David Muir Quotes

This is unusual for me. I have given readings and not lectures. I have told people who ask for lectures that I have no lecture to give. And that is true.

Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership.

If you want people to listen, you have to have a platform to speak from, and that is excellence in what you do.

Trust me, I have never written a speech in my life, and if I have my way, I never will.

The aim of the sculptor is to convince us that he is a sculptor; the aim of the orator, is to convince us that he is not an orator.

When you're the person in the room with the microphone, you have a platform to talk about whatever you want, and it's much more interesting if we're discussing something that feels relevant.

You shouldn't fear your audience, you should serve your audience, serve them the truth.

It's weird: you do a TED talk on something, and people think that you suddenly have a lot of answers around the topic.

I really like to hear actors talk about acting, but I don't really like hearing myself talk.

I was so afraid to even read a paper in front of my classmates. It is very funny because at that point my teachers would never have believed that I could speak in front of an audience of over 2,000 people.

Extemporaneous speaking should be practiced and cultivated. It is the lawyer's avenue to the public. However able and faithful he may be in other respects, people are slow to bring him business if he cannot make a speech.

If you're not comfortable with public speaking - and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable - practice. I cannot overstate the importance of practicing. Get some close friends or family members to help evaluate you, or somebody at work that you trust.

Making a speech on economics is a lot like pissing down your leg. It seems hot to you, but it never does to anyone else.

In order to make a good speech you must have something to say and you have to believe it.

If you talk in a way that is too dissimilar to the character, when people are showing up to see you talk about the show, often it seems like it's jarring to them.

It's essential that you make eye contact with your audience. You've got to know what's happening out there.

I can give a speech, and I can do a rally, and I do them, but that's not what I like to do.

Power in itself has never attracted me, nor has position been my goal.

I learned from my dad that when you walk in front of an audience, they are the kings and queens, and you're but the jester.

I don't completely understand why people in Aspen want to hear what I have to say.

I think that no one, or very few, are born as good presenters. It's a skill that you learn. The key is the 10/20/30 rule: 10 slides given in 20 minutes using no font smaller than 30 points. If people just adhered to this rule, they would double or triple the quality of their presentations.

I say throwaway, jokey things. When you're young-looking and you are presenting something that has gravitas you can't look down your nose, but when David Dimbleby does it, it's OK.

I'm a lot more comfortable on the field than I am talking in front of a crowd.

I was always drawn to standing up in front of people.

I have been so blessed not only to talk about things that I want to talk about in my industry, but also to have a platform - and people want to hear about it.