Jim Carrey's Life Changing Speech - Influence Tactics

This speech originally hit social media as the one minute speech that would change our lives.  While this may be true there are twenty-five some odd other minutes of inspiration that people are missing out on.
Tactic of Positive and Negative Expertise were prevalent for me during this commencement speech.  He reflects on his journey of becoming who he is today, and how and what he did to get there.  This would be positive expertise.  He does a great job expressing how we can follow in similar foot steps to achieve the success we desire.  He uses the example of his father failing as negative expertise.  His father became an accountant which he thought would be a safe career to peruse, when he actually wanted to be a comedian.  After choosing what would seem to be the safer route his father was let go as an accountant.  Jim explains that those were the most difficult times his family faced.  Jim points out that we can all fail even if we play it safe, so why not go for it? He turned a negative tactic into a positive, that trickster.

Process Premise 
The Second Process Premise of Happiness/Joy seemed to go well with this speech.  I found myself feeling happy and joyful about life and my goals and aspirations during this speech. Jim even states it in his speech that his job is help people forget their cares.  He definitely had me feeling good about life throughout the entire speech.

Analysis
Jim's speech is very funny, inspirational, and thought provoking.  By using the above mentioned tactics he does a great job persuading the audience to seek their dreams.  Listening to the entire speech would be worth the time.  By only listening to social media version you are missing out.  It would be like ordering your favorite meal and eating only one bite, you're missing out on the rest of the deliciousness.

I Hate Abs! Out of Class Presentation

Just because someone has the "coveted" washboard abs does not mean they are fit.  Actually it is not very healthy at all.  I spoke to a small group of avid crossfitters about body image v.s. a healthy active body.  I chose this topic for several several reasons, but the main reason is health.  I see and hear about people doing crazy, not-so-healthy things to try and get those abs.

The information I presented revolved around understanding our body types, properly fueling our bodies, and loving the results you see (regardless of what you want to see).  All too often (I blame the media) people fall into comparing their body to those seen on T.V., movies, magazines, or on the internet.  This is a very dangerous game to play.  In an effort to look like someone else people will do very damaging things to their bodies.  One example of this would be a calorie deficient diet, some people also know this as starving yourself (eating less than what your body needs).  Some people will up the ante and add a dietary supplement known as a "fat burner" to the calorie deficient diet.  Both examples mentioned are very damaging to the body.
Our body needs fat. Yes we need fat.  If we have too little body fat there can be serious health problems.  For example, if women have less than 19% body fat they are now at risk of infertility, anemia, osteoporosis and many other adverse health problems.  I think it can go without having to be said that too much body fat is unhealthy, and adverse health problems exist.  There is an optimal body fat range for men and women, that range allows for optimal health and physical activity.  For women (I would argue) the range is 20%-30% body fat.  For men (I would again argue) the range is 10%-20% body fat.  If within those ranges your body type reveals abs then it shows abs.  If it doesn't, it doesn't, but  ABS DO NOT DEFINE FITNESS! Some of the most fit people I know do not have six packs, more like 2 or 4 packs.
I could go on and on about forgetting abs as the gauge to fitness.  If you want more info just let me know.

My call to action was to have people understand and value their body type.  To gauge fitness from what the body can do, not what it looks like.

It was very easy to present this information, as mentioned before I could go on and on about how I hate the obsession over abs.  The audience was receptive, they gobbled it up like it was their cheat meal (another bad "health habit" by the way).  The downside to the speech was the lack of feedback.  I spoke to such a selected group, on such a selected topic that the feedback I was looking for was minimal.  I received a lot of positive feedback, but if I do not know what I did wrong how can I correct it?  I had question upon question regarding diet or accepting their body type, which was an indicator of positive feedback.  Their questions showed that they were trying to act upon the information presented.
If I were to give this speech or one similar to it again, I would present it to an audience that is not overly obsessed with their fitness.  The group I presented to had an understanding of most of the things I presented.  If I were to present to a group who lacked understanding in most of my presentation I could then better gauge how well I adapted to my audience.  I would also have a larger margin to gauge the areas in which I could improve.

Timeless Inspiration

One thing I miss about America is the unity, unified regardless of our differences. Maybe America has always been like this and I was too young to care.  It seems the country is over sensitive about pretty much everything. I'm not old enough to know desperate times like the Great Depression where neighbors had to unite.  Where they depended on each other just to survive.  The Civil Rights Movement where oppression forced our nation to unite because we stand for "liberty and justice for all". Nor have I had to truly endure some great hardship that would force me to the deepest darkest places of submission.  I have by no means had a simple life, but not one I would consider too much to handle.  "One Nation Under God" no longer carries a unifying call of freedom, rather just another topic to be debated, because our freedom allows us to question the foundation it was built upon.  After all it is our freedom to do so.
Why does it take a catastrophe to unify us?  Why is it that we are only able to take a step back and see through someone else's perspective only after something goes wrong? Regardless of why, America will (if it has too) set aside it's differences and unite.

Reich's Cultural Parables

The Mob at the Gates, for me, was the parable that stood out the most in this speech. "This depicts America as a beacon light of virtue in a world of darkness, a small island of freedom and democracy in a perilous sea. We are uniquely blessed, the proper model for other peoples' aspirations, the hope of the world's poor and oppressed. The parable gives voice to a corresponding fear: we must beware, lest the forces of darkness overwhelm us. Our liberties are fragile; our openness renders us vulnerable to exploitation or infection from beyond".  MLK reminds us what America stood for.  His dream was the definition of America, and everything that makes America, America.  His dream was reminding all Americans that they were failing to live up to what we stand for.

Process Premise

MLK's speech was inspirational then and it still is today. The needs- Sense of Power, Sense of Roots, and Belonging are the foundation of his speech.  He engages Sense of Power, that we have the power to make a difference.  Sense of Roots; this is America we have always stood for freedom.  The movement gave the American people the sense of belonging.  

For me pride, happiness and joy were the driving emotions of this speech.  Pride of who we are and where we came from.  Dreams are dreams because they make (or would make) us happy.  By seeing his dream fulfilled America would be a greater, happier country.

Analysis

It only took 5:17 to inspire the nation.  5:17 to inspire the nation to stretch their thinking and deepen their understanding.  It amazes me that we have come so far as a nation, some good, some bad, but this speech can be applicable for any time period.  If it can be applicable for any generation then you know it cognitively and emotionally drives us to reflect on what we can do (behavior) to change for the better.