How To Avoid A Cliched And Silly Inspirational Presentation

Motivational speakers cannot avoid being cheesy unless they have a clear idea of what the word means. Some suggest that its meaning is peculiarly American and others think it belongs to computer jargon. The fact that it is listed in a 1982 dictionary indicates that it is more likely to have come from the habit of photographers to say 'cheese' when about to take a snap shot. On the command subjects were expected to produce artificial grins.

Cheese is a tasty morsel, yet the expression derived from it is not complimentary. In the inimitable way of words it suggests something that may be tasty but somehow offensive. The fact that the expression has been used for more than two decades may indicate that people have become more critical in recent times. They may be more adept at sniffing out the sort of insincerity that allowed speakers in previous eras to lead their audiences into wars and destruction.

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.

A cliche is accurately defined as a stale expression used without close consideration of what it signifies. An expression such as 'cheesy' might once have been an original metaphor but it has lost its force through overuse. It fits comfortably into discourse patterns without a speaker having to think too closely about what he really means.

The problem with cliches is that they are often used unconsciously. Like music, speech is very much a matter of rhythm and some words satisfy simply because they have been heard often before. Most people use language without thinking too much about the actual words that come out as a sentence is composed in the mind. The habit of using cliches is widespread and can be heard on radio and TV broadcasts any day of the week.

Although cliches do slip unobtrusively into the speech of most people it is possible for a speaker to guard against too many of them by careful preparation. This does not imply learning a speech by rote. Instead a speaker can think in terms of metaphor, of analogies and symbols. These are the fundamentals of original thought. Even ordinary thoughts can seem exciting and fresh when dressed in the fine clothes of metaphor and symbolism.

Another word for cheesy is pretentious. A speaker may guard against insincerity by thinking carefully, in advance, about what it really is that he wants to say. Most people are motivated by needs of one sort or another. Very often they may need to feel secure, or good about themselves. A speaker may play on these needs without being insincere.

In classical times rhetoric was included as a compulsory subject in school curricula. This was because it is such a potent skill. A motivational speaker like Adolf Hitler or Winston Churchill stood on opposite sides of a chasm, but motivated their countrymen to outrageous courses of action. It is possible that mass communication systems have taught audiences to be more critical and alert to insincerity, banality and pretense. That may put pressure on charlatans but will be good for humanity.

Choosing your speakers can be a delicate task if you don't know who to choose. See Speakers Associates for your perfect motivational speaker that won't give a cheesy talk

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