--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to be an orator, first get…" description: "\"If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.\" — Wendell Phillips" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png" --- # If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause. ![“If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.” quote by Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png) > “If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.” [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective speaking requires a compelling purpose behind the words. **In simple terms:** Great orators need a strong cause. Key Takeaway Find a cause that moves you. Themes public speaking purpose motivation Mood inspirational determined Type motivational practical When to use this quote - political campaigns - community organizing - teaching Key Concepts rhetoric activism Questions to Reflect On - What cause drives you? - How will you develop speaking skills? A Different Perspective A cause alone may not guarantee skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Orator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orator/) ## Related quotes > [“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and turns into a racket.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/every-great-cause-begins-as-a-movement-becomes-a-business-and-turns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [You spend that money, and then what? At least now you know it's going to a great cause. We'll see how many masks I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-lundqvist/you-spend-that-money-and-then-what-at-least-now-you-know-it-s-going/) [Henrik Lundqvist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-lundqvist/) > [The folly of men not their hard heartedness was the great cause of the world s poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bellamy/the-folly-of-men-not-their-hard-heartedness-was-the-great-cause-of/) [Edward Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bellamy/) > [Nothing bigger can come to a human being than to love a great cause more than life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-howard-shaw/nothing-bigger-can-come-to-a-human-being-than-to-love-a-great-cause/) [Anna Howard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-howard-shaw/) > [Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/do-you-want-to-be-happy-forget-yourself-and-get-lost-in-this-great/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [It's such a great feeling being able to play shows for a great cause to help people in need. If we all try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/it-s-such-a-great-feeling-being-able-to-play-shows-for-a-great-cause/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [Every great cause was initiated by someone whose heart was broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/every-great-cause-was-initiated-by-someone-whose-heart-was-broken/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [I think we raised about 20,000 pounds. There was a live performance thing so we thought we'd donate the equipment for an online charity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hawkins/i-think-we-raised-about-20-000-pounds-there-was-a-live-performance/) [Dan Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hawkins/) > [What great cause would have been fought and won under the banner 'I stand for consensus'?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/what-great-cause-would-have-been-fought-and-won-under-the-banner-i/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Loyal and efficient work in a great cause, even though it may not be immediately recognized, ultimately bears fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/loyal-and-efficient-work-in-a-great-cause-even-though-it-may-not-be/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [When you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/when-you-are-willing-to-make-sacrifices-for-a-great-cause-you-will/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [They never fail who die in a great cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/they-never-fail-who-die-in-a-great-cause/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [Unless you give yourself to some great cause you haven't even begun to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-merrill/unless-you-give-yourself-to-some-great-cause-you-haven-t-even-begun/) William P. Merrill > [But you know, we have a very normal family. We've had our ups and downs. You know, we've had our issues, but we've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/but-you-know-we-have-a-very-normal-family-we-ve-had-our-ups-and-downs/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [I am with you heart and soul in the great cause to which you are devoting all your energy and your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-leslie/i-am-with-you-heart-and-soul-in-the-great-cause-to-which-you-are/) Frank Leslie ## More by Wendell Phillips > [Right is the eternal sun; the world cannot delay its coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/right-is-the-eternal-sun-the-world-cannot-delay-its-coming/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The best education in the world is that got by struggling to get a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-best-education-in-the-world-is-that-got-by-struggling-to-get-a/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty-power-is-ever-stealing-from/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The Puritan's idea of hell is a place where everybody has to mind his own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-puritan-s-idea-of-hell-is-a-place-where-everybody-has-to-mind-his/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The paleontological evidence before us today clearly demonstrates ordered progressive change with the successive development of new faunal and floral assemblages through the changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-paleontological-evidence-before-us-today-clearly-demonstrates/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The press is the exclusive literature of the million; to them it is literature, church, and college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-press-is-the-exclusive-literature-of-the-million-to-them-it-is/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Every government is always growing corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/every-government-is-always-growing-corrupt/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Neither do I acknowledge the right of Plymouth to the whole rock. No, the rock underlies all America: it only crops out here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/neither-do-i-acknowledge-the-right-of-plymouth-to-the-whole-rock-no/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The heart beats louder and the soul hears quicker in silence and solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/the-heart-beats-louder-and-the-soul-hears-quicker-in-silence-and/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Freedom to preach was first gained, dragging in its train freedom to print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/freedom-to-preach-was-first-gained-dragging-in-its-train-freedom-to/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Politicians are like the bones of a horse's foreshoulder-not a straight one in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/politicians-are-like-the-bones-of-a-horse-s-foreshoulder-not-a/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Wants awaken intellect. To gratify them disciplines intellect. The keener the want the lustier the growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/wants-awaken-intellect-to-gratify-them-disciplines-intellect-the/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Popular opinion is oftenest, what Carlyle pronounced it to be, a lie!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/popular-opinion-is-oftenest-what-carlyle-pronounced-it-to-be-a-lie/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/great-political-questions-stir-the-deepest-nature-of-one-half-the/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Organize, and stand together. Claim something together, and at once; let the nation hear a united demand from the laboring voice, and then, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/organize-and-stand-together-claim-something-together-and-at-once-let/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) [Explore all 117 Wendell Phillips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) ## More Orator quotes > [An orator is the worse person to tell a plain fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/an-orator-is-the-worse-person-to-tell-a-plain-fact/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [There are prating coxcombs in the world who would rather talk than listen, although Shakespeare himself were the orator, and human nature the theme!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/there-are-prating-coxcombs-in-the-world-who-would-rather-talk-than/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Great is our admiration of the orator who speaks with fluency and discretion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/great-is-our-admiration-of-the-orator-who-speaks-with-fluency-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“No one can really claim to know politics properly until he has stayed up all night writing a speech for delivery the following day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/no-one-can-really-claim-to-know-politics-properly-until-he-has-stayed/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [An accomplished mathematician, i.e. a most wretched orator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/an-accomplished-mathematician-i-e-a-most-wretched-orator/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [The orator, who may be silent without danger, may praise without difficulty and without reluctance; and posterity will confess that the character of Theodosius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-orator-who-may-be-silent-without-danger-may-praise-without/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [You could be the World's greatest orator and if you don't say anything while orating, they are going to walk out on you after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-could-be-the-world-s-greatest-orator-and-if-you-don-t-say/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I'm an orator, a raconteur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/i-m-an-orator-a-raconteur/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Like a rough orator, that brings more truth Than rhetoric, to make good his accusation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-massinger/like-a-rough-orator-that-brings-more-truth-than-rhetoric-to-make-good/) [Philip Massinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-massinger/) > [Barack Obama is probably one of the brightest in terms of sheer intelligence... also probably the best orator we've ever had as a president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/barack-obama-is-probably-one-of-the-brightest-in-terms-of-sheer/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [“It is easy to raise a laugh, but dangerous, for it is the greatest test of an orator's control of his audience to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-h-conwell/it-is-easy-to-raise-a-laugh-but-dangerous-for-it-is-the-greatest-test/) [Russell H. Conwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-h-conwell/) > [Swami Vivekananda: The genuine orator exercises a sort of hypnotism over his audience. I have listened to many orators, Indian, English and American; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshub-chandra-sen/swami-vivekananda-the-genuine-orator-exercises-a-sort-of-hypnotism/) [Keshub Chandra Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshub-chandra-sen/) > [I was conscious of being wordy as a child. I was a terrible talker. I memorised the Latin names of flowers at five; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/i-was-conscious-of-being-wordy-as-a-child-i-was-a-terrible-talker-i/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [Oratory is the masterful art. Poetry, painting, music, sculpture, architecture please, thrill, inspire - but oratory rules. The orator dominates those who hear him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-josiah-brewer/oratory-is-the-masterful-art-poetry-painting-music-sculpture/) [David Josiah Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-josiah-brewer/) > [Obama has proved to be particularly adept at using the media to disseminate his administration's messages, but he is a masterful orator. Bill Clinton,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-traister/obama-has-proved-to-be-particularly-adept-at-using-the-media-to/) [Rebecca Traister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-traister/) [Browse all 77 Orator quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orator/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wendell Phillips" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-your-great-cause/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Orator" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-your-great-cause/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc3/wendell-phillips-3986_orator_if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-yo_1001841.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause.” — Wendell Phillips", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Wendell Phillips", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you want to be an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-your-great-cause/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/if-you-want-to-be-an-orator-first-get-your-great-cause/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```