Quotes – Philosophy, Pathos and Humor

Martin Scott asked:

Using quotes in your speaking and writing is a great way to express yourself in an interesting and clever manner, as long as it’s not overdone. Sometimes you can find a quote that says exactly what you want it to express better than you could have said it yourself. Sometimes a quote is just a way of providing a bit of contrast to an otherwise dry presentation. When you have a great source of quotations such as that offered on the internet, you can expand your horizons far more than you would be able to find in just a printed document.

There are a number of reasons why the internet is a better source of quotations than what you would be able to obtain in a book or compilation. First, you have the timeliness of the material. You can look on the internet and find words on almost any subject in the current events field. If it’s in the national or world news, somebody has said something about it that is worthy of note, usually. Sometimes these short quotes are used in news stories whether published or on television. They may even become a catch phrase for a campaign or subject.

Another reason for using the internet as the source of your quotations is that you have so many more to choose from. These sayings are available from people in all different historical and cultural eras so you have a rich source of viewpoints much beyond a local or even national source. Using a textbooks means you only see the sources that are selected by the editors as being worthy of attention. While they may be a good cross section of viewpoints, invariably there will be some bias that enters into the picture.

When you use the internet for your quotes, you will find it easier to locate the exact sentiment that you want to express, thanks to the ability to zero in on a word or a phrase. Search engines allow you to find links to many different subjects and by working with the site search capabilities, you may even be able to refine your word search even further. Using keyword searches may help to better define what you are trying to say. Sometimes we remember a famous or common saying slightly different than they original was presented. This can be a good thing in some instances, but can also be a disaster if it skews the meaning of what you were trying to present.

Quotations used for the purpose of talks and presentations are more often than not humorous. It’s important to make sure that the humor fits the occasion and that it is not offensive to anyone in the group that may be listening. These sayings or one liners will often be popular with comedy routines for amateurs and professionals alike. When appropriately used, the humorous sayings can enliven a sermon, brighten up a sales talk or hype a sales campaign. So, next time you are looking for a great way to wind up a speech, check the internet for just the right touch.

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