A man’s voice can be a powerful motivator to men, and a literal aphrodisiac to women.
Readership: Men
Theme: Level Up!
Length: 1,000 words
Reading Time: 5 minutes + ~30 minutes of videos
Introduction
The Bible views speech refinement not merely as a matter of etiquette but as a crucial indicator of one’s heart condition, spiritual maturity, and wisdom. Scripture teaches that refined speech is truthful, gracious, constructive, and self-controlled, flowing from a heart that is being transformed by God. The primary principle is that speech reflects the inner person. Refining your speech requires refining your heart. (Proverbs 10:19; Proverbs 15:4; Matthew 12:34; Matthew 15:18; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6; James 1:19; James 3:1-12)
My Own Journey of Speech Refinement
During my time in graduate school, I spent a lot of time with far East Asians in my research group. English was their second, and in some cases, third language. They couldn’t understand a lot of what I said, and after a few weeks of frustrating and misleading conversations, I started to wonder why this was so. What was I saying that they couldn’t pick up on? Or maybe it was How I said things that threw them off?
It came to my attention that one of my colleagues from China had achieved the maximum score possible on the IELTS (an English entrance test that is required for college admissions), and that he had an English vocabulary of 30,000 words, which is almost as much as a typical native speaker (40-50,000 words). So I could not dismiss our miscommunications as merely because of him/them being poor in English. Instead, I started to study my speech habits with the goal of making myself more clearly and readily understandable. I also brushed up on my knowledge of English grammar, because they often asked me to explain it.
I spent 4 years in this multicultural setting, and in addition to completing my studies and research while earning my M.S. in Materials Science, I used the entire time to refine my speech habits, IRL, in situ with non-native English speakers.
I found the following speech habits to be helpful.
- Speaking slowly.
- Speaking clearly.
- Speaking loudly.
- Using complete sentences instead of phrases.
- Disposing the habit of using idioms and colloquialisms, especially those that are trite or trendy.
- Being more aware of the listener’s level of interest in the subject and gauging where to take the conversation based on their responses.
- I developed the habit of pausing in between long sentences to allow them to catch up to what I was saying. But I soon discovered that by augmenting these pauses I could capture my listener’s attention and imagination.
- I learned that only 35% of communication is verbal, and 65% is non-verbal. So I developed a habit of talking with my hands and using body language.
- I also learned to emphasize emotional inflection to add a dramaticized flair. This made my communications more entertaining and more memorable to my listeners.
In short, I learned to talk in prose, as more than one commenter has described it.
I didn’t expect it at the time, but making these changes proved to be a life-changer for me.
It took me a few years to develop these habits, grow into them, and work out the bugs, but now, even lately, my colleagues and students often tell me that my speech is clear and easy to understand, and that my diction, enunciation, and tone are enchanting and even mesmerizing at times.
After learning all these things, I have come to the conclusion that improving personal presentation, being able to carry a convincing argument in a conversation or debate, and extolling a winsome charisma are the whole reason why the study of language is of vast importance. Refining one’s speech is the basis of how this is done.
It didn’t stop there. For the past 22 years, I’ve taught English in Taiwan, as well as various subjects in my field of Engineering. Now, I am not only an Engineering professor and an English teacher, but I am also a teacher of future English teachers in a national program for training English teachers for their employment in public schools.
I have to say that these teachers in training are some of the highest quality individuals I have ever met in my entire career and even in my entire life. I am honored to have this position and to work with and have an influential role with these highly intelligent and greatly gifted individuals. Glory to God upon high!
Back in graduate school, I could never have imagined that my dedication to refining my speech, motivated by my love for my foreign colleagues and my care in communicating with them, would take me this far in life. I thank the Lord for His grace and providence. Christian Love is truly transformative!
Examples of Charismatic Speech
I’ve put together some examples of a few men who are known to be confident and effective in speech. I advise viewers to listen to these videos until they’re able to internalize the inherent attitudes and command them at will. Yes, command your speech at will, and He will!
Case Study 1: William Jennings Bryant’s “Cross of Gold” Speech
William Jennings Bryant’s “Cross of Gold” Speech was delivered in 1896.
This impromptu 10-minute speech given by William Jennings Bryant at the 1896 presidential primary is credited with single-handedly transforming the landscape of American politics and led to Bryant being nominated as a presidential candidate, not once, but four times.
The original speech was transcribed but not recorded (because recording equipment had not yet been invented at that time). But in 1921, Bryant recorded his speech for posterity (based on the transcript).
Case Study 2: Bruce Lee Philosophy (2015/10/9)
The interviewer is extremely disingenuous, yet the ingenious Bruce Lee maintains frame.
Case Study 3: Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) — Best Quotes, Lines (2018/1/20)
Clint Eastwood had some of the best lines in Hollywood, heavy laden with emotional gravity and iconically memorable, even 50+ years on. Young men have quoted him for decades, and will continue to quote him for the next century.
Case Study 4: Tupac on Growing Up Poor, His Rise to Fame & His Future (1995) | MTV News (2019/9/14)
In addition to his cool, calm speech, look at how Tupac moves through the crowd with confidence and casual, self-assured dominance, acknowledging anyone and everyone who makes eye contact with him and putting them at ease with an automatically assumed acceptance. King’s Lair, my man!
Case Study 5: Sean Connery’s Final Interview (2024/11/7)
The late Sean Connery’s life story is one of transformation, self-education, and unwavering determination. From his humble beginnings in Edinburgh to becoming an international icon of masculinity, Connery’s life journey exemplifies the power of perseverance and lifelong learning — all articulated in his artfully contrived and heartfelt speech.
Related
- Σ Frame: Confidence and Authenticity in Speech (2009/12/28)
