Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1090IR // #c1090Synthesis

"Have the first few sentences worked out completely so that you may not be troubled in the beginning to find words. Know your subject better than your hearers know it, and you have nothing to fear."

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

[Use when]

You're preparing a talk and plan to improvise the opening.

[Why it matters]

The authors want the opening fixed so you are not hunting for words at the start. Knowing the subject better than your hearers is their other cure.

More from The Art of Public Speaking

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