motivate this
October 26, 2011

I really hate motivational speakers. Specifically, the kind of motivational speaker that I had to sit through today.

The kind that wraps a (very) thin veneer of quasi-humor around what is basically cognitive behavioral therapy, and goes off collecting thousands of dollars in fees from corporations that force their staff to endure him for 60 painful minutes.

The kind that lashes together one part "overcoming adversity" to two parts "bad celebrity impressions" to sell their brand of bullshit*.

Which seems to be this: "If you think the world sucks, don't try to change the world, just change the way you think".

This burns me up, because it boils down to the company, via this hired flack, telling you that they have every right to make your life a tour of the seven circles of hell, and if you are unhappy about it, then that unhappiness IS YOUR OWN FAULT.

And the solution isn't to do what you can to make the world better...for that might adversely impact the old bottom line, y'know. No, their solution is for you to overcome your "negative self-talk", and brainwash yourself into thinking the world is all sunshine and lollipops.

End rant, I guess. Oh, maybe it's the lack of sleep talking. I think I've gotten about 16 hours for the whole week so far, due to this cough. But here's the thing...
This lecture, coming at this particular time, when the world is in such a white-hot mess, is just so typically tone-deaf that I want to weep. I've been at that company for going on 16 years now, and they have an almost-perfect record of being completely out of touch with the zeitgeist. Bravo for consistency, I guess.



*Also, if you can't bring yourself find amusement in: child abuse, horrific war wounds, the aftermath of a terrorist attack, or the general state of the world? Then you are a humorless a-hole and you suck.