Public Speaking Tips and Sample Speeches

Sample Speech - Dare To Be Different

You would be familiar by now with public speaking tips and how to speak on an argumentative topic such as the sample speech topic ‘Beauty contests: degrading or dignifying’. Another kind of speech is the expository speech, which means that you are explaining a topic to your audience. A sample speech of this kind would be on the topic ‘Dare to be different’.

When you have an expository topic, you have to explain its meaning: both the literal and the figurative meaning. You have to be clear about what the topic means to you. For example, ‘dare to be different’ literally means that one should be courageous enough to be different. But you cannot stop there. What is meant by ‘different’? Does it refer to difference in appearance? Or in your point of view or opinion? Explain what exactly you are going to explain in your speech. There may not be time to deal with all the different meanings of a given topic, so it is good to stick to one.

It is a good idea to also talk about what the topic does not mean. For example, you could make ‘dare to be different’ very clear by stating that it is the exact opposite of conforming to what everyone else is thinking or doing in society.

Once you explain what you mean, you have to give examples in a real life scenario. Topics such as these are abstract, and they have to be made concrete, to make understanding complete. The examples you give may be hypothetical, but it is good if they are real life examples, or your own experiences. If you can do so, you can build rapport with the audience. You can also use the experiences of famous people or people that your audience is familiar with.

You may conclude an expository speech by restating your take on the topic. You may use persuasive language, asking your audience to think about what you have spoken.

Expository topics, by their very nature, do not cause much of a difficulty for a speaker, since they demand only explanation, not taking sides. However, there are two qualities that are absolutely essential for all speeches, but especially expository speeches: clarity and simplicity. Be clear and be simple, in your choice of words and in your way of delivery.

Here is a sample speech on the topic we have been discussing so far, ‘Dare to be different’.

Read, and download for future reference.

Dare To Be Different

Esteemed judges, my dear friends,

a very good morning to you.

Yes, I believe in daring to be different.

What does it mean? Let me explain to you what I mean by ‘daring to be different’. There are many ways to look at this topic. From one angle, it means that one should have the courage to stand up for what one believes in, even if the rest of the world is against you. That is, not just following what everyone believes or how everyone acts, if you feel different. This is the meaning that I would like to take up for my speech today.

Have you ever heard about ‘peer group pressure’? ‘Peer group pressure’ means the influence of your friends on you. If your friends have the habit of being careless in their dressing, or in being distracted in class, do you also behave like them? Or do you dare to be different from them and dress neatly and pay attention in class? Suppose your friends tell you that if you are not behaving like them, they wont let you be their friend. Even then, yes, even then, you should have the courage to tell them – ‘sorry, but this is what I want to do. Let me do it.’ That is how you ‘dare to be different’. If you have the courage to be different, if you have the courage to stand up for what you think is right, then nobody can lead you in the wrong way. this is the quality that will make you say a firm ‘no’ if your friends encourage you to smoke. It is the same quality that will help you achieve great heights in life.

Daring to be different does not only mean ‘having the courage to say no’. it also means having the courage to say ‘yes’ when you think you have to say yes, because of what you believe in. suppose you walk along the road and see an old man fall down. Other people are just walking by without helping him to get up, because everyone is in a hurry. If you also walk by just because others are doing that, even when you know that you should be helping the old man to get up, then you are not daring to be different.

But it is not easy. When you swim in a river, it is very easy to swim with the current. But it is not easy to swim against the current. It takes a special effort and will if you really have to swim against the current. The same here. it is very easy to go along with everybody else and do what everybody else does. It is not easy to do things that everybody does not do. It is difficult. It is difficult to be different.

My dear friends, do you dare to be different?

Great people of the world, leaders like Abraham Lincoln who worked for the abolishment of racial discrimination in America, Nelson Mandela who led the campaign for the freedom of the African people in South Africa, Mother Teresa who spent her whole life in the service of poor people – all these people became great because they believed in a noble cause and were even ready to give up their life to work for it. Many people did not agree with them. Many people were ready to kill them for doing what they did – still they stood firm in their belief and did not let outside pressure change their mind.

Before I conclude let me ask you, friends,

Do you dare to be different?

Thank you.