101 Half Connected Things

    The Sweet Spots for Speaking

    I have a lot of blogs in draft at the moment and I’ve been wondering about what to prioritise finishing. 

    Then I started thinking about what people enjoy reading or listening to. 
    Then I started thinking about recent political events and from this (and with the employment of absolutely no science) here are my theories on what the majority of people want from a speaker

    – Confirmation of what they already know, but dressed in a way that makes their current position appear smart or gives it more scientific rigour or gravitas 

    -Information on something they haven’t thought about yet, but feels like a position they could take if they had

    -Unique information they can quote or recite

    -A narrative that taps into their own frustration or experience 

    -A degree of entertainment (it needs to be in some way compelling) 

    -A feeling the speaker is tapping into something that the rest of the room shares. A sense of becoming part of a community that shares a common viewpoint. 

    I’m not saying that is all everyone wants, but I’d guess if you can provide that you send 80 percent of people home happy and feeling positive about you. 

    If that is your goal. 

    3 responses

    1. janetwebb Avatar
      janetwebb

      Can I add shock them out of their seats so that they nearly cry but then laugh hysterically instead. Or is that pantomime?

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    2. Michelle Cockram Avatar
      Michelle Cockram

      What about daring to question previously accepted wisdoms, or a challenge to look at things differently and embrace new perspectives?

      Perhaps this is covered in your second point.

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      1. daviddsouza180 Avatar
        daviddsouza180

        Hi Michelle, thanks for commenting. If I did list of things I’d like to see more of then that would be in there. I’ve, unfortunately, created a list of things that I’ve observed tend to go down well. New perspectives can be a bit stressful for people – they often prefer reaffirmation on their current view with extra supporting information.

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    Sophia Bennett is an art historian and freelance writer with a passion for exploring the intersections between nature, symbolism, and artistic expression. With a background in Renaissance and modern art, Sophia enjoys uncovering the hidden meanings behind iconic works and sharing her insights with art lovers of all levels.

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