TED Talks

"Nothing damages the perspective of a speech more than the feeling that the speaker is a braggart"

- Chris Anderson

Be yourself. The worst talks are the ones where someone tries to be who they are not. If you normally like to fool around, fool around. If you are emotional, be emotional. The only exception is arrogance, self-centeredness. If you're arrogant, self-centered, you have to do everything you can to not let it show.

There are speakers who use humor to deliberately get rid of their ego.

Criticizing oneself, badmouthing oneself, is something that, if done by the right person, can be very good.

Ego comes in many forms, forms that may actually be invisible to a speaker who is used to being the center of attention.

• Allegations of important acquaintances
• Anecdotes that seem designed only for bragging purposes
• Speaking well of yourself, or your company's accomplishments
• Focusing all the talk on oneself, rather than on an idea that might be useful to others

Concentrating on a talk can be difficult, and humor is a fantastic way to engage your audience. The laugh overrides the defenses of others, and suddenly you find yourself with an opportunity to communicate with them

Tips from Tom Rielly:

1. Tell anecdotes that relate to the topic, where humor comes naturally.
2. Have a funny comment handy in case you screw up. The audience has also been through similar situations and you will gain instant sympathy.
3. Include humor in the visual elements.
4. Use satire.
5. If you are not a funny person, don't try to be. Try it with people you know and see if it works.