15 min

Updated: November 25th, 2024

217 Motivational & Inspirational Essay Topics

A motivational essay aims to inspire readers to take action or reconsider their values. While you must demonstrate passion and dedication to the topic, you should also connect with the audience on a personal level. Using examples and real-life stories is a great way to achieve these and other goals of a motivational essay.

One way to create a powerful inspirational essay is using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. This method allows you to organize your essay perfectly and include all key elements to influence the audience. Besides, choosing the right topic is equally essential as a solid structure. With a compelling topic, you get a more solid foundation to resonate with the audience and build up arguments. Here, the Custom-writing.org team has collected awesome inspirational topics to write about. You can find ideas on history, social issues, medicine, culture, and more. Grab some excellent motivational essay topics for students below.

🔝 Top 10 Inspirational Topics to Write About
🎉 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
💪 Top 10 Motivational Topics to Write About
🎓 Topics for College Students
🏫 Topics for High School Students
🚸 Topics for Kids
🧔 Personal Essay Topics
🚀 Other Motivational Topics
🤔 FAQ

🔝 Top 10 Inspirational Topics to Write About

Can hard work beat talent?
What can failure teach us?
A life lesson learned at school
The biggest mistake you’ve made
The importance of positive thinking
Is being grateful the key to happiness?
How to be successful at teamwork
The person who has changed your life
Is goal-setting effective for success?
Meditation and work-life balance

🎉 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: The Best Way to Inspire by Your Essay or Speech

The purpose of any motivational essay or speech is to convince the audience that they need to improve themselves and their surroundings. The ability to inspire people is essential in personal and professional life, especially in managerial positions.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence will help you carry the day whenever you intend to persuade your listener in some statement or prompt them to change their behavior.

The method is based on scientifically justified cognitive processes. Notably, the majority of people strive for a balance, and if they face a problem, it causes discomfort. So they are ready to take any action to eliminate this dissonance. Bearing this in mind will make the following five steps more clear:

Grab the attention. Aristotle said that to persuade the speaker needs to establish credibility, i.e., to sound like an expert. Tell them why they should trust you: are you an expert, or are you in the same situation as the listeners? Otherwise, such simpler hooks as humor, rhetorical questions, and motivational quotes would do as well.
Find out the need. No problem can be resolved from the point where the problem was created. Illustrate the urgency of the subject field and make the audience engaged with it. Shocking statistics about life and society will help you do so.
Satisfy the need. Now you are supposed to provide a solution to the problem. Give your audience a plan of action with some interesting argumentative grounding. True-to-life examples and viable data are valuable here.
Explain the consequences. You can do it for one or several probable scenarios, one of which should be the maintaining of the status quo. Put in detail what disadvantages the current situation is bearing and what benefits could be drawn from the required changes.
Call to action. Put it simple and actionable. Make a summary of what you said in paragraph 3 and restate the best outcome achievable.

💪 Top 10 Motivational Topics to Write About

Can art help fight stress?
Is charity a moral obligation?
How your background shapes you
Is every experience a good experience?
Self-care as a way to deal with trauma
Your experience of overcoming fears
How to be responsible for your feelings
Can humility make you a good leader?
The importance of good communication skills
Physical change as a way to get out of comfort zone

🎓 Inspiring Argumentative Essay Topics for College Students

College life is rebellious and eventful. Step by step, students enter adult life. At the same time, they start asking themselves hard questions. Giving them inspirational essay topics will raise their spirits and instill confidence in their strength. Very soon they will face such problems as employment and choice of lifestyle. It is better to think before the bell rings for the last time.

Persistence is the crucial factor in starting your own business. Do you think that at some point, it can be reasonable to give up your business? What could be done to turn the failure into a benefit?
Long-term success requires daily effort. Think about how to find inspiration in life. Do you agree with the theory of 10,000 hours? What does success mean to you?
Which skills does a college graduate need to keep pace with the rapidly changing job market? Technologies change our lives dramatically every next decade. Does the educational system evolve as fast? How could a student get ready for the requirements that are not covered by the curriculum?
What does constant learning and self-development comprise? Is it only about reading, or does it include more practical things? How could people make personal improvement an everyday practice, and should they?
Time management can fulfill your dreams. If you lack time to become what you would like, you will always be discontented with what you are. What time management methods work effectively?
It takes much effort to recover from a failure, but it pays off a hundredfold.
A startup is better than being an employee at a big company.
Jobs in medicine are a perfect opportunity for extraverted people to use their social skills.
Small businesses are better at surviving hard times.
If you master emerging technologies, you will have no rival.
Education for students of colleges and universities should be free.
Should an adult person change their job if it does not make them happy?
Higher education teaches us to find the necessary information rather than specialized skills and knowledge.
How important is teamwork in a startup?
Criticism is crucial for building adequate self-image.

All businesses would benefit from a transparent economy.
What could the last three generations of women empowerment teach us?
Being a role model for your children: key factors.
The most important fruit of your efforts is your personality.
If I love, I give; I am not a bystander.
Joy and sorrow are the inevitable realities of life, and we should be grateful for them.
Unmade choices can rob your happiness.
Self-motivation is the most important skill for youth.
The person that does not want to create intends to destroy.
Time has more value than money.
Do Computers Rule Our World?
Efficiency and Annoyance of E-Marketing.
Domestic Violence: Victims Must Fight Back.
Sex Education as a Necessity… and a Very Delicate Issue.
Animal Experimentation: A Cruel Way to Cure Humankind.
Sentenced to Death: Capital Punishment. Right the Wrongs Radically.
Euthanasia: Murder out of Mercy or… Shortcut to Inheritance?
Advertisements Manipulate People! Restricting the Ads.

🏫 Inspirational Essay Topics for High School Students

They do not expect you to to be too academic at high school, so your creativity can have no limits! Philosophical writing will make you look profound in the reader’s eyes. Still, real-life motivational speech topics would also be a great chance for your self-expression. Try to make your essay informative, avoiding shallow phrases.

How could keeping your room clean help your studies? Does order at home influence our mental state? Why do people study at a library, in impeccable order?
The only purpose of life is to be truly alive. What does being alive mean to you? Is it about extreme activities and adrenaline, about love and feelings, or about achieving something significant?
Are rituals important when one prepares for an important event? Do you consider routines as something superstitious? Do you practice similar actions before giving a public speech or asking someone to go out with you?
Are we what we think of ourselves, or are we what others think about us? Is another person’s opinion important for you? Does it define you anyhow? How significant is your self-esteem in your life?
Money can’t make you happy. If your soul knows no peace, no material benefits will remedy it. The most satisfied people are content with what they have.
Life is short, and every day too valuable to procrastinate.
What is worse: to be fat or to be mean?
Funny moments make life more colorful.
Happiness is not God’s gift. It is a result of hard work.
Empathy makes us more humane.
Dreams are not enough. You need to act.
Is your life environmentally friendly?
When should students make their career choice?
The homeless and the poor: whose responsibility is this?
The environment could be saved even by small changes in everyone’s life.
Drones are the new era of delivery and surveillance.
Negative thinking is the shortest way to turn one’s life into horror.
What does make up a life: big days or ordinary days?
Never forget who you are and what is essential for you.
Overthinking about life distracts you from it.
Biographies of famous people contain lots of inspiring ideas.
Now or never: live your life today.
You know your heart more than anybody else. So better trust it.
If you are different, it means you have enough courage to be yourself.
What is the motivation of people who wish to be the best in everything?
Exam Nights: Why It Is Bad to Stay Up All Night Studying
How to Behave If You Witness Bullying
Why I (And More People Should) Prefer iPhone to Android
The Latest Transformers Movie Is the Best One in the Series
Education Pressures Can Be Reduced by Getting Rid of Grades

🚸 Motivational Essay Topics for Kids

Most kids adore speaking about important things: friends, parents, favorite protagonists, school, and games. The only thing you need it to pose the correct question. Thus the task will not just be educational but also engaging. Education for children is just another game, don’t forget it.

Kids should grow up next to nature. Do you like to spend time in the woods or parks? What games could you play there? How does it change you?
The best event that happened to me last summer. Where did you spend last summer? Did you make new friends? What was the most exciting moment?
How do I know that I am a good son or daughter? Does helping your parents with domestic chores make you a good child? What is good and bad behavior?
A pill of good mood: my recipe. How do you improve your mood? Would you prefer sweet goodies, dancing, a good joke, or something else? How often are you in a good mood?
How do you choose your friends? What traits of character are important for you in another person? Do you appreciate the friends that are kind, polite, well-bred, funny, helpful, or caring?
Music should sound in school corridors during breaks.
My grandparents are my best teachers.
The traditions of my family bring us closer.
Think about how to find inspiration in life if misfortune has happened to you?
If you could change the ending of a fairy tale, what would it be?
Be nice to the others if you want them to treat you nicely too.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
What is the best holiday for you?
Tell three things you would like your parents to stop doing.
Should we give animals more rights?
Kangaroos are the best mothers in the animal world.
What was your most significant birthday wish?
Which country would you like to visit, and why?
Is expressing yourself in English easier than in other languages?
Which superhero power do you consider the most useful?
Would you rather be rich and famous, or modest and free?
What does a “comfort zone” mean for you?
Sorting out trash helps the environment.
What is the coolest profession?
How do you struggle with your fears?
Me and School: I Can Get Along with New People.
My Favorite Sport: It Truly Makes People Happy.
My Pet: Reasons to Keep It.
My Pastime: Why I Think It Is Useful.
The Person I Admire: Why Following His/Her Example.
Praying Is Good—It Will Help You.
Why Keeping Zoos Is Not Cruel.
My Mom Works, and That Is Alright.

🧔 Personal Inspirational Topics to Write About

Your personality is unique. That is what makes us so interesting to each other. Find what distinguishes you from other people, and what makes you similar to them. Explore the effect of these features on your life. What habits and ways of doing things are expository of you? Going into these details will make your essay engaging and even touching.

How could meditation make us more self-aware? What kinds of meditation do you know? Are they equally beneficial for the mind and body?
Can you master your emotions in stressful situations? What was the strongest feeling you have ever experienced? Could you overcome it, and how?
Are you introverted or extroverted? How does it influence your lifestyle and relationships? What complications does it cause? Would you prefer to be different?
How much do your friends and relatives define your personality? Can we choose the people we would like to surround ourselves with, or does life make it for us?
List the things that motivate you. Group them into categories. Why do they inspire you? Are they universal for everyone or personal to you?
Can crying ease the sorrow?
What were the biggest challenges in your life?
How do you overcome stress and anxiety?
What means a “comfort zone” for you?
Which controversial issues do you like discussing the most?
Is keeping your house in order important for you?
What was your role model in childhood?
Are there things in your life you are grateful for?
Do you have specific eating habits?
Is there any problem you cannot resolve for many years?
Do you think bullying could be eliminated at schools?
Could you call yourself a feminist?
What could your generation teach older people?
What are the treasures of your family?
What were the milestones in your life?
Do you have a personal credo?
If we were given points for being humane, how many would you earn?
What would a stranger say about your character after a 5-minute conversation?
Are you a believer?
What question would you ask a celebrity if you had a chance?
Why I Ride A Bike Instead of Using Public Transport
Is Makeup Appropriate for School?
Why Playing the Original Half-Life Is Still Better than the Sequels
Why I Do Not Wear Watches
Why I Decided to Have a Makeover

6. 🚀 Other Motivational Topics to Write About

Vegetarian Diet: Animals’ Lives vs. Your Health;
Commercials on the Internet: More than Annoyances;
Sacrificing Animals for the Sake of People: Experimentations;
Who and Why Plays Lottery: Big Chances, Small Wins.

A Call Worth People’s Lives: Cell Phones as a Threat;
How to Cope with Boredom… and Whether It Is any Use to Do So;
Religion, Wars and Religious Wars: Can You See the Pattern?
The Change of Male Roles: Men in Women’s Clothing.
Female Roles Shifting: From Housewife to Breadwinner.
Pregnant Teenagers and Society: Temper, Patience, Tactfulness.
Climate Change Is Hand-Made. The Impact People Have on Earth.

History Topics

Yes, there is, just like any other field of knowledge. History is not only about dates and events—it is also about interpreting and evaluating the connections and impacts of those past happenings.

History will give you lots of argumentative topics, and here are some examples:

Why World War I Was Inevitable: What Led to the Inevitability of War
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings Could Have Been Avoided: What the Allies Should Have Done
Baby Boomers Were the Main Driving Force of the Sexual Revolution
Among All Women’s Rights, the Right to Vote Was the Most Important

Writing about history can be challenging because you need to do a lot of research, but just look into any historical topic, and you’ll see how many creative opportunities for argumentative writing it’ll give you!

Social Media: The Topical Topic

Social media is an important part of many people’s lives today, and lots of argument essay topics can be dedicated to the various social media platforms. Think about tips for social media users, and also consider social media as a phenomenon. An example of a good essay could have one of these titles:

Fewer Friends on Facebook Is Better
Tweeting Too Much Annoys Your Audience
How to Be Creative in Your Social Media Posts
Do Not Spend More than Two Hours Daily on Social Media

For example, is there something you dislike about social media in general or perhaps about the way the people you follow behave online? Come up with arguments about why you dislike it!

Health and Medicine

In health care and the medical field, the number of argument essay topics is immense. There is a wide range of topics available, from arguments on how to manage your own health to arguments on how the entire health care system should be improved.

Nursing Is More About Providing Comfort than Treatment
Is Abortion Acceptable for First Pregnancies?
Children with Mental Illness Should Go to Regular Schools

Your topic can be more personal if you want—for example, argue why running is good for your health or why giving up sweets altogether would not be a good health decision.

Pop Culture

Simply look around, and you will see an incredible variety of topics about what people see on TV, on the Internet, and in movies. If you’re into pop culture yourself, you surely have things you’d like to argue for or against.

Why One Direction Should Never Come Back from Their Hiatus
Lady Gaga’s Performance Was the Weakest Halftime Show in Years
Should Children Be Exposed to Pop Culture?
Hollywood Blockbusters Are Channels of American Cultural Influence

Notice that your topics can be both about pop culture events or people and about pop culture as a whole.

Social Issues

If you want to turn to important topics that affect the whole of society, social issues are truly an inexhaustible field. Consider these topics:

Legalizing Weed Is Inevitable
Why Law Enforcement Authorities Should Be More Aggressive During Mass Protests
Police Brutality: Are Mass Protests the Answer?
Domestic Violence: Why Every Victim Should Report
Should Basic Income Be Guaranteed?

For any social issue, you will easily find many proponents and opponents with various arguments, so take a stance of your own and start writing!

Leadership

Leadership is something people talk a lot about in business, education, health care, and many other spheres. Whether you want to discuss leadership in the context of interpersonal relationships or in the context of public administration and governance of countries, you’ll find plenty of topics!

Why You Should Try to Be a Leader in Your Class
Leadership in the Workplace: How to and What for
Instead of Preserving Their Own Power and Influence, Country Leaders Should Teach Others about Leadership
What Are the Ways for Leaders to Build a Followership?
Talk Like a Leader: The Adoption of Verbal Leadership Techniques

To start, try to pick a leadership topic that you’ve come across in your life—for example, argue for or against being a leader among friends or classmates. Also, check out common leadership essay requirements on our website!

Global Issues

Globalization poses a big question: Is it good or bad? By thinking about different aspects of the process, you can try to take a position and defend it.

The Global Market Is a New and Better Level of International Trade
Why Anti-Globalists Are Wrong
Globalization Is a Threat to Indigenous Cultures
Going Global: Why Adjusting Your Business to Cultural Differences Is a Poor Globalization Strategy
How McDonald’s Is Killing Local Food Traditions

Also, try to think about particular global issues, such as global terrorism—propose a strategy of how it can be fought and argue why this strategy is the most effective one.

Climate Change

Since there are people who do not believe that climate change is happening, you can find many interesting topics to argue that it is—or, on the contrary, to support their position.

Is Global Warming Real?
What Prompts People to Personally Contribute to the CO2 Emissions Reduction Efforts?
Why Fossil Fuel Producers Are Responsible for the Decrease in Biodiversity
Carbon Taxes or Mitigation Strategies: What Should Governments Do?
Why an Increase in the Sea Level Will Be a Disaster

Remember that there are many subtopics related to global warming: the greenhouse effect, water management, evidence of climate change, and many more.

Environment and Sustainability

This is closely related to the previous group of topics: think about pollution, environmental friendliness, and sustainable development.

Turn off the Water when You Brush: Why You Should Try to Contribute to Sustainable Development in Everyday Life
How Should Governments Prevent Pollution?
Waste Management Profits: Waste Should Be Used to Produce Energy
Hybrid Cars Are Better than Regular Ones
Reasons to Choose Eco-Friendly Packaging

Go on and explore the many related topics—for example, deforestation, desertification, or renewable energy.

Gender Issues

Gender studies grew out of sociology long ago, and it is now a separate academic discipline that is controversial and can propose diverse topics for arguing. See for yourself!

Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized Globally
Men’s Feminism: By Definition, Can Only Women Be Feminists?
Reporting Harassment Is the Best Strategy to Eradicate Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Rethinking Gender Roles in Western Civilization: Paternity Leave and Maternity Leave Should Have Equal Legal
Statuses
Attributes of Masculinity: Can Men Wear Women’s Clothes?

Business

When looking for topics to write about in the business sphere, pay attention to these examples:

Reasons to Start a Business Instead of Being Hired
Businesses Should Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility to Build a Favorable Image
A Balanced Scorecard Is the Best Way to Know if Your Company is Doing Well
Rising above the Competition: How to Address Uncontested Demand
Business Research: What is the Best Way to Know What Your Customers Need?

You may also want to turn to specific examples. Pick a business (either a well-known company or a store around the corner) and think about how it could be a topic for an argument essay: its strategies, its positioning, or its choice of communication practices—there are so many aspects to choose from!

Communications

Communication is a wide-ranging notion: It is both about texting a friend to tell a funny story and emailing an HR manager when looking for a job. According to a famous article from The New York Times, the goal for any type of communication is the same: effectiveness. So consider these examples of arguing how communication can be more effective:

Why You Should Avoid Sarcasm In Your Speech
Body Language: How to Look Confident and Trustworthy
In English, Why You Should Avoid Saying “Not”
Email or Personal Conversation: Which Is Better?
Giving Children a Choice: Why Prohibitions Are Ineffective

Also, perhaps you can speculate on different types of media and argue, say, that books are more (or less) emotionally appealing to people than movies.

Essay Writing

If you’ve made it this far, you’re obviously motivated to find a good topic for your argument essay. Well, funny as it may sound, the answer has been right in front of you! Write an essay on writing an essay itself. For example:

Why You Should Always Make an Outline Before Writing a Paper
Is a Personal Story the Best Hook in Narrative Essays?
Compare Contrast Essays: Why a Point-by-Point Structure Is Better than a Block Structure
Essay Types Classification: Should You Consider Different Types before Starting an Essay?
How to Write an Essay Faster: Never Start Writing from the Introduction Paragraph

Remember that you want to write an argument essay, so do not merely give your readers tips—instead, argue that a certain approach to composing an essay is the wisest.

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