tact; anything which might appear glaring, forced, or awkward, by its very absence shows tact. D. SUMMARY In the present chapter, self-confidence, sincerity, and charm have been presented as the personal qualities most desirable in the speaker. In the discussion of the first quality, it was pointed out that an attack of timidity is often due merely to a fancied inability to express one's thoughts, or to a sudden notion that one's thoughts are common-place. Such causes of timidity are trivial weaknesses, which should be opposed by a little show of determination. To provide for selfconfidence in the larger sense, broad and thoughtful reading, and careful, appreciative observation were advocated. Furthermore, it was urged that speakers accustom themselves to expressing their thoughts by writing, by more fully developed conversations, and by "thinking aloud" in private. The second personal quality, sincerity, was discussed as a strong convincing and persuasive factor. A man who shows by his words and manner that he believes earnestly what he says is capable of securing results which a mere talker or poser cannot accomplish. It was especially emphasized that sincerity in speaking springs from sincerity as a habitual attitude in everyday life. The third desirable characteristic of the speaker is charm. This quality was analyzed as consisting chiefly of: (1) modesty, an avoidance of any tinge of bluster or self-sufficiency; (2) geniality, which connotes openness, cheerfulness, good-humor, and optimism; and (3) tact, which is based upon a habitually sympathetic attitude toward one's fellowmen, and an ability to say the right thing at the right time, and to avoid saying anything that will wound or offend. CHAPTER X THE SPEAKER'S ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS SUBJECT From the essential personal qualities, we turn to the proper attitude of the speaker toward his subject. This attitude should be characterized by familiarity with the subject-matter, a spirit of fairness, and a marked degree of interest. A. FAMILIARITY WITH THE SUBJECT In order to secure the confidence of his listeners, the speaker should be able to impress them that he is adequately informed about the topic under consideration. This impression must not be conveyed in such a way as to violate the principle of modesty. Of course, if a man's travels or experiences have fitted him particularly to present a certain subject, it is entirely within the bounds of propriety to state, in opening, the opportunities which he has had. Usually, however, the impression of mastery should come as an inference on the part of the audience. This will be the case when the speaker is "full of his subject." In that event, instead of giving evidence of meager or last-minute preparation, he will suggest by his sureness of procedure and his amplitude of material that he knows more about the topic than he can compass into the limited space of a single address. Such an indication of mastery depends somewhat upon organization of the general plan, the skillful use of details, examples, illustrations; in part upon the self-confidence of the speaker; but it depends most of all upon the thoroughness with which the material is gathered and digested. It is for this reason that, other things being equal, the speakers who most clearly evince mastery of their subjects are those who speak from personal experience. Admiral Peary on "Polar Exploration," or Miss Jane Addams on "Social Service" immediately gain the full confidence of their hearers. But only a few speeches, relatively, can be made from personal experience; and the disadvantage must be minimized as much as possible by thoroughness of research. The more exhaustively one covers the best that has been written on a given topic, the greater is one's chance of creating the impression of mastery in speaking. This somewhat obvious statement is intended as a warning to those who would attempt to make a speech by paraphrasing one or two magazine articles. While such a thing might be excusable if occasion called for an impromptu effort, it must ordinarily be evident that the speaker is treating the subject superficially. An eclectic collection of material is essential for acquiring that mastery which inspires complete confidence on the part of the audience. For example, if a person is speaking on "Labor Conditions in the United States," it is desirable for him to know not only what the Commissioner of Labor and the Immigration Officials report, but also what such men as Mr. Gompers, Mr. Mitchell, and the President of the Employers' Association have to say on the subject. The good speaker rarely exhausts all the details at his command, but it is far better to be able to select the most desirable from an excess of material than to be under the necessity of stretching to the required proportions a very limited amount. B. A SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS Further, with regard to the speaker's attitude toward his subject, he should be impelled by a spirit of fairness, a desire to arrive at the truth of the matter. This is another reason for making an unbiased examination of sources: neutral, pro and anti when the topic is of an argumentative nature; or emanating from different attitudes of mind or varying points of view when the subject |
