Thoughts on pre-battle speeches

So per your suggestions, this week’s Daily Dialogue theme is pre-battle speeches. And while bumping around the ‘Internets,’ I stumbled upon this discussion on MaryAn Batchelor’s blog FencingWithTheFog.com from August 2006:

As Chris Soth mentioned on my previous battle speech post, I pretty much expect pre-battle speeches to be a reminder to the audience of what’s at stake, why we’re here, what we’re about, what they’re about, what we’re fighting for and/or why it even matters. But that’s not always the case and the surprising part is that very often, the speech is tied to theme or character.

It’s an interesting thread and worth the read. And check out this comment from an observant soul named Brett:

After thinking about it for 20 or 30 seconds, I realize that many — most? all? — of the great speeches do share at least one common notion: the idea that everything outside and beyond the impending battle is of less importance. Perhaps that reminder or encouragement to stay fully “in the moment” is what the best motivational speeches share: don’t try to contextualize it all, or bother considering what your role in the greater symphony is. Know your one note and play it as well as it can be played. Don’t worry about tomorrow, or yearn for yesterday, but instead keep your eyes on the prize, right here, right now.

Fame? History? Honor? Death?

It just doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter.

Great insight. Get your side focused on the moment, in a zone where they don’t care about yesterday or tomorrow — only now. Given that frame, it’s easy to see why today’s Daily Dialogue from Meatballs works so well.
Brett, wherever you are, I salute you!

Comment Archive