George Orwell, in his book 1984, coined the word doublethink. Emma Baldwin (Newspeak in 1984 Explained - Book Analysis) defines it this way, “It refers to a type of cognitive dissonance where one is capable of bailing two things at once. These two things should, if one’s reasoning is clear, [...]
Wartime speeches aren’t business-as-usual speeches. They aren’t meant to be. Were we to examine the speeches of Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, or other dignitaries whose sole job was to give meaning and courage to those struggling with conflict and fear, their words might not be relevant for a business conference. [...]
I've heard it said that people fear public speaking more than dying. I'm inclined to think that is a bit of hyperbole . . . maybe a lot of hyperbole. At the same time, when people are asked to speak, it isn’t uncommon for palms to sweat, hearts to race, [...]
Aristotle defined rhetoric as using all the available means of persuasion. Although not every speech is designed to persuade, let's examine the rhetorical devices of a persuasive speech that has played a foundational role in our American experience: Patrick Henry's “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death." He spoke to [...]
A Father Counsels His Sons How to Use Rhetoric in Family Life Part II DEFINING POLICY AND TERMS Another area of the use of rhetoric is what the Roman orator Cicero called discussions about policy or the deliberative discussion. One domestic policy in our house concerned cleaning your rooms. Your [...]
During my years as a minister, I often did premarital counseling. I liked it because I believe in strong marriages, and one good way to build them is to counsel young couples about what makes a marriage work. I spent a lot of time on communication: how to get your [...]
Among the many ancient masters of rhetoric in the Roman orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was a lawyer and statesman during the days when Rome transitioned from a republic of laws to a dictatorship under the Caesars. He lived from 106 to 43 BC, and wrote extensively on rhetoric, philosophy, [...]
When I taught one of my writing classes, the students were required to write an argument paper. However, many of them could not differentiate between an argument and an assertion or statement. An article in Salvo Magazine demonstrated that even some textbooks can't tell the difference (here). An assertion is [...]
Great speeches have always been one of the mediums that disseminate information, provide guidance, and mark seminal moments in history. Histories of ancient cultures often provide speeches to help understand the issues in wars and other significant events. Think of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' most important description of Christian [...]
I consider three mistakes of writing to be my unholy trinity: incorrect grammar, clumsy sentence structure, and verbosity. Don't criticize my title for this last mistake; I'm making a point. Bad writers as well as bad speakers clutter their communication with too many words. Redundancies and Extraneous Words “Killed dead” [...]
