I recently attended a presentation in which the keynote speaker talked about various types of justice and how instructors could use his techniques to be more effective teachers. He used the word “space” too often--well over a hundred times in less than an hour. Moreover, he swore a lot and defended his swearing by saying that research shows that people who swear tend to be more honest. However, I found his gritty vernacular repetitive, off-putting, angry, and overly aggressive.
His presentation had some compelling and heartwarming anecdotes about feeding the hungry, but the bulk of his speech lacked coherence and cohesiveness. Much to my annoyance, he peppered his talk by having us do stretching and breathing exercises as part of “creating a better space.”
In spite of his talent as a passionate and energized speaker, I found his sermon-like presentation to be meandering, angry, repetitive, and prone to New Age quackery. I assume he was paid handsomely. There appears to be a market for these pseudo-spiritual presentations that preach about social justice, but their effectiveness is dubious at best and at their worst, they have the air of a grifter who is fond of emotional manipulation, cliches, and New Age tropes. In sum, his reliance on these cheap rhetorical strategies shows his contempt for the audience.
