Lesson 5: Make Them Think – or Make Them Blink
“The best speeches feel less like a lecture and more like a dialogue.”
– Common public speaking principle
Why It Works
Have you ever found yourself suddenly tuning back into a talk just because the speaker asked something like,
“Why do some people command attention while others are ignored?”
That’s no accident. Our brains are wired to respond to patterns, and even more to disruptions in those patterns.
The Psychology Behind It
Rhetorical questions activate the brain’s default mode network — a part responsible for internal thought and reflection.
When someone asks, “What makes a speech unforgettable?”, your brain can’t help but try to answer. This engages your audience before you’ve even made your point.
Unexpected statements, on the other hand, tap into our pattern detection system. When the brain detects something that violates expectation, it triggers heightened attention. This is known as the prediction error effect—a known driver of memory formation.
How to Use These Tools in Your Speech
Use Rhetorical Questions to:
Spark curiosity: “Have you ever blanked out while speaking in front of others?”
Challenge assumptions: “What if fear of public speaking isn’t fear, but a signal of potential?”
Frame your topic: “Why do we listen when certain people speak—and tune others out?”
Use Unexpected Statements to:
Break expectations: “Everything you know about confident speakers is WRONG.”
Create surprise: “The best public speakers were once the worst.”
Share an emotional twist: “I froze during my first presentation—and it changed everything.”
