TJ WALKER - THE HABIT INFLUENCER - Personal Development | LIVE STREAM

20 Mar 2015 · 3 min

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2:54

TJ Walker discusses Monica Lewinsky's return to the public sphere after about a decade, focusing on her recent TED talk about public shaming and cyberbullying. Walker argues it was a smart strategic move because a prepared TED speech (roughly 18 minutes) lets her set the agenda and make a sustained argument rather than risk soundbites in interviews. He notes the speech received strong reviews and standing ovations and considers possible next steps (more interviews, books, paid speaking) while emphasizing that contributing ideas in public discourse is preferable to being the butt of jokes.

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Monica Lewinsky is back in the public sphere. She gave a major TED speech earlier this week. Monica Lewinsky getting a lot of attention for a well received TED speech. She spoke at a TED conference for roughly 18 tax time that TED gives you. And she spoke about the whole industry of public shaming and cyberbullying, something presumably she knows a lot about. Now, you may have very strong opinions about Monica Lewinsky. I'll be honest with you, I don't really have strong opinions about Monica Lewinsky in favor or against. But I do think it was smart of her to use this venue. There is something different about giving a speech versus simply being interviewed. If she had just given another interview to Barbara Walters or the Today show, there's always the chance of that sound bite where she says something. Well, sure, I still think of Bill Clinton, that that becomes the total headline and that's all anyone talks about. When you give a speech, you can make a sustained argument for something serious and you don't have to take questions. So the news coverage is featuring and focusing on a lot of her messages about cyberbullying, how bad it is, public shaming, the whole public shaming industry. And she's being quoted from her speech. So that gives her more control. That's why politicians so often like to have major speeches. It allows you to set the agenda. And that's why I think it was smart of her to do so. Because Even though an 18 minute speech is short by the standards of most speeches, that's a long time compared to an eight second soundbite or even a three, three and a half minute interview on the Today show. So it's a long time to make a sustained argument about something you care about. Now Monica Lewinsky has been gone from the public sphere for a long time, been about a decade according to most reports. Here she is back and she has gotten tremendous reviews for this speech, standing ovations. It's getting a lot of popular press. Where will she go with this? I don't know yet. If she follows up with lots and lots of interviews on this subject of cyberbullying and she comes out with books and goes on a paid speaking series on this, maybe she can actually be a substantive public person. I don't know yet. But I do know this at least. She is trying to contribute something in the public sphere, ideas, something in public discourse, and getting out there and trying to focus on ideas is a lot better than just being the butt of jokes.