All The Great Communicators

I was at an advanced english class attending a lecture when the lecturer asked us who we thought were good communicators? Of course the forefront runner of that question was people like Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres and other talk show host.Naturally they are good communicators. But someone's anwer in the class stuck out like a soar thumb, he said an example of a very good communicator was well,Hitler.


Hitler? Really that mass murderer? He's a fantastic murderer I'd tell you that but communicator not really.In my mind i would thought sure they would listen to him he had legitimate power, referent power reward power,coercive poweer adn somewhat to a certain extent expert power.So i went home and started reading up on Hitler. couldn't agree more! Hitler was a gifted orator.He could capture an audience with his charismatic and emotional speches.He was somewhat different because to emphasize a point there was beating of the lecterns and growling. He knew exactly how and what it was that made the people roar with enthusiasm and and intense passion to follow him.


Not all germans were anti-semitic but when they heard him speak with such passion and fury they became believers.As much as Hitler was a gifted orator, he did much to perfect the art of self-persuasion.He knew that not only words would do the trick to make these people believers, so over time he prefected his art by using his body language.Rehearsing his speeches infornt of mirrors some say even a hundred times carefully thinking out was hand or arm gesture was right for that speech and carefully choreographing his emotions.Above all he was an actor.


Now if your reading this and thinking what this has to do with human communication i would say that if there were to be a Father of Human communication in a very absurd way i would think Hitler would be it.This is because it isn't easy to persuade a nation to perform homicide on a scale like this.Hence, not having been of an affluent background he managed to study the art of persuasing people to change their attitudes and beliefs.Thats why as i learn human communication i would like to study how these great communicators gained power just thru communication no more, no less.

Debra Sharmaine Nathan