Don’t Say It Just Once
In ordinary conversation “repetition” occurs for various reasons . . . .
- as filler (instead of vocalized pauses)
- to insure the listener heard & felt what was being said
- to stall for time to think
- to hold the conversation – “keeping the floor”
- to reproduce the audience’s response
- to promote recall
- prone to verbosity
- uncomfortable with & to avoid silence
- to add emphasis
“Restatement” is different from “repetition.” “Repetition” states the same thing over the same way. “Restatement” states something over using different words.
In ordinary conversation “restatement” also occurs but for mostly different reasons.
- verbosity
- to correct (what was said could be said using a better word)
- to repair (what was said should be said using the right word)
- to clarify (what was said should also include other nuances)
- to modify or moderate
- to expand a concept or thought
- to frame and/or reframe a concept or a thought
- to colorize (to help visualize the idea)
In fact, when an extensive quotation or an article is read to an audience, and thereby the listeners are deprived of repetition and/or restatement, which typically occurs during conversation, the audience has greater trouble understanding what was just said or read.**
In the field of rhetorical theory, there are various empirical studies, papers, thesis and dissertations which examine the nature, the value, the practice, etc. — of repetition and restatement. The various studies even examine how far from the original statement the repetition or restatement occurs, as well as the effects of using the same words and/or different words (i.e. — Have a good trip. Have a great trip. Have an enjoyable time.).
Without getting into all the weeds, the results say this . . . .
PURPOSEFUL Repetition and Restatement enhances communication.
I say “purposeful” because there is a common form of repetition which is annoying – “You know what I mean?”
The Third Mistake:
The Third Mistake Speakers Make Is . . . .
Saying it once
or
Saying it once and saying it one way
Many of the best speakers will engage in purposeful repetitive and restatement. That is more and more true with the younger age group because the concept of the “Big Idea” has radically changed preaching today. It is no longer “three points and a poem.”
The reasons that it marks many of the best speakers is becauseRepetition and/or Restatement . . . .
- promotes comprehension – understanding
- gives a conversational tone to the presentation
- asserts a cohesiveness to the whole of the speech
- says that there is a connective-ness between the various points
- communicates that the speaker is interested in accuracy and clarity
- recognizes the nuances of various “synonymous” words
- supports comprehension across the social strata of the audience
- drives those words — the statement of that truth or principle
- helps “glue” together the parts into a whole
Tony Evans – Restating:
@3:32
Sovereignty is his rulership
Providence is how he
hooks things up
integrates things
connects things
detaches things
arranges things
in order to wind up at the sovereign goal to which he is moving
@9:18
Providence includes good and bad
Providence includes evil and righteous
Providence includes negative and positive
Providence — God’s sovereignty does not only include good it includes bad cuz you meant it for evil but God meant it for good.
Example of Repeating and Restatement
Andy Stanley — Follow Series – Unfollow
Click to hear this Clip — @15:00 minute mark of full message
I means it’s like – OK – the Jesus thing keeps getting in the way
and if I keep up with the Jesus thing — she’s leaving or he’s leaving — and it’s going to cost me to follow Jesus
and it’s not like I discovered – aha – the New Testament isn’t reliable – it has nothing to do with that
it’s just it’s just too difficult
it’s just inconvenient
I think I’m going to become an unfollower
or you’re just going through a tough time
and you prayed and prayed and prayed to God hasn’t your answer your prayer
and you’ve always believed and you’ve always believed – but now believing doesn’t seem to work
in fact, it’s just frustrating because God so quiet
and you thought if you obeyed – then things are supposed to work out
you’ve obeyed and things aren’t working out
you think – why am I even hanging on to this
why am I even saying these silly prayers — when God isn’t faithful to me — why would I be faithful to God
and you’re tempted to UNfollow.
And it’s like Jesus read your mind in your heart — here you are in church today — you’re watching online — going how did he know — and Jesus is looking at you going — you’re not thinking about leaving to? Are you?
Black Restating the concept of “too difficult”
Blue Restating & Repeating the concept of “unfollow”***
Again . . . . Tony Evans exemplifies this in a message titled “The Power of a Thorn” – Part 2
@6:32 minute mark
But
it hurts
it’s sticking me
irritating me
nagging me
frustrating me
okay I’m not going to give you what you request but I’m gonna give you what you need you need – grace
For further discussion, check out the previous article on repetition and restatement.
Also author of — “That’s Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships.”
*** If you listen to this message, you will find restatement and repetition throughout! That is one of the reasons Andy Stanley is one of the best communicators. He drives the Big Idea and key concepts throughout the message!
Follow” or “unfollow” – 83 times
“transitions” “temptation” and “trouble” – 18 times
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