Solomon’s talk continues for another 12 minutes with at least four or five more laughs, and culminates with a very profound, very moving story and message. “My particular favorite was a blonde woman from the Deep South who eventually admitted to me that she was really a necrophiliac, and had taken this job after she got in trouble down at the morgue.” This line elicits great laughter and even a bit of applause from the audience. “In my own adolescence, I went to extreme lengths to try to be straight. I enrolled myself in something called ‘sexual surrogacy therapy,’ in which people I was encouraged to call doctors prescribed what I was encouraged to call exercises with women I was encouraged to call surrogates, who were not exactly prostitutes but who were also not exactly anything else.” Then, around the eight-minute mark, Solomon says: From a woman who was raped and had a child as a result, to a political prisoner who almost died in prison in Myanmar, to his own humiliation and the bullying he endured at school, he holds the audience in his grip but the atmosphere is fraught. In particular, he opens up about his past and his struggle to come to grips with his sexuality.įor the first eight minutes of his talk, Solomon shares stories of adversity. In a poignant TED Talk, writer Andrew Solomon shares stories of courage in the face of adversity.
Andrew Solomon – How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are It leaves the audience with a good impression of the speakerĪmerican poet, Maya Angelou, said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This helps the audience remember your ideas. Laughter has been shown to improve memory and cognitive function. It helps the audience remember your points Well-placed humour can give your audience some much-needed relief in an otherwise serious talk. Many talks are serious and many talks are emotionally challenging for an audience. It can provide emotional relief for the audience Our heart rate increases and that keeps us stimulated and alert. When we laugh, there is a lot that goes on inside our body. As British comedian John Cleese has said, “If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas.” It energizes people and keeps them engaged This puts an audience at ease and makes people more receptive to your ideas. When used properly, humour is a powerful tool in any speaker’s arsenal and it can have tremendous benefits: It creates a bond with the audienceĪ speaker who uses humour well comes across as more human, more likeable. The French author Victor Hugo said, “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” Imagine the effect when you are speaking to an audience of dozens, hundreds or thousands!
How do great speakers connect, engage and entertain their audiences?
0 kommentar(er)
