Driving A Quotation
As previously stated, there are different kinds of & ways to illustrate an idea or a point:
♦ Anecdotes
♦ Personal Stories / Testimonies
♦ Historical Examples
♦ The Stories Or Testimonies Of Others
♦ Pithy Quotations
♦ Well-known Prose & Poems
♦ Biblical Analogies
♦ Books / Magazine Articles
♦ Metaphors
♦ Analogies
♦ Stacking Biblical Examples
♦ Hypothetical Analogies
Here is a template for building the weight of a quotation.
What you are doing is not merely citing the quotation. That is what many speakers do and miss the opportunity to drive the quotation.
Rather than just begin with the quotation, give significance, weight, force, importance, gravity to it. Hold off using the quotation, and build some muscle into it before you use it.
Investing Weight Into A Quotation:
We are using a quotation from an individual that is probably unknown — at least to an American audience.
However, even if the person is known you can make the quotation heavy – brawny – muscular!
Even if the selected quotation was by Michael Jordan or Charles Barkley — build some compelling weight into the quotation! You can “drive” the quotation!
DRIVING
The Quotation!
A Five-Step Methodology:
#1) State The Person’s Name (and pause):
#2) Address Familiarity:
“That name is not well known to those of us who do not travel in the world of military strategy.”
(Conversely: “That name is probably known around the world.”)
#3) Highlight The Most Significant Details Of His/Her Prominence:
(Include as much as you think necessary)
His thoughts, words, and works form the foundation of the military theory taught at Military Academies across America . . . . at West Point, at Annapolis, at The Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs . . . . and also around the world.
Liddell Hart stands as one of the great 20th-century military historians and theorist* alongside Carl Von Clausewitz — who is probably the grand master.
John F. Kennedy called Liddell Hart “the Captain who teaches Generals.”
“The Clausewitz of the 20th century” — states Alex Danchey in his book, On Art and War and Terror (pg. 77)
Liddell Hart had the unique privilege of interviewing a great number of German generals and military leaders of the German army after WWII.
In his book, “The German Generals Talk,” also titled “The Other Side Of The Hill”** — he states . . . .
“When the late war ended, I was fortunate in having an early opportunity of exploring the “other side of the hill [which] brought me into contact with the German generals and admirals over a lengthy period. In the course of many discussion with them, I was able to gather their evidence on the events of the war before memories had begun to fade or become increasingly coloured by after thoughts.”
“After years of historical research, drafting and developing military theory for the 20th century, and devoting his professional life to examining strategy and tactics. . . . What does Liddell Hart have to say about fighting and winning battles?
[Hold Off The Quotation A Little Longer]
#4) Establish Its Pertinence To Living The Christian Life:
(its aptness – suitability – bearing on the sermon)
• Our enemy is no less real because he cannot be seen with our eyes.
• Spiritual battles are just as real!
• Satan is called our #1 enemy!
• The Scriptures speak to strategy and tactics in our warfare — resist, cast down every thought, stand, hold fast, our warfare, endure hardness.
• We may employ different terminology — theological terminology — but the reasoning, the logic in the fight is no different.
• In Old Testament days, there were real physical battles– which were written for our admonition!
• II Corinthians 2:11 — We are told not to be ignorant of his devices.
• Revelation 12:9 — Satan is the deceiver of the whole world
#5) Site The Quotation & Drive The Point:
Now . . . . . Here is what Liddell Hart says . . . .
Number Four — of his seven principles of strategy and tactics . . . . .
(You can use any of the 8 points or quotations included below)
“Exploit the line of least resistance — so long as it can lead you to any objective which would contribute to your underlying object.”
(Drive The Point)
You see — as I stated — that the reasoning — the logic – the thinking in actual warfare is no different than what Satan does in our lives.
That is why what Hebrews 12 states — “the sin which so easily besets us” — a sin which finds little resistance and therefore we find it plaguing our lives over and over.
Satan understands temptation and our sinfulness and he exploits the line of least resistance.
That is why Samson found himself blind and bound.
Solomon multiplied wives — because Satan exploited that area of his life.
. . . . . . . .
========================
Here are all the pieces put together . . . . .
“Liddell Hart”
“That name is not well known to those of us who do not travel in the world of military strategy.”
His thoughts, words, and works form the foundation of the military theory taught at Military Academies here and abroad — at West Point, Annapolis, and The Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs.
Liddell stands as one of the great 20th-century military historians and theorist alongside Carl Von Clausewitz — who is probably the grand master.
John F. Kennedy called Liddell Hart “the Captain who teaches Generals.”
“The Clausewitz of the 20th century” — states Alex Danchey in his book, On Art and War and Terror (pg. 77)
He had the unique privilege of interviewing a great number of German generals and military leaders of the German army after WWII. In his book, “The German Generals Talk,” also titled “The Other Side Of The Hill” — he states . . . .
“When the late war ended, I was fortunate in having an early opportunity of exploring the “other side of the hill [which] brought me into contact with the German generals and admirals over a lengthy period. In the course of many discussion with them, I was able to gather their evidence on the events of the war before memories had begun to fade or become increasingly coloured by after thoughts.”
“After years of historical research, drafting and developing military theory for the 20th century, and devoting his professional life to examining strategy and tactics. . . .
• Our enemy is no less real because he cannot be seen with our eyes. Spiritual battles are just as real!
• Satan is called our #1 enemy!
• The Scriptures speak to strategy and tactics in our warfare — resist, cast down every thought, stand, hold fast, our warfare, endure hardness.
• We may employ different terminology — theological terminology — but the reasoning, the logic in the fight is no different.
• In Old Testament days, there were real physical battles– which were written for our admonition!
• II Corinthians 2:11 — We are told not to be ignorant of his devices.
• Revelation 12:9 — Satan is the deceiver of the whole world
Now . . . . . here is what Liddell Hart says . . . .
#4 — of his seven principles of strategy and tactics . . . . .
“Exploit the line of least resistance — so long as it can lead you to any objective which would contribute to your underlying object.”
You see — as I stated — that the reasoning — the logic — the thinking in actual warfare is no different than what Satan does in our lives.
That is why what Hebrews 12 states — “the sin which so easily besets us” — a sin which finds little resistance and therefore we find it plaguing our lives over and over.
Satan understands temptation and our sinfulness and he exploits the line of least resistance.
That is why Samson found himself blind and bound.
Solomon multiplied wives — because Satan exploited that area of his life.
. . . . . . . .
-
Born January 29, 1895
-
Son of a Methodist minister
-
Volunteered to serve during WWI in the British army
-
Fought in the Battle of Somme . 2
Battle of Somme: A British and French Offensive move against the German Army
-
Authored books on military drill and training after WWI
-
Authored approximately 30 books relating to military thinking and strategy.
-
Retired from the British army in 1927
-
Writer and newspaper reporter on the sport of Tennis3
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One of the great* military strategist of the 20th century — “Strategy” — 1954 4
-
Lidell Hart’s book Strategy was his answer to this challenge.”
-
Hart wrote the definite work on the military strategy of Hitler’s German Military — “The German Generals Talk” (a great historical read!)
-
In chapter 20 of “Strategy” — “The Concentrated Essence Of Strategy and Tactics” — the following seven principles are made by Liddell.
** “On the Other Side of the Hill” by Liddell Hart
*** In our original quotation the “Big Idea” would be something like . . . . .
“The area of least resistance in your life
will be the area of repeated attack and failure”
or
Point to the area of least resistance
and I will tell you where the attack is coming.
or
No Resistance Equals The
Location of The Attack
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
An Aside: The alternate title of “Strategy” is “On The Other Side Of The Hill” By Liddell Hart — — An interesting title which can also be used for an introduction, point, conclusion, Big Idea, etc. Military strategy is about trying to figure out what is on the other side of the hill.
i.e. Big Idea: “You see, in the Christian life, and in life in general, you cannot see what is “On the other side of the hill!”
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