Opinion on public speaking
Public speaking is the most common and obvious manifestation of art because it is an art of words -
words that act as a garment of thoughts, a form of ideas, a clear voice of nature and spirit, light as air and shimmering as a butterfly, transparent as a gas cloth, and ringing as bronze;
words that whisper as a coastal breeze, and rattle as a cannon, murmuring as a creek, and roaring like a storm;
words that attract like magnets and burst out like lightning, cut like a sword, and crush like a firestorm; sparkle like a diamond in the sun's rays, and are as majestic as fire;
The words that represent the greatness of architecture, the outlines of sculpture, the colors of the painting, the rhythm of poetry, the words that, thanks to their beauty and richness, elegance and luxury, proclaim public speech the queen of all arts, and the orator - the king of artists!
When people ask me if the gift of eloquence is innate, I notice that they do not just want to consult, but hope to get an affirmative answer that will calm them down.
However, in fact, there is not a single person who is not worried before the speeches. Whatever the speaker's experience, there will always be exciting. The person simply copes with the experience faster and controls the situation.
People often forgive themselves for their lack of communication skills, considering it their privilege to be born with the gift of eloquence and believing that all those who have been robbed of it by nature are protected from possible criticism and their conscience is pure.
After all, they cannot change their purpose in any way, which was determined now of conception. Deep down, they know the answer to their question, but since the source of hope never runs out, they deliberately want to be mistaken.
I know what is going to happen, and I am silent, waiting and never disappointed: «I know a few people who speak very well, but who have never attended a course of verbal expression.
First, how can you be so sure that those people have never learned oratory skills? Secondly, this training course is not the only way to learn how to communicate your thoughts well. Some people could use their innate talents in their youth, and then they began to develop communication skills. They learned to make effective trial-and-error presentations. However, other people, and most of them, either never found themselves in a context favorable to the development of verbal skills, or they preferred to be stubborn and ignore opportunities.
Mistakes in youth often do not have terrible consequences for the image of a beginner speaker, but for a person who has already won high positions in the hierarchy, the mistake can become fatal, causing damage to the hard-won position or interrupting the rise of the career ladder.
When the hierarchical position does not allow elementary mistakes in communication, some people prefer to refuse to speak and are embarrassed in situations where they have to expose themselves to public scrutiny. In doing so, they miss the opportunity to learn.
I once had a student who, in his presentation at the first session, told me that his whole life he was confused and looked for any reason that would allow him not to speak publicly. But people stopped believing his stories, so he had to come to the course to learn to speak... and come up with the best apologies.
In situations where your communication mistakes are simply unacceptable because of your position, the solution to the problem is to turn to a professional for help and improve without risking harming yourself with the typical engagement that often occurs in the training phase. A young person who prefers not to take risks and sit quietly in their place, or who do not see opportunities for development, can choose a guaranteed short path in training, taking advantage of the instructions of a specialist.
