I recently read the Autobiography of Malcolm X. The book itself was riveting, it was told to Alex Haley so the writing has a real feel of Malcolm X’s speaking style. Whether or not you agree with his politics or his religion (I don’t), you have to say he was an effective speaker.
Read. Read a lot.
I became increasingly frustrated at not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters I wrote… Many who today hear me… will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade. This impression is due entirely to my prison studies… Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn’t have got me out of those books with a wedge.
After being arrested for burglary, Malcolm X had a lot of time to spend in the prison library. He would even read after lights out by a faint glow coming into his cell, pretending to be asleep during the guard’s hourly patrol. He didn’t attend school past the 8th grade, but you could not tell this by listening to him speak. Reading is fundamental. It will build your vocabulary, give you a greater command of your language, and provides ammunition in speaking and debate.
Learning from others.
“I knew that if I closely studied what others did, I could learn things in a hurry to help me…” This quote is in reference to him learning how to argue in public debates.”
[A]ny time you find someone more successful than you are, especially when you’re both engaged in the same business – you know they’re doing something that you aren’t.
No need to invent the wheel. Malcolm X didn’t have a formal education, but he had a mission. He had to be direct and quick to learn how to influence others and debate publicly. Follow other people’s example and learn from them as much as you can. Like what you are doing now with this article.
Frame the debate, set the pace.
“The program hosts would start with some kind of dice-loading, non-religious introduction for me… I made up my own introduction. At home, or driving my car, I practiced until I could interrupt a radio or television host and introduce myself.”
“I would be most foolish to let the white man maneuver me against the civil rights movement…I would slide right over the reporter’s question to drop into his lap a logical-extension hot potato for him… If I had developed a good point, though, I’d bait a hook to get it said when I went on radio or television.”
If you let your opponent frame the debate, they will. It’s an uphill battle from there; your opponent has already picked what the argument is going to be about, and has probably thrown you on the defensive. You can’t influence people if you have to resort to a defensive attitude.
Start out on the offensive, and keep it up. Press your opponent. Develop good points ahead of time and be ready to bait them into leaving a strong argument or out on a logical weak point. Get them flustered, and make them contradict themselves.
The Purpose of Education
“Here was, to my way of thinking, one of those “educated” Negroes who never had understood the true intent, or purpose, or application of education. Here was one of those stagnant educations, never used except for parading a lot of big words”.
Everything Malcolm X learned was for one purpose: To forward the interests of the black community in America. Whenever you begin research on a topic, or learn something new, keep the overall purpose in your mind. This doesn’t just apply to debate, but keep in mind the ultimate focus is to influence another person’s actions. That’s what your self education should center on, not just learning “a lot of big words”, or showing off like a pedant.
Emotional Control
“…one of my principal rules, which is never to let myself become over-emotional and angry.” “Why, sometimes I’ve felt I ought to jump down off that stand and get _physical_…I’ve developed some stock put-downs for them…”
If you get angry, or defensive, or otherwise rattled during a debate, You Have Lost. Doesn’t matter how logically sound your points may be, if you lose control of your emotions and it shows, you WILL not be influential. Recognize that you will have situations where you will feel like loosing control, and try your best to mentally prepare for them beforehand.
Rhythm and Repetition.
We must — We must understand the politics of our community and we must know what politics is supposed to produce. We must know what part politics play in our lives. And until become politically mature we will always be mislead, lead astray, or deceived or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn’t have the good of our community at heart.
Malcolm X – The Bullet or the Ballot Text (Video)
This is just one example from that particular speech. The book and his speeches abound with words rhythmically repeated. It makes it easier for others to remember and then spread your ideas. Almost every great speaker you’ve ever heard uses this trick.
Be mindful of the cadence of your delivery as well. Pauses at the right time build anticipation and interest. Follow the video link to listen to what I mean.
I don’t follow his politics or his religion, and I’m white. However, I’m willing to learn anything from anyone I can, even those ideologically different from me. That’s possibly the greatest lesson I learned from Malcolm X.
I’m going to end this with two of my favorite quotes from the book:
“But if you ever intend to do anything worthwhile, you have to start with a worthwhile plan.”
“Children have a lesson adults should learn, to not be ashamed of failing, but to get up and try again.”
(All quotes from “The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley” unless otherwise noted)