“Instead of teaching our kids how to sit down and shut up, we should be teaching them to stand up and speak out.” ~ Simon Lancaster
The ancient art of rhetoric (the art of effective persuasive speaking) is no longer taught routinely in schools. The STEM education initiatives support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. However, the great leaders, politicians, and businessmen rise to the top because of the power of their rhetoric. The art of public speaking, debate, and influence is a special subject seemingly reserved for a select few.
One of the world’s top speechwriters in Britain, Simon Lancaster, shares his secrets. Even his quote above is an example of a “balanced sentence.” The mind gives it the emotional weight of truth because it is balanced. We must later apply our logical mind to determine whether it is true. Here is an example from John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you.”
Many of us remember the simple nursery rhymes from childhood. Not only do rhymes make the message memorable, rhymes also create the illusion of credibility. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Why do we remember it? Why does it sound like it should be true?
Learning the valuable skill of persuasive rhetoric is not just a matter of leadership, but also a matter of teaching young minds the difference between what sounds true and what is true.
Watch his TEDx talk for 6 tips on the art of Rhetoric.
- Breathless x 3
- Repetition x 3
- Balance x 3
- Metaphor
- Exaggeration
- Rhyme
Books by Simon Lancaster
