🏠 GC Toastmasters Club

The Wisdom of Choice
Meeting #1086 · Meeting Minutes
📅 2026-05-13 (Wed) 🕖 19:00–21:07 📍 SOHO Modern City D-1910
P A R A D O X
7
Impromptu Speakers
2
Prepared Speeches
2
Debate Rounds
3
Guests
🎭 Meeting Roles
👩‍💼
Sarah FENG
President
🎙️
Yunduan
Toastmaster
📋
Bing Liu DTM
General Evaluator
🎯
Hunter TU
Table Topics Master
📝
Sarah FENG
TT Evaluator 1
📝
Lei WANG
TT Evaluator 2
⏱️
Ano WANG
Timer
🔴
Yaxin
Ah-Counter (First Time)
📖
Jiang Hua
WordSmith
📚 Word of the Day
PARADOX
/ˈperədɒks/ · A statement that contradicts itself but reveals a deeper truth
Origin: Greek para (against) + doxa (opinion)
Jianghua's introduction: "An error can never reach me" — absurd but thought-provoking.
11+
Times Used
7
Speakers
🏆
Widely Adopted
👋 Guests
🌟
May
🌟
Yayin
🎉
Amily → Joined!
🎯 Table Topics · Flaws & Contradictions
Hunter (TTM) Opening: Asked his wife "What flaw of mine do you like?" She answered: being easily affected by emotions. Hunter flipped it: that's a good thing — it prevents making irreversible mistakes. His wife's stubbornness → actually mature thinking.
Quote: "Love and hate share one root"
TT Speaker 1
Jianghua
Cooking for someone vs. cooking because you have to — same action, completely different feelings. It's not the thing itself that makes you happy or unhappy; it's you.
"If something can't change you, it will not change you."
PARADOX
TT Speaker 2 · Guest
Amily
Bystanders see clearly while those involved are confused. People like giving advice to friends — outsiders can see things more objectively.
Guest Debut
TT Speaker 3 · Guest
May
Staying in the comfort zone too long leads to stagnation. Challenges bring growth but also stress. Balance is key.
Guest Debut
TT Speaker 4
Yue
Different perspectives can lead to different outcomes. Thorough communication is the best approach.
TT Speaker 5
Jessie
Outstanding single women in their 40s are still single — this isn't about right or wrong. Everyone pursues happiness differently.
"There's no right or wrong — they just enjoy different kinds of life."
Debate 1 🔥
Sarah vs Yunduan
No choice is better vs More choices is better
🟢 Sarah · No choice
Too many choices lead to indecision. Having no choice forces breakthroughs. Facing death leaves no choice, but how to spend your life requires careful deliberation.
🔴 Yunduan · More choices
More choices make people feel free and in control. You can quickly list all factors and find the optimal solution.
"Two sides of a coin — it's a PARADOX!"
Debate 2 🔥
Joanne vs Bing
Follow others' advice vs Stick to our own decision
🟢 Joanne · Follow advice
Find the right person to consult, analyze the advice, then decide for yourself. "They don't make the decision for me."
🔴 Bing · Own decision
Life is short. Every decision should be your own. I don't want others to influence my choices.
"You are doing the exact same thing — making the final decision of your own!" — Bing
📝 TT Evaluations
🎤 Prepared Speeches
Just Five More Minutes
Tina JI · Persuasive Influence L1-4 · 6:51 ✅
Opened by simulating a late arrival: "Sorry, traffic, just five more minutes."

Three psychological reasons:
1️⃣ Absorption in the moment — forget time, forget water, harm your body
2️⃣ Attention Residual — a friend took 30 seconds to answer a question because their mind was still on the previous task
3️⃣ Planning Fallacy — Kahneman's study: students estimated 34 days, actually took 2 years

Solutions: Add buffer time · Write down where you stopped before switching tasks · Hofstadter's Law
"You can never be on time. You can be either early or late. If you aim for on time, you'll probably be late."
The Fifty Meters Behind Him
Joanne · Presentation Mastery L1-4 · 7:04 ✅
Her 6-year-old son was home alone; she went to attend a meeting.
Needed to approach the Vice Minister of Health to promote a project — emails and formal channels had failed.
Calculated a 10-minute window, but got distracted, and the official left.
Thinking of her son waiting alone at home → she stood up and chased after him.
Followed the official for 50 meters down the corridor to the parking lot.
Hesitated, feared → but spoke up anyway. 2 minutes solved the problem.
"The distance between courage and hesitation is just 50 meters. If you're going to do something, just stand up, speak out, and take steps."
💬 Speech Evaluations
📋 General Evaluation · Bing Liu DTM
🏆 "This is the most accurate meeting in our recent months — only 1 minute behind!"
⏱️ Time Report · Ano WANG
6:51
Tina · Prepared
7:04
Joanne · Prepared
+1min
Meeting Overtime
Table Topics ran 3 min over · Break shortened by 6 min to catch up · Final overtime: only 1 min
🏆 Awards
🎤
Best Prepared Speaker
Tina JI
💬
Best Table Topics
Joanne & Bing
🎭
Best Functional Role
Yunduan
📝
Best Evaluator
Sarah FENG
Golden Quotes
You can never be on time. You can be either early or late. If you aim for on time, you'll probably be late.
— Tina
The distance between courage and hesitation is just 50 meters. If you're going to do something, just stand up, speak out, and take steps.
— Joanne
If something can't change you, it will not change you.
— Jianghua
Love and hate share one root.
— Hunter (TTM)
There's no right or wrong — they just enjoy different kinds of life.
— Jessie
No choice is better — behind these words is more strength in life.
— Sarah
You are doing the exact same thing — making the final decision of your own!
— Bing
🚀 Innovation Highlights
🔤
PARADOX Review Method
Warren used Word of the Day initials for evaluation
⚔️
Double Debate Rounds
Sarah vs Yunduan / Joanne vs Bing
📖
Full Script TM
Yunduan prepared a complete opening script
🤖
AI-Assisted IE
Warren used AI to generate PARADOX review