It is much easier to make Small Talk but to communicate effectively you must know what you are talking about, you’ve got to know your Subject.
We all do the small talk thing, the “How are you...” and we pretend to be interested in what the other person have to say. Sometime we don’t even listen because we feel that we can’t actually change anything they would have to say. We can’t make it better or make it disappear.
To really communicate and to discuss a subject you better know what you are talking about. OK, there will always be someone who thinks that they know better.
One wat to know everything is to Study a subject for a month or two. In a year you will know and be able to talk about 12 different subjects.
When my granddaughter turned 10 I bought her a Guitar with a DVD that teaches you how to play the guitar. (by the way you can see her on Youtube, search for Lucille Engelbrecht) I told her to take 3 months and really study the DVD and really practice playing the guitar. By doing this she will always be able to play and she will never forget it even if she don’t play for a year.
Now, this is true for everything in life. You only learn once to ride a bicycle and even if you don’t ride for 10 years you will still be able to ride a bike. Once you know a subject you will never forget it.
Well, there is a downside to it; people may see you as arrogant or a “knows it all”. Mostly people will know one subject by heart. Like when you are at a barbeque or braai. Just, for a moment, listen to what everyone is talking about, rugby(Football), cars and woman. Now, I can’t talk with them because I don’t know anything about rugby or cars and I rather keep quiet about the women. A gentleman doesn’t talk out.
The way I study subjects is:
1. I choose a subject.
2. I research it on the internet and download as many articles or e-book as I can get my hands on.
3. I print and read every article
4. As I read I mark interesting points.
5. Compile every point I marked in one file (Word)
6. I print it
7. I study it. I then put my own ideas into the word file as new ideas comes up. I study it until I know it by heart.
Now you will be able to talk about it as an expert
Lukas Engelbrecht
