Are You Motivated Now?

Steven Heller, font of all design knowledge, recently posted a series of motivational posters from the early 20th century. They range from fairly innocuous ("Count ten and then don't say it... self-control earns praise") to jingoistic ("All true Americans give thanks they are Americans. Think well - speak well of your country.")

My favorite one is this unintended put-down of employee suggestions:


Yeah, we welcome your "idea." Right. So much so that we put it in quotes. That's believable, especially when it's preceded by a poster that reads, "Some one must give orders. Some one must take orders."

On the whole, they seem to be meant to train workers to be good cogs in the machine of industry. After all, "Respect for authority is the first principle of business success. Without authority there is no business, no pay envelope."

P.S. Don't miss Heller's second post with additonal posters, including this one:


I like this one because it so clearly foreshadows the Dunning-Kruger Effect.