Dr. C. Jack Orr's Web Site

A University Course

Inspirational Communication: From Waldo Emerson to Steven Covey

Description

Waldo Emerson has been called America’s first “motivational speaker.” If so, he was precursor to what is today a multi-million dollar business. The phenomenon is not new. America has always had its secular and religious evangelists; its politicians, consultants and sales gurus. The best inspire the dispirited, promote positive change and lift the nation in times of crisis.  In this class we will attempt to imitate the good and critique the bad in America’s motivational and inspirational history.  Emerson’s own performance will be applied as a touchstone for today’s communicators. Students will gain insight on how to make worthy ideas persuasive, motivational and inspiring.

 Texts:  

Haidt, J. (2006). The Happiness Hypothesis. Perseus: New York

The text is a summary of social psychological findings that bear on themes frequently found in inspirational communication and motivational thinking.

 Csikszentmihaley, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper: New York

Levitin, Daniel J. (2008). The World in Six Songs: How the Musical brain Created Human Nature (New York: Penquin)

Newberg, Andrew and Waldman, Mark Robert (2009). How God Changes Your Brain (New York: Ballantine Books)

Course Objectives 

 "Plato characterizes the Muse as 'a divine power that moves you like ... a magnet...the Muse inspires man herself and then by means of these inspired persons the inspiration spreads to others, and holds them in a connected chain.' "

Tobin Hart, Transpersonal Knowing, p. 45.

1. To clarify what we mean by inspiring and motivating communication
2. To examine what inspires us and how we inspire others
3. To locate the challenge of inspiration for the 21st century
4. To assess the success attributed to motivational speaking
5. To understand Emerson as an American paradigm of inspirational communication
6. To study contemporary sources of inspiration and motivation in business, science, politics, etc
7. To become better equipped to make messages motivational and inspiring on behalf of core beliefs and values

 “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Course Outline

Introduction to Inspirational Communication

•      An Inductive Approach
•      Happiness, Flow and Flourishing
•      A Model of Inspiration

Four Historical  Exemplars of Inspirational Communication

•       Emerson: Our First Motivational Speaker
•       Lincoln: Adversity and Inspiration
•       Russell Conwell: Money and Inspiration
•      Sagan: Science and Inspiration

The Contemporary Landscape for Inspiration

•        Inspiration and Religion
•        Inspiration and Politics
•        Inspiration and Positive Thinking
•        Inspiration and the Brain and Drugs
•       Inspiration and Love
•        Inspiration and Work
•       Inspiration and Music
•       Inspiration and New Media
•       Inspiration in Eastern Thought

“There is a way of breathing that’s a

shame and suffocation.

And there’s another way of expiring,

a love-breath that lets you open

infinitely.”

-- Rumi