Speak Well - Public Speaking

Speak Well

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.”

-- Colossians, IV. 6.                                               

         Much of what I wrote about writing applies to speaking. As I deliberated how to craft my thoughts on this topic, I concluded they would be best treated as two subtopics: Public Speaking and Conversation; the two are quite dissimilar. So, I did.

Public Speaking

“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.”

-- Plato                                                        

         Some fear it. Some, with egos surpassing their ability, love it. Most master it as a tool in their professional toolbox, ready for use when needed.
         Whether the audience is six, sixty, or six hundred, you should be able to stand up and make a coherent argument without looking and sounding like a blubbering idiot. The skill is easily learned along with the small amount of stagecraft accompanying it. What most of us lack is the opportunity to practice.
         Early in my career, after seriously embarrassing myself, I resolved to never be caught in such a situation again.
         The answer for me and millions of others is Toastmasters International. (Here comes the sales pitch.) Founded in 1924, Toastmasters has served over four million people, and now, on the eve of its 100th birthday, the organization serves over 364,000 members in 145 countries, through 16,200 member clubs. The clubs provide a supportive audience for practice, with members giving helpful critiques to each other. I’m sure you can find a welcoming club wherever you go.
         If a public speaking course is available to you as an elective in college, by all means take it. You may have the impulse to blow off such a course as a waste of time. Don’t do it! The ability to speak well in public is easy to learn and valuable to have.

“As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not, so men are proved by their speeches, whether they be wise or foolish.”

-- Demosthenes         

The series:
         "Read Voraciously" 
         "Listen Intently" 
         "Write Well" 
         ”Speak Well - Public Speaking”
         "Speak Well - Conversation" 
         "Love Mathematics" 

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