Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1088IR // #c1088Synthesis

"How would you cure a horse that is afraid of cars—graze him in a back-woods lot where he would never see steam-engines or automobiles, or drive or pasture him where he would frequently see the machines?" "You must learn to speak by speaking."

— In our words · Source: The Art of Public Speaking (J. Berg Esenwein & Dale Carnegie)

[Use when]

You've been reading about public speaking instead of booking a talk.

[Why it matters]

The opening chapter's cure for stage fright is repeated exposure. Books can coach you, but in their words "no one ever learns to swim" in a wetless bathing suit.

Filed under situations:When you need a yes and they’re not there yet

More from The Art of Public Speaking

#c1089"One way to get air out of a glass is to pour in water." "fill your mind with your speech-material and, like the infilling water in the…You're backstage replaying everything that could go wrong. #c1090"Have the first few sentences worked out completely so that you may not be troubled in the beginning to find words. Know your subject…You're preparing a talk and plan to improvise the opening. #c1091"To make a word emphatic, deliver it differently from the manner in which the words surrounding it are delivered. If you have been talking…You've been raising your voice to stress points and the room has tuned out.

Same situation, different book

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