Introduction
This writing aims to explore and present the main points and arguments made in a live talk. The writing will start by identifying the topic of discussion in the live talk and discussing several aspects of the live talk. The TED speaker’s topic is ‘How to Disagree Productively and Find Common Ground.’ The topic identifies effective ways for people to engage in debates and arguments to reach a common agreement that articulates the matter under discussion amicably. The TED speaker clearly states that people can debate and argue without hurting each other. The speaker points out that starting an argument from an agreeable common fact is crucial; each side provides their opinions about the agreeable fact. Each party in the debate or argument should be willing to listen to each other and stick to the ideas presented, rather than the identities of the persons presenting the ideas. Debates should be based on evaluating and assessing the eligibility of ideas presented and not attacking the identities of the persons that present the ideas.
Rhetorical Situations
The TED speaker’s target audience is the general public because people are engaged in arguments daily as they try to solve issues that affect their well-being in society. The speaker intends to educate people on effective ways of settling arguments, which entails respecting the ideas raised by others and arguing on the line of the concepts rather than identities (Dhar, 2018). Besides, the speaker intends to equip debaters and people involved in arguments with skills that would help them defend their ideas and ensure that they are accepted by those opposing them. The information presented in the TED talk provides essential incentives concerning debating and ways of settling arguments appropriately. It would be necessary for debaters to familiarize themselves with the techniques needed in debates in order to be persuasive and successful in their debates. The TED speaker also provides relevant examples of personalities who have successfully defended their opinions in one-on-one debates and the skills they utilized. Therefore, the TED talk is insightful and inspiring to people interested in becoming debaters in their life.
The TED speaker gives the example of Mister Rodgers, who debated and defended his ideas on having federal funding for public broadcasting increment. Mister Rodgers faced the United States subcommittee on communication, which John Pastore chaired. At the beginning of the debate, it seemed that the ideas presented by Mister Rodgers would be dismissed by John Pastore (Dhar, 2018). However, Mister Rodgers was persuasive enough to convince John Pastore to listen to his proposal, and eventually, the increment was granted. The reference to the debate and persuasion of Mister Rogers is an inspiration to other debaters and opinion presenters that one can raise opinions and defend them until they are accepted. The speaker advises the audience on the need to focus on discussing and criticizing ideas and not the people who present them. That way, debaters would be more effective and successful in presenting and defending their beliefs. The speaker uses the rhetorical appeal of credibility to strengthen her ideas. The speaker strengthens her ideas by relating them to real-life situations where effective debating led to winning a debate.
Evidence
The speaker uses evidence from research conducted in various universities to stress and confirm her points. In one instance, the speaker was involved in an activity to find solutions to the issue of unemployment. She was made to work with various agencies from the government. Since she did not want the issue of identity to affect the project’s outcome, she encouraged discussion of ideas and the origin of the ideas. The speaker also gives evidence from research conducted by Duke University professors, who researched intellectual humility that should be utilized in debates (Dhar, 2018). However, the speaker does not explain how a debate should know that their opinion has been rejected. The speaker only concentrates on winning an argument, which might not always be the case. The speaker should educate the audience on when to opt out of a debate and when to hold on to a debate.
Presentation
The speaker introduces her topic effectively by drawing the audience’s attention. The speaker mentions that the only thing that people agree on is that they cannot agree on anything. The introduction of the topic persuades the audience to continue listening to the live talk in order to extract the points that the speaker intended to pass across to them. The speaker also concludes the live talk by stating the things that debates and people, in general, should refrain from and the ones to adhere to in order to be effective. The conclusion is presented in the form of a summarization of the main points of the live talk, which enhances the ability of the audience to remember what was presented in the talk. The speaker is effective in her presentation because she maintains high contact with the audience. She also relies on tonal variations to emphasize the main points and ideas that the audience should remember. The speaker uses nonverbal communication like facial expressions and body movements to stress points and keep the audience engaged.
Conclusion
The TED speaker is effective in her presentation because she uses plain language and occasionally pauses to ensure that the audience well takes her points. The use of facial expressions and body movements also appeal to the audience to continue being attentive to what is being presented by the speaker. It is possible to take notes as one watch the presentations because the points are presented clearly, enhancing remembrance for future reference. The presentation is excellent, precise, and to the point and can teach many ideas to future debaters.
Reference
Dhar, J. (2018). How to disagree productively and find common ground [Video] YouTube.