Quote-Unquote

I recently came across this post on "How to Use Quote in Your Speech." I'm assuming you don't need convincing about the benefits of using quotations—if you do, check out an earlier post of mine on the subject. I agree with a lot of what this writer says, but of course I have my own opinions too. Hope you find these helpful:

1. Make sure you get the phrasing correct.
Absolutely. But if you present the quotation as a piece of wisdom you've carried with you for years, don't read it from your notes. I once watched in horror—on live TV, no less—when my client spoke about something Abraham Lincoln said as the guiding principle of his life. And then he looked down at his notes. Guiding principles live in your hearts, people, not on paper. I knew right then he was sunk.

3. Beware quoting out-of-context.
I once saw a Bible-Quote-of-the-Day calendar with a little gem that went something like "Worship me and all the riches of the earth will be yours." (I'm paraphrasing.) Problem: That wasn't God talking in the Bible story; it was Satan. So yes, check the source. And check the backstory too. That Chinese saying "May you live in interesting times" had a big resurgence after the financial crisis hit in 2007. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant as a blessing—it's a curse.

4. Quote a well-known expert in the field.
Yes...and no. The writer says "Quote Aristotle on philosophy or Serena Williams on tennis—doing the opposite gets you in trouble." But if you are not credible quoting Aristotle, you'll only seem like a fraud. Much better to quote something philosophical that Serena Williams said—especially if you're speaking to tennis fans. I've blogged about this before, here.

17. Quotation compilations keep quotes within arm’s reach.
The writer recommends Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. It's the first place everyone turns when they're looking for a quotation—and that's exactly why you want to avoid it. I also do my best to avoid Online quotation search engines—his tip #19—for the same reason. The surest way to find something fresh to quote is to keep your own quote file, making note of interesting and inspiring things you read.

My granddaddy, Socrates

When pop culture meets, well, culture culture the results can be unintentionally hilarious.

Jennifer Lopez plays a high school teacher in her latest movie, The Boy Next Door. At one point, the hunk of the title brings her a gift: A leatherbound book with gilt-edged pages - a volume that would have been right at home in Queen Victoria's library. J-Lo demurs that she can't accept such an expensive gift. "This is a first edition!" she says, checking inside.

One small problem. The book is very clearly marked "The Iliad by Homer."

See it for yourself here (you'll have to sit through a 30-second ad, but trust me it's worth it.)

Apologies if I've spoiled The Boy Next Door for you, but I don't really think there's a lot of overlap between my readership and J-Lo's target demographic. Likewise probably not a lot of overlap between her viewership and classical scholars. What percentage of Americans even know that there was a famous Homer before The Simpsons?

While the dumbing-down of popular culture may spell the end of Civilization As We Know It, there's an equally challenging trend I need to watch out for as a business writer: "smartening-up." (Click to Tweet.)

The first time I was asked to write on the subject of Ethics, I went straight to the source: Aristotle. I mean, who better than "the father of Ethics"? Now, I'm no dummy - the speech wasn't entirely about ancient Greek philosophy. I tied Aristotle to a contemporary event, in which journalism students had gotten caught cheating on an exam. And not just any exam...an Ethics exam.

It was a great speech. But it was not a great speech for that particular speaker. And in the end, that's really all that matters. So I gave Aristotle the heave-ho in favor of material that better fit my executive's brand. And the world became a more ethical place, at least for an hour.

LBJ knew this stuff innately. Maybe not Ethics, but brand-building. When his writers showed him a draft that used some words of wisdom from Socrates, he didn't cut the quotation - the sentiment was too good. He just crossed out "Socrates" and substituted "my granddaddy."

President Johnson was a smart man. He just didn't want too many people to know it.