Mayor Chiang's 'hot pot' speeches draw fire; professor says critical thinking can't be outsourced

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's recent speech in Singapore, where he once again used the analogy of "hot pot" to describe Taipei, has sparked online debate. Critics question his repeated use of the same metaphor in international forums.

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Speech drafts can be copied, staff can ghostwrite them, and even AI can generate a seemingly perfect speech. But critical thinking, immediate response, and the ability to form independent viewpoints when facing the unknown cannot be outsourced to others or machines.

National Cheng Kung University professor Lee Chung-hsuan pointed out that while speech drafts can be copied, staff can ghostwrite them, and even AI can generate seemingly perfect speeches, the ability for critical thinking, immediate response, and independent viewpoint formation in the face of the unknown cannot be outsourced.

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I don't like to treat such occasions as fluent performances, but rather as a thinking exercise when facing an audience and under pressure.

Lee shared that Chiang's speeches in the US and Singapore years apart were nearly identical in terms of the "hot pot" story, gestures, expressions, and even pauses. He contrasted this with his own approach to public speaking, preferring to think on his feet rather than rely on a fully written script, even if it means speaking slower and pausing more. Lee believes that true value in a speech lies not in its fluency, but in the genuine thought process it represents, especially when responding to unexpected questions or situations.

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Thinking and reacting under pressure is an important training that helps people improve. If one relies too much on scripts, staff, or what others have prepared, it's difficult to truly develop independent critical thinking.

While acknowledging that memorizing a script perfectly is a skill, Lee emphasized that genuine originality comes from thinking independently under pressure. He concluded that relying too heavily on prepared material, staff, or external aids hinders the development of independent critical thinking. A perfectly delivered speech, if devoid of spontaneous thought, remains merely a rehearsed performance.

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Fluency is certainly admirable, but if a person cannot think without a script, then even the most brilliant performance is ultimately just a meticulously rehearsed show. True originality is not reciting a script word-for-word, but being able to speak one's own words relying on one's own mind in a live situation full of pressure and uncertainty.