Thirukkural Week 9
- Kavitha
- Jan 5
- 1 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
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 rely on borrowed understanding, phrases picked up from others, articles skimmed, and ideas half-digested.
Third, you mistake fluency for authority, assuming that sounding confident can replace preparation and study.
In all three cases, you may keep talking. But the foundation is weak. And an audience always senses it.
Thiruvalluvar captures this failure with striking clarity:
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 – 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 9
அரங்கின்றி வட்டாடி யற்றே நிரம்பிய
நூலின்றிக் கோட்டி கொளல்.
Trying to speak without reading is like trying to play a board game without a board.
— Thirukkural 401
When you address a gathering, your words don’t begin on the stage. They begin long before, with reading, reflection, and preparation.
Confidence may earn you attention. Only depth earns you respect.
And that depth is built long before you step into the arena.
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