Ways To Avoid A Cliche And Cheesy Motivational Speech

Motivational speakers who wish to avoid cheesy and cliched speeches must

, in the first place, have some idea of what 'cheesy' means. The Internet is full of self appointed experts. Some claim this expression as 'American' and others think that it is an Internet expression. A British dictionary published in 1982, before geek speak was common, suggests that in means something that is artificially sincere, and therefore somewhat paradoxical, like the artificial grins produced by gloomy subjects for camera lenses.

There is something paradoxical about cheese. It is tasty and nutritious, yet bad and smelly milk is enough to disgust some people who cheerfully eat insects. Similarly, a motivational speech has an element of paradox about it. It should be inspiring but can contain an element of cunning manipulation, as for example when a speaker is convincing but concerned primarily with the fat fee that will come his way at the end of his talk. It is possible that a whiff of insincerity will creep into the minds of critical listeners.

The fact that this expression has been growing in use for two decades might be a warning sign for public speakers. Although a speech may seem like a one way communicative act, it is not. Am audience may be silent but attentive and judgmental. Their mental activity may be be focused on judging the sincerity and sense of what they hear and process internally.

The word cheesy may itself have become something of a cliche. It has been heard often before and sounds rather clever. It fits easily into the speech patterns of people who do not have to think too closely about what they mean when they use it. The fact that it is derogatory in some general sense is sufficient for many.

The speech of many politicians and some journalists is so riddled with cliches that the doubt arises whether they have given any thought to what they are saying. Language is very largely a matter of sound, like music. Just as people repeat the rhymes and the lyrics of songs without paying too much attention to meaning, so speakers repeat words and phrases because the sounds satisfy, rather than because they mean much.

People do not always recognize a cliche for what it is. They may use a phrase that seems fresh without knowing that it was thought up by Shakespeare five hundred years ago. Without learning a speech by rote an orator can prepare to use specific metaphors or analogies. These will add freshness to his delivery, even if the odd cliche does sneak in.

A speaker can also guard against being insincere by thinking about what he really does want to say. If it sounds to him like what he has said many times before to other audiences he might try to adapt his message to the specific needs of the audience that he is to address. Most people are motivated by needs of one sort or another. Attempting to address those needs may help a speaker to actually be more sincere rather than cheesy.

Motivational speakers are engaged in something that used to be called rhetoric and was a compulsory subject in schools. It is a dangerous and potent art that has led whole nations to either victory or disaster. Within living memory Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill persuaded their followers to actions on opposite sides of a horrendous conflict. The role of the critical audience may be more pronounced in contemporary times which will be good for the world.

by: Dirik Hameed

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