Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1109IR // #c1109Synthesis

"For Brutus is an honorable man, So are they all, all honorable men" "He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?"

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

[Use when]

You have to answer a respected opponent without attacking them by name.

[Why it matters]

The authors print Antony's oration as their model of turning listeners into a crowd. Antony never attacks Brutus's claim head-on. He repeats it after each fact (the ransoms, the refused crown, the tears for the poor) until the refrain itself sounds like an accusation.

Filed under situations:When you need a yes and they’re not there yetWhen the other side has more leverage

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Same situation, different book

#c1356Show them the engine, skip the pitchYou have a metric that proves your value better than any presentation.From Cancel Me If You Can #c1322Fill the reservoir of trust before you need itYou'll eventually need a deal with a rival and have no reason yet to talk to them.From Courage Can Save Us #c1279The Smarties test for adultsYou're sure the other side must see what you see.From Trade Outside the Box #c1277Listen and then thinkYou're preparing what to say in a meeting where you haven't yet heard the other side.From The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy