The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1951-11-02
just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsiderste

Dale Carnegie tells us about making a speech
He is all for it, Shall accept the invitaton?" he
queries in the first of his ighttotheheartofthngs
questions the subject. Yes" he answers with
enthusiasm, "it will be lots of fun, and prove to
be one of the most thrilling experiences of your
life" Well, what about fun and thrills for the au-
dience? That's point to consider Besides the
question IS not fundamental ID should read, How
shall | wrangle an invitation to make speech?"
OF course there are ways; human skuduggery is
devious and knows no shame. But you must have
an invitation before you can accept ii for your own
fun and the thrill of lifetime.
'Will faint?" D. Carnegie says no; he has watch
ed 10000 persons making their first speech; only
one tainted. The right answer would therefore ap-
pear to be: 1T is unlikely that you will faint, but
there's off chance. But go ahead; think of what
fun and thrill it will be to the audience if you do
faint You'd likely get better press out Of fainting
than out of talking Forward"
what shall talk about? Of all the silly ques
tons After listening to thousands of speeches, any
of which might we'll have been maiden effort
we are convinced that the speaker only slight
ly more than the audience what the subject is or
is meant to be- The audience does not single
hoot The attitude of the audience that the speech
has got TO be sweated out in any case, and the
sooner the speaker gets rolling the better; let
him fool around fixing subject and leading
up TO suitable opening
How shall prepare?" Dale Carnegie lets him
self go He is all for preparation. He wants you to
steep yourself in the business and make what you
intend TO say vital part of you He expects the
speaker-to-be To consult libraries to Gull the latest
remarks of the encyclopedias, TO interview experts,
and privately to make himself nuisance before he
attempts the thing publicly the day of the
speech. Get ten times much material as you
use says DC You will then have an inner
urge, conviction-and your talk will almost make
itself" So? Beware lest the inner urge be to keep
talking till you have dshed up all that tenfold ma
terisl. 1t often happens so.
Shall memorize my TALK" No says the expert.
He adds with emphasis, "Neyerl" You to pre-
pare, perhaps by much writing we'll as by wide
reading and profound meditation, but you need
not write out your speech in entirety and you must
not memorize 1t. You to think II through. Then
you will find words when you rise and you'll follow
that thoughtout trail like bird-dog cutting out
after rabbit.
Gestures? Don't worry about them Audiences do
not care whether you make gestures or omit them.
Hands in pockets? Yes If you like Manner OF deliv
cry? Speak sincerely from the heart You may
make blunders but you hardly fail TO make an
impression" That's right you will make an impress
sion, even If IL is bad impression.
How can tell whether | am being heard?" Talk
to the rear rows of your hearers, not the front
people. Think your voice back to the last man in
the hall II he should slip out you, fix another
distant fan before he edges toward the exit. Be-
sides, the business of the speaker is to make his
speech. Why this unseemly concern about being
heard? There is no ultimate difference Neither
those who have heard nor those who have not
heard will remember ten words of the speech after
its delivery
Shall tell funny stories?" No. no. thousand
times no. That's DC.'s unalterable word on the
point. But every speaker tries at all events to put
over humorous anecdote or So He begins with one
finding that "he is reminded :" or that 'he re.
calls an event OF some years ago" Never five
ten years, mind you. Just some" years. A nice
round number.
How long shall | TALK" Answer, stop when
people are eager TO have you go on. Stop before
they want you to-" Now, just how is that to be
ranged? Suppose the people are not eager to have
you 20 on; suppose they want you to stop two min
utes after you have started? ID. Carnegie's answer
here Is inadequate. Further he says Abraham Lin
coin made the most famous speech in the world"
Ga sufficiently large claim in less than five min
utes "a Woolcott has scientifically established the
fact that the Gettysburg speech lasted two minutes
and 81 seconds) you had better not take more
than twice much time as Lincoln took" Some
how this last remark has the appearance OF dis
turbing nonSequitur
Go ahead and make your speech. 1t may not be
fun; you may get no thrill But you'll learn one
thing and it is this the average American audience
is the kindest, most consderate most encouraging
group of people you could possibly encounter. They
will applaud your very name before you have ut
tered syllable. They will roar al your most feeble
joke. They will give serious attention to your most
fatuous statements No matter how deadly the bore
dom you induce, your audience will not show IL
No matter how weakly you perform, there will be
heartening applause for your effort There is in our
people fundamental kindness that speaks we'll for
some permanent and trustworthy elements in this
thing called civilization.