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How often we all have heard speakers begin by calling the attention of the audience to their lack of preparation or lack of ability. If you are not prepared, the audience will probably discover it without your assistance.
Dale Carnegie
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Preparation is crucial for effective communication; acknowledging a lack of it only highlights the issue.

This quote emphasizes the importance of being well-prepared when addressing an audience. By drawing attention to one's own shortcomings in preparation or ability, the speaker inadvertently reveals their incompetence, and the audience is likely to notice this without explicit acknowledgment. The quote suggests that confidence and competence in public speaking derive from thorough preparation.

Themes

PreparationCommunicationPublic SpeakingConfidenceAbility

In practice

Example use cases

During a workshop training session to emphasize the importance of preparation.

More from Dale Carnegie

When I asked him -Mr.Henry Ford- if he ever worried, he replied: "No. I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that every-thing will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?
Dale CarnegieRead
Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.
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By talking to yourself about the things you have to be grateful for you can fill your mind with thoughts that soar and sing.
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It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.
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I can look back at my own life and see where a few words of praise have sharply changed my entire future. Can't you say the same thing about your life?
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Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire.
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