Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1110IR // #c1110Synthesis

"Let but the commons hear this testament-- Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read--" "You will compel me then to read the will?"

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

[Use when]

You have a strong document or number and want the room to ask for it.

[Why it matters]

Antony holds up Caesar's will and declines to read it, so the crowd demands it. By the time he gives in, they are asking for the argument he came to make.

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

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