The Connection between Emotion and Inspiration to Act

Is there a connection between

emotion and the inspiration to act?

You bet your bottom line there is!

As much as we want to think we act out of our rational brains, the fact is, we use our rational brain to provide us with the information we need to justify what we really want to do. Madison Avenue has known this for years. Neuroscientists are providing the information on why through scientific research.

For example, neuroeconomist Paul Zak conducted a study to determine whether or not hearing a sad story would inspire university students to donate their money to a charitable organization. He took blood samples from these volunteers before and after showing these them a video about a father and his terminally ill child. Sure enough, if the story used a traditional story arc, the students’ blood showed an increase in the “empathy” chemical, oxytocin. After viewing the video, they gave on average 50 percent of the money they had received to participate to the charity. Zak and his colleagues concluded that eliciting these emotions via story actually changed the students’ brain chemistry and inspired them to act.

So how can you benefit from this? By remembering that when you’re telling a story, it is essential you share emotion. As the listener, that emotion will prompt my attention, facilitate my retention, and inspire me to act. I can help you bring your natural emotional response to your stories by coaching you to use creative expression and emotional connection techniques.

In the meantime, for more information, enjoy this three-minute video!