Thirukkural Audiences easily sense when depth is missing. Early in my public speaking journey, I believed confidence was the goal. If you spoke fluently, held eye contact, and sounded convincing, it felt like success. However, over the years of speaking on stages, one truth became clear. We lose credibility with the audience in three ways. First, you speak from shallow knowledge. You know the topic broadly, but not deeply enough to handle questions or nuances. Second, you rel

Have you ever noticed that in a training session, some of them grasp only part of what you explain, and trying to push everything at once just confuses them? During my college workshops, I realized that teaching is not about covering everything you know. The students benefit most when concepts are shared in measured steps, paced according to their understanding, and with care for how they will use them. Thiruvalluvar captures it perfectly: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡�

Have you ever fixed a tricky bug and then struggled to explain how  you fixed it? Early in my software career, I thought solving the problem was the goal. If the code worked, the job was done. But over time, I realized there are two ways knowledge fails to spread: Sometimes, we simply don’t know how to explain it clearly. Even our best solutions remain tangled in our own minds. Other times, knowledge is intentionally hidden and kept close out of fear, insecurity, or the mista

Early in my journey as a speaker, I believed that good communication was all about how well we speak.  I focused on clear thoughts, strong words, and confident delivery. Experience slowly taught me otherwise. Some of the most impactful conversations I have had were with people who spoke very little but listened with complete attention. Their responses were thoughtful. Their words carried weight. And when they finally spoke, people listened. That shift in understanding brings

Thirukkural Week 5 When I was in 6th grade, I kept hearing about a Tamil teacher from another section, Malathy ma’am. My friends spoke about how she could transport students into the world of Tamil, her spontaneous humour, her command over the classroom, and above all, her deep love for the language. I had always enjoyed Tamil and consistently did well in the subject. Yet, I longed to experience her words. In 8th grade, it finally happened. Every Tamil class with her felt spe

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞… 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦? A few years ago, a new member was joining my team. Many of my teammates had worked with him before, and the moment his name came up, the warnings began: Negative stories. Unpleasant experiences. “Be careful with him.” Within minutes, he was painted as a villain I had never even spoken to. Though I was initially swayed, I took a step back and thought about how I had been ju

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒏… 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆. It might sound dramatic, but 2,000 years ago, Thiruvalluvar talked about stage fright. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 - 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟑 பகையகத்துச் சாவார் எளியர் அரியர் அவையகத்து அஞ்சா தவர். Many are ready to even die in battle, but few can face an audience without fear. - Thirukkural 723 And even today, this couldn’t be more true. Facing danger takes strength. Facing peop

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 - 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐 சொல்லுக சொல்லைப் பிறிதோர்சொல் அச்சொல்லை வெல்லுஞ்சொல் இன்மை அறிந்து When you speak, use words that cannot be replaced by any other. Choose words so precise and powerful that no other word can convey the same meaning. - Thirukkural 645 This is one of my favourite Kurals, and I don’t miss quoting it during my training sessions. Great communicators choose their words with care. When a message is crafted with the right

Thirukkural on brevity Last holidays, my 7-year-old daughter and I decided to spend productively by reading one Thirukkural a day. As I was picking the ones that might be relevant to her, I was surprised by how deeply Thiruvalluvar wrote about the art of communication.. How to speak, when to speak, how to persuade, and most importantly… when not to speak. I realised that these 2,000-year-old lines are still incredibly relevant. So, I am bringing them here to a wider audience,