With almost 4.4 million views since April of 2015, Emilie Wapnick shines light on the people she finds that have multiple passions and talents. Her humorous yet inspiring talk shows her audience that not all people are “wired the same way” in the framework of society. She refers to these people with multiple interests and creative pursuits as “multipotentialites.” Wapnick uses the common question asked of most children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” (0:17), as an effective method of pathos. Asking this question evokes a memory from the audience so they can relate to the topic. She later keeps the viewers engaged by displaying examples of real people who have multiple passions and talents they could be known for, but explaining that “most kids don't hear about people like this.” (4:50) Society is so focused on the people who have a narrow mindsets, it neglects the ones who have multiple skills and experiences. Wapnick uses logos when she mentions how much the culture has changed since the renaissance, the time of prosperity in creativity and innovations, when people were expected to be “well versed in many fields.” (6:25) She encourages people to embrace their inner wiring, and the multipotentialites to continue to explore and learn more. Wapnick shows her viewers that it is not wrong or abnormal to be yourself.
Being a multipotentialite herself, Wapnick builds credibility by explaining to the audience how she also explored many different interests and careers until she realized that no single pursuit would be right for her, but rather how synthesizing knowledge from many can be beneficial. She claims that people like this can work alongside the others who truly have one calling in life to make some of the best teams and push towards new innovations and creations. “Embracing our inner wiring leads to a happier, more authentic life.” (12:08) If society was more accepting of people who do not have a single great thing to accomplish in their lives, life would be more fulfilling for everyone. Being allowed to embrace many passions is essential. People should have the right to do what makes them happy and successful in life. In America, you are now pushed to strive for a single goal rather than achieve many things. Americans are achievement-oriented, but only when it fits to the standards of society. People are celebrated when they have taken the traditional route - such as succeeding in school and going to college to pursue a good career, but not everyone finds success by taking this pathway laid out for them. I enjoyed this talk because it gives credit to the people who struggle just because they feel like they cannot fit into the mold society sets. The speech calls this out and shows that it is not wrong to be different and to do multiple things for fulfillment. Wapnick encourages open-mindedness, as all people may not find happiness by following the path laid out for us. |