Question: What makes you apprehensive about public speaking?
Judgment and incompetence are my two largest things that make me apprehensive about public speaking. Although, I have had a background with speaking in front of large crowds, the feeling of being judged and showing a lack of competence in the subject I am discussing is in the back of my mind at all times. As Author Stephanie J. Coopman writes about in chapter one of her textbook Public Speaking: The Evolving Art how it is very easy in this day in age to deliver information and have the audience judge you based on whether or not you are correct. Simply because, our resources are so large and broad that audiences can search a topic online, through DVD’s, a pod cast, or even television and get a different answer. The technological boom works with us and against us at a bittersweet pace, providing us with vital information that can be used against us or for us. This provides me with a large burden on my shoulders, always making me think I missed something important in my speech. In addition, this burden brings with it the feelings that I will be judged by my audience because I am possibly delivering a speech that lacks knowledge.
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7 comments:
I completely agree with you, Jane. It makes it even more difficult when you start to think about what others are thinking about you and how you are giving your presentation.
I also agree with you. I understand how the wide range of technology available to almost everyone around the world can help and hurt us at the same time. When you wrote about how someone in your audience can research the same topic as you on the internet and come up with completely different results- that may or may not be as creditable as yours- but still that person may believe what they found, instead of what is actual truth. I have the same fears as you.
In our public speaking textbook, pages 41-44 tells you how to make yourself feel more confident about what you are talking about by finding creditable evidence, and making sure you choose a topic that truely interests you, which in turn, will help you appear more confident to the audience and less afraid of thinking that they know more than you about the subject being discussed and call you out on it.
Hi, I'm Marisa.
I totally agree with you. You made a really good point when you talked about how you are afraid that you may show you "lack competence in the subject" you speak about. That is a major fear of mine as well, especially when it comes to broad and controversial topics. There is so much to know and sometimes there’s no way to cover all of it! It's nerve-racking to speak in front of a crowd and I definitely know what you were talking about when you referred to the "judgment" the audience can give off sometimes. So, what was the experience you mentioned about speaking in front of large crowds?
I think that is also one of my biggest fears with public speaking. I am afraid that I am not going to say the correct phrase or misinterpret information. Like you mentioned in your blog, there is such an unlimited amount of resources available that information can be readily misinterpreted or your resource can say one thing while your audience member's resource can say another. The worst thing is being called out on about incorrect information and having to stumble through something like THAT. A lot of people tell me I shouldn't be so scared of public speaking because EVERYONE has these fears. And I clearly understand that but when you're up there by yourself in front of a group of people you hardly know it can be quite a daunting task.
Jane, I could not agree more. I believe that public speaking is an inner battle that only you can feel. Being on both sides of the spectrum, as both a speaker and listener, you definately can comprehend the anxiety and fear of judgement. The text book provides several tips on how to counter act the anxiety and fear into a positive energy. Educating oneself on the topics helps to be more prepared and seem more confident in what you are talking about. In my opinion, what seems to be the most difficult aspect, is attacking the topics that almost seem to be "off limits". Controversial topics are a trail, especially when the speaker mustbe prepared for objection.
Ah yes, the accessibility of information is a double edged sword. I like your observation here.
Have you ever heard the phrase, "fake it to you make it", like anything in life we all have reasons to be nervous, but confidence is what gets you through those situations, no matter what you do or say if you are confident about it and yourself it wont matter what others think. Like you pretty much said, every one interprets differently but i think that confidence looks the same anywhere, and on the flip an unconfident person usually gives the audience/interviewer/class/ or what ever else type of audience the thought that maybe that person is unprepared or unsure or incompetent or just doesn't care to much about what is being said. You should watch the republican convention tonight, and see exactly what I mean, I bet you can tell who is confident and who isn't!
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