NOTE: I have on political intention in posting this speech. It is simply a look at it's use of persuasion... and it's quite awesome!!
This is an excerpt from a speech by Senator Barack Obama - New Hampshire Primary Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 Nashua, New Hampshire
My comments on the persuasive power of this are in (bold).
We've been asked to pause for a reality check. (This is an indirect suggestion to "pause" i.e., to stop thinking or rationalizing) We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. ("We" implies a "you and me" thus uniting us. From our detached "pause" we can look at the concept of false hope.)
But in the unlikely story that is America, ("unlikely" allows us to feel unique and special as Americans, linking us to the myth of a people who thrive against all odds) there has never been anything false about hope. (This is a different use of the words "false" and "hope" and reframes "false hope" in a new way) For when we have faced down impossible odds (these impossible odds are unmentioned but assumed and affirms that we are unique) ; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.
Yes we can. (A call to action but even more; a call to rebellion against those who try to discourage us.)
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. (Evocation of "destiny"; that we are the central figures around whom great things can occur.)
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights. (Offering anecdotal evidence to support our rebellion against any oppressor.)
Yes we can. (Repetition. Hammer it into the mind and link it with powerful and positive emotions.)
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. (More strong images of perseverance against security and reason.)
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land. (Wow! This one is POWERFUL! Without stating who the "King" is it providing clues of "mountaintop" and "the Promised Land" and he allows us to connect the dots on our own. This makes us to feel as if we have knowledge of an inner secret.)
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can. (Powerful use of repetition.)
And so tomorrow, as we take this campaign South and West; (in itself this brings people back to earth... to the reality of the campaign. This would be bad if it were not for the preceding emotional high we've been brought to) as we learn that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; (This creates the feeling of bonding between different people. A feeling that we are not so different from one another.)
we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, (Providing three ways of saying "we are one people" and thus clobbering us with repetition again) we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea ("coast to coast; from sea to shining sea" evokes patriotic memories of the song "God Bless America" ... all without saying it explicitly!) ? Yes. We. Can.
(Yes, we can! There is little more persuasive than a simple phrase repeated and instilled with emotion. It is the same effect that Hitler used with "Zieg Hail!" and Martin Luther King with "I have a dream.")
Language is such a powerful tool that, in skilled hands, it can be used to persuade, motivate, seduce and even harm.
That's right, in skilled hands (or mouths?) language can even create addictions and depression.
This power comes from learning what are called hypnotic language patterns.
Hypnotic language patterns came out of the studies of hypnosis, psychology and sales. When language patterns were first discovered the psychotherapy community realized that they could be used inappropriately. They then made a sincere effort to limit instruction of language patterns only to psychiatrists willing to pay $2000 for the weekend training.
These language patterns entered the popular culture with weekend long ?seduction seminars? that began to spring up to teach lonely and clueless men how talk women into an uncontrollable state of arousal.
Now before you start to roll your eyes in disbelief let me tell you that these language patterns did just that! There are scores of now satisfied men who will attest to their power.
An example of these seduction patterns is one in which the man simple begins talking to a woman about emotions and feelings that precede arousal. There is nothing lurid or suggestive about this because it's not about arousal or sex itself. At an unconscious level it sets the stage for warm tingly feelings that might elicit a tilt of the head, a smile and a flirtatious glance.
Seduction is only one side of how language patterns are being used. They are of course very useful in sales and influence and many a politician have hired speech writers who training in these powerful tools. Ronald Reagan wasn't known as ?The Teflon President? without reason. He could woo and amuse the most uninterested audience by using language. Likewise in spite of the scandals around him Bill Clinton always was able to be liked as a person.
In recent years there have even been language pattern trainings that emphasize how to use language to induce guilt, depression and suicide. While these trainers have been condemned for ?turning to the dark side? there is no limit of people wanting to learn.
These language patterns often begin by painting the dark picture of the future and describe feelings of hopelessness and despair.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and people who want power, whether it's to help or to harm, are attending seminars and trainings as well as reading the many books on the subject.
To conclude, never underestimate the power of words. They are used on you in ways that you might never imagine.
Both Dantalion Jones & Jack \"jk\" Ellis are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.