Public Speaking Training Techniques

Author: Ying Tianchang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: If the other party speaks disrespectfully, use sharp and tricky questions to catch them off guard. In such situations, a temporary measure can be "separate the meaning, answer the challenge," which means breaking through the constraints of the question and intentionally diverting the meaning of the question to a "" that benefits oneself. This is not a judgment of whether the answer is correct or not, but merely a strategy for dealing with the situation. Deliberate misinterpretation is intended to escape a passive situation. There are many examples of this:
● Example Deliberate Misinterpretation and Answering the Challenge
When Lu Xun defended the patriotic students at the original Beijing Normal School for Women's Board of Trustees meeting, the principal interrupted him.
Principal: "The school is run by the rich, so let's listen to the high opinions of the rich."
Lu Xun: (pulled out a silver coin from his pocket and placed it loudly on the table) "I have money, and I can speak!"
In 1972, former U.S. President Nixon visited China and, while walking the Great Wall, stopped after climbing only three steps due to his leg condition. At this moment, a reporter "challenged" him:
Reporter: "Mr. President, why didn't you climb to the peak?"
President: "Yesterday, my meeting with Mao Zedong was already the peak. Why climb another peak?"
To avoid the other party's petty criticism, Lu Xun skillfully reinterpreted the concept of "having money," detaching the meaning of the other party's challenge. This deliberate distortion was both a sharp satire and a way to turn passive into active, demonstrating a clever response strategy. Nixon's light-hearted and witty separation of the meaning can be described as a "high-point offensive" style of wisdom in dealing with situations. This very humorous response strategy helped the president, who was struggling to walk, out of the awkward situation.