The importance of speech in modern life
Some would argue that the power of the press and the new spaces available to the media today have downplayed the importance of discourse in modern life. After all, who needs public speaking skills when all you have to do is put your thoughts on a billboard or newspaper headline and display it for the whole world to see? Wide accessibility to television, radio and, perhaps most importantly, the Internet, coupled with proper presentation, has made it possible for the most uncomfortable public speakers to inspire and make their voice heard.
These individuals would be wrong. The spoken word, properly presented and supported with strength and conviction, still dominates in all aspects of life as strongly as it did when nations were not connected by the World Wide Web, perhaps even more so, because relationships internationals are so important now. commonplace like sitting down to a bowl of cereal in the morning. Imagine a trade treaty or agreement in the League of Nations carried out by men and women without any public speaking skills. It would be a nightmare! No one could influence anyone else’s conviction about your point of view. The discussions would go on for hours without success.
Imagine state legislatures made up of representatives who cannot speak, lawyers without the ability to present a convincing argument, teachers who cannot explain a lesson concisely, business negotiations conducted between two people who cannot present their point of view. Every time two or more people are together, the importance of speech in modern life becomes very clear. Take away that speech and what you are left with is a jumble of ideas without substance.
These interactions cannot be done with a sheet of paper or a cleverly designed website. These mediums, while indisputably useful for presenting ideas on a large scale, do not allow for the exchange of ideas that is so vital to progress. Yes, the Internet has chat capabilities. Yes, the telephone and the fax are wonderful inventions. There’s still nothing like a face-to-face conversation, looking your ally or adversary in the eye as you make your case. It is much more difficult to deny a well-formatted argument spoken in a clear and passionate voice than a screen or page decorated with the latest graphic ability. Speech is what gives these ideas the impetus that moves them from mind to society.
Taking the concept of the importance of speech and public speaking skills one step further, imagine a doctor, lawyer, or businessman without the ability to dictate. His charts and graphs would be a jumble of half-finished thoughts and ill-formulated ideas. The ability to speak clearly to a single person or, in many cases, to a tape recorder is a given and often more difficult than standing in front of a large but still largely anonymous crowd. The self-awareness that stands between the speaker and success still exists, perhaps most acutely because there is nothing to divert the speaker’s focus from the words they are saying and focus on the passion and motivation behind them.
Even military leaders, men chosen most of the time for their skill on the battlefield rather than for their skill with their colleagues, are not exempt from the need for clear and concise public speaking skills. The excerpt below is from a letter sent from the Adjutant General’s office at the beginning of the Civil War.
“A large number of men have failed in the camp due to their inability to articulate clearly. A man who cannot convey his idea at his command in clear and distinct language, and with enough volume of voice to be heard reasonably far away, He is not qualified to command what human life will depend on. Many men disqualified for this handicap could have become officers under the flag of their country if they had received proper training in school and university. The training of our youth Even without the prescribed training in elocution, instructors in our schools and universities could achieve great improvement, regardless of subjects, by insisting that all answers be given in a loud, clear, and well-rounded voice, which, of course, requires the opening of the mouth and free movement of the lips It is remarkable how many excellent men suffer from this handicap, and almost It is impossible to correct this after the formative years of life. “
Every man, woman, and child, whether teacher, mother, general, doctor, lawyer, waiter, or negotiator, needs adequate public speaking skills and understanding the importance of speech in modern life. Simply believing in an idea or being able to write it is not enough. For an idea to grow and prosper, it must first have a voice that makes it understood and believed.