NegativeTopics in Toastmasters Speeches?

  Depending on the toastmasters club many clubs make an emphasis to stay away from social issue topics or political topic  speeches.  I think we all know at least in a general sense why that is. We al probably have some of that in our family dynamics, for example at Thanksgiving gatherings. We get together with people from our families that perhaps we don’t any other time of the year. It may turn to political discussions and arguing ensues.  Feelings get hurt and it turns into a not so thankful gathering. 

  I believe with mature and reasonable attitudes almost any topic is allowed in a speech and in toastmasters.  

 Two points I would offer for your  consideration:

1. Avoid Negative topics.   

  Some of you are thinking Chris you just said that most any topic is allowed!   Indeed I did , but what I am talking about here is if your speech is going to leave your audience worse off than before you presented it.  Perhaps you should consider not presenting it at all!   No one wants to hear a speech that leave them with a feeling of despair or depression!   When presenting a topic that is negative  I would highly encourage you to present solutions to the problem at hand. Make the solutions as practical as possible so if people are compelled by the information you shared they can take some kind of action.  Include a positive attitude of solutions and not just doom and gloom. 

2.   Be hard on the topic and not on each other! 

   Years ago for a college class I was taking one of the assigned readings was a book called “Getting to Yes Negotiating agreement without giving in”  by Roger Fisher and William Ury.

 In that book this concept it talked about and they use an illustration of putting the issue or topic on a table and both sides take time to either beat up on it or affirm it. Not taking shots at each other!   Beat up on the issue not each other!   I believe social media has created a mass of people that are doing the exact opposite of this principle. They are going strait to beating up on each other and it is absolutely not productive and destructive to our society as a whole. It is definitely divisive!    In speeches this can be challenging sometimes to distinguish to an audience. Statements like  "I respectfully disagree with "xyz" position and here is why." will got  long way in neutralizing peoples emotions.  The antithesis to that is saying something like "This  position is idiotic and here is why."

 Remember like it or not we are all in this thing we call life together at one level or another!

  In conclusion I would bring up a quote that I find so very true and I can think of examples of how it has been proven to be true in my own life. 

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”   Maya Angelou

 I submit to you fellow toastmasters this is very true in speeches as well. How do you want your audience to feel when hearing your speech?  That is what they will remember most.