Chapter 3 be yourself, not imitate others

There is no one else in this world just like you.Billions of people have two eyes, one nose and one mouth, but no one is exactly like you, and no one has the same thoughts and ideas as you.Few people can talk and express themselves as naturally as you.That is your unique personality. We have a lot of admiration for certain speakers who incorporate performance into speech, who have no trouble expressing themselves, who have no fear of saying what they want to say to their audience in a unique, personal, and imaginative way. After the First World War I met two brothers, Sir Ross and Kane Smith, in London.They have just completed their maiden flight from London to Australia and received a $50,000 bonus from the Australian government.They were knighted by the Emperor, which caused a great sensation in the British Empire.

Captain Hooley, a well-known landscape photographer, had flown with the two brothers for some time and made some films.So I helped them make a travel speech mainly based on picture explanation, and trained them how to express it.In the "Philharmonic Hall" in London, they give speeches twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, presenting half of the world flying side by side.The two delivered almost the same speech, but it sounded different. In addition to the difference in words and sentences, there are other important factors in the speech.That is the peculiar character of the expression--the manner in which the speech is made.What to say and how to say it are two different things and should not be confused.

At a public recital I sat with a young lady.When the famous pianist Paderewski played a Mazurka by Chopin, she also read it with the score.She was baffled: Paderewski's fingers were striking the exact same notes as she had been playing the same dance piece.Yet her performance is ordinary, while Paderewski is attractive and indescribably beautiful.She didn't understand that it wasn't the notes that mattered, but the way they were played.It is the feeling, artistry, and personality that Paderewski brings to his playing that distinguishes the mortal from the genius. Similarly, when the great Russian painter Brulov revised a student's work, the student looked at the changed picture in amazement and shouted: "Ah! You only moved a little bit, but it is completely different!" “Art starts with that little difference,” Brulov said.

Speech is the same as painting, Paderewski's playing!The same principle applies to the way people speak.There is an old saying in the British Parliament that everything depends on the way of speech, not on things.Quintiga said that long ago, when England was a Roman colony. "All Fords are alike," said the maker, "but no two people are alike. Every new life is a new thing under the sun—nothing like him before, nothing like him after. And never will. A young man should develop the idea that he should be looking for a unique personality that sets himself apart and develops his own worth. Society and schools may try to reform him, they are used to making people look the same, But I won't let the spark of personality die because that's the only real proof of your importance."

This statement is especially true when it comes to speeches.There is no one else in this world just like you.Billions of people have two eyes, one nose and one mouth, but no one is exactly like you, and no one has the same thoughts and ideas as you.Few people can talk and express themselves as naturally as you.That is your unique personality.Being a speaker is your greatest asset.Grab it, cherish it, play with it, this spark will give your speech power and sincerity. "This is the only and true proof of your individuality."Please don't put yourself into a mold and lose your individuality.

Sir Logy's speech was different because he was a different character.His way of speaking, that is, one of his characteristics, has become his unique trademark along with his beard and bald head.But if he tries to imitate Lloyd George, it will look fake and lead to failure. One of the most famous debates in American history was fought between Senator Douglas and Lincoln in the prairie town of Illinois in 1858.Lincoln was tall and clumsy, Douglas short and graceful.These two people not only have very different external images, but also have very different personalities, thoughts and positions.

Douglas is a representative of the upper class, but Lincoln has the nickname of "woodcutter". He sometimes walks to the gate in short socks to meet the people.Douglas is very elegant, Lincoln is a bit clumsy; Douglas has no sense of humor, Lincoln is the greatest storyteller who ever lived; Douglas rarely smiles, Lincoln often cites facts and examples to explain points; Douglas is proud and arrogant, Lincoln is humble and magnanimous ; Douglas spoke like a storm, while Lincoln was calmer and behaved calmly. They are also famed orators with incomparable courage and superhuman understanding.But if one of them tries to imitate the other, he will lose badly.Each of them has played his own uniqueness to the fullest, so it is unique and convincing.

"Give full play to your strengths." It sounds simple, but is it also easy to do?Not at all.Marshal Fuchs said that the tactics "are extremely simple in concept, but unfortunately, they are very complicated and difficult to implement", which is the same reason.