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Actions speak as loudly as words
By Debbie Peterson
Published:
Thursday, October 3, 2002
Debbie Peterson -- Guest Column
The world is a big place, with lots of people, and every single one of those people are different. (Captain obvious, I know, but wait, there is a point.) Each of us has our own opinions and ideas, and each of us will look at life from a different angle. It should be no surprise that some of those various angles will be a couple of degrees off from your own. That's just fine; actually it's good, because it makes the world the interesting place that it is. A cookie cutter world full of assembly line people would be very boring.
The differences become all the more obvious though, when people decide to publicly express these opinions. What needs to be recognized are the methods and means of representing these individual ideas, in order to assure that the message is properly conveyed. When speaking to a group of people, in order to sway them in your favor, some basic rules should be observed. First, if you want people to take you seriously, you must act in a manner that is respectable.
Second, you should not verbally or visually offend or insult people, and finally, expect people to treat you the same way that you treat them.
Respectability is a factor that should be taken into consideration for any type of public speaking. In order for any opinion to be taken seriously, a certain atmosphere has to be created, or the audience is not going to listen. Let's look at some examples that are readily at hand. A teacher, in a classroom, stands in a position that says he\she has worked hard, earned a degree, and therefore knows about their given subject. The obvious effort they made to earn their job rewards them with an atmosphere of credibility. A teacher wouldn't have a job if he\she did not have the proper experience or expertise. A random person on the side of the street, on the other hand, is not in a position that suggests respectability.
Hurling insults, displaying grotesque pictures, and basically making an inappropriate spectacle of oneself does not give off an intellectual vibe. (Hmmm, these tactics sound vaguely familiar�) Any sort of shock tactic that offends will not win over the audience. This should just be common sense, when you meet someone for the first time, and want to make a good impression, you do not intentionally insult them or make them uncomfortable. The person who is treated improperly would not want to deal with you in the future. So, conceivably, if you wanted your audience to listen, or at least politely acknowledge what you are saying, you would speak uninsultingly and provide proof and logic to back your ideas. If you did choose to verbally attack your audience, you should expect that they will respond in kind.
In conclusion, it should be possible to determine a speaker's credibility and intelligence by his\her actions. And if these actions are questionable, would it not be reasonable to question the credibility of the message? The next time you want someone to take you or your message seriously, you should consider what your actions say about your own credibility and respectability.
