Offering a New Perspective on an Old Argument

[dropcap background=”” color=”” circle=”0″]M[/dropcap]alcolm Gladwell is one of the great authors of our time, having produced time-tested books like Blink, Outliers, and The Tipping Point. What many people don’t know, however, is that Gladwell is also an incredible speaker. In his speech for TED about David and Goliath, Gladwell shows a viewpoint of the story that has never really been shown before. He also shows speakers that it isn’t always necessary to create their own unique argument with each and every speech.

Showing a Different Perspective

Many speakers believe that their argument needs to be new and exciting in order to successfully engage with their audience. This isn’t always true, however. As Gladwell shows, providing your audience with a different perspective on an argument or lesson that has already been taught can be just as effective. David and Goliath is one of the oldest stories in our world’s history, yet Gladwell found a way to effectively tell it from an original perspective.

What speakers can take from this is that your argument doesn’t need to posit a new, fresh idea to be effective. Instead, it can simply introduce a new take on an old idea that comes complete with an in- depth—yet concise—analysis of what that argument means to you.

Teaching a Lesson

When presenting your argument from a different viewpoint it is important that you still attempt to teach your own individual lesson. Some type of uniqueness is necessary in order to ensure that there is a clear benefit for your audience to listen to you. Most people are well aware of the story of David and Goliath, so if had Gladwell simply retold the story, there obviously wouldn’t be much benefit to the audience.

While constructing your own speech about an old argument, be sure that you’re developing a lesson that differs from the obvious lesson that has been taught time and time again. There is a real power in storytelling that allows the teller of the story to gain a certain level of engagement with the audience that other methods can’t. Teaching a unique lesson through that storytelling can create an even more powerful and engaging speech.

Covering the Five Pillars of a Great Speech

As we review Gladwell’s speech, it should be noted that he successfully covers the five pillars of a great speech in a somewhat unconventional way. He uses concise, easily understandable points about the battle to create a strong argument and increase credibility. The clear benefit of the speech comes from the perspective that he gives about one of the most famous stories in our world’s history. He combines a powerful delivery and attractive presentation through his confidence and body language, although it is interesting to note that his ability to do so mostly comes from the fact that he is such a great natural speaker. Lastly, he provides an energetic ending with the final lesson that he proclaims to the audience.

The point of this brief overview is to show that creating a new argument isn’t always necessary to create a great speech. Sometimes, as Gladwell shows us, simply offering a new perspective on an old argument will do just fine.