The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking presents several innovative ideas. One of them is the concept of framing a talk not around an issue but around an idea. Instead of presenting a problem as something awful, it suggests presenting it as something interesting. This approach is particularly useful when dealing with tough topics like the refugee crisis or major health problems. It helps to prevent the audience from collapsing from compassion fatigue and keeps them engaged.

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TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking

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Tough topics: how to tackle something really tough, like the refugee crisis or a major health problem without your audience collapsing from compassion fatigue? Try to frame your talk not around an issue but around an idea. An issue says, "Isn't this awful?" whereas an idea says, "Isn't this interesting?" Frame the talk as an attempt to solve a puzzle rather than a demand to care.

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The concept of framing issues as puzzles is highly relevant to contemporary public speaking practices. It's a strategy used to engage the audience's curiosity and interest. Instead of presenting an issue as a problem that induces compassion fatigue, framing it as a puzzle stimulates the audience's desire to seek solutions. This approach makes the talk more interactive and thought-provoking, encouraging the audience to actively participate in the discussion.

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