocked from Facebook and Twitter. 

Hey there, millennials. Feeling ~stressed~ about your social media accounts? Overwhelmed by your Instagram? Desperate for the fleeting feeling of acceptance that comes with a fav?

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Well, have no fear! Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, is here to soothe your furrowed brow.

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You laugh! But just listen to this nugget of wisdom from the septuagenarian: “The number of ‘likes’ on social media doesn’t determine the true value of a piece of work.”

Khamenei dropped this pearl of knowledge into our laps while talking about poetry and how what really matters is how other poets and critics see the work, not how popular it is.

He also speaks from experience, sort of. Nobody knows who runs the @khameni_ir account on Twitter but it’s pretty good at the game, using slick graphics to viral effect.

It’ll be especially easy for Khamenei’s subjects to follow his advice, when you consider the fact that both Facebook and Twitter are blocked in the country.

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(A lot of Iranians have filter breakers and VPNs installed to access these these sites, but it’s also a really annoying set of steps to have to go through when you just want to post a picture of your dinner.)

And with a recent crackdown on women using Instagram — which Iran’s government thinks may or may not be a Kim Kardashian–supported plot against it — Khamenei’s urging to free yourself from the tyranny of likes is all the more timely.