Verbosity

Alan Weiss's The Uncomfortable Truth®

SHOW NOTES: •Do you know people who are loquacious, verbose, prolix? •Ask a "yes or no" question and they respond with opinions, history, and self-therapy. •Have you been to the Jersey Shore? Well, I did go once, as a child, but my parents really couldn't afford the vacation, and then when they could, they preferred Cape Cod. I haven't taken my children because my spouse thinks that "Jaws" was a documentary. •Why so much talk? -Articulating cognitive processes -Buying time -Believing it adds credibility and esteem -Just a bigmouth who loves to hear him/herself talk •Tell people what they need to know, not everything that you know. •Assume intelligent people will ask you questions if needed. •Don't be afraid to stop people from rambling: -What's your point? -What's your question? •Verbosity attempts to hide the point: politicians do it and it probably helped cost Kamala Harris the election. •It dilutes your real power, like planting the Mona Lisa in the midst of a much larger painting. •People forget the major points because they are drowned in minor points. She talked at length about needing ice cream, but I don't remember what flavors she said to avoid at all costs. •Lincoln's Gettysburg Address took about 2.5 minutes to deliver. Can you recall who else spoke that day for hours? •The US Constitution is a couple of pages. The rules of golf are over 600. Is it really easier to run the most successful and powerful democracy in history than to hit a ball with a stick?