When John Bowe learned that his extremely reclusive cousin, who had lived for decades in his parents' basement, had moved out and gotten married at the age of fifty-nine, John was extremely surprised. What made him equally surprised was how his cousin had finally launched his life. It hadn't been meds or therapy. Instead, he had joined his local Toastmasters club.
Duly intrigued, John set off on his own Toastmasters journey, as he details in his book I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an Age of Disconnection. Today on the show, John shares how he discovered that the ethos of this nonprofit organization parallels the tradition of rhetoric espoused by the ancient Greeks, especially by Aristotle, and why the ability to speak, whether in the context of giving a formal speech or simply having a conversation, continues to be such an essential skill in the modern age. In my favorite part of the show, we discuss how our ideas of authentic speech can actually get in the way of expressing our authentic selves. We then turn to the techniques for better speaking that John learned from joining Toastmasters and how Toastmasters ultimately transformed his own life.
After the show is over, check out the show notes at aom.is/toastmasters
The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Johnny Cash
The New Science of Metabolism and Weight Loss
How Power Corrupts
Set Your Kids Up for a Lifetime of Healthy Sleep
Kierkegaard on the Present (Passionless) Age
Become a Backyard Adventurer
The Dangers of "Concept Creep"
Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow)
The Writing Life of Ernest Hemingway
The Dreams That Precede Death
The Secrets to Making the Perfect Pizza
How Eisenhower Led — A Conversation with Ike's Granddaughter
Developing Your Personal Uniform
Anxiety Is a Habit — Here's How to Break It
Beyond OODA — Developing the Orientation for Conflict and Violence
Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
The World of the Transcendentalists and the Rise of Modern Individualism
A Playbook for Modern Dating
Becoming a Hybrid Athlete
How to Shift Out of the Midlife Malaise
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Renewing Your Mind with R.C. Sproul
Today, Explained
Freakonomics Radio
Morning Wire