Impromptu Speaking Topics | November 2019

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Circuit A: Charles Darwin Quotes

  • “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.”

  • “A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.”

  • “To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.”

  • “A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives - of approving of some and disapproving of others.”

  • “The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.”

  • “An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men.”

  • “One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.”

  • “I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars.”

  • “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

  • “If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”

  • “The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”

  • “We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we realized that they were inside us.”

  • “I am not apt to follow blindly the lead of other men”

  • “Blushing is the most peculiar and most human of all expressions.”

  • “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

  • Discussing ‘The Origin of Species’, “I see no good reasons why the views given in this volume should shock the religious views of anyone.”

  • “Besides love and sympathy, animals exhibit other qualities connected with the social instincts which in us would be called moral.”

  • “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”

  • “Man selects only for his own good: Nature only for that of the being which she tends.”

Circuit B: Minor Biblical Prophets

  • ”You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” - Haggai

  • “As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together.” - Hosea

  • “The sound of the day of the Lord is bitter.” - Zephaniah

  • “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” - Micah

  • “And my people shall never again be put to shame.” - Joel

  • “Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.” - Zechariah

  • “Will man rob God?” - Malachi

  • “There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil.” - Nahum

  • “Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.” - Amos

  • “The women of my people you drive out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my glory forever.” - Micah

  • “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.” - Hosea

  • “For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.” - Amos

  • “Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.” - Joel

  • “For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD—the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths.” - Zephaniah

  • “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood, he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.” - Nahum

  • “Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?” - Habakkuk

  • “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope.” - Zechariah

  • "Those who eat your bread have set a trap beneath you—you have no understanding.” - Obadiah

  • “Rend your hearts and not your garments.” - Joel

  • “They are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.” - Hosea

Circuit C: Divisive Political Issues

(Note: These topics are difficult. They were prepared with advanced students in mind.)

  • Guns

  • China

  • Immigration

  • Socialism

  • Healthcare

  • Russia

  • Taxation

  • Voting

  • Income inequality

  • Racism

  • National security

  • Filibuster

  • Isolationism

  • Religious freedom

  • Death penalty

  • Freedom of speech

  • Marijuana

  • Surveillance

  • National debt

Speech, Speech EventsDrew MagnessPractice topics, ImpromptuComment