How To Speak Like The World's Top Public Speakers

Ron Malhotra

• Publisher: Karen Mc Dermott
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780648937661
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Communication & Public Speaking

It is no mystery that public speaking is not only a highly paid skillset, it is also a skill that can rapidly build ones' credibility, authority and influence.

For an important skill like public speaking, it's unfortunate that there are a lot of people who shy away from it. Glossophobia-the fear of public speaking-ranks above other popular phobias like arachnophobia, thanatophobia and acrophobia.

Ron Malhotra has written this guide to help you overcome your fears and speak as confidently as the world's top public speakers.

This book doesn't just rush to outline tips and superficial tactics for overcoming the fear of public speaking.

It attempts to enable you to understand why this fear exists in the first place.

Understanding the root cause of a problem is the primary step towards finding a solution. When we understand this concept, we apply it more naturally and convincingly.

How To Speak Like The World's Top Public Speakers is a practical guide that reveals uncommon public speaking secrets that has worked since the times of ancient speakers like Aristotle and Cicero, all the way to present day speakers like Barack Obama and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It also examines the lives of top public speakers today and what makes them unique and so highly sought after.

This book is a melting pot of the highest philosophies and advanced strategies used by the best in the game and offers an array of techniques already employed by the best public speakers of this century to advance you as the next exceptional publicspeaker.

CHAPTER ONE

The Origin and Evolution of Public Speaking

“God, that all-powerful Creator of nature and architect of the world, has impressed man with no character so proper to distinguish him from other animals, as by the faculty of speech.”

Quintilian

There are numerous debates as to the exact time in history when humankind developed speech, however, these debates all point to one conclusion: long before humans learnt how to write, they knew how to speak. What distinguishes us from other animals is that we have well-developed oral languages, and for centuries we have depended on these languages for communication, information, and education.

As I pondered the history of public speaking, I came to the conclusion that public speaking birthed because humans needed to persuade, liberate, and empower. Brett & Kate McKay confirmed my thoughts in their article, “Classical Rhetoric 101: A Brief History.” In this article they note that rhetoric—which was later called public speaking—became a high art with the rise of Greek democracy. What this means is that the people of old depended on speech and public speaking as a tool for persuasion, liberation, and empowerment.

Therefore, it is impossible to discuss the history of public speaking without briefly journeying back to ancient Greece.

Public Speaking in the Classical Period (500 BCE – 400 BCE)

Public Speaking in Ancient Greece

“It is absurd to hold that a man should be ashamed of an inability to defend himself with his limbs, but not ashamed of an inability to defend himself with speech and reason; for the use of rational speech is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs.”

Aristotle

Peter DeCaro stated that public speaking originated in Greece more than 2,500 years ago where it was first referred to as rhetoric. According to Peter, public speaking became a way of life for the Greeks at that time, just like football and baseball are to us today. Brett & Kate McKay gave the reason for this culture when they wrote: “Because Athenian democracy marshaled every free male into politics, every Athenian man had to be ready to stand in the Assembly and speak to persuade his countrymen to vote for or against a particular piece of legislation.”

Unlike today’s politics where money and modern technology are used to fuel various propaganda for or against a politician, the ancient Greeks had only their words. It was a battle of words. Thus, they had no choice but to develop public speaking into an art. In Ancient History Encyclopedia, Mark Cartwright wrote that in the assembly of Athens, any male citizen 18 years or over could speak and vote in the assembly. He further stated that about 3,000 people in the Greek population actively participated in politics, and of this number, only three sets of citizens dominated the political arena: the wealthiest, the most influential, and the best speakers. Peter DeCaro also wrote in his account of rhetoric in ancient Greece that, “public speaking was an Olympic event, where the winner received an olive wreath and was paraded through his town like a hero. Thus, Athens became a city of words, a city dominated by the orator.” It was for this reason men like Thucydides and Aristophanes criticized democracy.

According to Mark Cartwright, Thucydides and Aristophanes were wary of democracy because the citizens could easily be swayed by good orators—or demagogues—who could appeal to their emotions. Although Aristotle did not criticize democracy, he understood the position of critics like Thucydides and Aristophanes because of a group of political actors known as the sophists. George Briscoe Kerferd, a Professor Emeritus of Greek, described the sophists as Greek lecturers, writers, and teachers who traveled around Greece giving instruction in a wide range of subjects in return for fees. They were among the sages of early Greek societies.

The Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that the rise of sophists was a response to the social, economic, political, and cultural developments of that time. They further stated that Greek cities experienced increasing wealth and intellectual sophistication at that period, which “created a demand for higher education beyond the traditional basic grounding in literacy, arithmetic, music and physical training.” The sophists were responsible for meeting this demand and propagating a new kind of knowledge and skill. Brett & Kate tell us that sophists usually moved from city to city teaching young men how to speak and debate. And because public speaking was essential for a successful political life, people were willing to pay handsomely for the tutoring.

Documented histories about the Greek sophists all point to one fact: they were masters of the spoken word, and it was not long before they used this skill dishonestly. This was to Aristotle’s great annoyance. According to Brett & Kate, Aristotle (and Plato) condemned the sophists for using emotions to persuade their audience at the expense of truth. They often focused on style and presentation, tricking the audience with “confusing analogies, flowery metaphors, and clever wordplay,” even with subjects they had no prior knowledge of.

Aristotle was not the type of man who identified and complained about a problem without presenting a solution. He was an academic descendant of the famous philosophers of that era: he studied rhetoric under Plato, who studied under Socrates, who studied under Aspasia of Miletus. So while he exposed the abuse and misuse of rhetoric by the sophists, he also decided to show and teach the citizens what rhetoric actually is and should be. This birthed his treatise, The Art of Rhetoric. The treatise was Aristotle’s holistic approach to explore the nuances of rhetoric and public speaking, taking into consideration various elements like reasoning, prose style, character, and emotions. He developed a system for rhetoric which spanned centuries and influenced cultures. (This system is also highly influential in today’s world and we will look at this later in the book as a guide towards effective public speaking.) Brett & Kate noted that Roman rhetoricians like Cicero and Quintilian often referenced Aristotle’s treatise.

Public Speaking in Ancient Rome

“In an orator . . . we demand the acuteness of a logician, the profundity of a philosopher, the diction of a poet, the memory of a lawyer, the voice of a performer in tragic drama, the gestures, you might almost say, of an actor at the very top of his profession.”

Cicero

The Greeks greatly influenced the Romans. This is why they share similarities in their culture, mythology, and architecture. Rhetoric was also part of Greece’s sphere of influence. However, rhetoric was still considered the heritage of the Greeks until they were conquered by the Romans.

Just as in Greece, rhetoric was fundamental to the politics of ancient Rome. Peter DeCaro pointed out that the Senate was the only permanent governing body and the only place where debates were allowed. And for one to debate, one had to know and employ “the persuasive art of rhetoric and oratory.”

Rhetoric and oratory were not only important in Roman politics but also in the judiciary. Matthew Dillon & Lynda Garland in their book, Ancient Rome: From the Early Republic to the Assassination of Julius Caesar stated that, at the age of 15, children were taught rhetoric: they learnt the art of declamation through the practice of suasoriae (the presentation of historical or imaginary cases) and controversiae (court) cases. Gradually, many devoted themselves to rhetoric in order to defend themselves and acquire a fine reputation.

The Romans learnt rhetoric from the Greeks, however, they modified the art and introduced their own concepts. For instance, while the rhetoric of the Greeks tilted towards logic and reasoning, the Romans incorporated stylistic flourishes, captivating stories, and compelling metaphors (Brett & Kate McKay, 2010). Just as Aristotle was instrumental to the understanding and development of rhetoric in Greece, so too were Cicero and Quintilian instrumental to the development of rhetoric in Rome.

Cicero (106 – 43 BCE) was a statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, writer, and orator. Although born into a wealthy family, he gained influence because of his ability to, according to John Balsdon’s account in Britannica, “evoke a wide range of emotions in plebeians and patricians alike.” He evidenced the power of rhetoric and oratory in two major events which I have extracted from John Balsdon’s account. First, in 80 or early 79 BCE, Cicero defended Sextus Roscius who was falsely accused of killing his father. This brilliant defense cemented his reputation at the bar. About the second time Cicero displayed his mastery in rhetoric. Balsdon wrote: “In 63 BCE Marcus Tullius Cicero gave an impassioned oration to his fellow senators that charged Catiline [a Roman aristocrat and democrat] with plotting to stage a violent coup. This so moved the Senate that they voted to implement martial law and execute the conspirators.” Balsdon tagged this as Cicero’s greatest achievement.

Being so good at rhetoric and oratory (in fact, Brett & Kate credited him as the first master rhetorician Rome produced), it was only logical that Cicero wrote treatises on the subject. The most popular of his works are: De Inventione (About ...

Table of contents

• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three
• Chapter Four
• Conclusion
• Notes
• About the Author