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Aaliyah Korkoyah

UCWR 110

February 26, 2019

Dr. Stogner

Inspiring Multipotentialites

Being asked a broad question about your destined future and having to respond with one

answer can be quite the challenge to accomplish. Musician, songwriter, web designer,

filmmaker, writer, law student and entrepreneur Emilie Wapnick understands the internal

conflict faced behind responding with a one track path. In "Why some of us don't have one true

calling”, she addresses the issue of society’s social norm that one must choose a destined path in

life. Emilie Wapnick also represents those who have multiple passions they want to pursue in a

more positive light. (4:41). WaIn the beginning of her speech, she addresses the anxious feelings

and limitations behind the question "what do you want to be when you grow up" that can

discourage those who don't have one specific answer to the question, or any answer at all (0:12).

Next, she briefly speaks upon the social framework made up to emphasize a "one true calling" in

lifepnick introduces the idea of a multipotentialite and the “super power” qualities they possess

to claim a positive notion for those who don't have one answer to the question (6:45). In Emilie

Wapnick's TED Talk, she shines a light and inspires other individuals who are multi-passionate

to not feel ashamed, but rather embrace and go after their many interests in life. Wapnick's

persuasiveness is compiled with her strategies of creating a relationship with her audience

members, using language that promotes motivation, and providing exampled support with her

argumentative reasonings.
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From the beginning of Emilie Wapnick's speech, she attempts to bridge a connection

between herself and her audience by sharing her personal experience as “someone who’s never

been able to answer the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” (00.33)” Within

the first few seconds of Wapnick's speech, she asks her audience if they've ever been asked the

question and if they have felt very unsure about what they were preparing to respond. As she

counts the hands that raise up for a “yes” response, Wapnick is given an understanding of how

her audience feels and introduces her personal experience of finding the answer to that question

to create a relationship with them. She explains how she's had too many interests in high school

ranging from class subjects like English to personal hobbies like playing guitar in a punk band

(00:50). By talking about her own experience of not having one answer, she opens a door of

relatability to her audience and builds not only credibility to speak on the subject but also trust to

allow her to dive deeper with her audience and allow vulnerability into the space. Starting her

speech with this persuasive strategy can bring the audience to her side and keep them there as

she builds her argument throughout the rest of her speech.

By encouraging her audience and herself to be vulnerable at her TED Talk, this

contributes to the bond forming tighter between her and her audience. She explains how having

to experience a constant cycle of finding something she loved to do and eventually letting it go

caused her an anxiety-ridden conflict between "self-sabotaging" and rejecting all her other

passions (2:15). When Wapnick first started her speech, she saw hands raise up in agreeance

towards feeling anxious when having to answer the question. Her explanation and logic with her

emotions lets the audience know that they aren’t alone in feeling the same way. Anxiety isn't a

feeling majority of people want to experience, and often lead to a panicked mode of wondering

what to do next. This appeal Wapnick uses engages in reassurance that also contributes to
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building a trustful relationship. The vulnerability allows the audience to feel more comfortable in

engaging with what Wapnick has to offer on this issue.

Wapnick makes a variety of claims in support of those who are multi-passionate. Besides

that, she supports her claims through many examples of role models for multipotentialites. As

Wapnick describes who a multipontialite is, she incorporates many real-life examples that act as

a representation for those who discover themselves under that identity. These concrete examples

support and clarify the claims she makes and helps deliver her persuasive goal to her audience.

When making the argument for the underrepresentation of people who are multi-passionate,

Wapnick suggests "This is Dr. Bob Childs -- and he's a luthier and psychotherapist. And this is

Amy Ng, a magazine editor turned illustrator, entrepreneur, teacher, and creative director

(4:36)." By arguing how society emphasizes a one destiny life path and not those that can pursue

many interests, drawing attention to those who are successful in managing their own multiple

interests represents her claim in a strong manner. Another part Wapnick weaves in real life

examples is when she's describing each multipotentialite super power. When stating one super

power is idea synthesis, Wapnick explains how "Sha Hwang and Rachel Binx drew from their

shared interests in cartography, data visualization, travel, mathematics and design, when they

founded Meshu. Meshu is a company that creates custom geographically-inspired jewelry. Sha

and Rachel came up with this unique idea not despite, but because of their eclectic mix of skills

and experiences (7.07)." Identifying a claim and explaining it with an example provides

clarification of each point. Clarification is important and effective in aiding the audience’s

comprehension of her argument. If they don’t understand the points Wapnick is trying to

illustrate, the audience won’t continue to flow with the rest of her speech.
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Enhancing her persuasive speech, Wapnick uses motivating language like encouraging

commands, positively connotated diction, and inclusive word choice. As Wapnick concludes

from her argument against the social norm of having a "one true calling", she introduces a term

she coined as "someone with many interests and creative pursuits", a multipotentialite (6:02).

While people with one calling are described as specialists, Wapnick's use of introducing this new

word she's come up with inspires people who are multi-passionate to claim an identity in a

positive light as a multipotentialite. In support of this new identity, she describes its qualities as

"multipotentialite super powers (6:45)." Having a super power means possessing an

extraordinary quality; the meaning behind it is positive. With both an inspiring identity and how

valuable its qualities are described as being, the diction illuminates her persuasiveness for

multipotentialites.

From beginning to end, Wapnick transitions from addressing her audience as a separate

body from herself to addressing the audience and herself as one identity. When introducing her

new, coined identity, she states to her audience, "What you are is a multipotentialite (5:23)."

Wapnick separates herself from her audience early on, then concludes by stating

"Multipotentialites, the world needs us (11:53).” Wapnick's change from using the pronoun

"you" to "us" represents a sense of togetherness between everyone in the room. By showing a

sense of community, there are strengths in number when being uplifted with a group of people

similar to you. This supports her motivating language throughout her talk.

Ending with encouraging commands, Wapnick exclaims "Embrace your many passions.

Follow your curiosity down those rabbit holes. Explore your intersections (11:53)." The mantras

she finishes with expresses a personalized call to action and gives the audience a little moment to

take away from her TED Talk. The repetition will carry her persuasive goal and become
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engrained with her audience after her speech, and emphasizing a call to action individualizes her

audience and can be uniquely internalized by each member.

At the end of the day, Emilie Wapnick wants to leave her audience with a positive

encouragement on embracing and accepting the multiple passions they discover they have.

Throughout the gradual build of Emilie Wapnick’s “Why some of us don’t have one true calling”

persuasive argument on multipotentialites, she represents effectiveness in pushing her persuasive

goal of inspiration in bridging a connection between herself and her audience, incorporating

language and specific word choice to paint that motivating aspect, and using logical support of

real-life examples to conversate with her reasonings. Moving forward, Wapnick’s persuasive

strategies have given her claims the chance stick with her audience and impact their thoughts and

opinions.
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Work Cited

Wapnick, Emilie. Ted Speaker. TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/speakers/emilie_wapnick?

language=en

Wapnick, Emilie. “Why some of us don’t have one true calling.” TEDxBend Talk, April 2015,

https://www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_call

ing?language=en