Motivational Speaking

The other night there appeared on TV a show about a married couple, both of whom are dwarfs, and the life they lead with their mixture of dwarf and non-dwarf children. Among the father's professional endeavors is motivational speaking. On this particular episode the father, who was coming down with a cold, was to provide motivational speaking services to a conference of Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisees. Which he did, with the assistance of his wife who stepped in for him when his throat got too sore to continue. The motivational ideas that they spoke were of the general "live your dream" variety. Nothing chicken-specific. The motivation went well, apparently, and the couple considered their gig to be a success.

In a sane society, one who finds him- or herself trapped in a Hyatt conference room with a hundred KFC franchisees listening to dwarfs issue platitudes would be motivated - depending on his/her general emotional orientation and appreciation of the absurd - either to break a rib laughing or put a bullet in his/her head. Yet neither of these things happened.

So, questions arise.

The foremost question is this: is a society that relies so heavily on artificial motivation - whether in mass-market books or the conference form as seen on the TV program - a sane one? Many of us, apparently, are choosing to exert the limited energy we have during our brief time on this earth in ways that are so profoundly unsatisfying that we require artificial motivation from external sources on a regular basis. Would sane people act this way?

Or are we not actually making free choices, at least to the extent we think we are? If not, then what are the constraints on our freedom? And what does it really mean to be "free"?

Are the KFC franchisees free? No doubt they would tell you they are, and they would believe it.

But sitting in rows on uncomfortable chairs in that windowless room, summoned by KFC Corporate to listen to nonsense, they sure didn't look free.