Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1100IR // #c1100Synthesis

"Your words come with the weight of authority when you can say, 'I have examined the employment rolls of every mill in this district and find that thirty-two per cent of the children employed are under the legal age.' No citation of authorities can equal that."

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

[Use when]

Your argument rests on numbers you've only read secondhand.

[Why it matters]

A first-hand fact can't be waved off as hearsay, and the authors add that seeing the facts yourself changes how you deliver them.

More from The Art of Public Speaking

#c1088"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…You've been reading about public speaking instead of booking a talk. #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.

Same situation, different book

#c1447Demagogues Blame Absent Partners For Local DisastersWhen a partner's executive blames your absent team for a joint outage, publish the signed deployment log to…From The Hobbit #c1436Politeness Traps You Into Signing Away SafetyWhen a client or partner acts as if an unapproved scope expansion is settled, stop the meeting and state your…From The Hobbit #c1381Dress for the sixtieth rowYour work will be seen from far away and someone wants it toned down for close inspection.From Matriarch #c1368Belonging is the secret of brandingYour customers come back and are treated like strangers each time.From Matriarch