Science, scepticism and public speaking | Simon Raybould

Are we living in a post-truth world?Do facts even matter anymore?In a world where people are so easily persuaded by emotions over facts, how can we turn the tide and make facts matter again?I first heard my guest Simon Raybould speak at a PSA (Public Speaking Association) online conference.  I then heard him on another podcast challenging some of the conventional wisdom around storytelling, which was an interesting conversation for a podcast that is all about storytelling (Francisco Mahfuz's Story Powers podcast). That was when I knew he'd be a great guest on Speaking Influence and after listening, I am sure you'll agree.In this show we got onto a lot of my favourite topics:Debunking learning mythsChallenging conventional wisdomWhy what you believe doesn't need to be trueWhat to do when the facts don't do itThe reasons we all must live with cognitive dissonanceWhy bullet points on PowerPoint don't workWhat not to do on a stage, everIf you want to understand what Simon means when he talks about scars not scabs, you'll need to make sure you stay tuned to the end but since it's an interesting and fun conversation that I have been getting added value from just by editing it and re-listening, I'm pretty confident you too will enjoy the show.To find out more about Simon, you can visit presentationgenius.info where you can sign up to Simon's almost weekly newsletter, check out his recent TEDx talk and find out more about how he helps non-speakers (ie. not professional speakers) to speak and present in public. You can also connect with Simon on LinkedIn. Simon's book is called Presentation Genius and is available in places where people sell books. His book recommendation for the show was A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin.As the show approaches 100 episodes, I want to thank you for being a part of the show by listening and in many cases sharing the show out. It's the thing that helps us the most. People can't listen if they don't know we're here. I'm on my mission to help empower people with the knowledge and application tools of ethical influence and persuasion on any professional platform and beyond. If that's a mission you can get behind and want to be a part of, please make sure you are subscribed.Did you enjoy the show? Did you learn anything new or useful? If you did, then the best way to show your appreciation is by sharing the show to your online network. Tag me and I'll give you a shout out on an upcoming episode. Leave a review and I'll read it out on the show.Of course, if you REALLY liked it, you're welcome to support the show financially too using the link below.Support the show (https://speakinginfluence.supercast.tech/)Mentioned in this episode:Speaker Fee AuditFind out in less than a minute if you're undercharging for your speaking and where you need to look to fix any leaks with the Speaker Fee Audit. It's free to take and find out if you're missing out on money.