The importance of speech in modern life

There are those who would argue that the power of the press and the new spaces available to the media today have minimized the importance of speech in modern life. After all, who needs public speaking skills when all you have to do is put your thoughts on a billboard or in a newspaper headline and display it for all the world to see? The widespread accessibility of television, radio and, perhaps most importantly, the Internet, coupled with proper presentation, has made it possible for even the dullest of public speakers to inspire and make their voices heard.

These guys would be wrong. The spoken word, properly presented and supported with force and conviction, still prevails in all aspects of life with as much force as it did when nations were not connected by the World Wide Web, perhaps even more so, because relationships international cuisines are now as commonplace as sitting down to a bowl of cereal in the morning. Imagine a treaty or trade agreement in the League of Nations carried out by men and women without any public speaking skills. It would be a nightmare! No one would be able to sway another person’s conviction to their point of view. The discussions would go on for hours with nothing being achieved.

Imagine state legislatures made up of representatives who cannot speak, lawyers unable to present a convincing argument, teachers unable to concisely explain a lesson, business negotiations conducted between two people unable to express their point of view. Whenever two or more people are together, the importance of speech in modern life becomes abundantly 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 piece of paper or a cleverly designed website. These media, 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 machine are wonderful inventions. There is still nothing like a face-to-face conversation, looking into the eyes of your ally or adversary as you make your case. It is much more difficult to deny a well-formatted argument expressed 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 diagrams 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 acquired 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 more acutely because there is nothing to divert the speaker’s attention from the words he is speaking to the passion and motivation behind them.

Even military leaders, men chosen more often than not for their skill on the battlefield rather than 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 start of the Civil War.

“Large numbers of men have failed in camp due to inability to articulate clearly. A man who cannot communicate his idea to his command in a clear and distinct language, and with sufficient volume of voice to be heard reasonably far away, he is not qualified to give command on which human life will depend. Many men disqualified by this handicap could have become officers under the flag of their country if they had received proper training at school and university. It is to be hoped, therefore, that more emphasis be placed on the basic principles of elocution in Instructors in our schools and colleges, regardless of subject, could achieve great improvement, even without prescribed training in elocution, by insisting that all answers are given in a loud, clear, well-rounded voice which, of course, requires the opening of the mouth and the free movement of the lips It is remarkable how many men excel Many people suffer from this handicap, and how almost impossible it is to correct this after the formative years of life.”

All men, women and children, whether they are teachers, mothers, generals, doctors, lawyers, waiters or negotiators, need proper public speaking skills and understand the importance of speech in modern life. It is not enough to simply believe in an idea, or be able to write it down. For an idea to grow and prosper, it must first have a voice behind it that makes it understand and believe.