Larsen's Cultural Myths

Larson argues that the cultural myths of any audience will shape the way they hear things and what they hear. What resonates with an audience will often be shaped by their culture. Larson teaches what he calls cultural myths. These six myths often create a premise for persuasion in America. As we view a speaker or a leader through the lens of one or more of these six myths, we can often times be persuaded by them.

Larson begins with what he calls The Wisdom of the Rustic. We often respect leaders who come from humble beginnings, someone who has overcome the odds. When a leader has emerged from favorable circumstances, they often find other means to attempt to gain the same respect as a result. Closely linked is The Possibility for success. If anyone works hard and is honest, they can become successful regardless of their background. Third, Americans often seek out or even wait for the next great leader to come along, someone who will enact change and make things better. Recently, Barack Obama was seen by many as what Larson calls The Coming of the Messiah. Many Americans feel as if Obama is their "savior" and has come along to make things better for them. Fourth, Larson argues that The Presence of Conspiracy often creates the notion that when a negative trend is noticed, there are bigger problems at play or in other words, a conspiracy. Conspiracies can create panic and unrest but can also lend themselves to the emergence of a new leaders with aspirations of calming fears. Fifth, The Value of a Challenge. When someone goes through a challenge and comes out stronger on the other side, they have the ability to motivate with the credibility they have established by overcoming said challenge. Challenges can manifest themselves in many forms and be either individual or collective in nature. Challenges can either destroy you or make you stronger. This in part why it is included here as one of Larson's "myths." Finally, The Eternal Return suggests that we often seek to draw on positive things from the past and seek to re-live the seemingly better times of old.

There is little doubt which one of Larson's myths Helen Keller would be most closely related. At 19 months, a severe fever left her deaf and blind. At age 6 she began working with a tutor named Anne Sullivan Macy. Keller later attended and graduated college. She went on to write several books, and founded the American Foundation for the Blind. She was an advocate for the deaf and blind and also spoke out in defense of socialism and women's rights. Needless to say, she overcame her challenges and the value of her triumph gave her credibility necessary to influence others.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Sullivan acknowledges that Keller has overcome great obstacles and goes on to say, "people always love those who overcome great obstacles." What choice does the audience have now but to love Helen Keller and listen to what she has to say? Helen goes on to say that she is providing the audience with an opportunity to do something, an invitation to act. That when an opportunity to act comes, they will remember her challenge and seize the opportunity.  She challenges everyone to attempt to relate to living in a world with her same physical challenges, to imagine how they would feel if they suddenly found themselves in her shoes in hopes that it will motivate them to want to help. She invites them to envision a world where unpreventable blindness does not exist or a world where no blind individual goes unaided. She then calls each in attendance to action with this admonition, "you who have your sight, who are strong and kind and brave will you now constitute yourselves as knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness?"

Keller definitely plays on the second process premise of emotion. She is speaking to a group of lions club members, a civic club who raise money and perform service to help others. She knows her audience. Perhaps through her speech she can inspire the group to devote their next fundraiser to her cause. She may employ a little guilt here as she asks them to imagine if they were suddenly stricken with her ailments. Her hopes is this will resonate with them and inspire them to help. This speech also dips into the third premise of emotions. I would argue that most people would have an emotional reaction to this speech and want to help based on their realization that their life is indeed better than hers because they are whole. Because they are blessed with health, they have an obligation to help the less fortunate. After all, few would argue, as Mrs. Sullivan stated in the beginning that those who have overcome obstacles are not a powerful tool for motivation to look at our own situation compared to theirs and want to help.