In 1996 I started out writing short blogs. \u00a0I figured that since I liked short stuff, others would too. \u00a0And to an extent, it worked. People often said they read my blogs because they were short.<\/span><\/p>\n

My book, <\/span>The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking<\/a>, <\/span><\/i>published by W. W. Norton, has a short, instructive message on every page. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But bloggers have to write not only for people but for Google spiders. \u00a0So now I write longer stuff, 300 words, with a few key search terms thrown in, like <\/span>public speaking<\/span><\/i>, or <\/span>executive presentation coach. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Still, I am a big fan of keeping it short and simple. <\/span><\/p>\n

So here for July 4<\/a> are some famous short and simple remarks from a president famous for keeping it short and simple–Calvin Coolidge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coolidge was known as a man of few words. He typically didn’t have much to say in public, so the press dubbed him “Silent Cal”. <\/span><\/p>\n

Someone once said he could be silent in five languages. Talking to strangers was always difficult for Coolidge. Consequently he wasn’t thought to be much of a dinner guest, despite the efforts of hostesses and guests to get him to talk. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

One hostess said he spoke so infrequently that every time he opened his mouth a moth flew out. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the presidential yacht <\/span>Mayflower<\/span>, a “moving picture man” said to the President “Look pleasant, and for heaven\u2019s sake say something–anything; good morning or howdy do!” Coolidge replied, with what some called his stage face,”That man gets more conversation out of me than all of Congress.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Once, after the President had attended church, a reporter asked him, \u201cWhat was the sermon about, Mr. President?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSin,\u201d answered Coolidge.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he say about it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was against it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on the president\u2019s facial expression, such brevity could have communicated unfriendliness or bone-dry humor.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A woman in a receiving line at the White House gushed to him, \u201cMr. President, I bet my husband that I could get you to say more than two words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou lose,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He summed up his personality once in this quote: \u201cI have never been hurt by what I have not said.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Ted Sorenson<\/span>\u2019s principles for a good speech: \u00a0Clarity, Brevity, Levity, and Charity. \u00a0Let\u2019s be like Calvin and dig into each one of those principles the next time we meet.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1996 I started out writing short blogs. \u00a0I figured that since I liked short stuff, others would too. \u00a0And to an extent, it worked. People often said they read my blogs because they were short. My book, The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking, published by W. W. Norton, has a short, instructive message on… Read More »Simplicity, Brevity, and their Step-Brother, Tenacity<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11951,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","_ti_tpc_template_sync":false,"_ti_tpc_template_id":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[982,981,88,62,145,146],"yoast_head":"\n