One of the things I love most about communication is that it is both timeless and timely. In other words, the ability to share ideas and persuade each other has always been and will always been part of the human experience. Because of that, as we seek to become better presenters, we should pull wisdom both from ancient texts and from cutting-edge research.
Today we’ll lean more toward the ancient text side of things. Like, the lessons below predate PowerPoint. By a lot. But don’t let that deter you. These lessons have staying power unlike any trend currently bouncing around the Internet. Today we’ll see what the Socratic method can teach us about presenting in the 21st Century.
What is the Socratic Method?
In the TED video called “This Tool Will Help Improve Your Critical Thinking,” Erick Wilberding explains the Socratic method in about 5 minutes. Take a few minutes to watch it now if you aren’t familar with it. Created by Greek philosopher Socrates, the method centers around questions and conversation. Socrates explored what his students believed or thought to be true by asking them questions. The practice was not formal debate, but there was a back and forth, call and response type format that mimics everyday conversation. His format engaged students in a participatory manner, contrary to the way many presentations and lectures are formatted today. So what can we learn from this man who lived in Athens in the 400s BCE? Four things. Four very important things.
Lesson 1: Questions and conversation are often the best way to probe logic and promote critical thinking.
The power of a great question is undeniable. It has the ability to do many things at once. It can express curiosity, it can open new lines of thinking, it can challenge the status quo, and so much more. As Wilberding says of Socrates, “His method of questioning draws out an individual’s unexamined assumptions and then challenges those biases. It doesn’t always provide definitive answers, but the method helps clarify the questions and eliminate contradictory or circular logic.”
When presenting, you can make use of the Socratic method by using questions more often. For example, if you think the audience might have some outdated thought patterns, shine a light on them with rhetorical questions. You might ask, “why do some of us still believe the old way of doing things is the best way?” Or “why do humans tend to be skeptical of things that are new?” This is a method of suggestion that allows the audience to safely begin to question the status quo. It is a softer, much more palatable form of persuasion that can actually get you farther than aggressive statements or arguments might. Thanks, Socrates.
Lesson 2: Examples can be incredibly helpful.
Socrates used examples with his students quite frequently. (Or at least the students of his who wrote surviving texts demonstrate that he did.) Let me explain briefly. Most all of what we know about Socrates comes from the writings of his students. The most famous of whom is Plato. In many of his works, Plato writes fictional dialogues between Socrates and others, demonstrating not only the philosophy of Socrates, but the way in which he taught. We see that many times, he combined questioning with the use of examples.
In Plato’s Gorgias, Socrates famously asks Polus to define oratory, or public speaking. When Polus says it a “knack for producing a kind of gratification and pleasure,” Socrates then asks him to define cookery (culinary skills). When Polus gives a nearly identical definition for cookery, Socrates says, “Then oratory and cookery are the same thing?” In this way, the conversation continues as Socrates uses questions and examples to push Polus toward a more complete and accurate definition. He takes theory about oratory, something a bit more abstract, and relates it to something more concrete that everyone is familiar with, food.
This lesson is particularly helpful to presenters who cover complicated subjects or speak to those outside of their field. We’ve got to remember to keep things concrete. Real. Close. Otherwise, they won’t matter much to our audiences.
David Foster Wallace, in his “This is Water” speech says, “Probably the most dangerous thing about an academic education, at least in my own case, is that it enables my tendency to over-intellectualize stuff, to get lost in abstract thinking instead of simply paying attention to what’s going on right in front of me.” I’m going to take a bit of liberty with the quote and substitute “an academic education” for “being an expert.” See if it resonates with you as a presenter. “Probably the most dangerous thing about [being an expert], at least in my own case, is that it enables my tendency to over-intellectualize stuff, to get lost in abstract thinking instead of simply paying attention to what’s going on right in front of me.”
As presenters of today, we still need this timeless lesson from the likes of Socrates and David Foster Wallace. Don’t spend too much time in abstract thinking. Keep attaching your ideas to concrete examples so that your audience can see how the ideas function in the real world.
Lesson 3: “Be modest, genuinely curious, and affirming of every contribution.”
This quote comes from the Wilberding video mentioned above. And it’s a great one. Because it speaks to the 2 “C’s” of the Socratic method that I love so much: cooperation and curiosity. Socrates was an incredible teacher and thinker. But he was labled as dangerous and was sentenced to death. What was it about his teaching that was so scary? Basically, it was his belief that we reach the truth by questioning things together.
This is important for presenters since the stage, lectern, or spotlight always holds a bit of allure. It can be easy to power trip on presenting. But the Socratic method reminds us that the way we arrive at truth is by bouncing ideas off of each other in a way that benefits everyone. Not by hogging the spotlight or winning the debate. So make room in your presentation for other voices, other perspectives, and other experts.
Lesson 4: Use internal summaries often.
The final lesson from the Socratic method is to use internal summaries often. Throughout his dialogues, Socrates would frequently pause. He would take stock of where the conversation had been and how it came to reach it’s current state. He used “so what we’ve learned is . . . “ or “what we’ve established is . . .” statements often. This often served two purposes. First, it provided as a reminder, a summary, a chance for the audience to catch their breaths. Second, it worked as a transition into what was to come next.
This is a powerful tactic for presenters to this day. Take time during your presentations to summarize what you’ve covered. This allows audience members whose attention has drifted, or who missed crucial information the first time around to catch up. And in a world where most online users spend 60 seconds or less on a webpage, and attention spans are shrinking, presenters should expect that some listeners will miss something the first time around. But besides playing catch up, a great internal summary also communicates that you are moving on. So be like Socrates. Use “so what we’ve learned is” or “what we’ve established is” phrases often.
When you stand up to present, you really do take on the role of teacher and expert. It’s no wonder then that Socrates, one of the founders of Western philosophy and education, has a lot to teach us, even today.
At Ethos3, we are serious about creating great presentations. From Plato to PowerPoint, we are uncovering the best of theory and practice to help you take your presentation to the next level. See how our presentation design and training services can help meet your presentation needs.
