Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Elocution

 Who 'speaks' these days? Currently, it is the era of the ppt's, mostly AI-generated. Such visuals do the speaking! Listeners love such suspicious scholarship. Speakers find it sumptuous. The art of speaking well is dying. Yesterday I was one of the judges at an elocution competition. Hence the following acrostic!

Emphatic, empathetic

Laconic, learned

Oratorical, outstanding

Considerate, cautious

Unbiased, unassuming

Tasteful, tolerant

Idealistic, inclusive 

Original, optimistic

Natural, noble!

Do you agree with this definition of 'elocution' which, in my opinion, is surely style. It, undoubtedly, is oratory. Body language, facial expressions, intonation and sentence stress matter. So do cohesion and coherence. Vocabulary, good grammar are important, too.

Yet what matters the most is the central idea, unique, original, thought through. Brilliant analysis, researched data full of facts are the core of a good speech. Unique ideas are at the center of any good communication, written or spoken.

Therein lies the hope in the AI era today which is marked by thoughtless copying. Not only the generative AI nor the smartasses using it efficiently can copy the thought process. Sure, copy is the ultimate compliment that others can pay one. Yet this compliment cannot be curtailed even by the most competitive, however ambitious and aggressive. The central unique thought/idea is the pearl that the shell of oratory must preserve, most nurture!

Pratima@ Brilliance is not mere bombast!

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