Naturalness

EXPRESSING yourself in a natural manner helps you win the confidence of others. Would you put your confidence in something said by someone who spoke to you from behind a mask? Would it make a difference if the face on the mask was more handsome than the speaker’s own face? Not likely. So rather than using a disguise, be yourself.

Naturalness should not be confused with carelessness. Poor grammar, wrong pronunciation, and muffled speech are not appropriate. Slang should also be avoided. We always want to manifest appropriate dignity, both in our speech and in our bearing. Someone who manifests such naturalness is neither overly formal nor overly concerned about impressing others.

In the Field Ministry. When you approach a house or step up to someone in a public place with a view to giving a witness, do you feel nervous? Most of us do, but for some the feeling is more persistent than for others. Tension may cause the voice to sound somewhat strained or shaky, or nervousness may manifest itself in awkward movements of the hands or the head.

A publisher may encounter this problem for a number of reasons. Perhaps he is thinking about the impression he will make or wondering whether his presentation will be successful. None of this is unusual, but problems arise when too much attention is given to such things. If you get nervous before engaging in the ministry, what can help? Careful preparation and fervent prayer to Jehovah. (Acts 4:29) Think about Jehovah’s great mercy in inviting people to enjoy perfect health and eternal life in Paradise. Think about those whom you are endeavoring to help and their need to hear the good news.

Remember, too, that people have free will, so they can either accept or reject the message. The same was true when Jesus witnessed in ancient Israel. Your assignment is simply to preach. (Matt. 24:14) Even when people do not let you talk, your very presence will give a witness. You will have succeeded because you let Jehovah use you to accomplish his will. On those occasions when you do have opportunity to talk, what will characterize your speech? If you learn to focus your thoughts on the needs of others, your speech will be appealing and natural.

When giving a witness, if you act and speak as you do every day, this will put your listeners at ease. They may even be more receptive to the Scriptural thoughts that you want to share with them. Rather than giving them a formal discourse, converse with them. Be friendly. Show an interest in them, and welcome their comments. Of course, where the language or local culture calls for certain protocols to show respect when speaking to strangers, you would want to observe these. But you can always be ready with a relaxed smile.

On the Platform. When you speak to a group, a natural, conversational style of delivery is usually best. Of course, when the audience is large, you need greater voice projection. If you try to memorize your talk or if your notes are too detailed, you are probably overly concerned about wording things precisely. Appropriate wording is important, but when it is given too much attention, delivery becomes stiff and formal. Naturalness is lost. Your ideas should be carefully thought out in advance, but give most of your attention to the ideas, not the exact wording.

The same is true when you are being interviewed at a meeting. Be well prepared, but do not read or memorize your answers. Deliver them with natural modulation so that your comments will have an appealing spontaneity.

Even desirable speech qualities taken to an extreme may strike an audience as being unnatural. For example, you should speak distinctly and use proper pronunciation but not to the extent that your speech sounds stiff or artificial. Emphatic or descriptive gestures, when done well, can enliven your talk, but gestures that are stiff or grandiose will detract from what you are saying. Use ample volume, but try not to be excessively loud. It is good occasionally to put fire into your delivery, but you should avoid being bombastic. Modulation, enthusiasm, and feeling should all be used in a manner that does not draw attention to yourself or make your audience feel uncomfortable.

Some people naturally have a precise way of expressing themselves, even when they are not giving a talk. Others are more colloquial in their speech. The important thing is to speak well every day and to conduct yourself with Christian dignity. Then when on the platform, you will more readily speak and act with appealing naturalness.

When Reading Publicly. Naturalness in public reading requires effort. To achieve it, identify the principal ideas in the material that you are going to read, and observe how these are developed. Have these clearly in mind; otherwise, you will simply be reading words. Check the pronunciation of unfamiliar words. Practice reading aloud so as to get proper inflection and to group the words together in a way that conveys thoughts clearly. Do it again and again until your reading is fluent. Get to know the material well enough that when you read it aloud, your reading sounds like spirited conversation. That is naturalness.

Of course, most of our public reading is from our Bible-based publications. Apart from reading assignments in the Theocratic Ministry School, we read scriptures in the field ministry and when giving talks from the platform. Brothers are assigned to read material being considered at the Watchtower Study and at the Congregation Book Study. Some qualified brothers receive assignments to read manuscripts before convention audiences. Whether you read the Bible or other materials, read portions that embody quotations in a way that makes the material live. If a number of characters are quoted, alter your voice somewhat for each one. A word of caution: Do not be overly dramatic, but do put life into the reading in a natural way.

Reading that is natural is conversational. It does not sound artificial but has conviction.