Public speaking-The Angst and the Determination
Created | Updated Feb 21, 2003
Public speaking is an art form, popularized by the likes of Martin Luther and John F. Kennedy. Before that people assumed it was a form of public torture for the public as well as the speaker.
I was once witness to a mesmerizing performance by a speaker on stage. The speaker broke into uncontrollable giggles, with the result that he proceeded to complete the entire speech in a constant state of high rapture. It left the audience completely befuddled as to what was going on and as the speaker tried to control himself, he could only manage to stumble off the stage muttering incoherently.
A much more successful technique I suppose would be to fix the audience with a glassy stare and to ignore them completely. Then to proceed through the speech with the unrelenting ardor of a army general, proceeding through enemy lines, giving no quarter, no matter what, mowing down resistance.
A third, highly successful technique, to be used when avoiding questions at question hour in Parliament, is to close your eyes, in effect to signal to the audience to do the same, and then to pause for infinite lengths of time between each syllable until everyone has forgotten what the question was.
In all cases it cannot be denied that speaking in public is like singing in the bathroom, where everybody is glad they don't have to listen to you.
There are essentially two parts to making speeches in public, the content and the delivery of the speech. There are designated speechwriters, who write speeches, this being their means of earning a livelihood. These may be delivered in public by the speaker, who may bring alive the written word, through the resonant, uplifting quality of his voice. The following methodology may be adopted to enable one to shine in the face of all impending speech making debacles.
Public speech is an outcome of reason. In this context it may be construed as a causal force, or as a quality of human mental well being. Both being instrumental as well as necessary, towards effecting a positive outcome to the whole episode.
Several reasons for public speaking maybe:
1. Observance of social occasions e.g., weddings, funerals.
2. Effecting business outcomes e.g., presentations.
3. Other reasons which are not covered by the aforementioned.
At this point writing aids namely paper and pen are very useful for drawing doodles while one watches television and completely forgets about the speech. The next point is how long the speech maybe, this becomes irrelevant as one has already forgotten about it. However writing aids maybe used to note down the salient points, which will form the essence of the speech. As the occasion looms ahead of us it is necessary to appear at ones best. One can do so by being organized, by proceeding in a knowledgeable manner on the topic at hand, and thereby impressing everyone as to the deep grasp one has of the subject matter. This knowledge can be acquired by determinedly perusing a large number of documentation in existence on the relevant subject matter.
The next step is to develop ones communication abilities. The qualities necessary to be an effective speaker are:
1. The ability to speak
2. The ability to speak coherently
3. The ability to speak coherently at very high decibels
It is necessary to bring the speech to it reasonable and logical conclusion by delivering it in a clear, articulate manner. The occasion may call upon one to speak in a pitch of voice one may normally reserve for other drivers on the road at rush hour. Hence it is necessary to practice speaking at the appropriate decibel levels in advance until the neighbors call the law enforcement agencies.
The last step is to check the venue in advance, for bugs, seriously the loud speakers may not be working properly. Last minute preparations could include going to the theatre, attempting to transfer the speech to unsuspecting friends, and, or, fleeing the country. After making the speech many speakers feel an intense feeling of relief, it is like having survived the Titanic.
I was once witness to a mesmerizing performance by a speaker on stage. The speaker broke into uncontrollable giggles, with the result that he proceeded to complete the entire speech in a constant state of high rapture. It left the audience completely befuddled as to what was going on and as the speaker tried to control himself, he could only manage to stumble off the stage muttering incoherently.
A much more successful technique I suppose would be to fix the audience with a glassy stare and to ignore them completely. Then to proceed through the speech with the unrelenting ardor of a army general, proceeding through enemy lines, giving no quarter, no matter what, mowing down resistance.
A third, highly successful technique, to be used when avoiding questions at question hour in Parliament, is to close your eyes, in effect to signal to the audience to do the same, and then to pause for infinite lengths of time between each syllable until everyone has forgotten what the question was.
In all cases it cannot be denied that speaking in public is like singing in the bathroom, where everybody is glad they don't have to listen to you.
There are essentially two parts to making speeches in public, the content and the delivery of the speech. There are designated speechwriters, who write speeches, this being their means of earning a livelihood. These may be delivered in public by the speaker, who may bring alive the written word, through the resonant, uplifting quality of his voice. The following methodology may be adopted to enable one to shine in the face of all impending speech making debacles.
Public speech is an outcome of reason. In this context it may be construed as a causal force, or as a quality of human mental well being. Both being instrumental as well as necessary, towards effecting a positive outcome to the whole episode.
Several reasons for public speaking maybe:
1. Observance of social occasions e.g., weddings, funerals.
2. Effecting business outcomes e.g., presentations.
3. Other reasons which are not covered by the aforementioned.
At this point writing aids namely paper and pen are very useful for drawing doodles while one watches television and completely forgets about the speech. The next point is how long the speech maybe, this becomes irrelevant as one has already forgotten about it. However writing aids maybe used to note down the salient points, which will form the essence of the speech. As the occasion looms ahead of us it is necessary to appear at ones best. One can do so by being organized, by proceeding in a knowledgeable manner on the topic at hand, and thereby impressing everyone as to the deep grasp one has of the subject matter. This knowledge can be acquired by determinedly perusing a large number of documentation in existence on the relevant subject matter.
The next step is to develop ones communication abilities. The qualities necessary to be an effective speaker are:
1. The ability to speak
2. The ability to speak coherently
3. The ability to speak coherently at very high decibels
It is necessary to bring the speech to it reasonable and logical conclusion by delivering it in a clear, articulate manner. The occasion may call upon one to speak in a pitch of voice one may normally reserve for other drivers on the road at rush hour. Hence it is necessary to practice speaking at the appropriate decibel levels in advance until the neighbors call the law enforcement agencies.
The last step is to check the venue in advance, for bugs, seriously the loud speakers may not be working properly. Last minute preparations could include going to the theatre, attempting to transfer the speech to unsuspecting friends, and, or, fleeing the country. After making the speech many speakers feel an intense feeling of relief, it is like having survived the Titanic.
