Public Speaking

32 CHAPTER^3 Ethics in a Diverse Society

topic; instead, examine a variety of credible sources and search for diverse viewpoints

from supporters as well as critics. Make sure your position is well reasoned. Present

a variety of perspectives to give your listeners the breadth of information they need

to form their own conclusions. This approach contrasts with the “argumentative

mentality” that Deborah Tannen says “obscures the complexity of research”^14 and

creates oversimplification, disinformation, and distortion of issues.

Be Honest and Fair

Present your information truthfully. Don’t exaggerate a problem to make it seem

greater than it actually is. Don’t distort or twist evidence. Statistics can be particularly

misleading, so find out as much as you can about the numbers you present. Strive for

fairness, balance, and evenhandedness rather than simply giving the side that favors your

position.

Practice Civility

Civility is a social virtue grounded in courtesy.^15 Civil speakers and listeners are more

than simply polite; they choose to persuade, consult, advise, bargain, compromise, and

build coalitions. Civility accommodates diverse opinions by striving for understanding,

appreciating opposing perspectives, and accepting the possibility of losing the argument.

Cultures from the ancient Greeks to modern Asian societies have promoted civility as

an ethical principle.^16

President Obama called for civility in a speech after yet another deadly shooting:

[A]t a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized... it’s important for

us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way

that heals, not in a way that wounds.... As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so

with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use

this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully,

to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our

hopes and dreams are bound together.^17

Civility a social virtue
grounded in courtesy that
chooses to understand and
work with others

These concerned citizens are
taking advantage of a town
hall forum where they can
discuss public concerns with
the city’s mayor. All speakers
should enact dialogical
and democratic principles
and be mindful of their
ethical responsibilities to
other speakers, to audience
members, and to themselves.

AP Images/Gerry Broome

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