Good eloquence is practiced.

Author: Yang Fan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: There are two important abilities for a person: speaking and walking! As long as there are no special circumstances, everyone can possess these two abilities. With the development of the times, the advancement of technology, and the arrival of an information-based society, the role of speaking has become increasingly important, and its significance has become more prominent. In ancient China, there were sayings like "a single word can build a state" and "a word is as heavy as nine trips to the (a measure of weight)." These sayings are still very relevant today. Americans once said that the reason they could travel the world was because they had three magical tools: eloquence, atomic bombs, and dollars. Although this statement has changed in recent years to "eloquence, computers, and dollars," eloquence still ranks first, just replacing atomic bombs with computers, which shows the importance of eloquence. Speaking is a basic ability for humans because, although the "language acquisition mechanism" is stored in the human brain, language skills must be acquired through training. However, many surveys show that speaking has become something that many people fear. Therefore, practicing eloquence is a compulsory course for everyone. Generally speaking, the improvement of everyone's speaking ability should go through three stages: "daring to speak," "knowing how to speak," and "speaking less." "Daring to speak" is a psychological issue, "knowing how to speak" is a skill issue, and "speaking less" is a matter of cultivation. To solve "daring to speak," one must overcome psychological obstacles and eliminate fear! If you can't even speak, what else can you do? Everyone has the potential to speak; the key is whether you dare to open your mouth and develop this potential! As long as you have enough courage, you can dare to speak! Countless facts have proven that even people who fear speaking can become great speaking masters, such as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, the famous British writer George Bernard Shaw, and American eloquence master Dale Carnegie, who were once afraid of speaking. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to fear speaking; as long as you dare to speak and practice more, you can also become a master of eloquence. "Knowing how to speak" requires setting ambitious goals, devoting yourself to practice, and continuously improving speaking skills. Everyone can learn speaking skills to varying degrees; the key is whether you are willing to work hard on practice. From a certain perspective, art is very difficult to imitate perfectly, but skills can be learned to a masterful level. This is a gradual process; do not expect immediate success or rush for results. As long as you are diligent, nothing in the world is difficult—only those with determination can achieve their goals. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the great orator Su Qin studied under Guiguzi, a semi-divine and semi-human master. After completing his training, he first went to persuade the ruler of the Eastern Zhou dynasty in Luoyang, but the ruler did not trust him and had to travel to Qin to persuade Qin Huiwang. However, because Qin Huiwang was "punishing Shang Yang, hating eloquent men, and not using him" (as recorded in the "Biography of Su Qin" in the Records of the Grand Historian), Su Qin returned in disgrace. His wife did not treat him as her husband, his sister-in-law did not treat him as her uncle, and his parents did not treat him as their son. Unwilling to give up, Su Qin dug through his belongings and found a book called The Six Secret Arts of the Grand Master, leading to the legendary scene of "hanging his head from the beam and piercing his thigh with a needle," which is still told today. After a year of pondering and practicing, he traveled around the states and achieved great success. This story tells us that to possess good eloquence and achieve great things, one must undergo hardships, possess a strong will, and not give up, only then can one succeed. As for "speaking less," one must fundamentally understand the function of speaking and maximize its role. Whether words are spoken well or skillfully depends not on how beautiful or moving they are, but on their applicability. This includes the audience, the occasion, and the background of the speech. Laozi's saying, "great eloquence seems taciturn," conveys this idea. This is not just about speaking itself but reflects a person's cultivation and overall quality. Daring to speak, being able to speak, and speaking less are three basic steps in training eloquence, characterized by simplicity, clarity, and scientific applicability. This book, Eloquent Speaking is Practiced, follows this framework, emphasizing readability and practicality. As the second generation of the "Life Planning Series," this book further highlights its operational functions. At the end of the book, three sections are specially designed: "Testing," "Training," and "Imitation," which can maximize the book's effectiveness. We hope this book can contribute to your eloquence, and we will be immensely honored! This book focuses on eloquence training, aiming to achieve eloquence through practicing courage, skills, and cultivation.