Toastmasters, Aristotle, and the Essential Art of Rhetoric

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When John Bowe learned that his extremely reclusive cousin, who had lived for decades in his parents' basement, had moved out and gotten married at the age of fifty-nine, John was extremely surprised. What made him equally surprised was how his cousin had finally launched his life. It hadn't been meds or therapy. Instead, he had joined his local Toastmasters club. Duly intrigued, John set off on his own Toastmasters journey, as he details in his book I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an Age of Disconnection. Today on the show, John shares how he discovered that the ethos of this nonprofit organization parallels the tradition of rhetoric espoused by the ancient Greeks, especially by Aristotle, and why the ability to speak, whether in the context of giving a formal speech or simply having a conversation, continues to be such an essential skill in the modern age. In my favorite part of the show, we discuss how our ideas of authentic speech can actually get in the way of expressing our authentic selves. We then turn to the techniques for better speaking that John learned from joining Toastmasters and how Toastmasters ultimately transformed his own life. After the show is over, check out the show notes at aom.is/toastmasters

Transcript

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0:00.0	Bratmike here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast.
0:11.5	When John Bowle learned that his reclusive cousin, who had lit for decades in his parents
0:15.2	basement, had moved out and gotten married at the age of 59, John was extremely surprised.
0:20.7	What made him equally surprised was how his cousin had finally launched his life.
0:24.1	It hadn't been Meds'otherapy.
0:26.3	Instead, he joined his local Toastmasters Club.
0:29.9	To truly intrigue, John set off on his own Toastmasters journey.
0:33.0	As he details in his book, I have something to say.
0:36.1	Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an age of disconnection.
0:39.1	To handle the show, John shares have discovered that the ethos of this nonprofit organization
0:43.3	parallels the tradition of rhetoric spoused by the ancient Greeks, especially by Aristotle.
0:48.0	And why the ability to speak, whether in the context of giving a formal speech or simply
0:52.0	having a conversation, continues to be such an essential skill in the modern age.
0:56.5	In my favorite part of the show, we discuss how our ideas of authentic speech can actually
1:00.4	get in the way of expressing our authentic selves.
1:03.0	We then turn the techniques for better speaking that John learned from joining Toastmasters
1:06.9	and how Toastmasters ultimately transformed his own life.
1:10.2	After shows over, check out our show notes at aowm.is slash Toastmasters.
1:26.5	Alright, John Boe, welcome to the show.
1:33.8	Thanks, Brett.
1:35.1	I'm very, very excited to be here.
1:37.0	So you wrote a book called I Have Something To Say, Mastering the Art of Public Speaking
	...

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