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> I am intrigued by erudite speakers. This could be Sean Connery portraying > James Bond, Kevin Spacey in House of Cards, or many others both > real and fic

by geowwy 11y ago

> I am intrigued by erudite speakers. This could be Sean Connery portraying > James Bond, Kevin Spacey in House of Cards, or many others both > real and fictional, including my current manager. They speak slowly and > clearly, with carefully chosen words that feel calculated, but they always > manage to make a lasting impression. > > I'd love to be able to engage my manager in a style of speaking similar to > his. How can I improve my skills in this area? Are there particular books > I could read, or podcasts to which I could listen? And, as always, thank > you in advance for your advice! Don't take this the wrong way, but that doesn't sound smart to me. It sounds like someone trying to sound smart.

ChristianBundy 11y ago
You're right, it sounds forced – very unnatural.
campers 11y ago
Perception is reality. It sounded like the OP wants to more effectively deliver what he has to say. I notice sometimes when I closely listen to people like he's talking about they just having a way of speaking that makes them seem more authoritative. Kind of related to the Dunn-Kruger effect where you hear people talk about something who aren't really that knowledgeable but have a confidence about it, while those further up the curve can sometimes have impostor syndrome and know they need to work on the delivery of the message.
aaronbrethorst 11y ago
It's not a topic that lends itself well to what you're asking for. Fix some typos; delete some unnecessary sentences; pepper it with an SAT word or two. What else can you do?
mindcrime 11y ago
I don't know... the only bit of that which struck me as "artificial" or "try hard" was using the word "erudite". The word "erudite" feels a bit pretentious. But the rest of your version sounds pretty reasonable to me. That's why I say, "vocabulary is important" but that it's not about using "big" or "fancy" words. I believe that they key point in using vocabulary well is precision. If you are using words like "stuff" other filler, where there are more precise words that could be used (in the appropriate context) I think you're better off going for the more precise version, IF you can do it without sounding pretentious.

by geowwy 11y ago

ChristianBundy 11y ago

You're right, it sounds forced – very unnatural.

campers 11y ago

Perception is reality. It sounded like the OP wants to more effectively deliver what he has to say. I notice sometimes when I closely listen to people like he's talking about they just having a way of speaking that makes them seem more authoritative. Kind of related to the Dunn-Kruger effect where you hear people talk about something who aren't really that knowledgeable but have a confidence about it, while those further up the curve can sometimes have impostor syndrome and know they need to work on the delivery of the message.

aaronbrethorst 11y ago

It's not a topic that lends itself well to what you're asking for. Fix some typos; delete some unnecessary sentences; pepper it with an SAT word or two. What else can you do?

mindcrime 11y ago

I don't know... the only bit of that which struck me as "artificial" or "try hard" was using the word "erudite". The word "erudite" feels a bit pretentious. But the rest of your version sounds pretty reasonable to me. That's why I say, "vocabulary is important" but that it's not about using "big" or "fancy" words. I believe that they key point in using vocabulary well is precision. If you are using words like "stuff" other filler, where there are more precise words that could be used (in the appropriate context) I think you're better off going for the more precise version, IF you can do it without sounding pretentious.