Why the Big Pause?
Polar bear walks into a bar, tells the bartender, “I’ll have a gin [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] and tonic.”
Bartender says, “Sure, but why the big pause?”
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, here’s a quote from a master about the value of the pause:
“The pause is an exceedingly important feature in any kind of story, and a frequently recurring feature, too. It is a dainty thing, and delicate, and also uncertain and treacherous; for it must be exactly the right length - no more and no less - or it fails of its purpose and makes trouble.”
Mark Twain, “How to Tell a Story,” 1895
You don’t want to make trouble for the Court of Appeals. On the contrary, your objective is to eliminate trouble for them, to remove obstacles to the Court’s understanding of the case and why they should decide in your favor. That’s where the rhetorical pause can infuse your oral argument with delicate power. There’s the pause that gives us respect. (Apologies to Hamlet.)
Doing nothing, standing completely still, and saying nothing for a brief period of time is the most powerful thing you can do in front of an audience. Quietly holding your breath makes it even more powerful. Pausing is an art - one that I have not mastered, but that I practice. I will plan a pause or two in my presentations. I seize one or two more based on the situation, to get attention back if I have lost the audience, or to make sure the audience gives the discussion after the pause some weight. A pause after a fundamental question gives you the chance to think (or at least to look like you are thinking). Use pauses sparingly and wisely.
So when the time is right, don’t just do something, stand there. Your big pause will certainly get the Court’s attention.
