Public Speaking - the right way

by sinis 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  sinis

  I'm taking a public speaking class and I find it very interesting that they advocate different things than the WTS did while I was in and enrolled in the school. For one, and the biggest of them all, is that YOU NEVER speak for more than 20 minutes top, as the human brain can't really absorb anymore - information overload!! So why in the hell do they have day long conventions and one or two hour meetings? What a complete WASTE of time - outside of the obvious reasons.
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  Warlock

  I'm taking a public speaking class and I find it very interesting that they advocate different things than the WTS did while I was in and enrolled in the school. For one, and the biggest of them all, is that YOU NEVER speak for more than 20 minutes top, as the human brain can't really absorb anymore - information overload!! So why in the hell do they have day long conventions and one or two hour meetings? What a complete WASTE of time - outside of the obvious reasons.

  Tell the politicians, too.

  Warlock
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  SirNose586

  It's a shotgun method. You control their time, and that's an end unto itself with these long meetings. Then you spray them with a bunch of information, and as long as they catch a little bit at a time, that's okay...there will always be the next two meeting nights in the week.
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  tijkmo

  YOU NEVER speak for more than 20 minutes top,

  yeah well they are wrong.

  to hold an audience on any subject takes two things...the audience's interest in the subject...and a good public speaker

  most jws and politicians have neither
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  sinis

  YOU NEVER speak for more than 20 minutes top,

  yeah well they are wrong.

  to hold an audience on any subject takes two things...the audience's interest in the subject...and a good public speaker

  most jws and politicians have neither

  I disagree. Most studies have indicated that no matter if the audience is attentive or not they simply can't remember everything. At some point your brain starts to shut down...
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  neverendingjourney

  One of the things I began to notice after I spent some time in college is that JWs are notoriously bad about citing references in their publications and in their public talks. Any scholarly publication or public speaker worth a damn in the academic world is very careful about providing citations to back up what they say. This is virtually non-existent in the JW world. Therefore, JW speakers are free to make outlandish claims and virtually no one doubts their veracity. In fact, I can't remember the exact quote, but I remember one circuit overseer throwing out supposed statistics about the rate of AIDS infection in Africa that were patently stupid. He said something to the effect of y persons contracts AIDS in Africa every x seconds. I remember doing the math and there was no way his figures were correct. Yet, I seemed to be the only one that questioned anything he said. I remember talk after talk stating that earthquakes and other natural disasters had increased since 1914, but no citations to back it up. The list goes on and on. Anyone that has spent some time in the academic world can see the contrast immediately. It's much easier to create your own reality if you don't have to use facts to back up your assertions.
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  SnakesInTheTower

  sinis

  I took a public speaking course in college about a year ago as part of my recently completed associates degree. The instructor told me I was the best public speaker in many of her recent classes..she knew something about my background was different. I did not admit to the JW "so-called training". I told her I had some experience and left it at that. Interestingly, she had suggestions to make me better. Those suggestions were things that had been drummed in my head by the Borg on the "School" for years, such as the importance of citing sources for facts!.... and I too noticed the lack of real references for statistics and such in Sunday Public Puking Talks Thank goodness for the internet. Both at college and in the parts I had at the KingDumb Hall, I would cite the secular sources for my real facts (vs WT made up crap from the outline). Usually had the thinking dubs thanking me for the citations so they could check them when they got home. The non-thinking dubs (drones) just stared glassy eyed as I gave public talks.

  From an earlier post this month, I presume you still have access to your wifes WTliterature trash. Take a look at the KMs or assembly programs. Especially the assembly programs. More and more symposiums...yeah an hour of the same drivel, but they will have 5 or 6 brothers giving 10 min snippet talks...that way we dont have to hear the same brother drone for an hour. The Borg knows the average dubs attention span is 10 minutes, 15 tops.

  Gads... I remember when I was a kid at those 5 day conventions (really 4 1/2 days), and those 3 day circuit programs. I used to hide under the bleachers and read something else. Out of sight out of mind as far as my parents were concerened. Even then my BS meter was on high...too bad it took me so long to figure it out (and longer to get out).

  Your comments got me thinking....I think they will shorten the meetings....shorter public talk (maybe a half hour). Lets just hope that does not mean a 90 min WTrash Study Indoctrination Session starting in 08.

  Sincerely

  SnakesInTheTower (of the Fading Sheep Class)
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  SirNose586

  One of the things I began to notice after I spent some time in college is that JWs are notoriously bad about citing references in their publications and in their public talks. Any scholarly publication or public speaker worth a damn in the academic world is very careful about providing citations to back up what they say. This is virtually non-existent in the JW world. Therefore, JW speakers are free to make outlandish claims and virtually no one doubts their veracity.

  This is a big problem in their literature. How many times have you seen "One leading politician said...." or "According to a prominent Greek/Hebrew scholar...." and then no further information on the source?

  One time I was at a gathering(TM). The friends started going on about how "reading the WT and Awake was the equivalent of a college degree." I broke dub ranks and started disagreeing with them. It was a real rush to finally refute something easy and not get in trouble for it. I prepared later in the week to go on in depth about the difference between popular magazines and scholarly journals, what a college degree means, etc. One of the points I was going to hammer on was the complete lack of scholastic integrity found in WT/Awake articles.

  No one challenged me on the "degree issue" outside of that brief moment in the party. But I'll be ready to drill them into the ground if they bother bringing it up again.
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  WTWizard

  I don't think they really give a $%@( about the effectiveness of the talks. What they want to do is make sure you are tied up on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (so the children will not get to sleep at a decent hour and you cannot watch your favorite TV shows or go to evening classes). They also want to tie you up all weekend long so you won't head to that amusement park that's 100 miles away and spend the weekend there.

  As for the effectiveness, you are looking more at a hypnosis session than an effective talk. This is how they get people to abandon self-preservation and maternal instincts in as little as 6 months. That works better the more they drone on, and 2 hours per meeting session seems to be effective at that. Notably, the longest college classes run only about 75 minutes, and then you have the homework and notes to take; and many of them actually fit into the puzzle picture, The Witlesses' talks make absolutely no sense unless you yield to those hypnosis sessions.
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  SirNose586

  I don't think they really give a $%@( about the effectiveness of the talks. What they want to do is make sure you are tied up on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (so the children will not get to sleep at a decent hour and you cannot watch your favorite TV shows or go to evening classes).

  Damn straight. I could've finished my degree at least a year ago if I had all four nights free! So often a really crucial class came on a Tuesday or Thursday night....