The Needle-Hiding Yes and But: The First Lesson in Eloquence

Author: Fu Shangyuan, Zhang Chongguang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Furthermore, it is generally the case that leaders and successful individuals are not awkward or inarticulate. Because eloquence undoubtedly represents a person's knowledge, wisdom, humor, and ability to remember a wide range of information. Those who possess eloquence can be either verbose and fluent or concise and insightful. The latter should not be underestimated—just a few well-chosen words can be witty, startling, or weighty, proving that it is indeed a form of eloquence! A person may not be striking in appearance, but they must be striking in their words. Appearance is external, at most reducing their appeal to the opposite sex, especially since people are becoming more pragmatic and fewer still rely solely on looks to judge; unless you are foolish enough to aim for a singing career or hosting. Lack of striking words, however, reflects inner emptiness—bland and unoriginal. When such people speak, they either ramble incoherently, drone on without getting to the point, or parrot without creativity. What is particularly annoying is that they try to appear cultured by cracking jokes that fall flat. Calling them dull or tedious is still just two words: mediocre.
In our current lives, there is often a requirement to "evaluate cadres," selecting capable individuals. The so-called "ability" is evident the moment they speak—it's like stepping on a scale, revealing their true weight. To say that eloquence is a ladder to power is perhaps not an exaggeration. In foreign countries, politics is almost entirely about the power of the mouth. With sharp and persuasive words, one can climb step by step through adversity to the pinnacle of power. Parliaments, houses of representatives, and senates—when stripped bare—are arenas for eloquence, where opponents engage in bloodless verbal sparring. In fact, this tradition traces back to the Roman Senate and the Roman Republic. The Romans placed great value on eloquence, and in the glorious Roman Empire culture, the speeches of the eloquent brothers Gracchus and Cicero held a prominent place.
In fact, in our own China, within the vast and profound Chinese culture, the culture of eloquence also holds an important position. A prolonged study of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods will reveal that it was, in essence, a history of eloquence in Chinese history. P4