How do you tell the difference between a smooth talker and a complex thinker?

When thinking about smooth talkers it’s an easy jump to think politics. People who say lots of words, sound like they know what they are talking about, but make you feel lost. What are they talking about? Do those words actually mean anything when you string them together?

 

But someone who is a complex thinker who has a lot of knowledge on a given subject could be equally as confusing to listen to. Rick Alcantara brought up Allen Greenspan (American economist who served as the 13th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006).

 

All he had to do was carry his briefcase a certain way and the market would move. Never mind that the average human couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was saying.

 

Stewart Wiggins said that a smooth talker is transactional – they are trying to confuse you to get you to do something or buy something you might not want.

 

I thought I agreed with that.

 

Jim Tam brought up the point that a smooth talker will think on the fly; talking as fast as the words form in their mind. But a critical thinker will put more thought into the words to make sure they are saying the right thing.

 

Steve Jobs and Richard Branson – Smooth talkers and critical thinkers?

 

By the end of this conversation I was less certain about the definition of these two terms. Is a smooth talker someone who is simply very eloquent or are do they have to have a nefarious intention?

 

Are all critical thinkers awkward? (I don’t think so)

 

Now I have to wonder if I’m as much a critical thinker as I thought I was because I am reasonably eloquent.

 

What do you think? What is the different between these two types of people? Are they mutually exclusive?

 

Connect with the panelists:
Rick Alcantara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickalcantara/  

Stewart Wiggins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-wiggins/

Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

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  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#politics #smoothtalker #thinkcritically #deepthoughts