Speeches are like flowers, or sonnets, for the most part – a moment’s monument. With a few exceptions, they are temporary, aimed at a moment, or a movement, or a situation that calls for public comment right now. When you study speeches from previous eras, you find that almost always a good deal of explication is required to understand the context and the topical references. Those same topical references that seem so lively and witty in the moment become dated over time.
To be sure, a speech like the Reverend Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” has considerable timeless appeal, but most of us aim for something a little more ephemeral whether we’re aware of it or not. We’re exploring the current wisdom on a topic we’re expert in, or persuading an audience of a position on an issue of the day, or inspiring a group of employees to greatness with a bit of our own story and a bit of theirs.
A speech that does any of those things is certainly all it should be. But if you aspire to something more, then there are four universal human themes that you might touch upon in order to reach beyond the moment, and the momentary issue, to the sublime. They are: (1) resolving our human inner conflicts, (2) addressing our need to contribute to others, (3) illuminating some aspect of the meaning of our lives, and (4) embracing a deeper philosophical or religious question. Touch upon one of these, and your speech is already reaching for the ages. Cover at least two of them, and you are in MLK territory.
For the first theme, resolving human (inner) conflict, motivational speeches can often fill the bill. We want to be better, we want to find inspiration to overcome our natural disinclination to push ourselves, whether in work or life, we want to lose weight, start running regularly, achieve more, slay our inner demons and find peace. A great speech can help us do one or more of those things by showing what other humans (usually including at least the speaker) are capable of doing when they push themselves.
The second theme takes us out of ourselves and shows us how to help others. We humans naturally yearn to step outside of our own petty issues and bring enlightenment, wisdom or solace to others, get lost in a great cause, or do something similarly heroic. We are a communal species, as I’ve argued frequently, and we want to be part of something larger than ourselves.
The third theme opens our eyes up to some meaning that we haven’t fully understood or way of relating to others or the world that we haven’t fully grasped. Great systemic thinkers do this by showing us how some part of human experience is organized or explicable in a way we haven’t appreciated before.
The final theme taps into the religious or philosophical underpinnings of life, whether by embracing some rituals or explaining its meaning in terms that are fresh for the current era. Great preachers fall into this category, as well as the rare political orator who can see beyond the current moment or advantage to something more timeless.
Do you have what it takes to achieve oratorical greatness? The way forward is clear, more than a little perilous, and open to anyone with sufficient courage. Help us with our demons, show us how to help each other, tell us what our crazy current moment means, or give us a timeless truth, and your speech can be one for the ages.
The date was 22 September, 2010. I was being felicitated on the occasion of my retirement from my Institution later that month. To make it memorable for me, since I was laying down my official post of a scientist after having spent 45 years in my job, my colleagues had organized an International Conference, to participate in which senior academicians, scientists and experts had come from several countries, and from various labs in my country.
A lot of friends and colleagues spoke at the Banquet dinner about me, my work, and our lasting friendships in many cases. My family was present on the occasion, as I got up to reply to the Felicitations, as desired by the Master of Ceremonies. I spoke as under:
‘I feel weird, standing here to speak, when I am retiring. Not knowing what to say on this occasion, I tried to consult some colleagues on that. But I discovered that a majority of my friends have not yet retired, and those who did retire don’t wish to discuss it!’
‘Many of you have come from far and wide to wish me well. I am humbled and very grateful and also lucky to have so many well-wishers, some of whom have crossed continents to be here on this occasion. Let me begin by thanking all of you, who have come to felicitate me, because I am 64. In fact, a friend has come all the way from Kolkata to observe me from close quarters if I can still move my limbs, etc.’
‘We humans don’t wish to look old, so we cover-up to hide our age, like I wear colorful shirts to distract the attention. But why hide the age? Looking old is a sign of maturity. Years ago, I used to have a dig at a friend telling him that he must be dying his hair grey to command serious attention of people, when he actually went prematurely grey. ‘
‘Life has been easy for me, relatively. Most things have been handled well for me by may family, my well-wishers. In fact, this is the third time my B’day is being celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony in a scientific Conference in the last 4 years. Just to remind again and again to hang up my gloves.’
My interests have been handled safely. It has been a protected life, with so many people throwing a protective ring around me. You can say, I have been in a cocoon. Until I grew up, my mother was protective to the extent of being paranoid for years together, fearing that any passing disease or virus will get me, simply because all 4 of my siblings suffered infant mortality. Later, my wife and other family members, most of them sitting here, thought I am fragile and continued to protect me. Then there have been friends who have always run to my rescue when I was in distress. So, I have been largely left to do my science, in peace.’
But at times, when the science became too thick for me, then poetry came to my rescue. It relaxes the mind, but science and poetry hardly mix, so I am not sure of the quality of the verses I wrote. I once sent my poetry to the well-known Bollywood lyricist Qamar Jalalabadi, he declared to me “you need a lot of guidance”, implying the stuff I wrote was mediocre. Thank God, he was not sitting on judgment on the quality of my science.’
‘Some friends think I am a good speaker. Only I know how nervous I get on stage. Appearing to look nonchalant is but a mask. I recount an incident when during a conference session in Japan, a usually brash professor, though known worldwide for his path-breaking research, while sitting along my side, asked me a minute before I was to go on stage for my presentation “Hey Yakhmi, are you nervous”? I replied, “on the contrary, I am worried, why I am not, since you need some bit of nervousness to make a good presentation, don’t you?” Frankly, I was nervous as hell, but I did not want him to unsettle me.
Thank you all for taking time to felicitate me. I promise to make sincere efforts to look old and act old. — J.V. Yakhmi
Thank you for this lovely speech, and story!
Terrific anecdote above, and loved the wisdom offered!
Thank you, Lois!
That’s a great package of wisdom. Well done Nick.
Thanks!